Scaled Composites Pilot Wins Prestigious Kincheloe Award

Prospero “Paco” Uybarreta (Credit: Scaled Composites)

Prospero “Paco” Uybarreta joined Scaled in July 2015 as a Test Pilot. Paco is a former US Air Force, Indian Air Force Exchange, and Bombardier Aerospace instructor and test pilot with 4,200 hours in 35 different aircraft types. During the 59th Annual Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) Symposium on September 26, 2015, Paco was honored to receive the prestigious Iven C. Kincheloe Award for outstanding conduct as a test pilot during Bombardier’s CSeries and CRJSeries flight test programs between July 1, 2014 and July 1, 2015. In this one-year period, Paco flew 220 elevated-risk experimental flight test hours across 83 missions in three Bombardier CSeries and three CRJSeries experimental flight test aircraft – covering all major experimental flight test disciplines for two types of commercial jet aircraft.

In 1958, The Society of Experimental Test Pilots established the Iven C. Kincheloe Award in memory of Captain Iven C. Kincheloe, USAF. The purpose of the Kincheloe Award is to recognize outstanding professional accomplishment in the conduct of flight-testing by a test pilot member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. The presentation of the Kincheloe Award is a highlight of the annual Awards Banquet and is the most visible manifestation of the Society’s contribution to the aviation community in general. Each recipient will receive a small replica of the respective award, while the perpetual trophies remain on display at SETP Headquarters and the National Air and Space Museum.