SFTE

Please join us in congratulating the new Board of Directors,

President Ben Povall
VP Tiziano Bernard, Ph.D.
Treasurer Kenneth Katz
Secretary Victoria Couture

Directors-At-Large
Chaska Moon
Katelyn Taylor (Gunderson)
Edward Burnett
Jim Fawcett

Past President
Jeffrey Canclini

They'll be sworn in at the upcoming SFTE Int'l Symposium in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX at the end of October.

Meet the Candidates of the 2027-2028 SFTE Board of Directors!

Elections are currently open and will run through Sunday, September 13th.
Associate, Member, Senior Members, and Fellows will receive an email containing the link to the ballot. If you have not received yours please reach out to [email protected].

SFTE members got together at EAA AirVenture, the world's biggest aviation event, in July to run a hands-on immersion activity for over 100 high school students.

Thanks to Rachel McFalls-Brown for organizing and leading SFTEs involvement. We can't wait for next year!

There's still time to nominate for the 2026 SFTE International Symposium Awards! Submissions now are due August 15th.

For more information about Kelly Johnson: https://www.sfte.org/kelly_johnson_award.php

For more information about James S. McDonnell: https://www.sfte.org/james_s_mcdonnell_award.php

You can help lead the future of flight testing by applying to be on the SFTE Board of Directors!

The Nominations & Elections Committee is looking for members in good standing, who are willing to take on the real work of serving on the board, and who can attend the 2026 Int'l SFTE Symposium in DFW, TX this coming October. Board experience at the chapter level is a bonus, but not required!

Email [email protected] with the nominee's name, desired position, and a brief note confirming good standing and willingness to serve if elected. Self nominations are welcomed.

All nominations are due on July 21st at 12 CDT.

Good luck, flight testers!

The Society of Flight Test Engineers extends its deepest condolences to the families, teammates, and colleagues affected by the tragic B-52 mishap at Edwards Air Force Base.

The flight test community is close-knit, and a loss like this is felt across our profession. Our thoughts are with the 412th Test Wing, the Air Force Test Center, and all those supporting the response and investigation.

That's a wrap on the 37th Society of Flight Test Engineers European Symposium in Berlin, Germany. More than 100 flight test professionals came together from around the world for four days of technical exchange, professional recognition, and community building.

Organizations such as DLR, Airbus, Leonardo, NLR, ITPS, ETPS, INTA, Myriad, Gulfstream, BAE Systems, Indian Air Force, TAI, Politecnico di Milano presented around the theme “Dreams and Hard Realities in Flight Test — Dream Big, Test Harder."

At the Awards Banquet, Lyssandre Ramos was recognized for Best Presentation for his work on cost-effective flutter testing methods for general aviation. Sebastian Rommel was presented with a Directors Award for his work as Treasurer of the European SFTE Chapter. SFTE President Jeff Canclini also announced Tom Esser of Boeing as the recipient of the Empire Test Pilots’ School scholarship.

✉️ A message from the President ✉️

To view the full message check your email or look under the 'News' tab on the website.

You can share your thoughts directly to President Jeffrey Canclini by joining the 28 May President’s Office Hours to discuss these or any other topics important to the future of SFTE.

Fellow Nominations Close on May 31st - don't delay, nominate a deserving Flight Tester for this incredible recognition today!

Submit your nomination here:https://members.sfte.org/members/form_edit.php?org_id=SFTE&fid=10011525