Test pilot for the break in?

[usmcmech]

How many of you had someone else fly the first flight or flights?

I've been wanting to build an RV-7 for 15 years and never had the time or money. I plan to start building this fall, and I am looking forward to both the build and flying my own plane in a couple of years.

I'm an ATP with 5000 hours, CFI, CPL Helo and Glider soon, and have a heavy mechanical background. A year ago, I wouldn't have given the idea of making my airplane's first flight a second thought.

One catch, I am a recent widower with 5 young kids to take care of. So obviously my tolerance for risk has changed. I'm never going to quit flying because of how much it defines me, but I'll pass on several activities like motorcycles that just expose me to too much risk.

The stats for homebuilts clearly show that the first 25 hours is the danger zone, and I am considering wether it would be responsible of me to tackle this myself.

[David Paule]

I haven't made a first flight but have some background in that sort of thing.

I might have someone else do it but I'll make that decision when the first flight is close, depending on how I feel about my own skill level at that time. Another consideration is how much the airplane differs from the stock design, especially in the engine and fuel system, but also with its instrumentation.

If an airplane has some truly experimental features, then that might suggest that the risk is higher than for one that's more of a standard configuration. If everything is relatively standard and the engine isn't new or freshly overhauled, then I'd expect that the risk is lower.

If you're planning on flying it from a small back pasture, trees along the border, etc, that might suggest hiring a pro. If the field is one of the Space Shuttle's 12,000' landing sites, and you routinely fly from there, that's safer.

Another thing is how ambitious your first flight expectations are. If all you're planning on doing is going up to a reasonable altitude, checking temps, slowing down and feeling it that way, and then landing, that's safer than if you have a full test card.

You'll have a better ideal about all of this as you get closer. The only thing is that there will be some pressure to let friends and family watch, and for you to do it yourself. Resist the pressure and be coldly realistic about your then-skills.

Dave



Dave

[Scott Hersha]

Because of your family situation, and since you brought it up, it is obviously a valid concern. I think it would be a good idea to just plan on getting someone to do your initial test flights. That way you can enjoy the build process and not worry about the impending first flights. It looks like you?re in San Antonio....... there?s an RV pilot under almost every tumble weed in Texas. Shouldn?t be a problem getting some help there. Don?t be concerned - about your concerns. You?re a responsible parent, and those young-uns? are more important. You can still be a good Dad while following your dream.

Scott
EAA Flight Advisor
Chapter 974

[rockwoodrv9]

Im finishing my plane and license training at the same time. The idea of me making the first flight in my new plane isn't something I am arrogant enough to think I could do. I learned as I built that this was no place to have an ego and people picking apart my build may be saving my life.

I know with my limited flying - even with transition training I will be taking, I am not the best person to do the flight.

I am lucky to have several long time RV pilots in my area to help me out. With the new safety pilot rules, I will be able to get additional training while we are doing the 40 hours.

Have fun - thats why we do what we do!

[wirejock]

I plan to take lots of training but I'm not experienced in dealing with issues that might come up.
I will be reviewing the A.C. 90-116 and fly in accordance.

[Mel]

Originally Posted by wirejock

Still deciding if I will go up and ride shotgun or wait for the next flight.

Please read AC 90-116 very closely. Simply "Riding Shotgun" does NOT meet the intent or the letter of the AC.

[wirejock]

Originally Posted by Mel

Please read AC 90-116 very closely. Simply "Riding Shotgun" does NOT meet the intent or the letter of the AC.

I plan to. I'm a long way from worrying about Phase 1. Sorry if I mislead anyone. My previous posting has been edited.

[lr172]

Originally Posted by Mel

Please read AC 90-116 very closely. Simply "Riding Shotgun" does NOT meet the intent or the letter of the AC.

I know you are much closer to the regs than I, but it was my understanding that this was the exact intent of the new regs. It is there to encourage builders to bring along someone more experienced than themselves that can increase the safety of the first flights. I don't see anything in the regs or the FAA's positioning of this new rule that obligates the builder to a specific role in flights with a QP. The key is that they no longer have to make the tough choice of doing it themselves with the higher risk or watching someone else do it while they sit on the ground. The primary driver in the new reg was that this decision drove people to chose the former and that doesn't optimize safety. I don't remember anything in the AC that says the builder must be PIC. It is all about insuring that anyone beyond the builder is there because they are inherently qualified to be there. I am speaking about QP's during the initial phase (sorry, forgot the term) and not AP's in the second phase, where I would agree with your assessment.

I would be shocked if the FAA didn't assume that builders with rusty pilot skills were relegating the bulk of the first flight responsibilities to these QP's that must demonstrate close to 100 hours of experience (including Phase I testing experience) with a plane the builder may never have flown, let alone been a test pilot in. I certainly did. I paid someone with a lot of experience to be there to help in case there were problems. And I was happy to have them run the ship through it's paces on the first flight. He was a navy trained test pilot. Why would I not leverage that experience to keep myself safe. It would have been a travesty for me not to be there. I built the plane and knew it inside and out. Who better to assist if an emergency or problem arose; clearly "essential crew." I did do some of the flying on that flight once we confirmed the ship's integrity and was very happy to be a part of it.

I understand that the BP must complete tests and sign off before moving on. However, this is unrelated to who primarily controls the aircraft on the first flight(s).

Larry

[rmarshall234]

>How many of you had someone else fly the first flight or flights?

My feeling is that it is absolutely the *smart* thing to do. Picking someone who is not as emotionally attached and can be more objective and has better skills, has got to be a better choice. I am fortunate in that I have a few pilot friends that fit that description. Whether they would want to fly the early flights or not, that is a different question. Having said that...when the time comes to fly my Acroduster I'm sure I will want to and may very well, make the initial flights myself. (thereby proving my point about being emotionally attached ?)

However, it will not be w/o spending considerable time sharpening my skills and I will of course, be wearing a parachute.

[Canadian_JOY]

In December we did the first flight on our Glasair Sportsman. I had zero time in type however I had great coaching through fellow owners. And I had a fellow owner produce an instructional video on takeoffs and landings. As crazy as it sounds, these conversations, backed up by watching the movement of hands and feet in the video, were excellent preparatory steps for the first flight.

I opted to bring along a flight instructor for the first couple of flights. He was not experienced in type, but rather was experienced in a broad range of aircraft, many of them amateur-built, and had a good amount of experience with "things that go wrong", including engine failures, jammed controls and fuel flow restrictions (all in certificated aircraft!).

My stress levels on those first two flights was SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER as a result of having an experienced and knowledgeable person in the seat beside me. In retrospect, having that CFI along was one of the best choices I made with respect to the first flight. He was able to double-check everything I was doing, backstop my decisions, and then be a smart systems monitor during the flight. As soon as I brought the power up on that first takeoff he was calling out "engine's good" so I could focus entirely on flying the airplane. I knew he was also there, like any good instructor, to take over the controls if I was unable to control the airplane. Two sets of eyes, hands and feet really make the first flight a much more enjoyable experience, and a much safer one.

If I had to do it over again I wouldn't hesitate to use the same approach again.

From a legal perspective, in Canada our Special Certificate of Airworthiness comes with Operational Conditions attached. One of the standard conditions for the first 25 hours is that passengers may not be carried, except for a flight instructor for the purposes of dual instruction. This exception is indeed a wise one, or at least in my case it certainly proved to be the case.