Published: Apr 17, 2025 – The Flight Test Engineer plans and executes Flight Tests or Production Flights, coordinating all steps of a Flight Test Campaign. This position evaluates the tests to be performed, defines required resources, and ensures proper system configurations while working closely with various engineering and operations teams. After executing the flight, the engineer processes and analyzes the data, providing detailed reports and participating in post-test evaluations and discrepancy resolutions.

Tips for Flight Test Engineer Skills and Responsibilities on a Resume
1. Flight Test Assembly Engineer, AeroTech Innovations, Orlando, FL
Job Summary:
- Represent the company in interfacing directly with the government on-site.
- Lead key tasks assigned by the on-site manager/lead FTE to ensure clear moving forward plans are established and maintained for the flight test engines
- Encourage and follow flight safety protocols
- Coordinate and conduct post-maintenance ground runs
- Perform pre- and post-flight engine inspections and release
- Assist in troubleshooting flight squawks and ground test operations utilizing fault isolation procedures
- Provide technical support and direction utilizing tech order data and engine maintenance manuals
- Coordinate potential hardware replacement and maintain part life records
- Conduct and assist in engine inspections
- Coordinate and drive engine maintenance activities
Skills on Resume:
- Government Interface (Soft Skills)
- Task Leadership (Soft Skills)
- Flight Safety (Soft Skills)
- Post-Maintenance Runs (Hard Skills)
- Engine Inspections (Hard Skills)
- Troubleshooting (Hard Skills)
- Technical Support (Hard Skills)
- Hardware Coordination (Hard Skills)
2. Lead Flight Test Engineer, Skyward Aerospace Solutions, Denver, CO
Job Summary:
- Determine the actual characteristics of the helicopter, often to prove predicted behaviour based on computed and/or wind tunnel test data
- Prepare and support helicopter ground and flight tests
- Advise aircrew on the safe and efficient use of the helicopter and systems
- Plan, execute, and report on flight trials efficiently
- Ensure the highest possible levels of flight safety, achieve the technical objectives, and minimize time and costs
- Prepare flight test orders, test plans, and present flight test technical briefings
- Provide advice and support to the DO specialist engineering disciplines
- Daily management of helicopter configuration and coordination with the maintenance team
- Monitor safety-critical parameters to enhance overall flight safety
- Act as a Telemetry Controller
Skills on Resume:
- Helicopter Characteristics (Hard Skills)
- Flight Test Support (Hard Skills)
- Aircrew Advising (Soft Skills)
- Flight Trial Planning (Hard Skills)
- Flight Safety Management (Soft Skills)
- Test Plan Preparation (Hard Skills)
- Engineering Support (Soft Skills)
- Helicopter Configuration (Hard Skills)
3. Flight Test Engineer, Quantum Aviation Systems, Austin, TX
Job Summary:
- Work closely with the engineering design and certification teams to ensure all planned activity meets test requirements and company timescales.
- Ensure test aircraft configuration, build standard, and serviceability are properly recorded and sufficient for the test.
- Ensure aircraft documentation for the flight test activity is in order.
- Ensure flight test instrumentation and data recording are sufficient for the planned activity.
- Review supporting safety assessments, flight test documentation, operating procedures, and limitations.
- Produce flight test programmes, plans, and test cards - identifying test conditions and appropriate test techniques.
- Develop flight trials, hazard analyses, and risk assessments.
- Participate in flight trials, readiness reviews, and flight test safety reviews.
- Coordinate sortie briefing/de-briefing and conduct testing either within the telemetry ground station or onboard the test aircraft.
- Report findings promptly and maintain accurate documentation.
