Mission 

Located at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) cultivates leaders in flight test of airborne weapons systems. Bridging operational expertise and engineering knowledge, graduates of USNTPS lead teams conducting high‑risk flight test of cutting-edge defense programs in complex environments to deliver aircraft, weapons, and mission systems for the U.S. Armed Forces and international partners. USNTPS serves as the enterprise authority for foundational flight test knowledge, developing advanced techniques and technical frameworks to evaluate future airborne capabilities. 
 

USNTPS is the only domestic military institution with a rotary‑wing flight test course and serves as the sole institution for training Army and Air Force experimental test pilots in flight test of rotary‑wing and tiltrotor aircraft. 


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The school's academic rigor and excellence lend to its highly competitive admissions process. Though not required, applicants typically hold degrees in engineering, physical sciences, or mathematics. Prospective test pilots have typically flown over 750 military flight hours. Military aviators are evaluated by a selection board for flight qualifications, professional performance, academic background, and requirements of the service. Engineers are evaluated similarly with emphasis on experience, performance, and aeromedical adaptability. 
 

The school maintains longstanding staff and student exchanges with the other three NATO test pilot schools, sending officers to attend Empire Test Pilots’ School in Boscombe Down, United Kingdom; École du Personnel Navigant d'Essais et de Réception (EPNER) in Istres, France; and U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. 
 

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply. 
 

Notional Selection Board Schedule

For specific information on each board, refer to the MyNavyHR Test Pilot Board Page 

 

United States Students

United States Military: Interested applicants can find information on the application process via their respective services’ personnel or manpower management websites. 
 

United States Civilians: Interested applicants should talk to their supervisor for more information on the application process.

 

International Students

USNTPS admits several international students each year. The USNTPS International Military Student Officer (IMSO) manages all stages of international participation from application to arrival. The IMSO is also the liaison for all international students during their course of study at USNTPS. 
 

International test directorates interested in sending students to long or short courses at USNTPS should contact the Security Cooperation Officer at the Office of Defense Cooperation in your country's American Embassy. 

The refined combination of classroom, simulation, inflight instruction, and mentorship has established USNTPS as an institution with a distinguished legacy in flight test education. Graduating two classes annually, the rigorous 11-month program covers over 500 academic hours, 100 flight hours, and 25 technical reports. The curriculum is divided into two majors tracks—fixed-wing and rotary-wing—providing a complete education in test and evaluation fundamentals, air vehicle performance, stability and control, sensor performance, and systems integration. Within each track, operator and engineer training is closely aligned, providing a common foundation while addressing the distinct requirements of each role.
 

With an emphasis on engineering depth and project diversity, the course prepares students to meet the requirements of naval developmental and operational test and evaluation, as well as research and developmental test and evaluation efforts across other U.S. military services, government agencies, and international partners. 
 

For students with ABET-accredited undergraduate degrees, the school offers an integrated Master of Science degree through a partnership with Purdue University as well as credit transfer agreements with Naval Postgraduate School and other institutions.  
 

U.S. Naval Test Pilot School Short Courses

USNTPS offers high-impact condensed training in short-course form to the developmental flight test community including government, industry and academia.  Attendees are current and prior aircrew, engineers or scientists, and military including naval pilots, flight officers and enlisted personnel with relevant interest and experience. 
 

Admission for short courses is non-competitive and consist of two-week courses in aircraft and systems test and evaluation. The school's short courses provide a basis for safe and effective test project planning, execution and reporting and feature complete guided exercises with demonstration flights and ground simulators. 
 

Short Courses: 
 

INTRODUCTION TO FIXED WING FLYING QUALITIES 
Provide a broad overview of fixed wing flying qualities testing as it pertains to Naval acquisition. 

INTRODUCTION TO ROTARY WING FLYING QUALITIES & PERFORMANCE 
Provide a broad overview of rotary wing flying qualities and performance testing as it pertains to Naval acquisition. 

INTRODUCTION TO MISSION SYSTEMS TEST & EVALUATION 
Provide a broad overview of aircraft mission systems testing as it pertains to Naval Acquisition. 

INTRODUCTION TO UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS FLIGHT TEST 
Provide a broad overview of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flight testing as it pertains to Naval acquisition 

SPECIALTY COURSES
By request, specialized courses can be prepared and, if practical, presented at the customer’s site. Specialty courses last from one to two weeks and typically include a simulation and/or flight portion of the course.

Contact Information
 

U.S. Naval Test Pilot School Short Course Department | 301-757-5049 |

USNTPS was founded March 12, 1945, at the Naval Air Test Center in Patuxent River, Maryland, by Cmdr. Sydney Sherby. The purpose of the school was to ensure that test pilots of the day were formally trained to handle the high demands and expectations placed upon them by the rapidly evolving state of aircraft technology. 
 

As Patuxent River's chief project engineer, Sherby proposed an indoctrination course for Navy test pilots with a curriculum that spanned aerodynamics, performance, stability and control characteristics, miscellaneous tests and trials, and flight test reporting. 
 

The early Flight Test Pilot Training Program consisted of 37 hours of classroom academics and nine hours of flight time spread over a 10‑week period. Classes met Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings and were taught by Sherby. Students in Class 0 flew the F-6F Hellcat, FM-2 Wildcat, SBD Dauntless, TBM Avenger and SNJ and were taught in-flight test and evaluation techniques by Lt. Cmdr. H. E. McNeely. 
 

The USNTPS flight test syllabus gradually grew beyond its humble "Class 0" beginnings and evolved into a full-time course of study that now encompasses nearly a year of dedicated effort involving over 500 hours of classroom instruction and 100 hours of flight time in over a dozen type/model/series aircraft. As many as 36 experienced pilots, flight officers, and test engineers from all branches of the U.S. military and international partners make up each class. As of 2026, nearly 5,000 students have graduated from USNTPS. 
 

In addition to the original fixed‑wing flying qualities and performance‑based curriculum, USNTPS added a rotary‑wing course of study in 1961 and an airborne systems curriculum in 1975 to ensure that the technical aspects of each of the Navy's primary test disciplines were being addressed. 
 

Today, USNTPS remains at the forefront of aviation education by continuing to investigate and develop new flight test techniques, publish manuals for use by the aviation test community in standardizing flight test techniques and project reporting, and conducting special projects as requested by the flight test community. The school maintains its staff as a focal point of expertise to provide the aviation test community with engineering and training consultation through active participation in technical councils, NATO flight test committees, and professional organizations such as the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the Society of Flight Test Engineers. 
 

Over 80 years have passed since Cmdr. Sherby's first test pilot class began formal training of naval aviators to perform duties as flight test pilots. The next 80 years promise to see the same level of innovative accomplishment, tireless energy, and dedicated performance by the school as the world of naval aviation evolves and moves on to new challenges and advanced technology. 

The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School Alumni Association was established to foster and enhance the relationship between USNTPS and its alumni and associates, and to support the USNTPS mission to train the world’s finest test pilots, Naval Flight Officers, and flight test engineers.