777-200LR Flight Test Journal: Archives
30 June 2005
On remote
Ed Cogswell
Flight Test manufacturing maintenance manager
Preparing for a remote Flight Test program - such as the one we just completed with WD001, the first 777-200LR Worldliner - is quite an undertaking. It's all about preparation and flexibility.
Our first trip to Edwards Air Force Base with this airplane began May 11, and if the weather cooperated and everything went perfectly, we were to finish around the end of May and be done. Well, everything did not go perfectly. We returned to Seattle early and ended up making two more trips to Edwards to finish up.
It wasn't disappointing, exactly. It's just the way things go in Flight Test. It would have been disappointing if, when things didn't go perfectly, it had led to schedule delays. But our program is set up so that if something unforeseen happens, such as uncooperative weather, everything is in place to run tests that aren't dependent on conditions.
On remote at Edwards with WD001: some of the crew that makes Flight Test possible.
It sounds simple, but it isn't. You can't make changes on the fly. The airplane must be configured specifically for whatever test is to be run, and proper equipment has to be available and in place. This is especially challenging on a remote because it also means you probably had to bring the equipment with you in the first place. Planning is critical, because if something is not available, it could cause delays.
So, we start planning about a month before we leave. I start by putting together a basic list of what I think we'll need, based on my experience and the test requirements. I send that list out to the various team leaders, and they talk to their mechanics, electricians and avionics technicians and add their input to the list until we come up with something we think is reasonable.
But just because we want to take something along doesn't mean it's available. So, we have to make arrangements to have things shipped when they do become available.
Once we decide what we're taking, the next step is deciding how to get it there. Sometimes you can put almost all of the stuff you need on the airplane. That's the ideal situation. In some cases you have to ship some things, and that requires more coordination.
One way or the other, we get the job done. We also know that Murphy's Law applies. Even though you take along huge containers full of everything you think you could possibly need, you'll end up needing something that you didn't bring along. Therefore, we always bring along a top-notch expeditor who's responsible for interfacing with Seattle and getting those parts to us when we need them.
With the proper planning and with good people, remotes can run very efficiently. Often more efficiently than when we test in Everett or Boeing Field. We're hoping to duplicate that efficiency this summer in Seattle, and we'll talk more about that as we go along.