Review of the 53rd European Symposium of test pilots in Lucerne
The 53rd European Symposium of the «Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP)» took place in Lucerne from 26 to 29 June 2024. Over 180 participants from all over the world took the opportunity to exchange ideas on topics in the area of flight safety, to listen to technical presentations and to discuss findings in the area of flight testing. SETP Symposia have been taking place since 1955 and their goal is to increase the safety and effectiveness of flight testing as well as to promote networking among the test pilots.
Anela Ziko, Staff and Gian von Salis, Flight Test Center, Science and Technology
The Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) was founded in 1955 and is an international organisation consisting of male and female test pilots. The SETP calls for flight safety in flight testing. Symposia take place every year and are organised each time by a different member country.
Test pilots pursue a very demanding career which is not without its risks. The test flights they carry out serve as quality and conformity controls for aviation systems, where occupational safety has the top priority. To ensure a greater level of security in this professional environment and to support the professional development of test pilots, civil American test pilots founded the «Society of Experimental Test Pilots» (SETP) on 14 September 1955. Just two weeks after the foundation of the SETP, the first SETP Symposium took place on 29 September 1955 in Lancaster, California, with a total of seventeen test pilots. The Society of Experimental Test Pilots has long been an international organisation with altogether 10 sections. These sections hold symposia for continuing training and networking every year. Switzerland belongs to the European section.
Switzerland as the host country of an international organisation
In 1968, the first Symposium of the European SETP section took place in Bristol, England. And three years later, in 1971, Switzerland became involved for the first time as the host country. In the meantime, this 53rd Symposium is now the ninth time that the Symposium of the European SETP section has taken place in Switzerland. More than 180 SETP members from over fourteen countries met in Lucerne from 26 to 29 June 2024.
Gian von Salis, test pilot in the Flight Test Center (FTC) armasuisse since 2001, chaired the organisation committee, consisting of test pilots from armasuisse, Pilatus and RUAG. Early on Thursday morning, he greeted the numerous participants with great pleasure and presented the programme for the next few days. The packed programme included altogether 19 technical presentations, known as Technical Sessions, various opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing as well as a visit to industry.
Lessons from the past for greater safety in the future
In the technical sessions, the results of flight testing with military and civil aircraft were presented. In the spirit of «lessons learned» the test pilots and flight test engineers reported on their own experiences in flight testing, both with fixed wing aircraft and rotary wing aircraft, with the overarching goal of increasing the safety and effectiveness of flight testing. The point is to report openly about successes and setbacks and thus to generate added value for flight testing. For the participants from Switzerland, in particular for the Flight Test Center (FTC) at armasuisse, this provides the opportunity to learn from the experiences and knowledge about flight safety that have already been acquired, to extract information as well as derive measures for own flight safety from them and to be able to plan own test flights efficiently and safely. Over all the technical presentations, it becomes clear that the success of flight testing campaigns depends on open communication among one another and the cohesion of the team involved.
Between continuing education and networking
In addition to this theoretic programme, the networking of test pilots with each other is an important aspect. During the group boat trip on Thursday evening on Lake Lucerne, all the participants enjoyed lively discussions about the presentations. On the one hand, this strengthens international cooperation and partnership among one another while at the same time offering a starting point for jointly solving future challenges.
The programme included a joint dinner as the crowning conclusion of the four intensive days. Mentally stimulated and refreshed by culinary delights, the 53rd Symposium was brought to a successful conclusion on Saturday evening to the satisfaction of the organisation committee and the participating guests.
Outlook
This type of international exchange is very important in order to be up-to-date at all times. These symposia serve as further training to strengthen and develop the expertise of the test pilots in the area of flight safety.
In Europe, the SETP Symposium is organised in rotation. Every seven to nine years, it is Switzerland’s turn to organise this Symposium on a voluntary basis. The European SETP Symposium 2025 will take place in Toulouse, France. Switzerland will once again be the host country in the early 2030s.
About the membership in the SETP
Membership in the «Society of Experimental Test Pilots» (SETP) is open to all those persons who have completed test pilot school at one of the institutions recognised by the SETP and are active in the area of test flying.
About the Flight Test Center
The Flight Test Center (FTC) is stationed in Emmen and is responsible for the technical and scientific flight testing of military and civil aviation systems. As a neutral specialist authority, the FTC has expertise on military aviation systems independent of industry and, among other things, examines contractually agreed services.
