Senior Flying Qualities & Flight Dynamics Engineer

Aska Fly; Firebaugh (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

ASKA is seeking a Senior Flying Qualities & Flight Dynamics Engineer to own the assessment of stability and controllability during development flight tests. You will connect simulations to aircraft behavior, plan focused evaluations with flight-controls engineers, and translate observations into evidence for design improvements.

You will develop measurable objectives for test phases, review hazards with the team, monitor telemetry, and reduce data to compare with simulations, guiding

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required with demonstrated engineering expertise in flight testing.
• 7+ years in experimental aircraft flight testing or flight-dynamics evaluation.
• Experience with flight-dynamics system identification and handling-qualities evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Define measurable flying-qualities objectives for each approved test phase, including response, trim, damping and controllability.
• Develop test cards and data requirements that isolate the behavior under evaluation and fit the authorized flight envelope.
• Review predicted response and test hazards with controls engineers, pilots or remote operators, and the flight-test lead before execution.
• Monitor assigned telemetry during tests and communicate departures from expected behavior and defined limits through the established test-team protocol.
• Reduce flight data and compare measured response with simulation, using system-identification methods where appropriate.
• Assess handling qualities, disturbance response, control authority and pilot or operator workload using evaluation criteria agreed for the aircraft and test phase; connect qualitative observations with quantitative measurements.
• Document findings and recommend follow-up evaluations or design changes with clear supporting evidence.
• Maintain links between test results, vehicle configuration, control-law version and applicable evaluation criteria.
• Develop and continually improve flying-qualities evaluation methods, measurement checks and repeatable data-analysis procedures.

Skills

Flight testing

Flight dynamics

System identification

Telemetry interpretation

Time-series analysis

Operational communication

Documentation discipline

Education

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical or electrical engineering, or equivalent flight-test training

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Senior Flying Qualities & Flight Dynamics Engineer

Help shape how a new kind of aircraft behaves in flight. Your flying-qualities and test expertise will connect ASKA’s control and aerodynamic decisions to measured aircraft behavior and clear engineering priorities.

Own the engineering assessment of ASKA's stability, controllability and response during development flight tests. You will connect simulator predictions to measured aircraft behavior, plan focused evaluations with flight-controls engineers and test personnel, and turn flight observations into evidence that guides aircraft and control-system improvements.

Employment Full-time proposed

Location & work arrangement Eagle Field Airport · on-site availability for flight-test preparation and campaigns; schedule and travel arrangements to be discussed

Flying-qualities evaluation criteria, aircraft response assessment and flight-data interpretation.

Key working interfaces

The Flight Test Lead owns campaign planning, readiness coordination and approved test procedures. Flying Qualities defines evaluation objectives and interprets aircraft response. Test Engineering supports assigned cards, instrumentation and data reduction. Pilots/operators conduct authorized operations; Maintenance owns aircraft condition and maintenance records. Each role retains its designated test or maintenance authority.

What you’ll do

• Define measurable flying-qualities objectives for each approved test phase, including response, trim, damping and controllability.
• Develop test cards and data requirements that isolate the behavior under evaluation and fit the authorized flight envelope.
• Review predicted response and test hazards with controls engineers, pilots or remote operators, and the flight-test lead before execution.
• Monitor assigned telemetry during tests and communicate departures from expected behavior and defined limits through the established test-team protocol.
• Reduce flight data and compare measured response with simulation, using system-identification methods where appropriate.
• Assess handling qualities, disturbance response, control authority and pilot or operator workload using evaluation criteria agreed for the aircraft and test phase; connect qualitative observations with quantitative measurements.
• Document findings and recommend follow-up evaluations or design changes with clear supporting evidence.
• Maintain links between test results, vehicle configuration, control-law version and applicable evaluation criteria.
• Develop and continually improve flying-qualities evaluation methods, measurement checks and repeatable data-analysis procedures; connect quantitative results with pilot or operator observations and use discrepancies to improve subsequent test coverage.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical or electrical engineering, or equivalent flight-test training and demonstrated expertise.
• 7+ years in experimental aircraft flight testing or flight-dynamics evaluation, including direct flying-qualities work.
• Strong understanding of aircraft dynamics, stability and control, and quantitative interpretation of flight response.
• Experience preparing test procedures, working in a flight-test crew and evaluating telemetry during operations.
• Experience with flight-dynamics system identification, stability or handling-qualities evaluation, and disciplined real-time communication of test-limit exceedances.
• Proficiency in MATLAB, Python or equivalent tools for time-series analysis, response characterization and comparison with simulation.
• Clear operational communication, disciplined documentation and experience working within defined flight-test authority and procedures.

Preferred qualifications

Rotary-wing aircraft / helicopter experience is preferred. Strong candidates with relevant experience on other aircraft platforms are encouraged to apply. Experience with larger rotary-wing platforms is preferred, particularly eVTOL platforms with payload capacity above 500 lb. Experience with VTOL, rotorcraft or fly-by-wire development. Flight-test school training, handling-qualities evaluation methods and system-identification experience are valuable. Pilot credentials are welcome but are not required for this engineering role.

AI tools and automation: Strongly preferred where programming is a substantial part of the role: hands-on use of Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot or equivalent tools for development, debugging, test automation, code review or analysis scripts. Include relevant Python, MATLAB or other scripting experience. Provide a specific example, your contribution, any measured time saved or quality improvement, and how you verified the result. Equivalent tools are welcome.

We welcome transferable experience from related industries. You do not need to meet every preferred qualification. Tell us what you have delivered and how your skills apply to this role.

Location & working arrangements

Eagle Field Airport · 11100 W Eagle Ave, Firebaugh, CA 93622

Eagle Field Airport is our primary development and manufacturing location. Palo Alto area or remote arrangements may be considered for engineering work that does not require hands-on access. All current openings require availability to participate in development and flight-testing activities at Eagle Field Airport from time to time, with advance coordination. Flight-test roles require on-site availability for preparation and campaigns. Scheduling and travel arrangements will be discussed for each role.

About ASKA

At ASKA, we are on a mission to build the world’s first AI sensor fusion and digital twin system that manages autonomous driving and autonomous flying in one vehicle. We are bringing ground and air autonomy together to support the warfighter—moving critical supplies, reaching people in need, and reducing exposure in dangerous environments. Our team works across aircraft engineering, intelligent software, electric propulsion, and advanced manufacturing, with development and testing at Eagle Field Airport in California. Bring your expertise. Take ownership. Help build technology that matters.

ASKA welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and relevant experience. For questions or application accommodations, message the recruiting team .