Avionica is proud of our continued involvement in the evolution of MFOQA - Military Flight Operations Quality Assurance. miniQARs are now in use at the US Navy Test Pilot School to augment the training curriculum.

Adapted from "FIXED WING UPDATE: F/A-18 High Angle of Attack
Mr. Steve Potter and CDR Dave Woodbury"

"US Navy Test Pilot School (USNTPS) flight and academic instructors have combined efforts to create a new training opportunity within the fixed wing syllabus. In Spring 2004, Class 125 students became the first to participate in the F/A-18 High Angle-of-Attack (AOA) exercise. The exercise exposes students to extreme AOAs, departure characteristics, and spin mechanics using a forth generation fighter aircraft with a highly sophisticated flight control system. The students experience a ‘high risk’ test atmosphere in a controlled training environment. F/A-18 High AOA nicely augments the existing T-2C Stall/Spin exercise, providing the schoolhouse an unparalleled training combination.

The F/A-18 High AOA exercise consists of classroom briefings, simulation sessions, and two flight events, covering flying qualities, intentional departures, and spins. Each flight utilizes a separate flight control software version with unique flight characteristics. A staff provided test plan and a NAVAIR flight clearance enable maneuvers beyond that normally allowed by the flight manual. Students debrief with the aid of a newly developed solid-state flight recorder (Avionica miniQAR) and associated data reduction software, providing 3-D post-flight animation and data analysis capability.

Visiting test pilots and foreign test organizations have taken notice of USNTPS’ new capability, participating in High AOA flights during technical exchanges. Additionally, the USNTPS Short Course Department has developed and executed tailored High AOA training for multiple external customers. So positive has been the response that staff members are working hard to update and expand the program, perhaps to an in-flight variable stability capability".

Avionica, Inc. specializes in complete flight data management solutions. Products include secureLINK, the airborne wireless Ethernet router, the miniQAR, the world’s first miniature quick access flight data recorder, the RSU, a handheld flight-data recorder monitoring and download tool, and AVSCAN.flight, a commercial and military flight data analysis tool.