10 Percent True - Tales from the Cockpit

Why “Test Is Test” Gets Pilots Killed


Listen Later

Super Harris 10 Percent True EP80 P1In Part Two of this conversation, retired USAF Major General “Super” Harris moves from diagnosis to consequence, explaining how the erosion of developmental testing has already led to real-world accidents, wasted lives, and broken programmes. Drawing on his role as Air Force Test Center Commander, Harris dissects the Light Attack experiment, the fatal risks of mixing developmental and operational test, and why “test is test” is a dangerous fallacy. He contrasts government cost-plus failures with SpaceX’s self-funded test-to-failure model, explains how data—not rhetoric—keeps aircrew alive, and offers blunt assessments of programmes like KC-46, T-7, F-35, and the emerging F-47. The episode ends with a sober warning: great powers don’t usually fall from enemy action alone—they hollow themselves out by accepting broken systems as normal.0:00 intro teaser SpaceX failure a success2:55 welcome back Super and episode roadmap5:24 Revisiting the Light Attack “experiment” (See Starbaby Light Attack episode) the dangers of combined OT/DT 33:00 “Costs Plus” contracts (Starliner debacle vs SpaceX “successful failure”)41:40 IRAD (internal research and development) Holloman range story59:20 Minimum Viable Product - how “finished” does it have to be to commence DT1:02:11 the issue with in house testing 1:05:10 go have a banana? 😅1:05:35 bearing in mind the tribulations with T-7 & KC-46 - are all current programs similarly afflicted?1:15:04 tension between DT and OT?consequences thereof? 1:28:33 resigning from TPS1:42:10 light at the end of the tunnel?1:43:15 smaller company innovation - resistance to buyout? 1:46:50 government approach?1:49:35 the one guy in the marching band who is in step!1:51:50 briefly on F-351:54:50 Airbus Tankers/Foreign competition?1:59:40 F-47?2:08:25 Thanks Super, (please come back)

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

10 Percent True - Tales from the CockpitBy Steve Davies

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

169 ratings


More shows like 10 Percent True - Tales from the Cockpit

View all
War on the Rocks by Ryan Evans

War on the Rocks

1,085 Listeners

Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast by Aviation Week

Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast

396 Listeners

Aircrew Interview by Mike Young

Aircrew Interview

87 Listeners

AvTalk - Aviation Podcast by Flightradar24

AvTalk - Aviation Podcast

711 Listeners

"There I was..." An Aviation Podcast by AOPA Air Safety Institute

"There I was..." An Aviation Podcast

307 Listeners

Fighter Pilot Podcast by E. Vincent "Jell-O" Aiello, Retired U.S. Navy Fighter Pilot

Fighter Pilot Podcast

1,863 Listeners

Cold War Conversations Podcast by Ian Sanders

Cold War Conversations Podcast

473 Listeners

The Team House by dee takos

The Team House

1,661 Listeners

The Afterburn Podcast by John "Rain" Waters

The Afterburn Podcast

927 Listeners

Irregular Warfare Podcast by Irregular Warfare Initiative

Irregular Warfare Podcast

404 Listeners

Combat Story by AJ Pasciuti

Combat Story

1,274 Listeners

School of War by The Free Press

School of War

488 Listeners

Battleground by Goalhanger

Battleground

349 Listeners

The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War by Seth Paridon, William Toti

The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War

784 Listeners

The Merge by The Merge

The Merge

355 Listeners