412th Test Wing, Edwards Air Force Base

WORLD PREMIERE: "Inside The Air Force's Elite Test Pilot School" with Sam Eckholm! Take a first look at the modern United States Air Force Test Pilot School- Tester, Leader, Thinker, Innovator. #AFMC #USAF Watch- https://lnkd.in/gPJTp93F

The #USAF Test Pilot School like you've NEVER seen it before... 9/27/25

The fundamentals of test are universal across all domains. Team Edwards was recently visited by United States Air Force Test Pilot School alumnus, #NASA astronaut Nick Hague, and retired Navy Captain Sunita Williams. The pair made stops at TPS, the Muroc Joint Unified School District, NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center and the base theater for a variety of candid talks on the future of #space research. Hague, a longtime advocate of space test instruction, was fundamental in helping the #USAF Test Pilot School expand its #USSF "Space Test Course" to a full year, including recent expansions to both classrooms and a dedicated satellite operations center. The program is set to become a full 40-credit hour master’s degree program, known as the Space Test Engineering concentration, in January 2026. #AFMC Learn how Edwards is quickly becoming the center of space test- https://lnkd.in/gtwnaw7S

LISTEN 🎧: "Fangs" Talks Flight Test! Former United States Air Force Test Pilot School Commandant Col. James Valpiani sat down with our friends at the 'Fighter Pilot Podcast' to talk about his unique experiences from being an international student at the French Test Pilot School to flying #AI in a dogfight. Col. Valpiani is currently the Chief Combat Autonomy Officer for the Air Force Test Center and serves as a #USAF program manager with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). #AFMC Listen on the streaming service of your choice- https://lnkd.in/gKk4iJnZ

Meet the newest #USAF aircraft to be wrapped internally by flight test orange. 🔶 The 461st FLTS at Edwards has received a new specially-instrumented F-35A that joins the flight sciences fleet to enhance #engineering and test. "This new aircraft arrives at a crucial time, supporting intensive testing of TR-3 software upgrades and next-generation weapons integration." says Lt. Col. Daniel Prudhomme, F-35 ITF director. "As the world’s only F-35A capable of evaluating both mission systems and flight sciences, this new asset is key for rapidly fielding advanced capabilities to the warfighter." #AFMC

In an incredible collaboration of teamwork and #resiliency, historic U-2 Dragon Lady tail 1099 is airborne again out of #USAF Plant 42. Consisting of engineers, artisans, and test pilots from #AFLCMC Det 4 and WIA, the Air Force Reserve Command 370th FLTS, Edwards 412th Test Wing, and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, the aircraft is a mesh of multiple airframes brought together for fresh airworthiness. This U-2 will soon rejoin the fleet at Beale Air Force Base to help propel global #ISR forward for the joint-force. Hear why 1099 is so significant to the community, including its special "Never Forgotten" nose art.

Today is #POW/#MIA recognition day, and team Edwards came out in a variety of ways to pay respects and raise awareness to all of those who either took the sacrifice of being held captive as a prisoner of war, or are still missing in action. In addition to a ruck march, this included a special session by retired Capt. Paul Granger, a #veteran who shared his story carrying the weight of sacrifice, survival, and the enduring promise to bring every missing American home. 🇺🇸 I came home,” he told the audience, pausing for a moment. “But not everyone did. That truth has never left me.” Granger emphasized that POW/MIA Recognition Day is more than a ceremonial date. He pointed to the work of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), which continues the mission to locate, recover and identify the nation’s missing. “Every identification is a reminder of a sacred truth,” he said. “We never leave our people behind.” Read more about Granger's inspirational story and continued efforts: https://lnkd.in/grkTUnHD

A #USAF lieutenant and United States Air Force Test Pilot School graduate came together last summer at the University of Iowa's renowned Operator Performance Lab for the betterment of #aerospace test. Lt. Beau Benzing and Maj. Kyle Smith, now a TPS associate dean and instructor, conducted research that could revolutionize how pilots work with emerging #AI #tech in military aviation. “I don't know anywhere else in the country where a 23-year-old who wants to go to the Test Pilot School can work with an actual Test Pilot School graduate, get in a plane, and fly around,” Benzing said. He has since moved on to formal pilot training at Vance AFB. The collaboration continues the strong partnership between TPS and the renowned Operator Performance Lab at #UI. "Being at OPL gives students a real leg up and provides perspective of where technology comes from and how it fits into the bigger picture of where the defense industry is going,” says Smith, who obtained his PhD in industrial #engineering. Read More- https://lnkd.in/ghq2jUY8

A moment of tribute for a daily remembrance. On September 11, the 812th Civil Engineer Squadron, first responders, and team Edwards members held a remembrance ceremony honoring the lives lost 24 years prior. To symbolize the strength and #resilience of our nation while paying tribute, participants joined a "NEVER FORGET" run/walk immediately following the special ceremony. #AFMC

Another historical day at Edwards: The 420th FLTS, part of the B-21 Combined Test Force, took delivery of the second #USAF Raider test aircraft. “With the arrival of the second B-21 Raider, our flight test campaign gains substantial momentum,” said Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink. “We can now expedite critical evaluations of mission systems and weapons capabilities, directly supporting the strategic deterrence and combat effectiveness envisioned for this aircraft. The 412th Test Wing and Air Force Test Center continues to accelerate development on the #B21 Raider and other lethal platforms to ensure war-winning capability for our nation. 🇺🇸 #AFMC https://lnkd.in/gmcytztt