EXPERIMENTAL AND ENGINEERING TEST OPERATIONS

I. CHASE REQUIREMENTS

A chase aircraft shall be utilized when the test flight is of a hazardous nature, such as structural integrity, flutter, stores separation, stall/spin, new model first flight, and/or critical single engine tests. This requirement shall be determined by the Chief Test Pilot. Pilots to fly chase on flight tests of a hazardous nature will be approved by the Chief Test Pilot. To qualify for chase duty, the pilot must be well briefed on the airplane to be chased, with a walk-around to include possible failure areas, normal overboard drain locations, fuel vents and dump ports, and functions or systems dissimilar to other airplanes. The chase pilot must attend the flight briefing of the flight to be chased. It is not necessary that the chase pilot be qualified to fly the type of aircraft to be chased.

II. BRIEFINGS

Briefings for experimental or engineering flights will be held within a 24-hour period prior to flight and shall contain as a minimum:

            A. Abort criteria

            B. Primary/alternate mission

            C. Station and takeoff times

            D. Support aircraft

            E. Formation/Chase requirements

            F. Search and Rescue (SAR) status

            G. Weather

            H. Crewmember duties including Pilot-In-Command status

            I. Flight equipment and egress systems

            J. Routes and ranges

            K. Flight procedures and techniques

            L. Communications

            M. Emergency of the day/lost communications

            N. Security assignment if applicable

            O. Ground coordination

            P. Bingo fuel

            Q. Inflight refueling

            R. Divert fields

            S. Aircraft weight and balance

            T. Passenger brief

 III. TEST PLANS

 All experimental and engineering flights will be in accordance with approved flight test plans. These plans are prepared by the Test and Evaluation Department and approved by the customer, if required by contract. If approval is not required by contract, each test plan shall be submitted to the Government Flight Representative (GFR) for informational purposes prior to starting the test.

 IV. TEST MANEUVERS

Flight crew briefs shall cover all scheduled maneuvers and, as a contingency, any other maneuvers that might be anticipated as a function of real time data results. Should a situation arise where the pilot and test conductor concur that an unanticipated and therefore unbriefed maneuver is desired, the maneuver may be performed as long as it is within the cleared envelope. Unbriefed maneuvers that lie outside the cleared envelope shall not be performed.

V. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Approved emergency procedures for systems not covered by [government] procedures shall be generated by the Flight Test Department with concurrence of the GFR and carried by flight crews during flight operations.