392 - Helicopter Flight Test

Guest: Antoine van Gent (linkedin.com/in/antoine-van-gent-0103a34/?orig…) Host: Markus Völter Shownoter: Pascal Becker

In July I visited the Airbus Helicopters factory in Donauwörth and spent time with Antoine van Gent, the Head of Development Flight and Ground testing for Germany. We talked about the helicopter flight testing process, some of the cultural aspects, the collaboration between pilots and the flight test engineer as well as his participation in a landing of an H145 on top of the Aconcagua mountain.

Introduction Antoine Van Gent
00:02:28
(Head of Development Flight- and Ground Test @ Airbus Helicopters) | General Dynamics F-16 (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Dynamics_F-16) | Boeing AH-64 (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_AH-64) | Boeing CH-47D (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing-Vertol_CH-47#CH-47D) | Bell 412 (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_412) | Bölkow Bo 105 (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B6lkow_Bo_105) | Aerospatiale AS 332 (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C3%A9rospatiale_AS_332)

Flight Test Organization
00:06:03
Sikorsky CH-53 (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_CH-53) | Airbus H120 (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_Helicopters_H120) | Reciprocating engine (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reciprocating_engine) | Iron Bird (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_bird_(aviation)) (Omega Tau 210 - A350 Flight Testing (omegataupodcast.net/210-a350-flight-testing)) | Situation Awareness (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situation_awareness) | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly-by-wire | VoloCopter (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volocopter) | Interview with Billie Flynn F-35: Capabilities, Missions, Kinematics, Role In Ukrainian Crisis And Beyond. Interview With Billie Flynn (theaviationist.com/2022/04/07/f-35-interview-w…)

Test Pilot Education and Testing Facilities
00:40:42
Wright Brothers (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers) | Empire Test Pilots' School (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_Test_Pilots) | U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Air_Force_Test_Pilo…) (EPNER - Ecole du personnel navigant d'essais et de reception (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/École_du_personnel_navig…))

Evolution and Innovation in Helicopters
00:47:14
Bell UH-1 (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_UH-1)

Aconcagua Story
01:28:54
Airbus H145 lands on top of the andes (airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2019-09-…)

Becoming a Test Pilot
01:46:56

End of Interview and Bonus: Walk through the Assembly Line
02:05:51