N8RV
Well Known Member
Don,
I couldn't have said it better. In fact you nailed what I did! I ended up flying off the last 15 or so hours without gaining much except for a much better understanding of how the airframe flies. As soon as the 40 was done and signed off, I had qualified people fly with me to complete flight/panel adjustments and calibrations. Couldn't do this safely alone.
Finally, I totally agree that I could have learned far more about the aircraft performance if I had had a qualified CFI in the plane with me for the last 10 or 15 hrs. Could have done so much more! Would have been so much more willing to push it a little farther if I had an exprianced RV pilot with me.
A practical observation is that everybody's situation is different. Not everyone has a Danny King to pitch in and lend a hand while building, or to volunteer to fly off the first hour or so to make sure that it handles correctly.
Despite the distance, I would have gladly paid Danny to visit for a long weekend after I'd flown Smokey for about 5-10 hours. With his vast experience and knowledge base (to say nothing of patience!), he could have done far more than just watch for traffic while I fussed with instruments.
The problem would be with those who don't have a Danny around and decide to take along a wife or airport kid to just watch for traffic -- and something goes wrong. Or, conversely, a builder/pilot who is totally unqualified to fly Phase I and basically wants to learn how to fly his new plane from an experienced pilot.
Like I said, this is indeed a conundrum with no one-size-fits-all solution. Good people will stand firmly on each side of the fence, unwilling to jump the fence. As long as we can agree to disagree and stay friends, all will be good.
I guess I would be one who sits on the fence on this topic for the very reason I stated above -- each situation is different. I can understand how having a qualified pilot along would be a benefit, and I can equally see how it could be a detriment. And, sadly, I can also envision the myriad ways that the system could be abused to the detriment of us all.