British ETPS to Train Test Pilots for South Korea

The British test pilot school, Empire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS), has concluded a training agreement with the Air Force of the Republic of Korea.

UK Defence Journal reported on this.

According to the agreement, four servicemen, two test pilots and two flight test engineers, will undergo six months of training at the UK Ministry of Defence base Boscombe Down, a leading center for testing military aircraft, after a year of initial training in Korea.

Trainees will have the chance to fly different types of modern aircraft and train alongside personnel from the United Kingdom, NATO, and other partner countries.

ETPS is the UK’s oldest test pilot school. It has trained military test pilots since 1943 and has produced more than 1,500 graduates from 32 countries.

“Due to its long-standing reputation for excellence, access to a wide range of aircraft, and proven, mission-focused training approach, ETPS offers the ideal environment to develop our future flight test specialists,” Major So Yong Yop of the Republic of Korea Air Force shared.

Since 2023, some future Ukrainian Air Force pilots have been undertaking basic flight training in the United Kingdom.

During initial flight training, cadets are taught basic aircraft handling skills, instrument flying, low-level navigation, and formation flying. This is a necessary stage before beginning training on jet fighters.