Flight Testing

Flight testing is the aerospace engineering method of evaluating an aircraft's or spacecraft's actual performance, handling and systems by flying it, rather than relying only on ground simulation or wind tunnel data, typically progressing from cautious initial test flights through an expanding envelope of speed, altitude and maneuvers. Specially instrumented test aircraft, flown by trained test pilots and monitored by engineers on the ground, record data used to verify that the vehicle meets its design requirements and to certify it as airworthy before it enters regular service. Every new aircraft type undergoes a formal flight test program before civil or military certification.