V

vinodwahi

Member
Hi folks,

While waiting for the authoritie's approval for the first flight, I am wondering if there are any lessons learned for preparing the first flight?

I am expecting to get airborn in April....

It is a RV9a, Lycoming 320 (160hp)...

Thanks everyone,
Wahi Air :)
 
If you have extensive electronic instrumentation (i.e., PFD, EMS, MAP, etc.) on your panel, be sure you know how to correctly deal with possible alarms, warnings, error messages, etc. It can be very disconcerting to be climbing out on your initial takeoff with all sorts of warning lights blinking, panel messages flashing, and horns buzzing. Some of these warnings may be false (or miss-set) and some may be real. Have a response plan in your mind before you take-off.

The Dynon SkyView system in my RV-12 performed flawlessly during my recent test period, but I am aware of the above issues on other equipment during initial test flights.
 
You will probably get a lot of good suggestions, many from folks better qualified than I am to make them..................

My small contribution is this -------- stay a couple mistakes high when you are testing the slow flight, and stall characteristic of the plane. Get it in your head how the plane handles slow, and with flaps---------this is what you will have to deal with when you make every single landing.

Most of my time doing transition training was spent on the above------landing, landing, landing----and of course the required takeoffs, so I could practice the landings.

Transition training if you can get it is the best thing you could do IMHO.

David makes a good point about surprise noises and lights..............

Good luck, and congrats on getting to this point:D
 
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You'll get lots of replies. David's is excellent... for the 1st flights I do I ask the owner to configure the EFIS/EMS to a single page, mainly engine, and turn off all alarms / screaming women / predictions of imminent death. That said, as an owner doing 1st flight, you will be more familiar with your EFIS than I am of others ;)

In the UK we do a ~20min 1st flight limited to:
  1. Ensure basic handling is correct
  2. Ensure engine does not overheat
  3. Verify aircraft is "fit to leave the circuit".
It works well, do not try to complete the whole test schedule on flight 1, and I'd record very little. Enjoy it, keep it safe, land, celebrate, and pull the cowls off.

Provided all is in order, testing / recording now starts in earnest. We have to do a 2hr flight at some point, and I often do this next, since it fits in with running engine in. 1st flight has to be solo, 2nd flight on we can take an observer = owner ;)

Edit: I also do a "rejected takeoff" just prior 1st flight, it saves a "go / no-go decision". Get it to tailwheel / nosehweel "off" stage, then shut throttle, gently slow down and review it taxiing back.
 
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The RV12 comes with "test cards" for all the initial flights. I thought I would start with card 1. I had never before built a plane or done a 1st flight. I did have transition training in an Rv12.

I told this plan to a more experienced friend. He said throw that card away. He described a very simple first flight like Andy Hill described. HE WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!! Keep it very simple especially if this situation is new to you. I also did mine unannounced, no crowd, just my wife and experienced friend on the ground with a handheld transceiver. A perfect first flight, lots of circling at 3000 AGL, good engine readings, a full stop landing, felt real comfortable, taxied back and did one more t/o and landing, stopped, grinned, celebrated! Do not push it.

And no stupid high speed taxi and "short hops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Do plenty of normal taxi testing, even days before (unless there are special engine break-in reasons) but when it is time to take off, get in the air with some altitude.
 
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My 2 cents, as a cfi who has given some transition training:

Some (a lot??) pilots spend the last few years building, not flying. Priority #1 should be to get current flying, in any airplane you can find. Then, priority #2, get some time in type, if possible. But transition training is not supposed to be currency training. Do that first.
 
Having done first lights in my 9a and a Harmon Rocket, I will echo most of the advice above.

Here's my $.02... Make sure you are very current and comfortable flying. Preferably you should have several hours in an RV-9A, but a Cherokee has similar approach and landing speeds and is easier to rent. Make sure all of your landings are nose high and always keep the stick pulled back while taxiing. This should be automatic before flying an rv-a.

Now that you have no concerns about you flying ability, focus on the aircraft. Make sure that it's inspected by experienced builders. Hangar fly the airplane until you can operate it with your eyes closed. Walk through failure recovery scenarios by memorizing them.

On the big day, you don't need an audience at all unless you are at an untowered airport where you want someone in charge in case of emergencies. This is NOT a test of manhood and you should have no pressure to fly.

At first launch, plan for an engine failure. ID emergency landing areas and wear appropriate clothing, preferably a nomex flight suit, nomex gloves, a helmet and leather boots. Underneath, wear cotton or wool socks, pants, shirt etc. Wear a long sleeved cotton shirt. Wear an inflatable life vest if you are anywhere near water.

Your initial objective at take off is to climb to a safe height, then circle the airport. Debug anything critical, ignore the rest. Set up for landing and make sure you can glide to the airport if the engine quits on approach. You know you can land it because of your training, but the 9a glides a long way, so you may overshoot. Be mentally prepared for this. If it's hot out, it will thermal over the runway.

