PATUXENT RIVER — The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School graduated 33 students from its Class 167 on Dec. 12 during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, marking the completion of an 11-month intensive training program that prepares military aviators and engineers to shape the future of military aviation testing and development.
The graduates, representing the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and international partners including the Royal Australian, Republic of Singapore, Spanish, and German Air Forces, earned their designations as test pilots and flight test engineers after completing a rigorous curriculum that included 530 academic hours, 100 sorties, 120 flight hours, and approximately 25 technical reports.
Rear Adm. Todd Evans, commander of Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division and a 1994 graduate of the test pilot school’s Class 119, delivered the keynote address at the ceremony. “As graduates of USNTPS, you are now part of an elite group of professionals who play a vital role in shaping the future of aviation,” Evans said. “Your work will ensure that the platforms we develop are safe, effective, and ready to meet the demands of our fellow military service members.”
The graduation ceremony recognized three students for exceptional performance during the demanding program. Navy Lt. Eric Fast earned the Capt. Willie McCool Outstanding Student Award, which recognizes the student who most embodies the ethos of developmental flight testers and demonstrates mastery of the curriculum across academics, flight execution, and technical communication.
The award honors Navy Capt. William C. McCool, a 1991 graduate of the test pilot school’s Class 101, who served as pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-107. McCool and his six crewmates died when Columbia disintegrated during reentry on Feb. 1, 2003. During his time at the test pilot school, McCool received the Outstanding Student and Best DT-II Thesis awards, and he went on to serve as a test pilot at Naval Air Station Patuxent River before his selection as a NASA astronaut in 1996.
Coast Guard Cmdr. Ryan McCue earned the Sydney Sherby Leadership Award, named for the school’s founder and recognizing the student who displays exemplary leadership throughout the duration of the class. Army Capt. William Watson II earned the Empire Test Pilots’ School’s Developmental Testing Thesis Award, which recognizes exceptional performance during the course’s Capstone exercise and symbolizes the strong partnership between the United Kingdom’s and United States’ test pilot schools.
Cmdr. Travis Hartman emphasized the comprehensive nature of the program during the ceremony. “At USNTPS we don’t just teach precision flying, we forge disciplined problem solvers and critical thinkers ready to tackle the most complex challenges in aerospace,” Hartman said. “Graduating is more than earning a designation, it proves you’ve thrived under extraordinary pressure and gained the skills and mindset to lead the future of military aviation.”
The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, established in 1945 when the Navy’s Flight Test Group transferred from Naval Air Station Anacostia in Washington to Patuxent River, has trained generations of test pilots who have gone on to distinguished careers in military aviation and space exploration. The school introduced its rotary wing syllabus in 1961, making it the only U.S. military test pilot school to offer instruction on rotary-wing aircraft, and established its 11-month curriculum format in 1973.
Notable alumni include astronauts Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Jim Lovell, Wally Schirra, Pete Conrad, John Young, and more recently, twin brothers Mark and Scott Kelly and astronaut Sunita Williams. The school’s graduates have played crucial roles in the development and testing of virtually every military aircraft and system used by U.S. forces over the past eight decades.
The test pilot school operates as a component of Naval Test Wing Atlantic under the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at Patuxent River. The school’s training program accommodates three main specialties with two classes graduating annually: fixed wing for pilots and engineers, rotary wing for pilots and engineers, and airborne systems for naval flight officers and engineers.
Students selected for the program undergo a highly competitive selection process overseen by a selection board. Prior to arrival at Patuxent River, students complete pre-arrival flight training in various aircraft including the T-6 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, the T-38C at Randolph Air Force Base, and helicopters at the Western Army Aviation Training Site in Marana, Arizona.
During the 11-month course, students progress through a traditional theory-to-practice instructional flow that includes classroom instruction, laboratory and simulation work, exercise briefing and flight demonstration, followed by data collection flights and technical report preparation with comprehensive review, debrief, and critique sessions.
The school utilizes a diverse fleet of aircraft for training, including the T-6B Texan II, AT-6E Wolverine, T-38C Talon, UH-72A Lakota, UH-60L Blackhawk, C-26A ASTARS III, F/A-18F Super Hornet, C-12C Huron, and various other fixed-wing and rotary-wing platforms. This variety allows students to gain experience testing different aircraft types and systems under varying conditions.
Naval Air Station Patuxent River, commissioned on April 1, 1943, serves as the Navy’s premier research, development, test, and evaluation center for naval aviation. The 6,400-acre installation is home to Naval Air Systems Command headquarters, the Atlantic Test Range, and the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum, in addition to the test pilot school.
The station’s location in St. Mary’s County on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River was selected in 1937 due to its remote coastal location, which provided ample space for weapons testing while remaining well removed from air traffic congestion. The facility has been instrumental in the development of major naval aircraft and systems throughout its history.
The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, headquartered at Patuxent River, advances capability and operational readiness for naval aviation through research, development, acquisition, testing, and evaluation of aircraft, weapons, and systems. The command employs thousands of military personnel, civilian employees, and contractors who support the development and testing of platforms that serve Navy, Marine Corps, and allied forces worldwide.
Class 167’s graduation continues the test pilot school’s tradition of producing highly skilled professionals who contribute to aviation safety and advancement. The international composition of the class reflects the collaborative nature of modern military aviation development and the school’s reputation as a premier training institution recognized by allied nations.
The graduates will move on to assignments at test facilities, operational squadrons, and program offices where they will apply their training to evaluate new aircraft, weapons systems, and technologies. Their work will directly influence decisions about which platforms and systems enter service, how they are employed, and how they are improved over time.
By training test pilots, flight test engineers, and flight test officers in the processes and techniques of aircraft and systems testing and evaluation, the Naval Test Pilot School ensures that the military maintains a cadre of professionals capable of rigorously assessing new technologies and platforms before they are deployed to operational forces. This testing process is essential to ensuring that aircraft and systems meet performance requirements and are safe for the service members who will operate them in demanding environments.