"U.S. NAVAL TEST PILOT SCHOOL" 1959 U.S. NAVY AVIATOR RECRUITMENT FILM PAX RIVER MARYLAND XD30981

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“U.S. Naval Test Pilot School” (1959) is a color, training and recruiting film produced by the United States Navy that details the importance of the Naval Air Test Center’s Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland. The film details the curriculum and aircraft test flying process for student pilots and features footage of various United States Navy aircraft including the Vought Crusader.
Opening credits, title page overlaid footage of United States Navy aircrafts taking off from aircraft carrier (0:07). Vought F-8 Crusader with blaze orange, test center markings, prepares for testing in airfield at Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland (0:24). Naval aviators in uniform walk into United States Naval Test Pilot School located at test center (0:57). Interior of classroom: wooden school chairs and chalk board with mathematical calculations (1:14). Textbooks used in course and subjects covered: Calculus, thermodynamics, plane and spherical trigonometry, cartesian coordinates, aerodynamics (1:18). Pilots enter room and fill seats, look over material in pairs (1:29). Naval instructor draws on blackboard, lectures to students on “buffet boundary” (2:27). Students check flight syllabus board after morning classes end (2:54). Pilot conducts ground check of plane, prepares for buffet boundary test; Another Navy pilot flies parallel course during test both in FJ-4 Fury; Montage pilots talking to each other during flight test (3:10). Pilot sits in office and writes flight test report with seven principal sections, close-up of sheet with recorded data obtained during flight (4:47). Narrator details various sections of flight report while accompanying footage plays of flight test of North American Fury FJ-4B and pilot writing report on typewriter, interior of pilot in cockpit, gathering qualitative and quantitative data (5:17-7:15). Student test pilot hands in report, report screened by supervisor (7:17). Student pilots on your of four main test divisions at Naval Air Test Center: Armament Test center, airborne perhaps North American Fury FJ-4B (8:15). Electronics test division: Technician assesses engine of plane in hangar for grounds test, close-up of faulty electrical wiring (9:02). Flight phase of electronic testing: F3H-2M Demon takes off from tarmac (9:28). Flight test division: F3H-2M Demon undergoes ground testing, test pilot in orange jumpsuit monitors functionality of wings, engine, take off, landing capabilities (9:50). Service test division: Mechanics works on body of perhaps Douglas F4D Skyray in hangar (10:16). Douglas A-4 Skyhawk takes off for test flight (10:45). Service test division scientists tests pilot high altitude pressure suit, which resembles an astronaut's suit (10:57). Pilot settles into cockpit of Vought F8U-2 Crusader (11:08). After tour of four test divisions, students back in classroom resume studies: Fundamental dynamics, jet aircraft engines, aerodynamics, data reduction (11:11). Complexity of test flights increases: Lateral directional stability, lateral control effectiveness, high mock investigation (11:39). Naval officers wear dress whites at banquet hosted at Officer’s Club at Naval Air Test Center; certificates handed out and one student relieves trophy for high academic achievement (11:56). Aerial view of United States Navy aircraft carrier fleet; Close-up of work happening on flight strip, planes line up for take off (12:44). Douglas A-4 Skyhawk takes off from flight strip (13:14). Fleet of five Douglas A-4 Skyhawks fly in formation (13:25). Official seal for United States of America Department of the Navy; film ends (13:30).
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[@phmwu7368]

Some great US Naval aviators in this video: At 2:24 James "Jim" Lovell on Gemini VII and XII, Apollo 8 and 13 At 12:24 Walter "Wally" Schirra who flew on Mercury Sigma 7, Gemini VIa and Apollo 7

[@Eric-oo8rb]

I was just going to say “Is that Jim Lovell??”. Lol

[@matthewstone5576]

is that possibly Charles Pete Conrad on the left at 3:07? Cant quite tell

[@simtaylor61]

I know I saw Jim Lovell, must have missed Wally Schirra

[@kaptainkaos1202]

I am a USN/USMC flight test engineer at PAX RIVER. I’ve been here for 40 years and have seen such changes your head would explode. I’m so blessed to have a job that makes our Warriors jobs easier and ensure they come out on top. Also I can’t believe I get to work with such cool equipment! I truly can’t wait to get to work and actually bummed it’s time to retire. Time for the next generation to take over.

[@frnkbooth6871]

Appropriate KZbin name for a Navy aviator. 😂 I don’t mean that in a derogatory way.

[@stefanschutz5166]

Thank you from Amsterdam for posting this. I particularly like the calm pace.

[@Gannett2011]

Isn't it interesting how various types of color film stock retain their colorfulness or don't. I guess it's all to do with the stock itself, chemical balance, storage conditions. This one seems to have survived really well, while you see those others that are basically just turquoise and pink!

[@hakureicirno6059]

Telecine/scanner operators can and should do color correction to counter back such kind of film degrading. The outcome is limited to certain extent though.

[@ThemePro24]

wow, in color too - thanks for posting.

[@samuelglover7685]

Could be wrong, but I think at about 12:25 we see Wally Schirra's beaming mug at the graduation ceremony.

[@millerdp]

I think you’re right! It looked like Wally to me too!

[@user-si7gh3gw5e]

Very cool!

[@wrightmf]

I assume part of this training is to be one of the key people preparing flight ops manual and training for regular line pilots. Besides being a really good pilot flying the hottest jets, also able to prepare accurate reports that others can reliably trust.

[@65gtotrips]

Smoking in class @11:18 !

[@briannicklas109]

2:05 "But they all have one thing in common" - that they are all smokers?

[@briancooper2112]

I have seen this video years ago. Thanks for posting it again.

[@josephnason8770]

That was astronaut Wally Shirra clapping at the graduation. I'm old so l know this.

[@mjproebstle]

12:25 I swear that looks like Wally Schirra!!

[@jadethom7908]

It sure was.

[@bradpennock]

Looks like future astronaut Jim Lovell in the background at 1:51

[@stenic2]

Astronaut Wally Shirra @12:25

[@stenic2]

Astronaut Jim Lovell @2:24

[@UAL320]

AND 1:53

[@mortimersnerd8044]

The "continuous need for Navy test pilots" is a rather ominous comment on the risks involved in that field at that time.

[@keithammleter3824]

or the rapid advance of technology.

[@macsdaddy3383]

"...And they all have 1 very important thing in common,"---They all smoke like chimney's.

[@williamfriar6295]

Think about how much better this all could’ve been with an active DEI department.

[@timarnold9969]

At 2:24 is Jim Lovell. He supposedly flew on Apollo(s) 8 and 13.

[@phmwu7368]

James Lovell on Gemini VII and XII, Apollo 8 and 13 At 12:24 Walter Wally Schirra who flew on Mercury Sigma 7, Gemini VIa and Apollo 7

[@paulward4268]

@timarnold9969 - Supposedly???

[@toddloomis2428]

guess what, he did fly on Apollo 8 & 13, and before that Gemini 7 and 12.