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A joint-service test team of Army and Air Force personnel will be conducting testing of the C-27J Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) over the Houston metropolitan area Oct. 12-17. Officials from the Army Aviation Flight Test Directorate (AFTD) want to ensure community awareness of the test to prevent alarm when the JCA takes to the skies over east Texas next week.
"We understand the need to apprise local communities of test operations conducted in their area," said AFTD commander, Lt. Col. Robert A. Willis. "Building awareness becomes especiallyl critical when testing a new, unfamiliar aircraft, or when conducting flight testing in an area that does not teypically see military aircraft traffic."
AFTD, as the flight test arm of the Redstone Test Center in Alabama, tests nearly every aircraft and aviation system the Army owns or is considering procuring. For some tests to be successful, engineers must identify a test location which replicates situational or environmental conditions the aircraft will encounter in real-world missions.
In this instance, the Houston/Texas City/Pasadena area proved an ideal location.
"The area provides an environment containing a high density of electronic communications and signals, which met the parameters needed to conduct this test of systems aboard the JCA," said AFTD Flight Test Engineer, Justin Powell. "A significant portion of JCA testing will involve data collection during low-level flight -- altitudes ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 feet above ground level -- to ensure the many integrated systems are working properly."
Location, however, is not the only consideration.
"Despite how good a test location may appear, it is secondary to a factor vital to developmental flight testing -- safety. Testing conducted in the Houston area will incorporate the careful planning and adherence to stringent safety guidelines evidenced in AFTD's outstanding safety record," said Willis.
It's important to Willis that the community is not alarmed by the low-flying aircraft, and that they understand the general purpose of the next week's test mission.
"AFTD is proud of what we do and the Soldiers we support, and we want the residents of the Houston area to know why the JCA is flying in their area. We appreciate the community taking an interest in Army Aviation and we will do our best to keep them informed," said Willis.
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