Good changes!
I'd like to make a suggestion not directly related to this update. Could we look at making ALL the ships available from the start for the user on the Public Test Server? I like participating in PT, but I'd rather not spend any time unlocking ships even though it's easier. You still spend a decent amount of time unlocking - when you're also trying to play your main live account. Not only does it save time, but it will give players a faster opportunity to try out ships they haven't earned yet so they make more informed decisions when grinding ships on their live account. Just a suggestion, I'm sure there are others that share the same feelings.
P.S. Making premium ships available on PT is also a good idea, players can test them out and it would likely stimulate them to buy the ship ingame.