For more than seven decades, pilots in the Flight Crew Branch at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, have flown everything from light aircraft to high-speed jets and rocket-powered airplanes. This highly experienced, capable team has flown military and civilian aircraft – both of which figure prominently in Armstrong’s many one-of-a-kind flight projects. This depth of experience is crucial to the center’s mission, which features science, research, and mission support aircraft used in multiple roles. The branch consists of research test pilots, flight engineers, flight test engineers, and navigators, all of whom bring significant education, leadership, and management experience and are dedicated to the safety and mission success of Armstrong’s programs and projects.
Research Test Pilots
- Research flight test
- Heavy aircraft operations (transports and bombers)
- Fighter operations (fighter, trainer, safety chase)
- High-altitude operations (ER-2 and Global Hawk)
- Remotely piloted test aircraft and experimental aircraft
Platform Aircraft Section
- Aircrew support for DC-8, G-III, and ER-2 science flights
- Knowledgeable aircrew dedicated to safety and mission success
- Aircrew flexibility and worldwide deployment experience
- Strong culture of government/contractor working together
Unmanned Aerial System Research Pilots
- Aircrew support for Global Hawk research flights
- Government and contractors working together for earth science and atmospheric research
- Small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) flying oversight
- Using UAS for airborne science and flight research
