1. Flight Safety Foundation Functional Check Flight Safety Conference
CA Delvin Young
Chief Pilot Flight Test
American Airlines
02/08/2011

2. 242 MD80
152 B737
73 B767
47 B777
124 B757

3. American Airlines Fleet Aircraft
Boeing (MD) Super
Boeing * 152
Boeing
Boeing 767 – 200ER
Boeing 767 – 300ER
Boeing
Total Aircraft = 638
* Currently purchasing additional aircraft

4. Current Flight Operations
North America
Caribbean
South and Central America
Pacific
Japan and Asia
Europe

5. American Airlines Operations
Employees
Total
Approx 68,000
Pilots
Approx 7,900
172 Check Airmen
43 Management
12 Flight Test Pilots includes Chief Pilot.
Average age 51.8 (700 over age 60 by y/e 2011)
Average seniority 19.9
Non Pilot Flight
540 Management, Instructor and Support

6. “When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going, Any Road Will Get You There” (Alice in Wonderland)
American Airlines Flight Test Organization & Operation

7. Flight Test Pilots Total = 12 pilots: 1 Chief Pilot
8 Captains
3 First Officers
2 of the Captains are also ODA pilots.
Flight Test Pilots are part of the pilot unionized workforce and retain line pilot seniority number with all line pilot benefits.

8. TULSA Maintenance Base

9. AA Maintenance Checks AA maintenance performed by AA employees.
Heavy C-Check: 115 annually. All conducted by AA Flight Test Pilots.
Light C-Check: annually. Flight Test will fly a portion of the light C-Checks.
Prototype modification: < 3 annually. All conducted by AA Flight Test Pilots.
Special Visit (modification): ~ 580 annually. Depending on the modification, Flight Test will fly a small percentage of these aircraft.

10. Flight Test Pilots - continued
All Flight Test Pilots are domiciled in Tulsa, Oklahoma (AA’s primary maintenance base).
Not required to live in Tulsa but must be reasonably available on work days.
Flight Test Pilots are qualified on 2 aircraft types - - maximum of 3.
Max 3 due to maintaining Part 121 AQP qualification on each aircraft type. (train every 9 months).

11. Flight Test Pilots - continued
Train FAA FAR Part 121 AQP.
AA provides own training.
Flight Test utilizes FAA FAR Part 121 dispatch procedures to the maximum extent possible but conducts operations under FAA FAR Part 91.

13. A look back at how AA Flight Test began
The pursuit of safe operations and excellence.

14. AA Flight Test History
AA decided to have a specific Flight Test group several decades ago.
FAA FAR Part 91 was primary guidance for operations.
Updated Flight Test program when FAA FSAT 02-04A was published in 2002.
FAA FSAT 02-04A defined “Non-Routine Flight Operations” (NRFO)
Group 1: Operation of the aircraft in accordance with normal procedures of the flight manual.
Group 2: Procedures listed in emergency, abnormal, or alternate procedures. Flights which any system is de-powered to confirm back-up system is functional.

15. AA Flight Test History
Further updated when FAA InFO superseded FSAT 02-04A in 2008.
FAA InFO retained NRFO Group 1 & Group 2 definitions.

16. Type of Flying Specific to AA Flight Test
Post maintenance heavy checks.
Line aircraft NRFO Group 2.
Some NRFO Group 1 functions as well.
Ferry from storage to maintenance base.
New aircraft acceptance.
Lease return aircraft.
R & D, and Experimental.

18. Dock 5A Tulsa Maintenance Base

20. American Airlines Flight Academy
Test Training
American Airlines Flight Academy
DFW Texas

21. Qual Course Footprint*
All Courses Total 22
Days
12 Days Ground Training
Followed By ...
10 Days Flight Training in All Fleets
*Typical

22. AA Flight Test Initial Training
Initial Qualification
Basic aircraft qualification through FAA Part 121 AQP.
Pilot required to accomplish aircraft consolidation hrs in 120 days prior to return to Flight Test.
NRFO Group 2 Qualification: must be finished with basic aircraft qualification requirements: specific NRFO Group 2 requirements:
Ground Training
3 x 4 hr simulator periods
NRFO Group 2 observations
FO = 3 x aircraft flights
CA = 7 x aircraft flights
NRFO Group 2 aircraft checkride

23. AA Flight Test Continuing Qualification Training
All Flight Test pilots maintain Part 121 AQP qualification.
Train every 9 months for each aircraft qualified.
2-3 days ground school
2 x 4 hr simulator periods
Simulator checkride every 18 months
Aircraft Part 121 line check annually.
NRFO Group 2 Continuing Qualification:
Additional 4 hr simulator each 9 months for each type aircraft to concentrate on NRFO Group 2 events.
NRFO Group 2 checkride every 18 months.

24. AA Flight Test Continuing Qualification Training - continued
Other Flight Test Items
Standardization & Safety meetings
Scheduled quarterly for each Flight Test Pilot.
Required to attend 2 minimum annually.
Individual fleet standardization & safety meetings scheduled in between quarterly meetings.
Also participate when opportunity exists:
Fleet Check Airman standardization meetings.
Maintenance Product Team meeting.

25. Flight Test Qualification
Training
Policies
Bringing it all together to
manage FCF Risk!
Regulations
Procedures

27. Reasons for FCFs
FCFs are part of the Airline Overall Risk Mitigation Strategy
Controlled Environment vs Line Operations
Specialty Trained Crew
Controlled Procedures
AMM Requirements
Quality Assurance
Over life of airplane operators discover system failures that;
cannot be checked on the ground
Maintenance resolution confidence check
Equipment & Systems must work First time Every time
Discovery of latent failures
Engine inflight start vs ground start

28. Reasons for FCFs - continued
In-Service Aircraft Negative Trends
Data Driven by the Airline Reliability Program
Example: 757 Pack Health Check
In-Service Aircraft Damage & Failures
Major Modifications & Upgrades
Multiple Disturbed Systems

29. AA FCF Risk Mitigation Formalized FCF Process & Procedures
Uniquely Trained Crews
Weather
Day VFR
MD80 Electrical Failure
Engineering & Maintenance SMEs
FCF Task Management
Airspace

30. Issues for Consideration
Lack of industry standards.
Work collectively.
If we don’t manage ourselves, someone else will.
Inability for airlines to get quality Flight Test procedures for checklist development specific to post maintenance production flying.
Litigation & liability relief for manufacturer assistance.
Lack of knowledge, coordination, & cooperation among regulatory agencies.
Need to partner with the airlines vs mandate
Need available resources.

31. Next Steps?? Create Industry Standards Regulatory Agencies FAA CMO
Airlines
Best Practices from those of us that have successful programs.
Provide legal relief for manufacturers providing Production Flight Test Procedures (PFTP) for checklist baseline and updates.
Industry working group create a document specific to airline post maintenance production flight test of in service aircraft.
Similar to FAA AC 25-7a only specific to airline post maintenance flight checks.
Similar resource example is the Industry Upset Training Aid.

32. The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed of lost airline luggage.

33. From American Airlines Flight Test
Thank You

34. Comments or Questions ?