I’ve often wondered, once a factory builds a brand new airplane do they fly them before the client purchases them? Who is the person what would “test fly” them to make sure all systems are good to go?
In: 4
The manufacturer flies it (sometimes multiple times) following a checklist to perform a large variety of tests. Then the customer typically test flies it once or twice as an acceptance flight. If everything passes, the customer purchases the plane. This is pretty much exactly like it happens in the automotive world.
I’ve done many new aircraft deliveries for the A220 fleet.
Some manufacturers and buyers have a combined test flight. And sometimes that customer’s test fight is done on the delivery.
Generally, yes, aircraft are flight tested before delivery. The manufacturers employ test pilots for this purpose (who also test new designs which is arguably more dangerous).
It’s basically to ensure that all systems function as expected prior to delivery.
Read the Autobiography of Chuck Yeager called ‘The Right Stuff’. He was the first test pilot to break the sound barrier and test flew more experimental aircraft than most people alive ever. It’s actually pretty interesting read, he got shot down over Europe in WW2, lots of interesting stuff aside from the flight stuff too.
Yes, the planes are flown by test pilots. For the big Boeing and Airbuses they go through process similar to a user acceptance test. Once the manufacturers test pilots go through their checks, representatives from the airlines will form a punch list of items to be fixed before they accept delivery.
As a side note, 787s out of the Charleston plant are known to be problematic, airlines don’t accept planes from that plant without significant inspections.
For smaller manufacturers like Cirrus and Cessna the process is similar. They will all be test flown, all of the engines will be test run, and the buyer gets a report. You often hire a pilot to ferry the plane from the factory (that is a real pilot job, ferrying recently purchased planes to their new homes) and part of that pilot’s responsibility will include inspecting the plane.
Latest Answers