View source for International Test Pilots School

{{short description|Commercial test pilot training institute in London, Ontario, Canada}}
{{Infobox company
| name                = International Test Pilots School
| logo                = 
| image               = ITPS Canada.png
| native_name         = 
| native_name_lang    = EN
| type                = [[List of test pilot schools|Test pilot school]]
| industry            = [[Aerospace]]
| fate                = 
| predecessor         = 
| successor           = 
| founded             = {{Start date and age|1986}} <ref name="Forbes">{{Cite web|last=Tegler|first=Eric|title=Air Force Space Command Tapped America's 'Other' Test Pilot School To Start Up A Space Force Flight Test Team|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/erictegler/2020/09/10/air-force-space-command-tapped-americas-other-test-pilot-school-to-start-up-a-space-force-flight-test-team/|access-date=8 October 2020|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref>
| founder             = 
| defunct             = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| hq_location_city    = [[London, Ontario]]
| hq_location_country = Canada
| area_served         = Global
| key_people          = 
| products            = 
| services            = [[Test pilot]] and [[flight test engineer]] training
| owner               = 
| num_employees       = 
| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->
| parent              = 
| website             = https://www.itpscanada.com
}}

The '''International Test Pilots School''' Canada (ITPS Canada) located in [[London, Ontario]], is one of the eight [[List of test pilot schools|test pilot schools]] recognized globally by the international [[Society of Experimental Test Pilots]] and the Society of Flight Test Engineers.<ref name="SETP">{{Cite web|title=SETP Recognized Test Pilot Schools {{!}} About SETP {{!}} About SETP|url=https://www.setp.org/about-setp/setp-recognized-test-pilots-schools.html|access-date=8 October 2020|website=www.setp.org}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Society for Test Flight Engineers|first=STFE|date=12 October 2019|title=International Flight Test News|url=https://www.setp.org/images/SFTE_Newsletter_12.10.19.pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=8 October 2020|website=}}</ref> The school trains test pilots and flight test engineers. It is the first [[civilian]] test pilot school in Canada.<ref name="SKYMAG">{{Cite web|last=Erdos|first=Robert|title=International Test Pilots School: A very technical business|url=https://www.skiesmag.com/features/international-test-pilots-school-a-very-technical-business/|access-date=8 October 2020|website=Skies Mag|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-22|title=ITPS wins contract to train RCAF test pilots, engineers|url=https://www.wingsmagazine.com/itps-wins-contract-to-train-rcaf-test-pilots-engineers/|access-date=8 October 2020|website=Wings Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref> ITPS Canada is registered as an Authorized Training Organization by the [[European Aviation Safety Agency]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=European Union Aviation Safety Agency|date=11 August 2020|title=List of Approved Training Organisations under EASA oversight|url=https://www.easa.europa.eu/download/ato/List-of-ATO-certificates.pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=8 October 2020|website=}}</ref>  It shares some facilities with and neighbours the [[Jet Aircraft Museum]] at [[London International Airport]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2010-07-14|title=Fundamental Approach|url=https://www.wingsmagazine.com/fundamental-approach-4321/|access-date=8 October 2020|website=Wings Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="YXU">{{Cite web|title=Uncovering Hidden Gems - Guest Posting {{!}} London International Airport|url=https://flylondon.ca/uncovering-hidden-gems-guest-posting|access-date=2020-10-07|website=flylondon.ca|archive-date=2020-10-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009022230/https://flylondon.ca/uncovering-hidden-gems-guest-posting|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== History ==
ITPS first offered flight test training in 1986, when established by a previous senior staff member of the [[Empire Test Pilots' School|Empire Test Pilots School]] in the [[United Kingdom]].<ref name="Forbes" />  The school was first located in [[Cranfield]] in England, working alongside the prestigious College of Aeronautics at [[Cranfield University]].

