A graduation ceremony recognizing the 34 students of U.S. Naval Test Pilot School Class 162 was held Friday, June 16. These men and women, representing ten different military organizations, will now be the pilots and engineers for development test and evaluation of their respective organization’s aircraft and aircraft systems.
United States Naval Test Pilot School graduates Class 162
NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – The United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) held a graduation ceremony for Class 162 on June 16. Thirty-four students successfully completed the intense 11-month course of instruction and received their designations as Engineering Developmental Test Pilots, Test Flight Officers, and Test Engineers.
Retired Adm. William K. Lescher, former Vice Chief of Naval Operations, delivered the keynote address. Adm. Lescher graduated with distinction from the USNTPS in June 1987 as a member of Class 91.
“The challenges you have faced have been significant,” said Lescher. “But the rewards are truly without limits.”
The graduation ceremony took place at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department in Hollywood, Md. Graduates included members of the Indian Navy, Norwegian Air Force, Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Spanish Airforce, Swedish Armed Forces, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy.
Lt. Col. Aaron Kia, U.S. Army, Commanding Officer at USNTPS, presented diplomas and offered congratulations to the new “testers.”
Flt. Lt. Nathan Segal, Royal Australian Air Force, received the Commander Willie McCool Outstanding Student Award for the top performing student in the categories of academics, flight performance, and technical report writing. Flt. Lt. Segal was also recognized with the Developmental Testing Thesis Award for the best final report. Maj. Nathan Winings, U.S. Marine Corps, received the Capt. Syd Sherby Leadership Award, named after the founder of the test pilot training division, now USNTPS. The Capt. Syd Sherby Award recognizes the student who displays exemplary leadership in the class.
Twenty-three students completed the requirements for the engineering test pilot course, ten students completed the engineering test flight officer course, and one student fulfilled the requirements for the flight test engineer course.
USNTPS trains pilots and engineers for development test and evaluation of aircraft and aircraft systems. USNTPS is a component of Naval Test Wing Atlantic under Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) in Patuxent River, Maryland. NAWCAD advances capability and operational readiness for naval aviation.
For more information about NAWCAD, please go to www.navair.navy.mil or follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MyNAWCAD/.
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