Photo By NAWCAD Visual Information | Curtains conceal the new U.S. Naval Test Pilot School exhibit at the Patuxent River...... read more read more
A new exhibit showcasing developmental test pilots, flight officers, engineers and the history and influence of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) launches at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum on April 12.
The exhibit, “80 Years of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future,” brings Southern Maryland — home of developmental flight test for the Navy and Marine Corps — an up-close look at the profession of flight test and the training institution where it all starts.
“USNTPS transformed flight test education and inspired generations of leaders who push the boundaries developing Navy and Marine Corps aerospace technology,” said USNTPS Commanding Officer Cmdr. Travis Hartman. “This exhibit is a tribute to that legacy and looks forward to the future of aviation innovation. We are excited to share this with visitors and, hopefully, future testers.”
Through a series of engaging displays, visitors will learn about the critical and sometimes dangerous role developmental test pilots, flight officers and test engineers play in early aircraft and subsystem development. The exhibit highlights key milestones of USNTPS' historical development and provides insight into test pilot student life, including its demanding curriculum that shapes the aviation industry’s cadre of flight test professionals. Designed to inform and inspire future talent, the exhibit aims to spark curiosity and ambition in aspiring test pilots and future aerospace professionals.
USNTPS is an institution recognized worldwide for its rigorous academic program and excellence in developmental aviation training, serving test pilots across all military services and many international partners. The Navy’s test pilot school also serves as a dedicated test training institution for the U.S. Army and has graduated nearly 100 NASA astronauts to date, including John Glenn, Alan Shepard, and Wally Schirra.
The exhibit was developed in partnership with the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), parent command to USNTPS. The school is a first stop for most of NAWCAD’s developmental test pilots and flight officers before they begin assignments testing aircraft at its developmental test squadrons.
The exhibit is open through 2026.
NAWCAD operates test ranges, laboratories and aircraft in support of test, evaluation, research, development and sustainment of everything flown by the Navy and Marine Corps. Based in Patuxent River, Maryland, the command also has major sites in St. Inigoes, Maryland, Lakehurst, New Jersey and Orlando, Florida.
| Date Taken: | 04.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.07.2025 11:49 |
| Story ID: | 494734 |
| Location: | PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 130 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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