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PILOT PORTAL

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PILOT PORTAL

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PILOT PORTAL

Flight Research International has been a leader in professional fight testing since 1981. Located at Mojave Air and Space Port, our services include full airframe and certification test, UAS test, and component testing. Flight Research is fully equipped to conduct flight tests from beginning to end for full airframes, components, UAS indoor, UAS outdoor, and weapons.

Our staff is fully equipped to conduct flight tests from beginning to end for full airframes, components, UAS indoor, UAS outdoor, weapons, and certification.

Flight Testing Services

Regardless of what it may entail, your project is our priority. We can design a program that will efficiently and economically meet your specific flight test needs and goals. We view every flight test program as a team effort between both your team and ours. Our highly-qualified staff of flight test engineers, test pilots, test pilot instructors, A&Ps, IAs, and maintenance technicians understand the concept of meeting your needs through a team effort and we’re prepared to work closely with you to accomplish each mission.

Each of our test pilots and flight test engineers have extensive experience in his or her respective field – and many are members of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and Test Engineers. Click here to review their biographies.

Testing

Testing is a fundamental part of our services and ensures efficacy and effectiveness at all stages of your mission. Custom testing services can be arranged, while our pre-built services include:

  • Acceptance testing
  • Avionics and component testing
  • Parabolic flight testing
  • Weapons testing
  • Aircraft performance testing
  • Full flight testing
  • Avionics anomaly testing
  • Aircraft stability and control testing
  • Aircraft Avionics and systems testing

Flight Testing Support

Our aircraft experts can support your flight testing efforts by providing advice, personnel, tools, and metric-based planning efforts. Support services include:

  • Flight test support
  • Flight test support aircraft
  • Conceptual design
  • Aerodynamic analysis and design
  • Structural analysis and design
  • Ground test procedure development
  • Data reduction and analysis
  • Flight test cards and flight reports
  • Primary and supplemental flight test pilots and engineers
  • Handling qualities and performance design input
  • Flight testing aircraft modifications
  • Flight control laws and handling qualities evaluation

Additional Flight Testing Services

Flight Research provides additional services to further support your flight testing needs. These include:

  • Flight Test Hosting
  • Calibrated Chase
  • CAM Program

Maintenance Support

Flight Research provides various maintenance support for your flight testing missions. Our air and space industry experts can provide tooling, fabrication, structural testing, and flightline support to ensure safety and efficacy, making use of our Avionics Repair Station. Using telemetry and the control room, we can also provide comprehensive data acquisition.

Weapons Testing

Flight Research aircraft provide excellent platforms for captive carriage and release of weapons and sensor testing. We have a wide variety of pods and pylons.

If what we have on-hand doesn’t fit your needs, we have full machine shop capabilities to manufacture a system that will.

We also have experience in weapons testing and certification on aircraft ranging from helicopters to our supersonic Saab SK-35XD Draken fighters. We have tested systems ranging from machine guns and cannons to smart bombs and towed electronics packages. If your system needs to be flight-tested, please contact us and allow us to begin developing a competitive bid package.

UAM and UAS Flight Test

The 2020 Federal budget directed funding to three groups for the purpose of achieving the integration of UAM and AAM into the National Airspace System. Those groups were the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). FRI is an established provider of Advanced Air Mobility flight testing with both the FAA and NASA.

The AAM National Campaign is actively working with FRI to help identify requirements for the commercial readiness of UAM technology and gather data for the FAA to use in regulatory and certification efforts. Currently, FRI is the premier provider of UAM/AAM aircraft flight test and certification support for any new vehicle entering the market.

Flight Research also has an operational UAS surrogate platform with vast access to training and testing areas, including access to a more than one million square foot aircraft boneyard proving ground.

UAS Testing and Training Services

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are used nationwide to support key missions, like firefighting, disaster relief efforts, and search and rescue operations. Ensuring your UAS are flying efficiently and safely is critical to the success of these missions and the safety of those nearby.

  • Access to unlimited airspace
  • Indoor UAS Flight Testing Hangar up to 100ft
  • Outdoor UAS Flight Testing
  • Fully operational UAS surrogate platform
  • Multiple hangars for equipment installation
  • Collaboration office space and cubicles for several staff
  • A fully-equipped control room
  • UAS Surrogacy
  • Develop and testing payload packages
  • Integrate programmable telemetry systems
  • Test systems in a manned UAS surrogate
  • Testing final phase of flight and formation ops under autonomous control
  • Sensor, system and control law checks
  • On-location UAS support also available

Benefits of Testing at Flight Research International

Testing at Flight Research International offers several distinct benefits, including schedule flexibility and timely execution. When testing at our headquarters in Mojave, CA, you’ll also gain access to special-use airspace during your flight tests and supersonic corridors. Our facility has multiple hangars for equipment installation, a fully-equipped control room, collaborative office space, and is in a location that provides ideal flight test weather.

Past Performance

At Flight Research, our past performance speaks for itself as an indicator of our capabilities. We’ve previously provided support and services for key aircraft and missions, like the Buccaneer Space Cruiser and the IRAD 78D Long Shot Accuracy Improvement Program. Our business and personnel hold critical certifications in both flight testing and maintenance sectors.

Certifications include:

  • FAA-145 Repair Station
  • ATF- IMPORTER Firearms, Explosives and Other Destructive Devices
  • ITAR Facility

Flight Test Support Aircraft

Our highly-qualified staff can design a program to meet your specific flight test needs. Our staff consists of industry professionals like test pilots, test pilot instructors, flight test engineers, and maintenance technicians who understand the concept and importance of meeting your needs through a team effort.

Flight Test Hosting

Flight Research International and the surrounding airspace are fully equipped to help with Flight Testing to meet FAA certification requirements. The facility utilizes special-use airspace for testing. We provide furnished offices for your own engineers and certification teams, as well as over seven aircraft hangars for operations, research and modifications.

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Review our pilot course schedule, request a quote for a custom course or find out more about Flight Research International's services.

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