In 2001, the school moved its operations to the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment located at [[CFB Cold Lake]] before moving to its current location at  [[London International Airport]], [[Ontario]] in 2005.  The school was recognized by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots in 2017 and by the Society of Flight Test Engineers in 2018.<ref name="SETP" /> In 2022, ITPS Canada hosted the international 10th Annual Flight Test Seminar.<ref>{{Cite web|title=London's ITPS hosts international flight test community|url=https://www.skiesmag.com/news/londons-itps-hosts-international-flight-test-community/|access-date=8 October 2020|website=Skies Mag|language=en-US}}</ref> Operations include a 10,000 square foot modern offices and classrooms and a 27,000 square foot [[hangar]].<ref name="SKYMAG" />

== Training ==
The curriculum includes both long and short courses focusing on [[flight test]]s. Flight test graduate, diploma and certificate courses are offered, the former typically for military students.<ref name="SKYMAG" /> Test planning, test flying, data analysis and report writing are all part of the training.<ref name=":0" /> Students from around the world are trained using various military fighters, [[Jet trainer|training jets]], light airplanes, helicopters and [[flight simulator]]s.<ref name="SKYMAG" /> One of Australia's first [[Royal Australian Air Force|RAAF]] female pilots, [[Robyn Clay-Williams]], trained at ITPS<ref>{{Cite news|date=1993-03-04|title=Female RAAF pilot wants test pilot job|pages=11|work=Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995)|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127199541|access-date=2021-02-15}}</ref>

== Staff ==
ITPS Canada has staff members from multiple countries including academics, military veterans, maintenance personnel and test pilot graduates (test pilots and flight test engineers).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Events|first=UKi Media &|date=2020-07-23|title=Training the next generation of test pilots|url=https://www.aerospacetestinginternational.com/features/training-the-next-generation-of-test-pilots.html|access-date=8 October 2020|website=Aerospace Testing International|language=en-GB}}</ref> Notable staff over the years included retired [[Canadian Space Agency]] astronaut [[Bjarni Tryggvason]] (deceased, 2022) who once flew as a Payload Specialist on  [[Space Shuttle Discovery]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=The University of British Columbia|first=UBC|date=|title=Bjarni Tryggvason {{!}} UBC Applied Science|url=https://apsc.ubc.ca/node/2201|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=9 October 2020|website=apsc.ubc.ca}}</ref>

== Aircraft ==
As of November 2023, ITPS Canada has the following aircraft registered with [[Transport Canada]] and the [[FAA]] and operate as [[Nav Canada]] airline designator SA, and telephony STALLION.<ref name=CanICAOD>{{CanICAOD|ITPS Canada|SA|STALLION|2|2023-02-28}}</ref><ref name="fleet">{{TCregister|ITPS|ITPS Canada|2023-02-28}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+Aircraft
|-
!
!Number
!Origin
|-
! colspan="3" |Rotary wing
|-
|[[Airbus Helicopters AS355]]
|1
|France
|-
|[[Bell 206]]
|1
|Canada
|-
|[[MBB Bo 105]]
|1
|Germany
|-
|[[Sikorsky S-76]]
|1
|United States
|-
! colspan="3" |Fixed wing
|-
| [[Aero L-29 Delfín]]
|3
|Czech Republic
|-
| [[Aero L-39 Albatros]]
|8
|Czech Republic
|-
|[[Beechcraft Duke|Beechcraft 60 Duke]]
|1
|United States
|-
|[[IAR 823|Brasov IAR 823]]
|1
|Romania
|-
|[[Cessna 414]]
|1
|United States
|-
|[[Cirrus SR22]]
|1
|United States
|-
|[[Grumman HU-16]]
|1
|United States
|-
|[[Hawker Hunter]] T.7
|3
|United Kingdom
|-
|[[Rutan Long-EZ]]
|2
|United States
|-
|[[Sukhoi Su-29]]
|1
|Russia
|}

== See also ==

* [[List of test pilot schools]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

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[[Category:Test pilot schools]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1986]]
[[Category:Education in London, Ontario]]
[[Category:1986 establishments in Ontario]]