Aviation News - June 2016

By the late 1940s the US Air Force

began developing a master plan for the

construction of modern facilities designed

speci cally for  ight testing. The site has

since become synonymous with aeronautical

achievements and famous for many

aerospace  rsts. Edwards is where the

US’s  rst jet- and rocket- powered  ights

took off. Arguably, more major milestones in

 ight have been achieved at Edwards than

anywhere else in the world.

RE- NAMED

In 1949 the base was renamed Edwards

AFB in honour of Capt Glen Edwards, co-

pilot of the YB-49 jet-powered  ying wing

which crashed on June 5, 1948 near the

base killing all  ve crew on board.

The Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC)

was activated at Edwards on June 25, 1951.

Every single aircraft to enter the USAF’s

inventory since then, and many that failed to

do so, has been put through its paces at the

base, and some navy and army aircraft have

been tested here as well.

Today, Combined Test Forces, comprising

military and civilian personnel, work together

to  ight test and evaluate improvements

and new systems on modern aircraft. A

combination of military, federal civilian and

contract personnel work at the base, which

now covers 481 square miles (1,246km).

The Air Force Flight Training Center

(AFFTC) carries out  ight test and

evaluation programmes for USAF units and

Department of Defense, NASA and other

governmental agencies.

Part of the AFFTC is the United States

Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS).

The mission of the USAF TPS is to train

experienced and quali ed personnel to

become test pilots, test navigators and  ight

test engineers.

The organisation was established in

1944 at Wright Field, Ohio, before moving

to Edwards AFB in 1951. It reorganised in

1972, adding a systems phase, and officially

became the USAF Test Pilot School.

A B-1B, 85-0068 ‘ED’ from the 419th FLTS on the north ramp after testing of the bombers moved

from the south side of the base to make room for the new Long-Range Strike Bomber programme.

44 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft June 2016

A Huron from the C-12 Formal Training Unit – note part of the base is visible in the background. USAF/Bobbi Zapka

42-47_edwardsMFDC.mfDC.mf.indd 44 04/05/2016 16:54