First Flight, Test Dummy

Okay, I am starting to think about my first flight. I have a fellow CFI that has more than 1000 hours tail wheel, 10k total time and about 20 hours in an RV that would be willing to take the maiden flight. Myself, I have minimal tail wheel (<10 hrs) time but over 1000 total. (CSEL, CMEL, CFI Inst.) My ego says "I'll be the first one to fly MY plane!". My intellect says, "Hey, cheep insurance to have Kurt do the first one or two flights".

I could drop $1000 and get myself another 15-20 hours in a tail wheel, another $1000 for some transition training. Or let someone already qualified do the first few (and potentially most dangerous) hours. I have no doubt that I can fly the plane, just with a new engine that will have only minutes on the tach at the first flight, I am thinking I want a more qualified pilot at the controls.

What do you think, is it absurd to give up the maiden flight? Be honest, what would you do?

"Hello, Kurt? I need a favor..."

Ego can be expensive, and in the long run what difference does it really make who gets the first flight? It's still YOUR airplane.

My $.02

i will fly mine...

passing on first flight is a bit like droit de seigneur!

i would forever regret passing on the first flight... although my risk may be higher, it will be mine and i will manage it to acceptable levels.

Let him take it! It takes a ton of stress off you. I watched mine do the first flight from another plane!

Tony,

You have exhibited good judgement by asking the question. I would get transition training from one of the very experienced CFI's that are available, and then ask yourself the question again.

Best regards,

[email protected] said:

passing on first flight is a bit like droit de seigneur!

i would forever regret passing on the first flight... although my risk may be higher, it will be mine and i will manage it to acceptable levels.

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Okay, I had to look up droit de seigneur, (the only french I know is Viva Le Tour!) yeah, that's what I am struggling with. My Virgin (N524AP) in the hands of another. Nah, sounds pagan to me. It's a machine without a soul. For me I am struggling with "risk", managed "to acceptable levels".

My thinking is, if I had an engine failure (not unheard of in the first few hours) my emotional attachment might blur my decision making ability.

mdevans9 said:

Tony,

You have exhibited good judgement by asking the question. I would get transition training from one of the very experienced CFI's that are available, and then ask yourself the question again.

Best regards,

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Yes, transition training is a great idea. And the same fellow willing to do my first fly can do that in a borrowed RV-7, however,but it's not the flying that I am concerned about. I really think that I would have little difficulty flying the plane. It's the idea if there was an engine failure in the first few moments of flight, would 3-5 hours of transition training prepare me for clear thinking in a crisis, when I have so much blood, sweat and tears (not to mention lots of $$) tied up in the machine.

I should add that I experienced an engine failure on take off in a Cherokee I owned. I know how it feels to have your mind wrestle with the thought "this is the day I die".

engine failure risk management

i share your thoughts tony... the first flight is generally limited to a quick shake down followed by a thorough inspection... i would expect the greatest engine failure risk to occur after vibrations have a chance to work their magic on something critical. can you catch this with a short static run? will a problem surface in the first hour of flight? is it more likely to occur after 5 hours, 10, or 50? (a recent 10 in ifr conditions) from documented mechanical failures over time they do tend to occur most frequently at the beginning and end of the life of the engine in a U curve over time.

how long do you differ flight to someone else? although the risk of engine failure diminishes over time it remains highest for more than the first flight.

Talk with your Flight Advisor!

That's why we have flight advisors. Your flight advisor will help you evaluate whether or not you should do the first flight. MOST of the time, it is highly recommended that you let a more qualified individual perform that all important flight. A more experienced pilot will have the expertise to concentrate on an unexpected problem and flying the airplane will be second nature.
Look at it this way, if you let Kurt make the first flight, you will have two first flights. One for the airplane and one for you.

