Protecting the flight test programme

Considerable effort is put into the safety risk assessment of any flight test programme - and rightly so, since failures to apply best practice in this area may cause significant expense, and in extremis loss of life. However, it must also be remembered that the flight test programme itself is an essential component in the development of the aircraft or system, and that even if safety is never compromised, the failure of a test programme to deliver the required results on time and budget can cause failure of the entire aircraft programme. This paper considers the areas in which planning and conduct of a flight test programme should be protected. In particular it considers the conduct of flight test personnel in ways which go beyond only safety training, the important of documenting all flight test planning and conduct and the continuous justification of flight test conclusions, planning project manning to ensure that the loss (for whatever reason) of key personnel or equipment does not cause complete failure of the flight test programme, how to recover from significant programme disruptions, and most importantly whilst protecting or recovering the flight test programme – how to ensure that safety is not compromised in the process