ASEC Flight
Operations:
CAREERS IN CLEARED AVIATION SUPPORT & R & D
At ASEC, we don’t just deliver full-spectrum flight test support—we build the cleared aviation teams who make that mission possible. Our Flight Department offers full spectrum Flight Test Support including aircraft modification and FAA certification, training, test planning, range liaison, flight test risk mitigation review, flight operations, and test reporting.
ASEC’s Flight Operations department grew out of a customer need to demonstrate advanced systems outside the limitations of government-only aircraft. This began in 2004 with the acquisition of a Navion L-1A to support unmanned aircraft flight systems in the National Airspace. Since then, the fleet has expanded to include a DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, a Beech Super King Air 300, and most recently, a Basler conversion Douglas DC-3 (BT-67). These cost-effective, reconfigurable aircraft have supported diverse R&D programs for nearly two decades.
ASEC flight personnel bring the experience and clearances necessary to support research and development test missions across multiple domains. With office space directly outside Gate Two of NAS Patuxent River and aircraft hangared nearby, we provide convenient, responsive, and secure flight operations for government and commercial clients.
We are currently hiring cleared aviation professionals for roles such as:
- Flight Test Engineers
- Aircraft & Avionics Technicians (A&P Certified)
- Flight Operations Coordinators
- Ground Crew & Logistics Support
Flight Test SUPPORT
Our Flight Operations department delivers comprehensive support from aircraft selection and FAA certification to test planning, risk review, and post-mission reporting. Every aircraft in our fleet is equipped with custom modifications—including nadir ports, hard mounts, and upgraded power systems—designed to support airborne sensor testing, ISR development, and specialized mission payloads. We handle each phase of the process with precision, ensuring safe, efficient, and mission-ready flight operations led by cleared professionals.
Our aircraft are equipped with custom modifications such as nadir ports, hard mounts, and upgraded power systems—enabling rapid reconfiguration for airborne sensor testing, ISR development, and specialized mission payloads.
Research AND development
ASEC currently operates multiple FAA Part 91 aircraft that are specially modified for airborne R&D programs, including advanced sensor development and unmanned systems integration.
EXPERIENCED TEST PILOTS
Our Navion aircraft and three of ASEC’s experienced test pilot instructors have supported the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS), conducting qualitative evaluations under contract N00421-12-P-0002. Our pilots and crews are qualified to support both structured flight testing and exploratory payload development.
FAA PART 91
ASEC operates under FAA Part 91 guidelines and adheres to the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO). Our flight operations follow NBAA member standards and include simulator-based proficiency training, ensuring the highest levels of safety, compliance, and professionalism.
ASEC can provide a turn-key flight operation:
- Aircraft selection
- Aircraft modification and certification
- Test planning
- Aircraft flight operations with cleared personnel
Aircraft
BASLER BT 67
The Basler BT-67 aircraft is produced by Basler Turbo Conversions of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It uses a retrofitted Douglas DC-3 airframe with modifications designed to significantly extend the DC-3’s serviceable lifetime. The conversion includes installation of Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R turboprop engines, lengthening the fuselage, strengthening the airframe, upgrading the avionics, and making modifications to the wings’ leading edges and wing tips.
Accessible airframes include modifications especially suited for research, development, and testing of payloads. Increased electrical power, multiple nadir ports, wing and belly hard mounts, and nose mounts are just a sample of the existing modifications available to support projects. The BT-67’s endurance allows for long data collection flights that maximize cost efficiency.
Beechcraft 300 Super king Air
The King Air 300 delivers high-altitude performance (up to 35,000 ft MSL) with full fuel payloads and PT6A-60A engines rated at 1050 SHP. Its performance makes it ideal for ISR development, sensor integration, and test support in controlled airspace.
Navion
The Navion is a single-engine, low-wing, four-seat aircraft originally built by North American Aviation as a general aviation successor to the P-51 Mustang. Constructed entirely of metal and equipped with conventional flight controls, the Navion provides a stable and reliable platform for small-scale experimentation and airborne data collection.
Fully compliant with FAA Part 91 regulations, the aircraft has maintained over 99% reliability across 16 years of ASEC operation. It is ideally suited for testing UAV-sized payloads, accommodating up to 14-inch belly-mounted payloads and 180-pound wing-mounted stores. The aircraft can also carry and release up to eight “A”-size sono-stores, making it a versatile asset for a variety of research and development missions.