Skills on Resume:
- Engineering Collaboration (Soft Skills)
- Aircraft Configuration (Hard Skills)
- Documentation Management (Hard Skills)
- Test Instrumentation (Hard Skills)
- Safety Assessment Review (Hard Skills)
- Flight Test Planning (Hard Skills)
- Risk Assessment (Hard Skills)
- Test Reporting (Hard Skills)
4. Senior Flight Test Engineer, Stratosphere Technologies, Tucson, AZ
Job Summary:
- Generate design documentation, requirements, logistics, and maintenance plans for the weapon system
- Provide technical input to documentation and systems engineering reviews for solid rocket motor/booster development
- Develop, maintain, issue, and track updates for the Navy Program Manager to progress reports
- Coordinate with NSWC Crane and sponsoring agencies, including SSP and AF customers and contractors, in the support of strategic hardware
- Develop and review documentation, requirements, and supporting material for technical accuracy and impact on the requirements documents
- Advise team members of engineers and analysts on processes, procedures, and technical aspects of the program, providing mentorship to junior team members
- Develop presentations for technical reviews
- Perform technical analysis of designs and plans
- Develop technical reports, data packages, and test plans
- Drive to meet requirements and prevent any delay, while maintaining the highest quality of work
Skills on Resume:
- Design Documentation (Hard Skills)
- Technical Input (Hard Skills)
- Progress Reporting (Hard Skills)
- Stakeholder Coordination (Soft Skills)
- Documentation Review (Hard Skills)
- Team Mentorship (Soft Skills)
- Technical Presentations (Hard Skills)
- Technical Analysis (Hard Skills)
5. Flight Test Engineer, Horizon Flight Engineering, Raleigh, NC
Job Summary:
- Plan and execute Flight Test or Production Flights
- Coordinate the steps of a Flight Test Campaign
- Evaluate the tests that shall be performed on a Flight Test or Production Flight
- Define all resources needed for a specific flight test or Production Flight
- Specify air vehicle system configurations and coordinate test planning activity with flight test operations, instrumentation, and the Responsible Engineers
- Execute Flight Test or Production Flight using Telemetry and/or Radio
- Process the flight test or Production Flight data and release it to the assigned engineer.
- Evaluate the flight test or Production Flight qualitative and quantitative data, summarizing it in the Crew report.
- Participate in post-test data evaluation and discrepancy resolution
- Evaluate Flight Test Proposal and Flight Test Result Reports
Skills on Resume:
- Flight Test Planning (Hard Skills)
- Test Campaign Coordination (Soft Skills)
- Test Evaluation (Hard Skills)
- Resource Planning (Hard Skills)
- System Configuration (Hard Skills)
- Test Execution (Hard Skills)
- Data Processing (Hard Skills)
- Post-Test Evaluation (Hard Skills)
6. Flight Test Engineer, Vanguard Aerospace, Portland, OR
Job Summary:
- Maintain engine configuration awareness and documentation through engine history record sheets
- Coordinate the Flight Test and Production Test Schedule.
- Create Flight Test or Production Flight Test Cards
- Release the aircraft from the Production Flight Test Process or a Flight Test Campaign
- Create Risk Assessments and coordinate their presentation and/or publishing
- Jointly responsible for the safety of the test flight.
- Coordinate a Technical Review Board
- Know all applicable Regulation Requirements and Guidance for a specific flight
- Participate actively in Technical Meetings during the development and sustaining of a specific project.
- Participate in the development of aircraft flight manuals, checklists, and related publications.
Skills on Resume:
- Engine Documentation (Hard Skills)
- Test Schedule Coordination (Soft Skills)
- Test Card Creation (Hard Skills)
- Flight Release (Hard Skills)
- Risk Assessment (Hard Skills)
- Flight Safety (Soft Skills)
- Technical Review (Hard Skills)
- Regulation Knowledge (Hard Skills)
7. Flight Test Engineer, Altitude Aerospace, Charlotte, NC
Job Summary:
- Perform exceptionally well within a highly dynamic team, in a fast-paced testing environment
- Support the team by working on innovative technologies to maintain air superiority in support of Air Warfare and Surface Warfare mission areas.
- Plan and execute testing activities
- Perform data analysis and report for testing of E-2D capabilities in support of mission effectiveness
- Support capability-specific testing using Mission-Based Test Design processes.
