test pilot
noun
: a pilot who specializes in putting new or experimental airplanes through maneuvers designed to test them (as for strength) by producing strains in excess of normal
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With Archer’s chief test pilot, Jeff Greenwood, at the helm, Midnight cruised at speeds up to 125 mph and reached a maximum altitude of over 1,500 feet.
—
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 3 June 2025
The two test pilots were originally set to return on Boeing's Starliner capsule, but critical failures during its first crewed flight forced NASA to extend their stay and transfer them to SpaceX for their journey home.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, one of the four astronauts announced for the crewed Gaganyaan mission, Indian Air Force test pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, has been training with Houston company Axiom Space for a two-week mission to the International Space Station this April.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2025
The lead plaintiff in one of the cases, Emily Shilling, is a naval aviator and test pilot with nearly two decades of experience.
—Brooke Migdon, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2025
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Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 3 June 2025
The two test pilots were originally set to return on Boeing's Starliner capsule, but critical failures during its first crewed flight forced NASA to extend their stay and transfer them to SpaceX for their journey home.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, one of the four astronauts announced for the crewed Gaganyaan mission, Indian Air Force test pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, has been training with Houston company Axiom Space for a two-week mission to the International Space Station this April.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2025
The lead plaintiff in one of the cases, Emily Shilling, is a naval aviator and test pilot with nearly two decades of experience.
—Brooke Migdon, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for test pilot
Cite this Entry
“Test pilot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/test%20pilot. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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