Flight Test Safety Committee

The Flight Test Safety Committee (FTSC) was formed jointly in November 1994 by members of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), the Society of Flight Test Engineers (SFTE) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). These and numerous additional organizations presently comprise the FTSC. The purpose of the FTSC is to initiate and sustain a flight test related safety organization intended to promote flight safety, reduce the risk of mishap, promote risk reduction management and continually improve the profession's communication and coordination.
About FTSC

Martin Shubert

Test Pilot Consultant
Tiltrotor Flight Test Consulting LLC

Shubert

Marty Shubert is a Graduate of the USNTPS in 1992, with a MS from Georgia Tech in 1991, and a BS from West Point in 1979.  He has 28 years of continuous experience as a test pilot from 1992-2020.  His first Test Pilot assignment with US Army AQTD involved testing of the MH-47E and developing the Army’s first helicopter Terrain-Following Radar capability. He also conducted CH-47D tests for the Army’s revision of Aeronautical Design Standard ADS-33E, which is now considered the standard for modern flight control development in rotorcraft.  For 22 years Marty conducted experimental flight tests of the MV-22 and CV-22 Tiltrotors. These tests included: envelope expansion, aeroservoelastics, structural demonstration, flight loads, handling qualities, performance, propulsion, external loads, aerial refueling, natural icing, and various systems developments.  He was Chief Test Pilot of CV-22 from 1999 to 2005 and flew the first flights of the CV-22 and led the development of the first Terrain-Following Radar capability in a tiltrotor.  From 2010 -2020 he served as the Bell Flight Test Associate Technical Fellow and senior V-22 Test Pilot of the combined government/contractor test team at Patuxent River, MD.  In this capacity he mentored numerous pilots in the unique testing of the tiltrotor and authored test guides on high-risk tiltrotor tests to include aeroservoelastics, structural demonstration and flight loads, the use of flight control excitations for handling qualities assessment, and protocols for in-flight optimization of advanced flight controls. As Associate Technical Fellow for Bell for 10 years, he also advised on flight tests of the Bell 525 and the V280 and authored various best practices.  Marty is presently consulting with NASA, the FAA, Systems Technology Inc, and others in simulations and studies of new Urban Air Mobility concepts and adaptation of ADS-33E to civil certification of these new vehicles. He has authored 11 technical papers presented at AIAA, AHS, SETP, and SFTE symposia and received the Leroy Grumman Award at the 2009 East Coast Symposium. 

Raymond "RJ" Schreiner

Flight Test Pilot

RJ Schreiner

LtCol (Ret) Raymond (RJ) Schreiner has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah and served over 21 years as a Marine. He is an attack helicopter instructor pilot, a graduate of the MAWTS-1 Weapons & Tactics Instructor course, and a USNTPS graduate. In 2004, RJ was assigned to HX-21 at NAS Patuxent River and led flight testing of several AH-1W capability upgrades and also supported developmental testing of the H-1 Upgrades Program (AH-1Z & UH-1Y). From 2008 to 2012, RJ led H-1 flight testing at NAS China Lake with VX-31 and the H-1 WSSA  leading to the initial operational fielding of both the AH-1Z & UH-1Y. RJ also supported flight testing of several weapon systems including developmental flight testing that led to initial operational fielding of the APKWS laser guided rocket. RJ served as the MAG-29 Operations Officer at MCAS New River and later the I-MEF (Fwd) Operations Officer in Afghanistan. He also supervised complex employment of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). From 2014 RJ returned to USNTPS as a rotary wing staff instructor and taught syllabus events in the H-60 and C-12 aircraft. In 2016, RJ transitioned from military service and joined eVTOL startup Zee Aero where he developed and conducted the envelope expansion plan for Zee’s first manned eVTOL aircraft. In 2017, RJ piloted the first manned eVTOL aircraft from a precision vertical takeoff, transition from hover to wingborne flight, returning to a hover and precision vertical landing. RJ became the Chief Test Pilot (CTP) for Wisk (formerly Kitty Hawk and Zee Aero) and was responsible for leading flight test operations in Hollister, California and in Tekapo, New Zealand. In September of 2022, RJ became the CTP for Supernal where he is currently establishing an eVTOL flight test team and supporting design, development, and planning for full-scale eVTOL prototypes and other R&D flight test projects. RJ is owner/operator of a Long EZ experimental airplane, a member of SETP and EAA,. and he actively supports the eVTOL Flight Test Council, electric aircraft flight test committee. RJ’s FAA qualifications include commercial glider as well as instrument flight instructor in both airplanes and helicopters. RJ’s aviation and flight testing experience includes over 27 years of aviation, over 16 years of flight test, and over 5,000 flight hours in over 40 different aircraft models.

