Examining the Duplication of Flight Test Data Centers

Abstract

Aircraft flight test data processing began with on site data analysis from the very first aircraft design. This method of analyzing flight data continued from the early 1900's to the present day. Today each new aircraft program builds a separate data center for post flight processing (PFP) to include operations, system administration, and management. Flight Test Engineers (FTE) are relocated from geographical areas to ramp up the manpower needed to analyze the PFP data center products and when the first phase of aircraft design and development is completed the FTE headcount is reduced with the FTE either relocated to another program or the FTE finds other employment. This paper is a condensed form of the research conducted by the author on how the methodology of continuing to build PFP data centers cost the aircraft company millions of dollars in development and millions of dollars on relocation plus relocation stress effects on FTE which can hinder productivity. This method of PFP data center development can be avoided by the consolidation of PFP data centers using present technology.