test pilot
- noun
- /tɛst ˈpaɪlət/
- Specialized
- The experienced test pilot conducted several flights to evaluate the new aircraft's performance in extreme weather.
And so the even the test pilots are like, let me fly the thing and find out, you know, And so like has in its old age, has NASA become more too, too risk?
- And so the even the test pilots are like, let me fly the thing and find out, you know, And so like has in its old age, has NASA become more too, too risk?
- He says that's the sound of freedom is right from a Marine Corps test pilot Colonel.
- I'm going to show you a small video which may shatter this vision we have of the Apollo astronauts being these God like fire pilots, the test pilots, etcetera.
- I went to a bunch of different schools, but basically I'm a farmer and a mechanical engineer and a pilot, fighter pilot, test pilot.
- It's not a test pilot, Chuck Yeager type developmental test that's done at Edwards that's done testing on the platform.
Examples
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The Dash 80's first flight took place on July 15, 1954, with Boeing test pilot Tex Johnston at the controls.
Academic text (2003) -
Test pilot Rhonda Sailor, the adult commander on our mission, trained with me.
Fiction book (1999) -
So years and years and years ago, my parents were very good friends with an early test pilot named Nick Jones.
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How much would they pay you as a test pilot?
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None of them has been assigned to combat, although a few have become test pilots.
Academic text (1993) -
Five years as a test pilot and I'm here... at the frontier of science and technology.
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I spent 15 years as a BASA test pilot.
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In 1918, he came to America... and later served as aeronautical engineer... and test pilot for the United States government.
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The X-15 was flown at a time when jet test pilot mortality rates were over 20%.
Blog text (34) -
Early that evening, the company's chief test pilot, John Cunningham, was at the controls for the jet transport's historic maiden flight.
Academic text (2003)
How Experienced
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a pilot who operates experimental aircraft to evaluate performance' is directly compositional from 'test' (an activity that checks performance) + 'pilot' (a person who flies aircraft). This noun-noun compound follows a common and transparent modifier-head pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Test pilot comes from the simple idea of test + pilot: a pilot who flies a new plane to see how it works. Because they often push the plane to its limits to 'check' speed, control, and safety, test pilot now means a pilot who flies experimental planes to check their performance.