[travisgriggs]

> He was a test pilot; he's supposed to put his life at risk.

Are you sure about this?

It takes a lot of time and hours to get a pilot to the point they can probe the edges that test pilots do. The whole goal is to actually keep them alive so their experience and observations can be used. And that just compounds. So while they fly maneuvers and situations that would absolutely overwhelm me as a 300 hour private pilot in my Tecnam, my feeling is that even at that point they fly at less relative risk than I do. They are experts in mitigating, and preparing for risk.

There are old pilots and bold pilots. I do not believe that being a test pilot is a mandate that forces one to transfer to the bold club.