United States Naval Test Pilot School

The United States Naval Test Pilot School ( USNTPS ) is a training center for the U.S. Navy. It is located on the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, USA. There, pilots, weapons systems officers and engineers of the Navy, the Marine Corps, the Army and the Air Force in the operation, development and the technique of different aircraft are briefed.

The school was founded in 1945, when the test pilot training department of the Navy (Test Pilot Training Division ) from Naval Air Station Anacostia, Washington DC moved to Naval Air Station Patuxent River. The first course left the school on 21 December 1948. Flown The guys were then PB4Y -2 Privateer, F6F -5 Hellcat, Fairchild XNQ -1, F7F -3 Tigercat, F8F Bearcat, PBY -6A Catalina and Beech SNB -1. In 1957 the school received its name, which she still carries today.

The selection process is extremely demanding and candidates are chosen by a selection committee. USNTPS is the only test pilot school of the U.S. military, which offers academic courses for helicopters. The school operates 50 aircraft 13 different types. Students can expect during their course between 15 and 20 to fly different aircraft.