Graduate Test Pilot & Lead Flight Test Engineer Course, Civil EASA CAT-1

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Fixed Wing
Rotary Wing
360+ Lecture Hour(s)
110+ Flight Hour(s)
22+ Simulation Hour(s)
35 Week(s)
Minimum of 10 Aircraft Types Flown

ITPS provides EASA CAT-1, FCL.820-compliant test pilot (experimental) and lead flight test engineer courses, available for fixed wing (Part 23 or 25) and rotary wing (Part 27 or 29).

A Variable Stability In-Flight Simulator is used in the curriculum.

Designed for civil pilots and engineers who upon graduation will be employed in experimental flight tests, this course is accredited by the Society of Flight Test Engineers (SFTE). Topics include:

  • Aircraft Performance Flight Tests
  • Aircraft Flight Control System assessment and testing
  • Digital Flight Control Systems design and certification
  • Aircraft Flying Qualities testing
  • Avionics and Human Machine Interface testing
  • Aircraft Powerplant and Systems testing
  • Aircraft Structures and Loads testing

Start dates: January and June annually

The new facility features a 27,000 sq.ft. hangar, big enough to house ITPS’s expanding fleet of aircraft. The administration and classroom building have been extended by 15,000 square feet and feature six additional classrooms, a simulator centre, a state of the art Telemetry Room, additional student facilities and change rooms. The new building features additional briefing rooms, a flight crew ready room and much enlarged canteen area.

ITPS school and hangar facility

CYXU is a modern regional airport 5 nm north east of the city of London, Ontario. The airport is an international gateway airport with direct flights from Chicago and Detroit and Immigration and Customs facilities. It is as of 2009 the 20th busiest airport in Canada, which makes for efficient school operations with little to no delays due to traffic. The airport is south of Toronto and outside the Toronto (CYYZ) FIR and has close access to large sections of Class E and G airspace minimizing transit times for the execution of flight exercises which can be flown up to FL180 on a VFR flight plan but are Controlled VFR (CVFR) with flight control by Toronto Center above 12000 feet. Two dedicated test areas Delta and Juliet a low altitude one to 12000 and a high altitude one over Lake Huron, up to FL350, north west of London may be used by the school under an agreement with NAV Canada, the Canadian Air Traffic Control Authority. The school therefore enjoys a very favourable air traffic environment for its training operations.

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  • ITPS does NOT provide flight training for PPL or Commercial Pilot's licenses. We do not train private students. There is no Public Access to our premises.
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The Belgian Defense has been training test pilots at ITPS on a regular basis since 2004. The quality of training is essential to the Belgian Defense as our test pilots are expected to undertake the whole spectrum of flight testing across the Defense aircraft and helicopter fleet. The training at ITPS met our requirements and our test pilots have proven very competent in national or multinational test programs.

Philippe Goffin, Belgian Defense

Leonardo Helicopters has been collaborating with the International Test Pilots School since 2017 and a number of our flight test engineers have attended training courses in Canada. As the Head of Flight Test, I have been very satisfied with the results and the quality of the training provided by ITPS.

Giuseppe Afruni, Leonardo Helicopters

The training provided by ITPS was essential in preparing me for a career in civil aircraft flight testing. ITPS provided training of exceptional quality by world-class experts. It fully prepared me with the necessary fundamental skills to succeed as a flight test engineer.

Nunzio Caccavo, ITPS 2011 Graduate

  • White, red and blue ITPS HU-16 Sea Plane parked on tarmac in front of mountains
  • ITPS L-29 flying over open farm fields in London, Ontario.
  • Close up of red and black IAR 832 Barsov next to a L-39. Both in hanger.
  • ITPS Canada - Fleet Bo105 007 green and black helicopter with red nose and tail Flying Over Golf Course
  • An ITTC student boarding a grey L-39.