The Society of Experimental Test Pilots

What The Society of Experimental Test Pilots does

The Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) is a private, member-governed 501(c)(3) non-profit professional organization founded in 1956 and headquartered in Lancaster, California. It serves experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, aerospace safety professionals, students, and families of deceased or disabled members across 11 regional sections spanning the United States, Canada, Europe, and India. Core offerings include multi-tier membership (Fellow, Associate Fellow, Member, Associate Member, Provisional Associate Member), flagship and regional symposiums, the Cockpit Magazine technical publication, the LLM-enabled SAFETY NET tool for Flight Test Safety Database search, a Critical Incident Response Program (CIRP) for peer mental health support, an oral history video archive, an Education Outreach program, a Recognized Test Pilot Schools program, and a Job Listings board. Two affiliated foundations support the mission: the SETP Foundation (historical preservation, safety, education) and the SETP Scholarship Foundation (chartered 1967), which holds over $9 million in net assets and has granted more than $2.8 million to over 140 students.

SETP generates revenue through four primary streams: recurring membership dues, event registration fees (annual symposium, regional symposiums, CIRP training, Flight Test Safety Workshop), tax-deductible donations to its affiliated foundations, and one-time publication/merchandise sales. The society is governed by a 19-member Board of Directors elected annually, with corporate sponsorship from major aerospace primes (Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, GE Aviation) underwriting flagship awards such as the Kincheloe, Doolittle, and η Eta Awards. Its 70-year operating history, continuous annual symposium cadence, and pipeline of new regional sections (most recently India in 2021) indicate a stable, community-led operating model.

Name

The Society of Experimental Test Pilots

Legal name

The Society of Experimental Test Pilots

Website

https://setp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Society of Experimental Test Pilots is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional membership organization, founded in 1956, that serves experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and aerospace safety professionals worldwide through memberships, symposia, publications, and the LLM-enabled SAFETY NET safety database tool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lancaster

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and aerospace professionals at various membership levels (Fellow, Associate Fellow, Member, Associate Member, Provisional Associate Member).
2. Event Registration Fees: Registration fees for Annual Symposium & Banquet, regional section symposiums, and specialized workshops like the Flight Test Safety Workshop and CIRP Training.
3. SETP Foundation Donations: Tax-deductible donations to the SETP Foundation (501(c)(3)) supporting flight test education, safety initiatives, and historical preservation. The Scholarship Foundation has grown to over $9 million in net assets since inception.
4. Publications and Store: Revenue from Cockpit Magazine, technical publications, oral history videos, and merchandise such as the 'F-20 Tigershark' book.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SETP is a non-profit professional membership society that provides experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and aerospace professionals with networking, continuing education, technical publications, peer recognition through awards, and the Critical Incident Response Program (CIRP). It operates annual and regional symposiums, publishes Cockpit Magazine, maintains the LLM-enabled SAFETY NET flight test safety database, and provides scholarships to members' families through the SETP Foundation.

