U.S. Navy Research Pilots Help Scientists Gather Data from the Air
Posted on June 10, 2021 by Edward Lundquist, Special Correspondent
U.S. Navy pilots and naval flight officers flying specialized aircraft are helping scientists collect data for airborne research.
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL) Scientific Development Squadron One (VXS-1), based in Maryland at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, operates worldwide on extended detachments and annually logs more than 400 flight hours.
The squadron currently flies two NP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, one RC-12M King Air and one UV-18 Twin Otter, as well as numerous TigerShark unmanned aircraft that operate worldwide on extended detachments supporting numerous projects such as bathymetry, electronic countermeasures, gravity mapping and radar development research. All are uniquely configured to make the integration of systems, sensors and research projects easier.
“While airborne flight test typically refers to developmental and operational testing, a lesser-known aspect of the community includes science and technology research,” said Cmdr. Ian Lilyquist, who commands VXS-1. “We’re not graduates of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, but we are part of the test community doing airborne research.”
https://seapowermagazine.org/u-s-navy-research-pilots-help-scientists-gather-data-from-the-air/
