„Airborne research of the highest calibre – with a dash of excitement and adventure thrown in!“
Interview: 6 questions, 7 answers
„Airborne research of the highest calibre – with a dash of excitement and adventure thrown in!“
Ingmar Mayerbuch
Field of study: Technical Physics
Now: DLR Flight Experiments
Ingmar Mayerbuch studied technical physics and is a qualified pilot with a flight test rating. He has been a test pilot and Head of Flight Operations at the DLR Flight Experiments facility since 2019.
In this interview, Ingmar tells us about his work, what makes research flights so special and his personal highlights.
Ingmar, what do you look forward to when coming to work in the morning?
Ingmar: I look forward to meeting with my team, which is made up of highly specialised experts, and to coordinating the tasks at hand. Personal contact plays a central role here – not least in terms of motivation when it comes to solving difficult situations together.
As someone with a passion for aviation, I relish the opportunity to be surrounded by our unique research aircraft every day.
What are you researching or working on?
Ingmar: My job is to make it possible for scientists to conduct airborne research of the highest calibre. The Flight Experiments facility operates the largest fleet of research aircraft in Europe and is responsible for making it available to user groups, as well as for modifying it and preparing it for their experiments.
In my role as Head of Flight Operations and pilot, my team and I are responsible for conducting measurement campaigns and flight tests. We ensure that all aircraft are mission-ready at the right time and with the appropriate crew. This requires extensive preparation, as no two flight campaigns are the same, and they often take place in very remote parts of the world.
Enabling this kind of research aviation also requires a great deal of scientific and technical background knowledge on the part of the operator.
„In my role as Head of Flight Operations and pilot, my team and I are responsible for conducting measurement campaigns and flight tests. We ensure that all aircraft are mission-ready at the right time and with the appropriate crew.“
What does your typical working day involve?
Ingmar: No two days are the same, because my work as a test pilot takes me to all sorts of different places around the world. In my role as Head of Flight Operations, I make sure that the department runs smoothly and is strategically aligned. In addition to the usual administrative tasks, this includes liaising with authorities and agencies on a range of legal aviation matters. Creating optimal working conditions for the team in all departments and resolving conflicts, which cannot be avoided in such a complex and time-critical environment, is equally important.
As a test pilot, I remain actively involved in several projects and am therefore close to the action. In contrast to standard airline operations, no two of our flights are the same. Careful preparation and risk assessment are therefore essential. Depending on the objective, the research flights are used to test the aircraft's properties themselves or to deploy newly developed, unique instruments, for example for atmospheric research.
Every pilot flies several types of aircraft, which are completely unique due to their modifications. The flight profiles usually consist of new, specially developed mission elements and thus serve as prototypes. Boredom or routine is not an issue here, even after years of flying!
Ingmar Mayerbuch undertakes extensive preparations for the flight campaigns, which often take place in very remote places around the world – from the tropics to the polar regions.
Ingmar: The results of my work are the findings and data from our measurement and test flights, which we carry out together with the scientific users. The data is used to make flying itself safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly through technological innovations and to better understand our environment. This is achieved through Earth observation, remote sensing and, above all, research into the atmosphere in all its aspects and complex interrelationships.
Aircraft are still indispensable as measurement platforms for this, but their equipment and characterisation requires a great deal of effort. Specialists from my team have developed their own high-precision sensors for this purpose, and the data they provide makes an essential contribution to current climate models. As a research pilot, you are directly involved in this process, for example in the in-flight calibration of these instruments.
„The flight profiles usually consist of new, specially developed mission elements and thus serve as prototypes. Boredom or routine is not an issue here, even after years of flying!“
What are the highlights of your work?
Ingmar: Scientific test flights always involve a certain risk and new challenges for the crews, so the sense of achievement when a test programme is completed safely is all the more rewarding. You can feel the tension ebbing away during the joint debriefing to be replaced by the great feeling of a successful team effort.
My personal highlights are when the results of our measurement campaigns lead to new and sometimes surprising insights that help advance research in a very concrete way. As a pilot with a technical-scientific background, you often get to see this first hand while a project is still ongoing.
The wide range of research topics is a particular highlight, in addition to the already exciting flying activities. For most members of my team, the campaigns at often exotic locations from the tropics to the polar regions are also highlights of their work.
The modifications for the research campaigns make each aircraft unique – and no two flights are the same.
What special skills can you make good use of in your job?
Ingmar: My two roles, as a manager and a test pilot, come with a high degree of responsibility. This applies first and foremost to the safety of employees and crew members, but it also extends to organisational, economic and legal aspects. This requires the ability to make quick and safe decisions and to find the right solutions in difficult situations. My ability to integrate the necessary people in a team-oriented way and to use all available resources sensibly helps me in this.
In terms of my expertise, I benefit from my in-depth training (including at a professional test pilot school). At DLR, every pilot is given the opportunity to complete such a demanding and intensive training programme to become a test pilot, provided they have the appropriate aptitude, alongside a continuous professional development programme.
Leave us a final thought.
Ingmar: Anyone looking for a run-of-the-mill job in aviation won't find it at DLR. The demands on the daily work in research flight operations are high, but in return, the work is very varied and allows you to work on topics in which DLR plays a leading role worldwide. Research is conducted and flights are performed in areas for which there is currently no reliable data or where there are still white spots on the map, for example, certain meteorological conditions in remote regions. Those who are willing to trade in their home office for a few weeks to work at an interesting location somewhere in the world will find a unique workplace at DLR's flight operations. Action and adventure are included!
