The commanding officer of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS) is known as its Commandant. The commandant manages the school which is a military unit that operates in a distinctly academic atmosphere.[1] The position is usually held by a colonel selected by the Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) commander although this authority may be delegated to the commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC).[2] The commandant oversees all flying training, academic instruction, budgeting, and curriculum administration at the school.[3] The commandant also chairs a board of officers that selects the school's students. The selection board consists of flight test squadron commanders with a majority of the board members being TPS graduates.[4] The commandant determines enrollment requirements and associated schedules.[5] Every three years, the commandant conducts a review of the school's curriculum with participation from flight test squadrons, the U.S. Naval TPS, and operational squadrons.[3]
The school's mission is to produce experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and flight test navigators to lead and conduct test and evaluation of aerospace weapon systems.[6] The school was established on September 9, 1944 as the Flight Test Training Unit at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB) in Dayton, Ohio.[7] To take advantage of the uncongested skies and superb flying weather, the school was moved on February 4, 1951 to its present location at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave DesertofSouthern California.[7] Edwards AFB is the home of the Air Force Flight Test Center and has been an integral part of flight testing since the 1940s.[8]
Between 1962 and 1972, the Test Pilot School expanded its role to include astronaut training for military test pilots.[9] Thirty-seven TPS graduates of this era were selected for the U.S. space program, and twenty-six went on to earn astronaut's wings by flying in the X-15, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs.[10] Although the school no longer trains astronauts, many TPS graduates since 1972 have been selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for duties in space. The school encourages applications from civilians, personnel from other U.S. military services, and individuals from foreign countries.[11] An exchange program allows selected students to attend other test pilot schools including the United States Naval Test Pilot School, the United Kingdom's Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS), and France's École du personnel navigant d'essais et de réception (EPNER).[12]
The following list provides a complete list of commandants of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. The table contains their name, rank, dates as commandant, the TPS class from which they graduated (if applicable), and notable events that occurred during their tenure at the school.
Rank | Military rank | The rank shown is at the time the individual served as commandant. |
---|---|---|
Class | Year/Letter | The year and order in which a class started. For example, 07A was the first of two classes to start in 2007.[13] |
Roman Numeral | Four Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) classes designated I, II, III, and IV, that prepared students for manned spaceflight operations. These classes were dropped when the USAF lost its manned spaceflight mission.[14] | |
Events | "introduced" | Indicates an aircraft type was first made available for use by TPS students. This date is usually much later than the aircraft entered USAF service. |
* Individual was killed in an aviation-related accident.
No | Name | Rank | From | To | Class | Notable events during tenure | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ralph C. Hoewing | O-04Maj. | 1944-09Sep 1944 | 1945-01Jan 1945 | n/a |
|
[15] [16] [17] |
2 | "Dick" Muehlberg | O-05Lt. Col. | 1945-01Jan 1945 | 1946-01Jan 1946 | n/a |
|
[15] [18] |
3 | Ralph C. Hoewing | O-04Maj. | 1946-01Jan 1946 | 1947-05May 1947 | n/a |
|
[18] [19] |
4 | Leonard I. Wiehrdt | O-04Maj. | 1947-05May 1947 | 1947-10Oct 1947 | 1946-0446D |
|
[18] [19] |
5 | Leo C. Moon | O-05Lt. Col. | 1947-10Oct 1947 | 1949-10Oct 1949 | 1947-0147 |
|
[18] [20] [21] |
6 | Ken Chilstrom | O-04Maj. | 1949-10Oct 1949 | 1950-10Oct 1950 | 1945-0145 |
|