Tiziano Bernard, Ph.D.

Tiziano Bernard, Ph.D.
Director, Society of Flight Test Engineers (SFTE)
Experimental Flight Test Engineer, Gulfstream

Dr. Tiziano "Tizi" Bernard is a director with the Society of Flight Test Engineers (SFTE), an experimental flight test engineer and corporate pilot with Gulfstream, and a professor of human factors at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Worldwide. Born and raised in Trieste, Italy, he graduated from the International School of Trieste before moving to the United States to study at Florida Tech. A graduate student of Dr. Ralph D. Kimberlin, he earned a M.S. in Flight Test Engineering working on aircraft stability and control. He earned his Ph.D. studying human cognition in aerospace from the Human-Centered Design Institute (HCDi) under Dr. Lucas Stephane.

At Florida Tech, Dr. Bernard spent several years researching systems-induced loss of control (LOC), flight-testing causal factors, developing new cognitive engineering methods, and designing experimental recovery avionics for large Part 25 aircraft.

In the industry, Dr. Bernard is an experimental flight test engineer flying on Gulfstream GVII and GVIII test aircraft and a corporate pilot for Gulfstream Flight Operations. He is on the Gulfstream Flight Test Safety Council and is a flight test instructor for CRM, physiology, and mission readiness. He is also an FAA master flight instructor with over 1,500 instruction hours. Previously, he worked as an avionics designer and evaluator for GARMIN, designing integrated, aftermarket and experimental cockpits, primarily focusing on large-cabin flight decks and life-critical systems.

In recognition of his dedication to the sciences, Dr. Bernard was awarded the Order of Merit of Savoy (Royal House of Italy), the Bronzean Medal of the City of Trieste, and was elected to the Forbes Italy “Under 30” list in 2019. He received two Visionary Educator awards from Embry-Riddle and most recently was awarded Best National Flight Instructor by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).

John Rudzis

John Rudzis

Mr. Rudzis is a distinguished aviator with an exceptional career spanning operational flying and flight testing in military and commercial aviation.

A former U.S. Marine Corps Aviator and Commercial Airline Captain, Mr. Rudzis' credentials include graduating from the prestigious U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) with Class 91 in June 1987, and subsequently serving as a USNTPS flight test instructor pilot from 1989 through 1990. Mr. Rudzis' extensive flight test experience includes serving as a military test pilot on all models of H-53 helicopters from 1987 to 1989 and as the Government Flight Test Director (GFTD) on the MV-22B Osprey Integrated Test Team (ITT) during the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) flight test phase of the V-22 Development Program from 1996 through 1999. Upon retiring from active military service, he joined Delta Air Lines in 2000 as a commercial airline pilot, flying domestic U.S. and international routes until 2021, in Boeing, McDonnel Douglas, and Airbus airplanes. In 2007, he also served as a Senior Flight Test Specialist for Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., flying developmental flight test for the VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Integrated Test Team at Patuxent River, Maryland.

Mr. Rudzis has over 12,000 flight hours logged across more than 25 type, model, and series of aircraft, encompassing helicopters, tiltrotors, and fixed-wing airplanes, Mr. Rudzis holds an FAA Airline Transport Pilot rating for multi engine fixed wing airplanes, commercial ratings for fixed wing airplanes and rotorcraft, and type ratings for the B-737, B-757, B-767, DC-9 and BD-500 airplanes. He has been a proud member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) since 1989.

Academic Achievements and Consulting

In addition to his extensive aviation career, Mr. Rudzis is an accomplished academic and aviation consultant. Between 2000 and 2024, he was employed by ARINC Engineering Services, Inc. and Coherent Technical Services, Inc., supporting aviation systems development projects for the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Maryland. He holds a B.S. in Ocean Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, an M.S. in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee, and an M.B.A. from Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Rudzis presented a paper to the Society during the Annual SETP Symposium in September 2000, titled "Unique Tiltrotor Handling Characteristics Encountered during MV22 Sea Trials Tests”. He proudly serves on the board of the Flight Test Safety Committee.

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