Commander FURLANI successfully completed the practical phase of the BRAVO Class in the Postgraduate Program in Flight Test Operations and Flight Test Pilot, Level 2 (PEV-2) in the Helicopter category

In the week of July 9, 2023, Commander FURLANI carried out the scheduled flights in the Postgraduate Course in Flight Test Operations and PEV-2 in the Helicopter category, at ETEP/SIRIUS FT-BR. The flights took place at the EFAI Aviation School (Pará de Minas-MG), a partner of SIRIUS FT-BR, under the instruction and evaluation of Commander BOSCO (Test 10). Three flights were conducted to apply Flight Test Techniques, two in the Schweizer 269C-1 helicopter and one (final evaluation flight) in the H-125 Esquilo helicopter

For this phase of the course, three test orders (TOs) were issued for the evaluation of the Schweizer 269C-1 and one TO for the evaluation of the H-125 Esquilo. In each TO, a flight scenario was proposed with various situations that must be addressed through proper planning, preparation of flight cards, briefing, execution of the flight with data collection, and preparation of reports for each evaluated aircraft.

With the objective of evaluating the Schweizer 269C-1, the first Test Order aimed at collecting power data during in-ground effect and out-of-ground effect hover with three different weights, using ballast attached to the aircraft structure. For this test, the free hover method assisted by a laser rangefinder was used as the flight test technique. The second Test Order included functional checks of the helicopter in level flight in order to plot the speed versus engine manifold pressure graph. In this test, it was possible to determine the minimum power-required speed in level flight, the maximum range speed, and the maximum level flight speed, as well as to compare the obtained results with the values presented in the manufacturer’s manual. The third Test Order covered the evaluation of the aircraft’s performance in climb at maximum continuous power and autorotation descent at various speeds.

The information obtained from the test flights allowed Commander FURLANI to address the questions proposed in the Test Orders, validate items available in the flight manual, and generate performance curves that are not available in the manual.

In the final evaluation on the H-125 Esquilo helicopter, the proposed flight scenario included checks on in-ground and out-of-ground effect hover, level flight performance, climbs at maximum continuous power, autorotation descents, and onboard systems. In this context, one flight hour was allocated for the H-125 evaluation, which required careful planning, the application of all flight test concepts and techniques taught during the course, as well as a combination of management and execution of the test by Commander FURLANI. Thus, the performance characteristics and the behavior of the onboard systems were verified.

After completing the flights, Commander FURLANI will document the evaluation results of the Schweizer 269C-1 helicopter and the H-125 Esquilo in their respective Flight Test Reports, which will be presented as the final course activity

Congratulations to Commander FURLANI for overcoming another stage in the pursuit of the Postgraduate Certificate in Flight Test Operations and Flight Test Pilot, Level 2 in the Helicopter category