A method for measuring a flow rate through a cooling hole of a film cooled part includes the steps of 1) measuring a transient thermal response of an internal surface temperature corresponding solely to an inside portion of a cooling hole for a film cooled part resulting from a flow of fluid through the part, the fluid having an initial temperature that is different from an initial temperature of the film cooled part, 2) mathematically characterizing the transient thermal response, and 3) determining the cooling hole flow rate from the mathematical characterization.