Russ Stewart knows the dangers of flying military aircraft all too well.
Stewart served in the air force as a test pilot for more than 30 years. "My
career was in the air," explains the veteran of the National Test Pilot School
in Mojave, California.
"I was in charge of testing the development of the A10 aircraft, which
more people know as the Warthog or the Thunderbolt 2."
Flying over the American desert in Mojave, Stewart tested the limits of
the plane so that other pilots would be safe in the air during combat. "We
had to spend a lot of time testing the performance of the craft, and fine
tune how it handled in the air. The flying quality and maneuverability is
critical on an aircraft like that."
Stewart also had to thoroughly test each of the components and systems
on the plane. "Weapons separation tests were particularly important."
The release of a weapon from an aircraft is a critical point in a fighter
plane. Many things can go wrong, but it's critical that the target is
hit and that the pilot is safe.
"A number of things can happen, and we tested for all kinds of situations,"
says Stewart, who now works as a test pilot instructor. "We were interested
in the release of the aircraft, making sure of simple things -- like that
weapons weren't hitting any part of the aircraft as they separated.
"You get to test the edges of the envelope, test the limits and fly in
situations other people would only dream about. I also enjoy working with
such high-caliber people. We have the top engineers and top pilots, and together
we can really discover new things."
Doug Atkins is a test pilot. He examines the abilities of civilian planes
such as the Learjet. Atkins is particularly interested in the increasing use
of automatic pilots. Often, a computer is used to fly larger aircraft, because
the subtle movements required can be done better by technology than by human
hands.
"This is something that has to be thoroughly tested because of the safety
issues," explains Atkins. "I go over every system to see if it works the way
it's supposed to work."
Atkins also tests planes that have gone through a number of quality control
phases. "I test the planes to make sure that they have absolutely no snags
before we deliver them to a customer. This isn't like other products,
where one fault isn't such a serious problem."
Atkins sometimes spends long hours waiting for a plane to be in its final
stages of production. "Engineers will tell you that the plane is going to
be ready for testing, but they get delayed. Sometimes you can wait well into
the evening. The amount of work isn't demanding, but the irregular schedule
can be tough, especially if you have a family."
Vanessa Savas, an air force pilot, loves testing aircraft. "Ever since
I was a little kid I wanted to fly planes, and I've never changed my
mind about that. I'm still fascinated by the idea of flight, and am amazed
every time we lift off from the ground."
The day after graduating from high school, Savas enrolled in the air force.
She's never looked back. And being one of the few female pilots in the
air force hasn't proved difficult. "I've never had any problem with
my squadron mates. My experience has been nothing but positive."
In fact, Savas couldn't imagine doing anything other than flying.
"It's my life, and I couldn't imagine any other one. I enjoy the
dynamic lifestyle, and I hate being in the office."
But from now on, Savas will be spending a bit more time in
the classroom. After testing military aircraft, she became a flight instructor,
and was recently promoted to teaching flight instructors. "It doesn't
matter whether you're testing planes or teaching, you have to treat everybody
the way you want to be treated. And, of course, in this job, you have to love
to fly!"