Commandants of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School


The commanding officer of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School is known as its Commandant. The commandant manages the school which is a military unit that operates in a distinctly academic atmosphere. The position is usually held by a colonel selected by the Air Force Materiel Command commander although this authority may be delegated to the commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center. The commandant oversees all flying training, academic instruction, budgeting, and curriculum administration at the school. The commandant also chairs a board of officers that selects the school's students. The selection board consists of flight test squadron commanders with a majority of the board members being TPS graduates. Every three years, the commandant conducts a review of the school's curriculum with participation from flight test squadrons, the U.S. Naval TPS, and operational squadrons.
The school's mission is to produce experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and flight test navigators to lead and conduct test and evaluation of aerospace weapon systems. The school was established on September 9, 1944 as the Flight Test Training Unit at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. To take advantage of the uncongested skies and superb flying weather, the school was moved on February 4, 1951 to its present location at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert of Southern California. Edwards AFB is the home of the Air Force Flight Test Center and has been an integral part of flight testing for over fifty years.
Between 1962 and 1972, the Test Pilot School expanded its role to include astronaut training for military test pilots. Thirty-seven TPS graduates of this era were selected for the U.S. space program, and twenty-six went on to earn astronaut's wings by flying in the X-15, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs. Although the school no longer trains astronauts, many TPS graduates since 1972 have been selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for duties in space. The school encourages applications from civilians, personnel from other U.S. military services, and individuals from foreign countries. An exchange program allows selected students to attend other test pilot schools including the United States Naval Test Pilot School, the United Kingdom's Empire Test Pilots' School, and France's École du personnel navigant d'essais et de réception.

Commandants

The following list provides a complete list of commandants of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. The table contains their name, rank, dates as commandant, the TPS class from which they graduated, and notable events that occurred during their tenure at the school.

Key

List of Commandants

Individual was killed in an aviation-related accident.
NoNameRankFromToClassNotable events during tenureRef
1O-04Maj.1944-09Sep 19441945-01Jan 1945n/a

2O-05Lt. Col.1945-01Jan 19451946-01Jan 1946n/a

3O-04Maj.1946-01Jan 19461947-05May 1947n/a
  • Curriculum expanded to include Stability and Control testing

    • 4O-04Maj.1947-05May 19471947-10Oct 19471946-0446D
  • Aug 1947—F-80 introduced

    • 5O-05Lt. Col.1947-10Oct 19471949-10Oct 19491947-0147
  • 47—First USAF class. First class to fly jets
  • School renamed Air Material Command Experimental Test Pilot School


    • 6O-04Maj.1949-10Oct 19491950-10Oct 19501945-0145
  • 50C—Last class at Wright Field

    • 7O-05Lt. Col.1950-10Oct 19501956-05May 19561949-0449D
  • Feb 4, 1951—School moved to Edwards AFB
  • 51A—First class held at Edwards AFB
  • May 1951—T-28, B-26 introduced
  • Apr 2, 1951—School renamed Air Research and Development Command Experimental Test Pilot School
  • Jan 1, 1953—School renamed USAF Experimental Test Pilot School
  • 1953—T-33, F-84 introduced
  • Jun 9, 1955—School renamed USAF Flight Test School
  • Mar 14, 1956—School moved to main base building 1220
  • 1956—F-86, F-100 introduced


    • 8O-05Lt. Col.1956-05May 19561959-06Jun 19591955-0355C
  • Jul 3, 1956—School emblem approved
  • Jun 17, 1957—First student field trip overseas
  • 1957—NB-57 introduced
  • Curriculum expanded from six to eight months
  • Number of classes per year reduced from four to three
  • 1958—TF-102 introduced

    • 9O-04Maj.1959-06Jun 19591961-06Jun 19611955-0455D
  • 60B—US Army helicopter test pilot course
  • UH-1, F-104 introduced

    • 10O-05Lt. Col.1961-06Jun 19611962-07Jul 19621949-0449D, 52B
  • Jun 5, 1961—Aerospace Research Pilot Course introduced
  • 1961—T-27 space flight simulator introduced
  • Oct 12, 1961—School renamed USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School
  • Late 1962—T-38 introduced



    • 11O-06Col.1962-07Jul 19621966-07Jul 19661946-0346C, 51A
  • NF-101 introduced
  • July 1, 1963—ARPS consolidated into TPS curriculum
  • Number of classes per year reduced from three to two
  • Calspan B-26, H-13 introduced
  • Feb 7, 1966—First Manned Orbital Laboratory class


    • 12O-06Col.1966-07Jul 19661967-05May 19671957-0157A, I
  • F-106 introduced

    • 13O-06Col.1967-05May 19671968-06Jun 19681951-0151A, 53C
  • NF-104, NF-106 introduced

    • 14O-05Lt. Col.1968-06Jun 19681968-08Aug 19681957-0157A
  • n/a
    • 15O-06Col.1968-08Aug 19681971-01Jan 19711952-0352C
  • Gliders, A-7 introduced

    • 16O-06Col.1971-01Jan 19711971-07Jul 19711962-0362C, IV
  • ARPS courses eliminated

