What would you do? 2 year medical loss with finished RV-7 in between.

[asav8tor]

Originally Posted by Geico266

There are alot of guys flying without medicals. The only one who knows is the guy flying, unless you talk about it on the internet, or at your local FBO.

I don't want to start a skirmish. The fact is however, that's bad advice that hasn't been thought through. As long as nothing bad happens, you're statement is true. If something bad happens, even something small, it will get very ugly very fast. Think pilot certificate revocation for starters. It gets worse but I will stop there lest someone proclaim fear mongering.

[brianwallis]

If I were you, I'd be striving to finish the aircraft and not worry about the medical yet. Let someone you trust do the first flight... and whenever the regulations let you, go fly!(even if you are the "passenger"). PIC has two meanings, Pilot in Command and the ever so subtle... Passenger in Command. Based on your location and pilot population... I don't know if you would have a hard time finding volunteers to go flying or not. However I'm sure there are plenty of people who could find an excuse to go flying.....
Best of Luck!
Brian Wallis

[Ron Lee]

Dumb. A glass airplane crashed on the first flight with the engine builder/mechanic on board. I doubt that he was required. Two people dead.

Flying without a medical...also dumb.

You have two valid choices. Make a decision.

[Deems Davis]

Bruce,
I'm in a similar situation, albeit I have a 1 year wait. I had a 'disqualifying' event occur last Dec, and had expected to have 1st flight in Jan or Feb. After working on the project nearly full time for for 2 1/2 years. I spoke/wrote and talked with a LOT of other builders and was amazed at just how many people had gone through their own medical situations and had come through them successfully. I found that support extremely encouraging. I received much of the same advise that you're getting now. Initially, my plan was to finish the project asap and find/hire someone to do the phase 1 and then fly with another pilot aboard until the 12 months expired. That idea was a BIG help to me in getting over the disappointment and the shock of the whole situation. However, I found that my work/progress was slowing and I was putting less effort into the project than previously, after a couple of months, I began to assess what was going on, and I finally had to admit to myself that I was really struggling with not being able to make the 1st flight, and to complete the Phase 1 myself. I know that some will say this is a foolish position to take, and that allowing another RV qualified pilot to do the initial flight and the Phase 1 might even be considered a wise move. HOWEVER, this is the 3rd homebuilt project for me, but the 1st that I will complete. The other 2 got sold when the realities of family, career, and community conspired to end those efforts. I determined then, that Homebuilding an aircraft was a dream that would wait until the family was raised, and I was retired. I didn't stop flying, just postponed the dream. For 20 years I'd go to bed at night and fall asleep thinking about the day when I'd make the 1st flight in my homebuilt aircraft Once I retired the 1st thing I did (nearly) was to determine which plane I'd build and order the kit. I went slo build not so much because of $'s but because I wanted the ego gratification of saying "I built the whole thing" and in making the dream as big as possible. So 4 months past the 'event' My emotions are a bit calmer, and I'm 1/3 of the way through the 'wait' and I decided that I had waited 20 years for the Dream and that another 8 months wouldn't be the end of the world. I still get a bit 'antsy' when I read/hear about another builder that had been tracking close to my progress making their 1st flight, But, I can truthfully say, that while my progress has slowed (no/less pressure now), I'm enjoying the time I spend on the project MUCH more, AND I've got the 'luxury' of being able to check/double check/ plan/ double plan/ Write test plans, etc. that I may have been tempted to pass-by or shorten. So, In the end when you've gotten all of the input you can and you've given yourself some time you'll digest it all and decide just what works for you.

[rzbill]

Nobody can tell the future. Finish the plane. Don't slow up. Something could happen that allows you to fly earlier than expected and you would be ready. Or something could happen that makes you want to sell. You would again be much more ready. I believe the phenomenon of "luck" is based on being ready to take advantage of a situation.

Good luck and keep putzing at it.

