factory gauntlet
n.— «The aircraft has also completed what is called “factory gauntlet,” a full simulation of the first flight using the plane itself. This test simulated all flight controls, hardware and software, manual and automatic landings and subsequent ground tests.» —“Dreamliner moves closer to first flight” by Daniel McCoy Wichita Business Journal (Kansas) May 4, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The lovely Icelandic word for “ground fog,” dalalæða, comes from dalur, meaning “valley” and læða which is variously translated as “sneak up” or “female cat.” This is part of a complete episode...
A flight attendant from Concord, North Carolina, is irritated by a word she must use often in her work: deplane, meaning “to leave an aircraft.” She knows this verb is effective and efficient, but she says that to her it seems inelegant...