13th Annual ITPS Flight Test Seminar | Day One

Thursday, 11 December, 2025

On a wintery morning in Canada, the International Test Pilots School welcomed participants to the 13th Annual ITPS Flight Test Seminar, featuring an excellent lineup of presenters, including:

• Alekxander McGuinness & John Ennis, Bell
  Revolutionizing Rotary Wing Aircraft (Tiltrotor)
• Brian Maisler, Scaled Composites, LLC Composites
  Model 437 Vanguard: Approaching Risk in a Rapid Development
• Zach Reeder, Joby Aviation
  Look Ma! No Ejection Seat: Safe Progression to eVTOL Wingborne
• Bryan Carrothers, National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada
  Supervised Autonomy as a Workload Reliever in Tactical Aviation
• Lieutenant Colonel Jordan Zahra, Australian Defence Force
  AMSL Aero Full Scale eVTOL Flight Test Insights
• Michael K Mulquiney, Head of UAS Training and Operations, ITPS Canada
  “To Test … is the Answer”

This exceptional group of technical presentations represents just the first morning of the seminar, with more exciting events underway!

We were honoured to welcome Kelly Latimer — test pilot, astronaut, combat veteran, retired United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, and the first female President of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots — as a presenter at our 13th Annual ITPS Flight Test Seminar.

Kelly is also a commercial spaceship pilot, having flown Virgin Galactic’s Galactic 02 and Galactic 05 space missions, and she made history as the first female research pilot to join NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center.
Kelly set aside time in her day to meet our students, making the day truly special.

We extend our sincere thanks to her for sharing her time and experiences. Our students will carry the inspiration from today forward as they continue their journey into their flight test careers.

ITPS First Flight Wall of Fame

On Thursday, 11th December, ITPS Canada CEO, Dave Lohse, officiated the dedication ceremony for the ITPS First Flight Wall of Fame. Located in the main lobby of ITPS Headquarters, the Wall serves as a tribute to the extraordinary achievements of those ITPS alumni who have safely and effectively conducted the first experimental flights of new aircraft around the world.

Each image represents a defining moment in aviation—where courage, skill, and innovation converge through the dedication and professionalism of our graduates and their flight test teams.

“The First Flight Wall of Fame represents the very highest standard of flight test professionalism. These graduates have not only reached historic milestones in aviation, but they have also done so with the discipline, integrity, and teamwork that define ITPS. Their achievements set the benchmark for those who follow.”
— Dave Lohse, CEO, ITPS Canada

ITPS continues with a full and engaging afternoon of technical insight and collaboration.

After an excellent lunch provided by the local Wellness Café, the afternoon program opened with Air Vice Marshal Mark Skidmore AM, Test Pilot, Royal Australian Air Force (Retd), who started the afternoon by describing aircraft flight test design as far back as 1910, providing historical context and highlighting how foundational flight test principles were established more than a century ago.

He was followed by Gustavo Ruthes of Perfect Mind, who explored cognitive envelopes and flight test decision-making, emphasising the human factors that influence safe and effective test operations.

Geoff Connolly, EASA Compliance specialist and Royal Air Force (Retd), then shared lessons learned from his over 40 years in flight test, offering practical insights from a distinguished career.

The session continued with Mark Skoog, CEO of Level 5 Autonomy Labs (NASA Dryden), joined by Scott “Jelly” Howe, Test Pilot, Level 5 Autonomy Labs (NASA, U.S. Air Force Retd). Together, they discussed advancements in autonomy and their implications for modern flight test.

Next, Jeffrey Canclini, President of the Society of Flight Test Engineers and Lockheed Martin (Retd), spoke about elevating flight test standards and best practices, reinforcing the importance of rigor and professionalism across the discipline. The afternoon concluded with Ingmar Mayerbuch of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), who presented DLR’s application of cloud physics in recent flight test activities.

The day wrapped up with a social evening sponsored by ITPS at the Hard Rock Hotel, where approximately 50 flight test professionals gathered to continue conversations, share experiences, and undoubtedly recount a few test adventures.

ITPS Social Event at the Hard Rock Hotel

What a fantastic evening at the ITPS Flight Test Social Event on Thursday December 11, 2025, hosted at the iconic Hard Rock Hotel in London, Ontario—the first Hard Rock Hotel in Canada.

After a full day of outstanding technical presentations at the ITPS campus, attendees came together to relax, connect, and share stories from across the civil and military flight test and aerospace communities. With great conversation, plenty of laughs, and a strong sense of camaraderie, the evening was a perfect complement to an exceptional day of learning.

Here are a few snapshots capturing the energy and spirit of the night.