[22] [23] |
7 | John R. Amann | O-05Lt. Col. | 1950-10Oct 1950 | 1956-05May 1956 | 1949-0449D |
|
[23] [24] [25] |
8 | Herbert V. Leonhardt | O-05Lt. Col. | 1956-05May 1956 | 1959-06Jun 1959 | 1955-0355C | [26] [27] | |
9 | Richard C. Lathrop | O-04Maj. | 1959-06Jun 1959 | 1961-06Jun 1961 | 1955-0455D | [28] [29] | |
10 | Robert M. Howe | O-05Lt. Col. | 1961-06Jun 1961 | 1962-07Jul 1962 | 1949-0449D, 52B |
|
[29] [30] [31] [32] |
11 | Charles E. Yeager | O-06Col. | 1962-07Jul 1962 | 1966-07Jul 1966 | 1946-0346C, 51A |
|
[29] [33] [34] |
12 | Robert S. Buchanan | O-06Col. | 1966-07Jul 1966 | 1967-05May 1967 | 1957-0157A, I |
|
[33] [35] |
13 | Eugene P. Deatrick Jr. | O-06Col. | 1967-05May 1967 | 1968-06Jun 1968 | 1951-0151A, 53C | [33] [35] | |
14 | George D. Hendrix | O-05Lt. Col. | 1968-06Jun 1968 | 1968-08Aug 1968 | 1957-0157A |
|
[35] |
15 | Harold W. Christian, Jr. | O-06Col. | 1968-08Aug 1968 | 1971-01Jan 1971 | 1952-0352C | [35] [36] | |
16 | William J. Campbell | O-06Col. | 1971-01Jan 1971 | 1971-07Jul 1971 | 1962-0362C, IV |
|
[14] [37] |
17 | Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin | O-06Col. | 1971-07Jul 1971 | 1972-02Feb 1972 | n/a |
|
[36] [37] |
18 | Joseph A. Guthrie, Jr. | O-06Col. | 1972-02Feb 1972 | 1975-07Jul 1975 | 1958-0358C | [37] [38] | |
19 | Warwick H. Glasgow | O-06Col. | 1975-07Jul 1975 | 1977-12Dec 1977 | 1965-0365C | [38] [39] | |
20 | Donald T. Ward | O-06Col. | 1978-01Jan 1978 | 1979-06Jun 1979 | ETPS FW Course 25 |
|
[38] [39] [40] |
21 | Larry G. Van Pelt | O-05Lt. Col. | 1979-06Jun 1979 | 1979-08Aug 1979 | 1966-0166A |
|
[38] [39] |
22 | Norman L. Suits | O-06Col. | 1979-08Aug 1979 | 1980-06Jun 1980 | 1968-0168A |
|
[38] [39] |
23 | Donald E. Madonna* | O-06Col. | 1980-06Jun 1980 | 1982-03Mar 1982 | 1966-0166A | [38] [41] [42] | |
24 | Michael E. Sexton | O-05Lt. Col. | 1982-03Mar 1982 | 1982-07Jul 1982 | 1969-0169A |
|
[41] [43] |
25 | Kenneth E. Staten | O-06Col. | 1982-07Jul 1982 | 1983-08Aug 1983 | 1968-0168A |
|
[43] [44] |
26 | Melvin Hayashi | O-06Col. | 1983-08Aug 1983 | 1985-07Jul 1985 | 1972-0272B |
|
[45] [46] |
27 | Michael D. Marks | O-06Col. | 1985-07Jul 1985 | 1987-03Mar 1987 | 1975-0175A |
|
[45] [46] |
28 | Michael C. Kostelnik | O-06Col. | 1987-03Mar 1987 | 1989-07Jul 1989 | 1977-0177A |
|
[43] [45] [47] [48] |
29 | Elton T. Pollock | O-06Col. | 1989-07Jul 1989 | 1991-06Jun 1991 | 1976-0276B |
|
[46] [49] [50] |
30 | Guy S. Gardner | O-06Col. | 1991-06Jun 1991 | 1992-08Aug 1992 | 1975-0175A |
|
[49] [51] [52] |
31 | Harold T. Strittmatter | O-06Col. | 1992-08Aug 1992 | 1994-04Apr 1994 | 1981-0281B | [49] [51] | |
32 | James H. Doolittle III | O-06Col. | 1994-04Apr 1994 | 1996-08Aug 1996 | 1979-0279B | [46] [49] [51] [50] | |
33 | Barton E. Henwood | O-06Col. | 1996-08Aug 1996 | 1998-04Apr 1998 | 1984-0184A |
|
[46] [53] [54] |
34 | Steve Cameron | O-06Col. | 1998-04Apr 1998 | 2001-01Jan 2001 | 1985-0285B |
|
[55] [56] [57] |
35 | George Ka'iliwai III | O-06Col. | 2001-01Jan 2001 | 2003-06Jun 2003 | 1984-0284B |
|
[58] [59] [60] [61] |
36 | Ernie H. Haendschke | O-06Col. | 2003-06Jun 2003 | 2005-07Jul 2005 | 1987-0287B |
|
[62] [63] [64] [65] [66] [67] |
37 | Andre A. Gerner | O-06Col. | 2005-07Jul 2005 | 2007-07Jul 2007 | 1991-0191A |
|
[68] [69] [70] |
38 | Mike Luallen | O-06Col. | 2007-07Jul 2007 | 2010-07Jul 2010 | 1992-0292B |
|
[68] [70] [71] [72] [73] |
39 | Noel Zamot | O-06Col. | 2010-07Jul 2010 | 2012-06Jun 2012 | 1993-0293B |
|
[74] [75] [76] [77] [78] [79] |
40 | Paul Meyer | O-06Col. | 2012-06Jun 2012 | 2012-08Aug 2012 | n/a |
|
[80] [81] |
41 | Lars Hoffman | O-06Col. | 2012-08Aug 2012 | 2012-08Jul 2014 | 1997-0297A |
|
[80] [82] [83] |
42 | Charles Webb | O-06Col. | 2012-08Jul 2014 | 2017-07Jul 2017 | 2003-01TBS |
|
[84] [85] |
43 | Matthew Higer | O-06Col. | 2017-07Jul 2017 | 2018-07Jul 2018 | 2003-0103A |
|
[86] [87] [88] |
44 | Ryan Blake | O-06Col. | 2018-07Jul 2018 | 2020-07Jul 2020 | 2008-0108A |
|
[89] |
45 | Sebrina Pabon | O-06Col. | 2020-07Jul 2020 | 2023-09Sep 2023 | 2006-0106A |
|
[92] [93] [94] [95] |
46 | James Valpiani | O-06Col. | 2023-09Sep 2023 | 2024-01Present | n/a |
|
[96] [97] [98] |
USAF TPS has produced many notable alumni including astronauts, record-setting aviators, and senior Air Force leaders.
During the ceremony, Col. James Valpiani, United States Test Pilot School commandant, addressed the class.