    • 17O-06Col.1971-07Jul 19711972-02Feb 1972n/a
  • Systems Test Phase introduced

    • 18O-06Col.1972-02Feb 19721975-07Jul 19751958-0358C
  • Jul 1, 1972—School renamed USAF Test Pilot School
  • RF-4 introduced
  • Feb 26, 1973—Flight test engineer course initiated
  • Calspan NT-33, NKC-135 introduced
  • 74B—First student navigator and first female student flight test engineer
  • Sep 1, 1975—Course expanded from 44 to 46 weeks

    • 19O-06Col.1975-07Jul 19751977-12Dec 19771965-0365C
  • YA-7D DIGITAC, A-37 introduced

    • 20O-06Col.1978-01Jan 19781979-06Jun 1979ETPS FW Course 25
  • May 19, 1979—Boyd Hall dedicated


    • 21O-05Lt. Col.1979-06Jun 19791979-08Aug 19791966-0166A
  • n/a

    • 22O-06Col.1979-08Aug 19791980-06Jun 19801968-0168A
  • n/a

    • 23O-06Col.1980-06Jun 19801982-03Mar 19821966-0166A
  • UV-18, U-6, Calspan LJ-24 introduced


    • 24O-05Lt. Col.1982-03Mar 19821982-07Jul 19821969-0169A
  • 82B—Air Force Institute of Technology program with TPS begins

    • 25O-06Col.1982-07Jul 19821983-08Aug 19831968-0168A
  • n/a

    • 26O-06Col.1983-08Aug 19831985-07Jul 19851972-0272B
  • Calspan Avionics Systems Test and Training Aircraft NC-131 introduced

    • 27O-06Col.1985-07Jul 19851987-03Mar 19871975-0175A
  • Dec 5, 1986—Scobee Auditorium dedicated

    • 28O-06Col.1987-03Mar 19871989-07Jul 19891977-0177A
  • 88B—First female student test pilot enrolled
  • Integrated Flight Data Acquisition System introduced



    • 29O-06Col.1989-07Jul 19891991-06Jun 19911976-0276B
  • First USAF Reservist joined TPS staff
  • Test management phase added to curriculum
  • C-23 introduced


    • 30O-06Col.1991-06Jun 19911992-08Aug 19921975-0175A
  • NC-141 introduced


    • 31O-06Col.1992-08Aug 19921994-04Apr 19941981-0281B
  • F-16B, F-15B introduced

    • 32O-06Col.1994-04Apr 19941996-08Aug 19961979-0279B
  • Sep 9, 1994—50th anniversary of USAF Test Pilot School
  • 95B—First class to use individual student cubicles and Pentium laptops
  • T-2, NF-16D Variable-Stability Inflight Simulator Test Aircraft, F-15E introduced



    • 33O-06Col.1996-08Aug 19961998-04Apr 19981984-0184A
  • NT-39 introduced
  • First students to visit Russia's Air Force Flight Test Facility


    • 34O-06Col.1998-04Apr 19982001-01Jan 20011985-0285B
  • Students expand envelope of AGM-65 Maverick missile
  • Students test crash avoidance system


    • 35O-06Col.2001-01Jan 20012003-06Jun 20031984-0284B
  • First flight test engineer and non-rated TPS Commandant
  • First TPS sponsorship of AFIT doctoral program



    • 36O-06Col.2003-06Jun 20032005-07Jul 20051987-0287B
  • 2003—Aerospace Vehicle Test Course introduced
  • Nov 18, 2003—TPS receives Richard G. Cross Award from ITEA
  • June 15, 2004—Pete Knight classroom dedicated





    • 37O-06Col.2005-07Jul 20052007-07Jul 20071991-0191A
  • 06B—First husband and wife team graduates
  • Process begins to make TPS a Master of Science Program


    • 38O-06Col.2007-07Jul 20072010-07Jul 20101992-0292B
  • 07B—First class to receive Master of Science in Flight Test
  • Curriculum expanded to include unmanned aerial systems
  • March 19, 2010—Mark Graziano classroom dedicated




    • 39O-06Col.2010-07Jul 20102012-06Jun 20121993-0293B
  • 2011—First Remotely Piloted Aircraft test pilot
  • 2012—Flight test course for enlisted personnel
  • 2012—Cyber Systems Test Course introduced




    • 40O-06Col.2012-06Jun 20122012-08Aug 2012n/a
    • First commandant from the Air Force Reserves
    • First non-TPS graduate to serve as commandant since Buzz Aldrin
    41O-06Col.2012-08Aug 20122012-08Jul 20141997-0297A
    • Classroom renovations
    • Modernized Systems curriculum
    42O-06Col.2012-08Jul 20142017-07Jul 20172003-01TBS
    • Air Force Flight Test Museum used as classroom
    43O-06Col.2017-07Jul 20172018-07Jul 20182003-0103A


    44O-06Col.2018-07Jul 20182020-07Jul 20202008-0108A
  • TPS 75th Anniversary
  • New curriculum dedicated to space hardware


    • 45O-06Col.2020-07Jul 20202020-07Present2006-0106A
    • First female, flight test engineer commandant

    Notable alumni

    USAF TPS has produced many notable alumni including astronauts, record-setting aviators, and senior Air Force leaders.