- Rely on engineering experience in regards to radar and communication system upgrades to effectively support the team and its mission
- Take responsibility for flight test control
- Analyze flight test data
- Develop test cards, materials supporting verification/validation
- Bring expertise in flight test planning, flight test data analysis, design of experiments, electronic warfare, radar, and/or avionics systems
Skills on Resume:
- Team Collaboration (Soft Skills)
- Innovative Technology Support (Hard Skills)
- Test Planning (Hard Skills)
- Data Analysis (Hard Skills)
- Mission-Based Testing (Hard Skills)
- Engineering Support (Hard Skills)
- Flight Test Control (Hard Skills)
- Test Card Development (Hard Skills)
8. Flight Test Engineer, Falcon Precision Engineering, Salt Lake City, UT
Job Summary:
- Lead and participate in flight and ground testing of MQ-9 aircraft and pods.
- Work with government and industry customers
- Perform test planning and technical reviews
- Support safety planning and range coordination
- Direct cross-functional teams at customer locations to successfully install and test FMS systems.
- Plan and arrange the labor, schedules, and equipment required for testing and evaluating standard and special devices, in the plant and at customer locations.
- Design, develop, and implement testing methods and equipment.
- Compile data and define changes required in testing equipment, testing procedures, or new testing requirements.
- Perform asset configuration, setting up IP addresses and MAC addresses, networking, system stand-up and operational testing, and troubleshooting of test systems.
- Take responsibility for flight test reporting
Skills on Resume:
- Flight Testing (Hard Skills)
- Customer Collaboration (Soft Skills)
- Test Planning (Hard Skills)
- Safety Planning (Hard Skills)
- Cross-Functional Leadership (Soft Skills)
- Test Coordination (Hard Skills)
- Test Method Development (Hard Skills)
- Asset Configuration (Hard Skills)
9. Flight Test Installation Engineer, BlueSky Aeronautics, Boise, ID
Job Summary:
- Take responsibility for hardware integration, development, and maintenance
- Enable Flight Test Campaigns by defining and setting up mobile Flight Test Ground Station IT systems and databases
- Take responsibility for maintaining IT equipment
- Ensure operability by managing hardware obsolescence
- Software/tools development and maintenance
- Software projects for hardware remote/automatic operation (metadata organisation, configuration databases, data access libraries and frameworks, big data appliances, data processing)
- Lead all test activities relative to ATARS/ARCADE/CARBON systems
- Develop a test plan in support of evaluating system performance
- Lead execution of the test plan, including the overall test timeline
- Support collection and lead reduction of data to evaluate system performance, IAW test design methodology.
Skills on Resume:
- Hardware Integration (Hard Skills)
- Flight Test Setup (Hard Skills)
- IT Equipment Maintenance (Hard Skills)
- Obsolescence Management (Hard Skills)
- Software Development (Hard Skills)
- Remote Operation Software (Hard Skills)
- Test Planning (Hard Skills)
- Data Reduction (Hard Skills)
10. Flight Test Assembly Engineer, AeroPath Engineering, Birmingham, AL
Job Summary:
- Help set up a flight test safety management system
- Write test plans and test reports
- Provide test advice, recommending priorities, perform resource planning and identifying constraints, and recommend inputs into deficiency identification and correction actions.
- Review draft documentation by collecting, assessing, and/or evaluating both subjective and objective data acquired through test execution.
- Assist in facilitating scheduling of unique test resources for such efforts, including range, weapons, etc.
- Provide advisory assistance in support of any UAS incidents that require Safety and Accident Investigations.
- Document processes, producing timely and detailed service reports, and following all the company’s filed procedures and protocols
- Assist in the development of academics and training to users on all aspects of the fielded systems, including system operation, mission planning, execution, and operating simulators.
- Create, develop, and update technical manuals.
- Participate in remote test locations for extended working hours on a non-routine basis.
Skills on Resume:
- Safety Management (Hard Skills)
- Test Planning (Hard Skills)
- Resource Planning (Soft Skills)
- Documentation Review (Hard Skills)
- Test Resource Scheduling (Soft Skills)
- Incident Support (Soft Skills)
- Process Documentation (Hard Skills)
- Training Development (Soft Skills)