Combat aircraft

COL

CHARLES

WEBB

Test Pilot School commandant Col

Webb received his commission in

1991 from the US Air Force Academy.

His  ying experience includes an

operational assignment with the 23rd

Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem in

Germany  ying the F-16. At Laughlin

AFB, Texas, he was an instructor pilot

on the T-37. He has been an F-16

experimental test pilot,  ying all

blocks of the jet, and commanded the

416th FLTS.

to examine the e ects of di ering  ight

control systems. In the test management

project part of the course, the VISTA F-16

acts as a cutting-edge research tool.

This aircraft was developed originally

as a testbed for thrust-vectoring

technology and  tted with a multi-axis

thrust vectoring (MATV) engine nozzle. It

provided active controls during post-stall

situations and gave the aircraft extreme

maneuverability. When the project was

cancelled the VISTA received a standard

Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engine and

it is still used by TPS as one of its most

valuable platforms. It’s the only F-16 in

the world with two control columns in

the front cockpit. Besides the normal

sidestick an additional center stick enables

TPS pilots, engineers and navigators to

experience the variable stability element

of this unique aircraft. The VISTA has

been used for various TPS projects,

including autonomous air-to-air refueling.

The aircraft is also bailed to other test

programs: for example, in 2006 a voice

recognition system was tested, with an

auto-landing project following two years

later. Besides the NF-16D, a Learjet 25D is

maintained by the TPS in partnership with

the supporting Calspan Corporation.

The school has embraced the advances

in RPAS technology and the demand

from industry to push forward the

unmanned environment. The  rst RPAS

pilot graduated from TPS in 2011, and

today every class features a student

from this  eld. ‘We are unique in this,’

says Webb. ‘The European schools don’t

provide this [training], and we teach RPAS

to all of our students.’ The resident Learjet

25D has been modi ed to behave as a

surrogate RPAS; indeed, three separate

TPS classes had signi cant involvement

in this project. ‘The  rst class developed

Above left: The

front cockpit of

the VISTA F-16D,

with its center

control column.

Frank Visser

Left: TPS

commandant Col

Charles Webb.

Frank Visser

Below: With the

famous Edwards

control tower in

the background,

a T-38C gets

airborne for a TPS

mission.

Jamie Hunter

92 March 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net

UNIT REPORT // USAF TEST PILOT SCHOOL

88-93 USAF TPS C.indd 92 19/01/2018 11:06