Bernhard Berset (test pilot)

Bernhard Berset
Nickname(s) Beni
Born Switzerland
Allegiance   Switzerland
Service/branch Swiss Air Force
Years of service 1984–present
Rank Lieutenant colonel German: Oberstleutnant NATO-Code: OF-4.
Commands held Chief Testpilot at Armasuisse

Bernhard «Beni» Berset is the chief test pilot at the Armasuisse and a pilot of the Swiss Air Force. He is a professional officer in the rank of Lieutenant colonel and Chief Air Defense (CAD) in militia duty.

Life

Bernhard Berset had begun his aviation career with gliding flying lessons of the FVS. After completing the pilot recruiting school and certification in 1984, he was assigned to an F-5 militia squadron. He studied physics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich. After this he flew for several years as a co-pilot for Swissair before moving to Armasuisse in 1995 as a test pilot. During this period, he also changed in the Air Force to the Fighter Squadron 18. Berset is working as chief test pilot for Armasuisse on the Militärflugplatz Emmen. He is responsible for test flights and tests of updates of the F-5E, F-5F, F/A-18C (usually with the J-5001) and F/A-18D (mostly the J-5232). He also participated in weapons tests (including shooting on QF-4 Target drones[1]), of AIM-9X Sidewinder’s in China Lake from April 2 to December 15, 2007.[2] He is responsible for evaluation flights with airplanes, which are available for procurement for the Swiss Air Force. In addition, he runs FLORAKO calibration flights with the ArmasuissePC-12 HB-FOG as well as test flights with the R-711 Centaur OPA from Aurora Flight Sciences (a specially-modified aircraft based on the Diamond DA42, to develop procedures for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in mixed airspace. Bernhard Berset also served as a chief testpilot for the evaluation of a successor aircraft for the F-5. In this function, he tested the Gripen, Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon. In view of the planned procurement of the Gripen he passed the test and integration flights for the new Gripen E from the Swiss side. Prior to the vote on the procurement of the new combat aircraft, he gave several lectures on the topic. .[3] The debate on the tests and the procurement discussion received a great deal of media attention in Switzerland, and international aviatics media also pursued their work with interest.[4][5][6] In his militia function, he acts as Chief Air Defense in the Air Force ‘s Air Defense and Directions Center ADDC at the Dübendorf Air Base. As a fighter jet pilot, he flies the F/A-18 Hornet at the Fighter Squadron 18. On the Payerne Air Base.[7]

Personal life

He is married and lives in Neuenkirch.

Types of aircraft

References

  1. ↑ In den USA scharf geschossen - Pilot erzählt Mitgliedern des Huntervereins von Testkampagne Berset reports about missiletests
  2. ↑ skynews.ch No. 5. 2007. Page 12.
  3. ↑ Bernhard Berset provides professional information on the Gripen at public events
  4. ↑ Bernhard Berset says to 20 minutes how it feels to fly the fighterjet
  5. ↑ English-language report on Gripen test flight with statements from B.Berset
  6. ↑ Pakistan Defence English-language report on Gripen test flight with statements from B.Berset
  7. ↑ online Berhard Berset profi F/A-18 Pilot


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