The USAF Test Pilot School received the 2003 Richard G. Cross Award on Nov. 19 in Lihue, Hawaii. Presented by the International Test and Evaluation Association, the award recognized the contributions the school’s short courses made to the training and education of test and evaluation professionals.

"This is a true honor for the entire (school’s) staff … to be recognized by this prestigious test and evaluation organization," said Col. Ernie Haendschke, TPS commandant.

The school’s instructors worked with test organizations to address shortfalls in required training for their respective fields, Haendschke said. The units were from the 412th Test Wing, 53rd Electronic Warfare Wing, Air Force Materiel Command, the Air Force Research Lab and the Air Force Space Command. Other organizations that participated were from the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, the Space and Missile Center and NASA. School officials developed and refined 12 unique courses to address the shortfalls.

The short courses started in July 2002, and the demand has been “overwhelming," Haendschke said. The 12 courses produced a total of 169 graduates in fiscal 2003 alone.

Specialized short courses include the aerospace vehicle test course, the test management short course and the senior executive short course. The electronic warfare flight test engineer short course, the flying qualities short course and the electronic warfare short course were also included, according to the school’s curriculum guide.

The school also provides short courses in incompressible and compressible aerodynamics, propulsion, modeling and simulation, equations of motion and aerodynamic controls.

"These short courses produce technically trained personnel to execute targeted segments of the Air Force flight test (evaluation) process," Haendschke said. "This is just the beginning of our journey in becoming a school that is able to offer a full range of flight test training and education to the (test and evaluation) community. Short courses allow us to meet the changing requirements of agile acquisition and ultimately, the warfighter."

Association officials select the award recipient based on significant educational contributions to test and evaluation.

"Within our test and evaluation community, receiving (the) Richard G. Cross Award is a tremendous honor, and the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School is very deserving of this distinction," said Dr. George Ka'iliwai, Air Force Flight Test Center technical adviser. "This past year, TPS has accomplished more in the development of its specialized (test and evaluation) short courses and meeting customer requirements than it has in its almost 60-year history.” [ANN Thanks Capt. Catie Hague, Air Force Flight Test Center Public Affairs]

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