Patuxent River, MD — Army Lt. Col. Gregory Fortier stands with Marine Lt. Col. Timothy during a change of command ceremony at Naval Air Station Patuxent River June 18. Davis relieved Fortier as commanding officer of U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) after having served as USNTPS executive officer since October 2013.
During Fortier’s tenure as commanding officer, the school incorporated new elements into its curriculum including unmanned, system-of-systems and live, virtual, constructive (LVC) training. USNTPS also conducted its firstLVC capstone event in May 2015 as part of the graduation requirements for Class 147.
Founded in 1945, USNTPS provides instruction to experienced pilots, flight officers and engineers in the theory, processes and techniques of aircraft and systems test and evaluation. Graduating students use this expertise in the acquisition community, working on aircraft and weapons systems, performing flight test and managing introduction of new assets to the fleet.