Flight Test Safety Committee

The Flight Test Safety Committee (FTSC) was formed jointly in November 1994 by members of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), the Society of Flight Test Engineers (SFTE) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). These and numerous additional organizations presently comprise the FTSC. The purpose of the FTSC is to initiate and sustain a flight test related safety organization intended to promote flight safety, reduce the risk of mishap, promote risk reduction management and continually improve the profession's communication and coordination.
About FTSC

European Flight Test Safety Workshop - Registration Open!

European Flight Test Safety Workshop
11-13 October 2022

Royal Air Force Club
128 Piccadilly, London


The Flight Test Safety Committee (FTSC), in conjunction with The Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) and the Society of Flight Test Engineers (SFTE), will hold the European Flight Test Safety Workshop on 11 - 13 October 2022 at the Royal Air Force Club in London’s famous district of Mayfair. The purpose of the Safety Workshop is to provide an open forum where flight test safety issues can be presented, discussed and probed with other members and disciplines of the flight test community. Mr. Gordon McClymont and team are coordinating the event.This event will be in the style of a workshop with an interactive tutorial and technical presentations. We expect plenty of audience participation and discussion.

Theme: “Improving Flight Test Safety Through Enhanced Safety Risk Management.” 

The Workshop tutorial will explore effective safety risk management (SRM) to include contemporary definitions and available references that may or may not be familiar to test teams. Led by industry experts, the interactive session will challenge attendees on various scenarios and how effective SRM methods can lead to significant reductions in overall residual risk. A Group Exercise will reinforce understanding and provide opportunity to refine competence in identifying test hazards, the causes for those hazards, and mitigations to ultimately reduce risk to as low as reasonably practicable. Practicing effective SRM will offer a tangible benefit for attendees in conducting test hazard analyses (THA) back at their host organizations. Moreover, some of the THAs developed during the tutorial may be hosted on the Flight Test Safety Database (FTSD) as a resource for the flight test community.

To complement the theme, we will hear from test teams on their SRM process and see if it had the safety effect they anticipated.

Click HERE for more information and to register! 

Best Paper Award

The Best Paper Award will be awarded at the Dinner in the RAF Club for the presentation judged to have contributed most to improving flight test safety.

2023 Flight Test Safety Workshop - Save the Date

Flight Test Safety Workshop
2-4 May 2023
Drury Plaza Hotel Boardview
400 West Douglas Avenue
Wichita, KS 67202

 Save the Date!

Join us 2-4 May 2023 in Wichita, Kansas.

More information on this event will be available soon.

European Flight Test Safety Workshop - Call for Presentations

2022 European Flight Test Safety Workshop

11-13 October 2022


Royal Air Force Club
London

Theme: “Improving Flight Test Safety Through Enhanced Safety Risk Management.”

Call for Presentations

The Workshop tutorial will explore effective safety risk management (SRM) to include contemporary definitions and available references that may or may not be familiar to test teams. Led by industry experts, the interactive session will challenge attendees on various scenarios and how effective SRM methods can lead to significant reductions in overall residual risk. A Group Exercise will reinforce understanding and provide opportunity to refine competence in identifying test hazards, the causes for those hazards, and mitigations to ultimately reduce risk to as low as reasonably practicable. Practicing effective SRM will offer a tangible benefit for attendees in conducting test hazard analyses (THA) back at their host organizations. Moreover, some of the THAs developed during the tutorial may be hosted on the Flight Test Safety Database (FTSD) as a resource for the flight test community.

To complement the theme, we’d like to hear from test teams on their SRM process and if it had the safety effect they anticipated. Perhaps there was SRM opportunity missed, an unintended consequence of a mitigation, or a risk realized that was/was not sufficiently addressed by an emergency procedure. Tragically, there have been several recent flight test mishaps that suggest the need for greater SRM emphasis. We hope to infuse a renewed and intensive focus on SRM as an effective means to reduce test risk and execute with precision and safety!

Individuals, test teams, and companies are invited to submit proposals for potential presentations to the Workshop with a target duration of 20 minutes, and a subsequent opportunity for questions and answers.

Presentation proposals should be sent (and for any questions about presenting) to the 2022 European Flight Test Safety Workshop Technical Chairman, Mark Purvis, via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The deadline for submission of proposals is 1 September 2022, to allow time for appropriate consideration, selection, and inclusion in the programme. Please note that European Workshop presentations do not need to be accompanied by any written supporting technical paper.

Best Paper Award

The Best Paper Award will be awarded at the Dinner in the RAF Club for the presentation judged to have contributed most to improving flight test safety.

SCHEDULE OUTLINE:

Tuesday 11 October — Technical Tour to the Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden airfield

— Arrival Reception at the Royal Air Force Club

Wednesday 12 October — Interactive Tutorial

— Partners / Cultural Tour (details to be announced)

Thursday 13 October — Technical Presentations

— Dinner at the Royal Air Force Club

Flight Test Safety Committee Email List

If you would like to receive emails from the Flight Test Safety Committee, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your request.

Emails include Workshop Information, The Flight Test Safety Fact Newsletter, The Flight Test Safety Committee Podcast and other pertinent information you may be interested in.