AsBAA in Action- April 2018 April Newsletter | Page 17

Frank Chapman – Airbus Experimental Test Pilot
How did you become a test pilot ?
After gaining a Masters in Engineering Science from
Oxford University, I joined the RAF, where I flew the
Harrier and F-4M Phantom.
Following test pilot training, I was involved in Eurofighter
and F-16 development. I then flew A320s and A330s
with Monarch Airlines in the UK, before joining Airbus
flight testing in 2004.
My current role is A350 XWB Project Pilot, but I fly all
Airbus types.
How would you describe your job ?
Finding out how new aircraft fly – both in terms of
handling and performance – with the goal of delivering
aircraft that are safe, intuitive and efficient to fly.
A lot of attention is focused on first flights – an inevitably
large first step - but most flight testing comes after that,
in a carefully planned step by step approach to
minimise risk.
It’ s actually a natural step, because fly-by-wire is
transparent to pilots and the sidestick controllers come
naturally to h and.
We’ ve always had a philosophy of keeping pilots
ultimately in control of their aircraft, and the technology
in Airbus aircraft is always designed with this in mind.
There are practical benefits too – such as a pull-out table
– which can house a keyboard, as well as providing
something on which to complete paperwork or eat.
We’ ll explore the flight envelope – the whole range of
speeds, heights and centres of gravity for which the
aircraft is designed – and even go a bit beyond it. More than 100,000 pilots are now familiar with the
Airbus common cockpit philosophy, and the community
keeps growing !
Our test-flights can be long – three to five hours is
typical – because we can change centre of gravity in
flight, and because we use telemetry to send a lot of
data to the ground. This enables exploration of different
conditions in each flight and data analysis to begin
before landing. What kinds of new technology is Airbus bringing
to the cockpit ?
We’ ll also take the aircraft to hot and cold extremes –
typically to the Middle East and Canada – and to high
altitude airports in, say, Bolivia or Tibet, so that we can
verify performance and build the database that will be
used by customers in service.
An engaging part of the job is exchanging with
customers – both at the design stage and during flight
testing – so that we deliver an aircraft that is
straightforward to fly in service.
Earlier this year I was part of the team that took the new
A350-1000 on a demo-tour to Asia – exhausting, but
also fun !
What’ s it like to fly an Airbus aircraft ?
We’ ve pioneered many innovations at Airbus over the
years, including a common cockpit and fly-by-wire
controls that are part of every aircraft that Airbus makes
today.
Featuring the same layout, handling qualities and
procedures, the common cockpit makes it quicker and
easier for pilots to move from one Airbus type to another
– saving time and money.
Pilots moving to Airbus aircraft for the first time – even
those that have flown more traditional cockpits all their
life - are pleasantly surprised by how quick and easy it is
to make the transition.
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Airbus continues to embrace new cockpit
technologies, while continuing to deliver common
cockpit benefits to pilots.
Examples include the onboard airport navigation
system (OANS) – like GPS in your car – which helps
pilots know their position at busy airports, even in poor
visibility. Such situations are one of the biggest piloting
challenges, which often surprises non-pilot friends and
colleagues !
Another is the
runway overrun
prevention system
(ROPS), which
warns pilots if the
runway too short to
allow the aircraft to
stop safely –
especially helpful in
wet and and windy
conditions.
Both OANS and ROPS are standard fit in the A350 and
A380, and both are available as retrofit options in the
A320 and A330/A340 Families.
Any advice for other pilots ?
If you adopt a “something unusual might happen to me
today” attitude, it will help to guard against complacency
and encourage awareness.
It’ s something that we do every day as test pilots as
part of our risk management process, and it is
something from which all pilots can benefit.
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