Walk through your whole first flight in your head several times before you launch and when you do, remember to enjoy it.

Remember, NO AUDIENCE!
 
Keep the first flight duration fairly short, as there is a significant possibility that something will be going on under the cowling. I had an alternator pully hitting the cowling, and a longer flight would probably have ground right through it. It didn?t hit during the ground runs, but the air loads on the cowling made it touch when flying. Another local builder had a significant oil leak from a prop governor oil hose.

I recommend you keep the first flight to no more than 20 minutes. Do a good inspection under the cowling before the second flight.
 
1200 rpm's is enough for the plane to take off and fly,,,be very careful with taxi testing,,,,or you could get a totally unexpected first flight.
 
DHeal said:
If you have extensive electronic instrumentation (i.e., PFD, EMS, MAP, etc.) on your panel, be sure you know how to correctly deal with possible alarms, warnings, error messages, etc. It can be very disconcerting to be climbing out on your initial takeoff with all sorts of warning lights blinking, panel messages flashing, and horns buzzing. Some of these warnings may be false (or miss-set) and some may be real. Have a response plan in your mind before you take-off.
Click to expand...

This was by far the biggest problem for me on 1st flight. To avoid the "compounding alarm" problem takes more thought and prep than first glance. It requires selecting the parameters that are truly critical (e.g. oil pres, oil temp, fuel pres, CHTs) and setting their alarm points realistically for first flight. Then you must either neuter the non-critical alarms, or set their limits wide enough they'll assuredly not alarm. Given the amount of set-up most EFISs require, this is harder than one might think.
My 1/2 hr first flight went fine, but I had the alarm light flashing about 80% of the time. I kept punching the alarm-acknowledge button, only to see that it was nothing critical ... just a limit set too tight. NONE of us need that on first flight. :eek:
 
  • Get current in anything that flies, then get Transition Training in a similar RV!
  • Review Section 15 of the Construction Manual one last time. Most of the important data is in there.
  • NO high speed taxi tests! Many airplanes have been lost and pilots injured because of this test. Many result in an inadvertent 1st flight before the pilot is ready, who then tries to force it back on the ground before it's ready to land with little runway remaining.
  • Expect the airplane to fly about 3 seconds sooner than you are ready for. Most RV's will become air-born at mag check power settings.
  • Consult an EAA Flight Adviser if your local chapter has one. 1st flights consultations are their specialty...;)
  • Close and LOCK the canopy!
  • From THUH Manual: Builders with a new or newly overhauled engines face a dilemma. A new engine, must be broken in properly. The engine needs to be operated for several hours at high power or the piston rings will never seat. Unfortunately, this means that the engine temperatures during initial ground operation will be critical, and often the engine operations must be severely limited. This usually precludes prolonged taxi testing and high-speed runway tests. Such a limitation, unfortunately, coupled with an untested airplane, creates a problem. It's ironic but this is a situation that gives all the initial advantages to the builder who has had to install a used engine in his airplane without overhauling it. He may not have a fresh overhaul, but either does he have to worry about break-in problems. In addition, he can, ordinarily, perform all the taxi tests he feels he needs, concentrating on testing the airplane rather than the engine. An untested engine in an untested airplane doubles the potential for the unexpected happening. You must, whatever the status of your engine, operate it in strict conformance with the manufacturer's recommendations. Doing otherwise could result in serious engine damage, or at the very least, will cause it to burn a lot of oil because the rings failed to seat. When engine break-in is a concern, perform flight testing without the wheel fairings and gear leg fairings. This will add around 15% to the airframe drag and thus cause higher engine temperatures at any given forward speed. Higher cylinder head temperatures, within limits, are necessary for seating piston rings (breaking in).
  • Have fun and be careful :D
 
Congratulations on your first flight preparations.

If you have an EMS (Engine Monitoring System) of any type, take a close look at what alarms you have set. I knew I would have high oil and CHT temperatures as everything broke in. Because of this, I turned most every alarm off and raised the limits on the others. For example, seeing 425* F on new cylinders is not unheard of. Above that number, I would be concerned. After your engine breaks in those numbers should come way down.

I kept the low oil pressure alarm on, but don't be surprised if you see this come on at idle on short final.

You will be focusing on your engine instruments during the first few flights, so you will not need the alarms to distract you because you will notice them.

Also, get on Google Earth and study your practice area. Identify where you are going to land should your engine stop on takeoff, in the test area, or on approach to land.

One last thing, don't be surprised if you smell "stuff" burning. This is will be the first time your engine gets really hot and you will smell paint and oil burning off. It should be a very light odor, if it is strong or you see smoke, get on the ground ASAP.
 
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