The invention of air travel has changed society and how people travel. It’s convenient and reassuring knowing that your loved ones and friends are at most a few hours away by plane at all times. The industry is worth billions and transports millions of passengers countless miles every year. However, there are a lot of moving parts and a lot of things that need to be ensured before takeoff to make sure that the passengers and crew can reach their destination safely. The best way to ensure this is by performing safety flights. Keep reading to discover why it’s so vital in the aviation industry.
Table of Contents
Safety assurance
Planes are very complex equipment and have hundreds of tinier systems and pieces of technology inside them to ensure everything’s running smoothly. This is all to ensure the safety of the passengers, who trust airline companies to transport them while dozens of miles up in the air. Though equipment and function tests can appear fine when tested through software and computers, there’s no better way to check if a plane functions correctly than to take it on a test flight. During this flight, small issues and other concerns may come to light, which can be quickly corrected.
Performance validation
Every plane comes with its design specifications, as well as speeds and angles that the plane should be able to achieve once it’s in the air. When a plane is first designed, it’s integral to test all of these specifications out in the field to ensure that there’s no design flaw preventing it from reaching top speeds, or from turning efficiently. This can be helpful for companies that can improve the plane or make the necessary repairs to get more out of it once it’s cleared for commercial use, but a more important aspect is that the pilot can test the plane’s limits and keep it in mind for emergency situations like bad weather, storms, etc. when safety depends on how well the pilot can adjust the plane.
Systems Checking
Testing the systems is another crucial part of regular flight tests and why they’re so important. Planes have countless systems within them, whether it’s avionics, electrical, communications, etc., and their integrity has to be measured during a flight situation. Flight assistance systems are present on most planes, and thanks to the prevalence of deep learning and other software solutions, software is found everywhere in these systems. However, even the best software can experience glitches, so testing it in the field is preferred. Aircraft hydraulic fluid testing is another crucial element, allowing the plane to take off and land effectively.
Aerodynamic and structural integrity testing
The body of planes are made of metal that is low in density, such as blended aluminum. This metal is used regularly to make planes, but it needs to be tested in each case to ensure that its structural integrity isn’t lacking and that it can safely transport tons of weight without buckling or warping. The only suitable way to check this is by performing a test flight. During this flight, pilots are also able to check how efficient the aerodynamics of the plane are.
Regulatory compliance
There are tons of plane regulators in every country, and the main one in the United States is the Federal Aviation Administration. These regulators require key data from each plane before they can be certified and cleared for takeoff. The only way to provide regulators with this data is by performing measured test flights, which have greater accuracy than normal system tests.
Conclusion
Air travel has allowed humans to travel by air, something people could only dream of a few centuries ago. The aviation industry has developed some of the most important technology of the last few decades, and the average aircraft is worth millions of dollars. Companies take good care of them, and for good reason: the massive size makes them more susceptible to faults and more in need of regular maintenance. The best way to ensure the aircraft is in working condition is to perform a test flight. You wouldn’t want to sit on a plane that has never flown.
