Instructor: Mark Swaney

Mark Swaney
 Biography: Mark Swaney is a commercial pilot, test pilot, flight instructor and educator who has spent many years of his career either involved with flight test of military and commercial aviation systems or teaching aircraft and avionics systems flight test. Mark studied aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati and co-op'd in experimental flight test at Gates Learjet Corporation. After completion of commercial pilot training, Mark participated in modification and certification flight test of new and modified Learjet systems. Upon graduation, he volunteered for the US Navy and was designated a Naval Flight Officer. Mark served as a Radar Intercept Officer flying the F-14 Tomcat in operational fighter squadrons. He completed the US Naval Test Pilot School as a Test Naval Flight Officer and served in numerous flight test roles involving tactical avionics systems, weapons systems, advanced flight controls, structures, and engines. He was project officer for the upgrade to the Super Tomcat, was the lead flight test officer for the AN/APG-71 radar system and project RIO for the Infrared Search and Track System. Mark was designated an Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer and a Weapon System Acquisition Manager. His later assignments were Commanding Officer, Naval Air Pacific Repair Activity; Operations Officer, Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs; Commander, Naval Test Wing Pacific; and Vice Commander, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division. He retired from the Navy with 30 years of service and then applied his expertise to educating students about avionics flight test at National Test Pilot School.

Classes by this instructor


Aircraft Avionics Test and Evaluation Fundamentals

This course provides an overview of basic avionics systems flight test to include the understanding of test planning and risk management, as well as the necessity and complexity of flight test instrumentation and data collection. Students will understand the challenges of testing integrated systems, as well as understanding the importance of time, space and position information (TSPI), sources of TSPI and its use for data acquisition, reduction and analysis. They will review causes and methods of testing software and for identifying electromagnetic interference. Students will also receive a basic understanding of aerospace data bus architectures, communications and radio navigation systems, Global Navigation Satellite Systems, RADAR systems and electro-optical and infrared systems to help understand required flight test techniques. Students will also gain understanding in the challenges of human-machine interfaces which require crew station and workload evaluations as part of the aircraft and systems certification process.
April 17-21, 2023, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport Southcenter

Will Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Drive Changes to Avionics Systems Flight Testing?

Modern aircraft and air vehicles of the future will have a plethora of avionics systems that must be integrated into various types of air vehicles and must be thoroughly tested to provide for safe operation in multiple environments. Manned, unmanned, and autonomous aircraft will consist of everything from small package delivery drones to passenger-carrying air vehicles operating above populated areas or remote areas. Military and public use aircraft will also make use of newly designed and sophisticated avionics systems. This webinar will review the basics of current avionics flight test procedures and discuss challenges coming as a result of what may be considered the next revolution in aviation.
Wednesday, May 24, 2023, Webinar