Navy
AVIATION
Subspecialty
Officer Subspecialty
5403
Test Pilot
An officer subspecialty earned alongside a primary designator, marking advanced education or experience in this field.
Description
Test Pilot officers conduct structured flight evaluations to measure aircraft performance, handling qualities, systems operation, and safety. They work with engineering teams to plan test points, manage flight risk, analyze results, and validate aircraft changes.
Core Skills
- experimental flight operations
- aircraft performance evaluation
- test point execution
- flight data analysis
- risk management
- crew resource management
- aviation safety management
- technical test reporting
- emergency procedure execution
Common Certifications
- FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate
- FAA Flight Instructor Certificate
- FAA Flight Engineer Certificate
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Certified Aviation Manager (CAM)
- Aviation Safety Professional Certificate
- Human Factors Certificate
Civilian Career Paths
- COMMERCIAL AVIATION
- AVIATION MANAGEMENT
- TRAINING AND EDUCATION
- PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Training & Development
Getting Started
- FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate
- FAA Instrument Rating
- FAA Certified Flight Instructor Certificate
- FAA Aviation Safety courses
Career Growth
- FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate
- Certified Aviation Manager (CAM)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Flight Test Safety Committee flight test safety training
Data sourced from official Navy publications and public military occupational references. Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.