[jclark]

I would NOT try flying without a medical. If anything goes wrong, your family will have not only your loss to deal with but a WHOLE LOT of other stuff.

I would NOT, NOT be a "passenger" or so-called "required crew" during Phase I. It is not legal and we all know that is the case. Someone has done that and there were TWO deaths. We keep doing it and soon the FAA will REQUIRE that they be there to monitor the flight and CHARGE for it.

Seems like you either need to let someone else do first flight AND Phase I or you need to schedule things so you can do it legally.

I would work as hard and as fast as I could on the project. I would "giterdone" while I had the energy and motivation and focus. (I have a project that is languishing). Now if it was all ready to fly and everything but I was NOT ready, I would wait. If the wait was going to be long I would do what made me happy to keep the engine happy ... including selling it and replacing it with another when the moment arrived. This would add another week or weekend maybe to the project and you would be able to do the flights.

There is some probability that you will not get everything done as far in advance as you think. In that case, problem solved.

James

[Bob Axsom]

This would be a very personal choice for me but you either have a different view or you are feeling pressure not to follow your own mind and are seeking inputs. My airplane is MY AIRPLANE not just a physical collection of parts and systems. No one but me has ever flown my airplane and I can conceive of no way anyone else ever will by choice in my life time. I try to follow the rules very carefully so I would not fly it until I had a clear medical under normal circumstances. Under other circumstances I'm not sure what I might do or how I would do it but I think chances are very good that someway someday I would fly my airplane regardless of anything else.

Bob Axsom

[Jaypratt]

Get it finished and get it flying. Go by the rules.
Letting someone else do the Phase I would be no biggie for me. In fact I found a young man that put 30+ hours on my new RV8 last summer. While I was at Oshkosh, in 'Shooter' . He even bought the gas!

[grantcarruthers]

Okay, as far as crew of 2 for 1st flight:

It may not be completely legal or completely justifiable by the fisdo but a second experienced person would be a huge asset on the 1st flight. We know these airframes are nearly bullit proof as far as 1st flight goes so really we're looking at systems testing. If a system acts up on the flight whats the hardest thing to do- "fly the airplane" as we're all taught, while at the same time working the problem in a high stress and very emotional situation. With a second person available there is someone to run the checklist, switches and troubleshoot while the pilot focuses solely on the #1 killer: airspeed and coordination. Set her down upright and great chance no ones hurt. Stall at low altitude while trying to restart an engine and it's over.

CRM is a huge part of the airlines safety advantage, why would it not translate here when done properly with a good plan by the right pilots. You may not agree or want this for yourself but it's certainly not dumb. Convincing the fisdo would be another matter but I can think of many ways to take advantage of the resource of a second pilot that are easily justifed.

Just remember, many things that are safe are not legal and many things that are legal are not safe.

[Jamie]

My operating limitations say nothing about "required crew". That phrase is simply not in there. That statement has gotten passed around on the Internet as if it were fact, and it is not. Your oplims are not limited by the FAAs definition of "required crew". Don't believe me? Read your oplims.

I don't have my oplims with me, but they say nothing about phase I flights being done solo. They say that the only people allowed onboard the aircraft are those required for the purpose of the flight. Plain and simple.

However my DAR (Vic Syracuse) was very clear that Phase I was to be done with no passengers. This is apparently a common lecture all DARs are required to give and I abided by Vic's instructions.

This is simply something I do not understand. The oplims are for MY AIRPLANE, they aren't some generalized form that has clauses in there that don't really apply to my aircraft. They're my operating limitations.

Why does the FAA continue to issue operating limitations that very directly states that a passenger can be onboard if they are required to be there for the purpose of that flight, but the FSDOs tell the DARs to say otherwise? Why don't they just issue oplims that say that all Phase I must be done solo?

I just don't get it.

Before I get flamed, I'm not encouraging anyone to go out and fly their Phase I with a passenger. I just don't think it's good common sense.