Aerospace Pilot Training and Selection

The Air Force has been training test pilots since the Experimental Flight Test Pilot School (TPS) was formed in the late 1940’s. Through the 1950’s most of the civilian and military graduates worked as conventional test pilots but a few moved into advanced research programs such as the X-1, X-2, and X-15. These pilots received additional on-the-job training within the test organizations. This informal postgraduate training continued through the X15, Dyna-Soar, and Mercury programs of the late So’s, but the need for formally trained space pilots was becoming obvious. In 1960 it was decided to add formal astronaut training to the TPS curriculum. In forming the new course a hard look was taken at the current and future needs for military test pilots. The conclusions (stated in the present tense since they still apply) can be summarized as follows: 1, Conventional test pilots will always be needed. 2. To get good space crews apool of trainedpeople is necessary to allow selection of the best. 3. The Air Force has always accented the operational use of space. This wil l eventually require routine departures from simple complexes and predictable recoveries to normal runways in other words, lifting vehicles and a merger of air and space into aerospace. This means a future merger of the conventional test pilot and the astronaut into the true aerospace pilot. 4. Planning, simulation, and ground testing for this future aerospace capability are going on today. We already need aerospacepilots as simulator pilots, test subjects, and members of research staffs. 5. The TPS graduates scatter to divers jobs from NASA astronaut through conventional test pilot to staff consultant. Therefore, the training curriculum should be broad and general, not keyed to any one program. All of this philosophy was included when the old test pilot course was re-aligned (as Phase I) and the space course was added (as Phase 11) to produce a training program for aerospace pilots. These new courses were started in 1961 and the name of the school was changed to the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School ( A R P S ) . Between then and now NASA has taken most of our top graduates. Today, with the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) Program beginning, we are dipping into the current graduate pool. The MOL program will require extensive specialized training. This training will begin with a six month postgraduate session at the school. This brings us to today with three formal programs at the ARPS. These will be discussed before continuing with planned MOL training.