Product overview

The Society of Experimental Test Pilots is a professional membership organization, not a technology product company. Its core offerings include membership services, professional development through symposia and publications (Cockpit Magazine), the LLM-enabled SAFETY NET tool for flight test safety database search, Critical Incident Response Program (CIRP) training, the SETP Foundation with oral history preservation, Scholarship Foundation, and Education Outreach programs. The organization operates regional sections worldwide and hosts annual symposiums connecting the flight test community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SETP Membership Annual professional membership for experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and aerospace professionals, offering access to publications, symposia, peer networking, awards recognition, and member services.
• Critical Incident Response Program (CIRP) Peer-to-peer mental health support program designed to mitigate the impact of accidents or incidents before stress reactions damage job performance, careers, family, and health. Includes 3-day Initial Training ($500) and Refresher Training ($75).
• SETP Symposia and Events Annual and regional symposiums and workshops including the 70th Annual Symposium & Banquet (September 2026), 55th European Symposium (July 2026), Indian Section Symposium, Canadian Section Symposium, and Flight Test Safety Workshop featuring technical paper presentations, awards, and networking.
• Cockpit Magazine SETP's technical publication featuring flight test papers, articles, professional content, award announcements, and member achievements for the experimental test pilot community.
• SAFETY NET (Flight Test Safety Database Tool) LLM-enabled search tool providing access to the Flight Test Safety Database (FTSDB), including FTSC paper search and Test Hazard Analysis (THA) search capabilities with natural language query across flight test safety documents and videocasts.
• SETP Technical Library Online repository of technical papers, publications, and flight test resources for SETP members, including a paper search tool and video casts.
• SETP Foundation Oral History Program Video interview series preserving first-person historical accounts from legendary test pilots including Buzz Aldrin, Eric 'Winkle' Brown, and Robert A. Hoover, supporting historical preservation of flight test heritage.
• SETP Scholarship Foundation 501(c)(3) charitable organization providing scholarships and educational assistance to children of deceased or disabled SETP members, with over $2.8 million granted to more than 140 students since 1967.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $9 million in scholarship foundation assets supporting education of members' children
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Northrop Grumman CorporationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthrop Grumman is the sponsor of the J.H. Doolittle Award and has been a long-term supporter of SETP Foundation, providing major funding for the Oral History Program that preserves interviews with legendary test pilots including Buzz Aldrin and Eric 'Winkle' Brown.
• Lockheed MartinflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the η Eta Award for advancements in flight testing efficiency and effectiveness. Also supports through presenting the Kincheloe Award at annual symposiums.
• GE AviationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the James H. McClellan Aviation Safety Award, presented annually by the Army Aviation Association of America to individuals making outstanding contributions to Army Aviation safety.
• ETPS/QinetiQcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Royal Yacht Britannia reception at the 55th European Symposium in Edinburgh. ETPS (Empire Test Pilots' School) is a UK test pilot school operating under QinetiQ.
• International Test Pilots School (ITPS Canada)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHosts CIRP (Critical Incident Response Program) Training at their facility in London, Ontario. Provides venue and logistics for the peer-to-peer mental health support training program for flight test professionals.
• Flight Test Historical FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to construct a future facility outside Edwards AFB that will house The Bob Hoover Library, SETP Archives, and a STEM Classroom. SETP presented a $100,000 check as part of their pledge.
• Symbolic DisplaysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Herman R. Salmon Technical Publications Award for the best technical paper published in Cockpit Magazine.
• Aerospace Services InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Ray E. Tenhoff Award for the most outstanding paper presented at the SETP Symposium.
• Safe Flight Instrument CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Javier Arango Memorial Award for papers reflecting historical aircraft and human machine interface.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Air Transport Association (IATA): IATA is the global trade association for airlines, representing carriers on safety, operations, and standards (including IATA Operational Safety Audit). While much larger and more commercial in scope, IATA shares SETP's nonprofit professional society model with paid memberships, training programs, and industry conferences addressing aviation safety.
• National Business Aviation Association (NBAA): NBAA represents the business aviation industry with membership, conventions (NBAA-BACE), publications, and safety programs. It shares SETP's event-driven professional society model and employs a paid staff with corporate sponsorship, but serves business aviation operators rather than experimental flight test professionals.
• SAE International: A global professional engineering society with aerospace committees, standards development, technical papers, and conferences (Aerospace Systems & Technology Conference). SAE's aerospace technical committees and standards-setting function parallel SETP's professional society role, but at much greater scale across multiple industries including automotive.
• Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA): AOPA is the largest general aviation pilot association with membership dues, publications (Flight Training, AOPA Pilot), advocacy, and an online job board. AOPA shares SETP's subscription-based membership society model but targets general aviation pilots rather than the experimental flight test professional niche.
• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA): AIAA is the largest professional society for aerospace engineers and scientists worldwide, offering membership, conferences (SciTech, Aviation), publications, and awards. It overlaps with SETP as the broader professional home for the aerospace community, though SETP is more narrowly focused on the test pilot and flight test engineering niche.

Regional players

• Royal Aeronautical Society: The UK's chartered body for aerospace professionals, providing membership, events, publications (Aerospace), and recognition awards. Comparable to SETP in mission and structure as a professional society, but with a UK/European geographic focus that overlaps with SETP's European Section rather than directly competing.

Others

• Aerospace Medical Association: AsMA is the international professional society for aviation, space, and environmental medicine physicians and scientists. It is thematically adjacent to SETP through CIRP and aerospace human factors, sharing a niche professional society structure with annual meetings, publications, and member certifications (Flight Surgeon).

Direct peers

• Flight Safety Foundation: An independent international nonprofit focused on aviation safety research, publications (Flight Safety Digest, AeroSafety World), and accident prevention. FSF shares SETP's safety mission but is broader in scope across commercial aviation; both organizations maintain flight test-relevant safety knowledge bases (FSF's work complements SETP's SAFETY NET tool).
• Vertical Flight Society: VFS is the international professional society for vertical flight (helicopters, tiltrotors, eVTOL), hosting the Annual Forum & Technology Display, technical papers, and awards. It is structurally analogous to SETP as a vertical-specific aerospace society with membership, conferences, and recognition programs targeting a specific flight test community.

Emerging players

• Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA): EAA is a community of recreational and experimental aviation enthusiasts, best known for AirVenture Oshkosh. While EAA focuses on sport and experimental general aviation rather than professional flight test, it shares SETP's community-led model, education outreach (Young Eagles), and member events for hands-on aviation practitioners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/setp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-society-of-experimental-test-pilots

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Society of Experimental Test Pilots