First Flight!

After 14 years of part time building as funds and time allowed, and a significant effort during the last six months, 70231 is finally an airplane proven so by it's first flight today which was largely uneventful. Just like we like them.

Many thanks go my wife (Cheryl), kids, and many friends for helping and tolerating this activity. Also to Van's Aircraft and Doug for this site which came along after I started building. It has been absolutely invaluable. Also to many vendors who advertize here, who's products and services I used and I heard about from other builders on this forum site...

AeroClassic Interiors: Top notch upholstery products and service
AeroSport Power: Excellent customer service on engines
Aircraft Extras: Excellent special products and customer service
Aircraft Spruce: Wide range of materials in stock and fast shipping
Airflow Performance: Excellent Fuel Injection products and customer service
Avery Tools: Excellent products and customer service
E-Magair: Excellent ignition products and customer service
Genuine Aircraft hardware: Hard to find products and customer service
Grand Rapids Technologies: Excellent Glass products and customer service
Hartzell propellers: Excellent products and customer service
SteinAir: Excellent electrical products selection and customer service
TruTrak: Excellent flight control products and customer service
TS Flightlines: Excellent hose products and MOST excellent customer service
Vetterman Exhaust: Excellent mufflers/pipes and customer support




Bevan

She is already a teenager! Congratulations!

All those excellent suppliers and helpers and the final product an excellent build and first flight.

Congrats on the effort, the airplane and soul mate look great!

Congrats! Being focused for 14 years is admirable! I have found, my life has changed after phase 1.

Congratulations

Congratulations. Very pretty bird.

Bevan and Cheryl,
Well done! Get that Phase 1 knocked out and let the real fun begin!

I like yer paint. Makes everything match doesn't it?

congratulations! Now the fun begins.............

I really appreciate first flight stories like yours.
Man sticks to long term project thru the years, completes it and flies!
Kind of like raising children.
My story was similar, so I hope your story going forward is as much fun as mine has been!
Fly On!

Congratulations!!

Way to go

That looks like a front page photo for sure.

Congrats Bevan and Cheryl on a job well done!!!

Congrats! Fly safe. Have fun. See you at OSH some year.

Nice

great news, enjoy that great airplane.

Talk about perseverance!
14 years! Congrats to you sir! A true testament to never give up! These posts are inspirational to guys like me at the beginning of a build looking at piles of aluminum wondering if it will ever happen.

Bevan

Congrats on finishing up the project,it looks great. I was wondering by your flight suit if you are ex-CF? If so which sqn/sqns.

Congratulations.... The best is always the next flight...
Enjoy your beautiful plane.
Jack

Just a little RV grin there!......

Well done Bevan, and sorry that I slowed down your build by at least 3.7 hrs. of yakking about vinyl and nosewheels, and Fumoto valves and panels and....well, you know!

hope to see you here in the valley some day, when the smoke clears!

( and way to fly the flag)

wow

Congrats. I liked your list of vendors, but tell us something about the airplane.

14 years, huh? Well, there's hope for me yet!! I won't say how long it's been until I complete it and get it flying!

14 1/2 years for me. BIG TIME CONGRATS. Stay safe in phase 1 and keep us posted. Then take your new ship to Sun n Fun for your perseverance award.