Five selected from Holloman to attend Test Pilot School

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Sanjay Allen
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Five captains, one from the 49th Operations Group and four from the 46th Test Group, were recently selected to attend Test Pilot School where they will learn the skills necessary to test the Air Forces' next weapon systems.

Captains Ryan Owen, 7th Fighter Squadron; Michael Ciampa, 746th Test Squadron; Jeffery Gray, 746th TS; William Keichel, 46th TG, Detachment 2; and Melanie Owen, 546th Flight Test Squadron, were selected.

"I am extremely proud of all the officers selected from Holloman this year," said Col. Raymond Toth, 46th TG commander. "They are all outstanding officers and aviators. Holloman had five of the 43 candidates selected for the two TPS classes this year, which is a testament to the quality of officers we have at this base. They have all worked extremely hard to be in the positions they are now and will have to work even harder during their year of training at Edwards. I am confident some of the five selected from Holloman will be top graduates from their class."

According to their Web page, the Test Pilot School is where the Air Force's top pilots, navigators and engineers learn how to conduct flight tests and generate the data needed to carry out test missions. Human lives and millions of dollars depend upon how carefully a test mission is planned and flown. The comprehensive curriculum of Test Pilot School is fundamental to the success of flight test and evaluation.

The five Airmen selected from Holloman will ensure the Air Force sends capable, combat ready systems to the fight.

"Test pilots and flight test engineers provide an important role in the fielding of new or reconfigured aircraft systems, weapon systems and avionics systems," said Captain Keichel. "The test and evaluation phase is done to ensure the Air Force does not go to war without knowing if its systems work effectively and safely."

Becoming a test pilot is a great thing for certain individuals -- those who desire to do it, as Colonel Toth said, a 2002 Test Pilot School graduate himself.

"It's not something many military pilots aspire to do," he said. "However, the pilots, navigators and flight test engineers who do aspire to go to Test Pilot School usually do so because they are problem solvers, not afraid to take risks, are disciplined, like a challenge and are among the best at their job, whether as a pilot, navigator or engineer."

Colonel Toth likened being a test pilot to that of a NASCAR driver who has to relay to his pit crew whether the car needs another half pound of air pressure in the right rear tire because the car isn't handling well through the middle part of a turn.

He said those who are test pilots, navigators or engineers have a technical background as engineers, scientists or mathematicians due to the nature of their work. They need to be able to understand the technical engineering behind the systems in an aircraft in order to be able to describe to the engineers during and after a test flight how the aircraft or system was responding.

"I guess what really makes it great is we get to fly new and modified aircraft before anyone else does, in maneuvers unlike anyone else will," the colonel said. "But most important, is being able to deliver to the warfighters the best technology that the United States has to offer. We make sure the systems are both safe and effective before they go to the field."

Captain Keichel, one of the officers selected, said being selected to TPS is a great opportunity and he is eager to get to school.

"I'm ecstatic about the opportunity to become a flight test engineer," he said. "Finding out I was selected for TPS rates second only to finding out I was selected for [the Airman Education and Commissioning Program] 11 years ago.

"When I enlisted in 1990, I had no idea where my Air Force journey would take me," he said. "I can honestly say, being selected for AECP, let alone TPS, was not considered a possibility. It wasn't until I began working on my associate degree that opportunities began to present themselves. Taking that first step to educate myself was hard, but sticking to it while working long hours, going on deployments, TDYs, and a remote to Korea was the hardest. All in all, it was well worth it."