Anna Litvinova is a Flight Test Engineer. She graduated from college with a Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering about three years ago and spends her time writing test plans, executing test missions on planes per those test plans, and analyzing the data from the tests. Anna immigrated to the US after growing up in Russia and then Germany. She is currently working on a Master’s Degree in Flight Test Engineering at the National Test Pilot School.
What do we talk about in this episode?
"If one never tries, one never knows" - Anna shares her experience growing up as the daughter of two physicists and being interested in airplanes and aerospace from a very young age. She also shares her experiences coming to the US at 16 years old, leaving her friends behind, the challenges that brought and how she overcame some of those challenges.
- What does a flight test engineer do? How does one become a flight test engineer?
- Challenges of "fitting in" in coming to a new high school from another country. Learning a new language while taking classes with the content in the new language.
- Anna's hobbies of travel and photography.
Music used in the podcast: Higher Up, Silverman Sound Studio
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Resources
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. (Wikipedia)
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (ASEA) is an agency of the European Union with responsibility for civil aviation safety. It carries out certification, regulation and standardisation and also performs investigation and monitoring. (Wikipedia)
Aileron - a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll, which normally results in a change in flight path due to the tilting of the lift vector. (Wikipedia)
Aerospace Engineering - the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. (Wikipedia)
Rhythmic Gymnastics - a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and coordinated. (Wikipedia)
"Man's Search for Meaning" is a 1946 book by Viktor Frankl chronicling his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II, and describing his psychotherapeutic method, which involved identifying a purpose in life to feel positive about, and then immersively imagining that outcome. (Wikipedia)
National Test Pilot School (NTPS) - The mission of the National Test Pilot School is to educate and train military and civilian aviation personnel so that each graduate increases flight test competency, improves flight test and aviation safety, and enhances the aerospace profession worldwide. (https://www.ntps.edu)