[email protected] said:

i share your thoughts tony... the first flight is generally limited to a quick shake down followed by a thorough inspection... i would expect the greatest engine failure risk to occur after vibrations have a chance to work their magic on something critical. can you catch this with a short static run? will a problem surface in the first hour of flight? is it more likely to occur after 5 hours, 10, or 50? (a recent 10 in ifr conditions) from documented mechanical failures over time they do tend to occur most frequently at the beginning and end of the life of the engine in a U curve over time.

how long do you differ flight to someone else? although the risk of engine failure diminishes over time it remains highest for more than the first flight.

Click to expand...

Most break in philosophies for a new engine is to do a very brief run for leak check, then short taxi, quick run-up, full power for 20-30 seconds then an endurance run (in flight) of 45-60 minutes. That's why a new airframe and new engine are not always a good match. But that's my configuration.

My situation is a big negative to an ECI kit engine. That is, no test cell run-in. Had that been done, I would definitely be doing my first flight.

Mel said:

That's why we have flight advisors. Your flight advisor will help you evaluate whether or not you should do the first flight. MOST of the time, it is highly recommended that you let a more qualified individual perform that all important flight. A more experienced pilot will have the expertise to concentrate on an unexpected problem and flying the airplane will be second nature.
Look at it this way, if you let Kurt make the first flight, you will have two first flights. One for the airplane and one for you.

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Yep, that's my feelings completely. I will solicit some advice from my EAA Chapter members and talk to a Flight Adviser.

No regrets here

I had a pro do my first flight, and I flew alongside in a friend's rv7 watching my machine from the air. It could not have been any sweeter a victory. I think I enjoyed it much more than I would have had I been flying.

I also did not do the first flight and have no regrets. My brother had hundreds of hours in his -7A and he checked my workmanship while I was building. I figured it would be a lot more obvious to him if something wasn't quite right. It was a tough decision but I'd do it the same way again.

Even though my 1st flight was #2 for plane, it was still just as exciting for me.

I'm in the... I wanted to do it... column

My "mentor" , who is not technically a flight advisor; yet a two time RV builder and EAA Chapter president.............started taking me up in his 9A for additional transition time......as a way of pushing me into getting my almost finished 6A finished and signed off. I'd gotten a bit rusty in four years since my last RV flights. He said I wasn't "walking and chewing gum" at the same time. He was right, so we kept going up for more hours on the hobbs.

Making that first flight, was just something I wanted to do. It was important to "me" that I'd do it. When the morning came, I was a bit apprehensive, but after one high speed taxi run to check it's tracking down the runway..... I felt comfortable enough to taxi back & takeoff. A few times around the pattern, and I landed. After a good checkout, and celebration breakfast with the family, I once again took off on a cross country (1 hr. each way) with my friend and his wife following in their RV. This was over barren desert area that allowed high engine rpms for breakin, and a much better test area than the subdivisions around my airport.

It's been nearly two years now, and I'm glad it was myself that did the first flight. In my case, the engine had been run at Lycoming, but that was 12 years previously. Prior to the first flight, we had run it a few times and did some magneto checks and adjusting...........as I had moved one to get to a bolt, which put it out of adjustment.

So the way I look at it...................is get the additional transition time required to feel as comfortable as possible to fly it yourself, or have someone else do it. I figured that after 12 years of building, that another month or two wouldn't make much difference.

L.Adamson --- RV6A

Tony,

As Flight Adviser, I am glad that Mel posted what he did - going and talking this over with another FA is the best way to determine your own individual situation. How First Flight incidents turn out rarely have anything to do with a pilot's stick and rudder skills, but rather with how they react to distractions and strange indications - which might or might not be indicative of a real issue. So the important thing is to know how you react to the unexpected - emotionally or logically.

I hear lots of folks that say that they couldn't imagine giving the airplane's first flight to someone else - this is generally an emotional reaction. I certainly can imagine it, and did. I then went through a logical process to determine if I should. This is the fundamental process a good FA should go through as well. Many people ARE qualified to do their own first flights - having someone help you through the process is much better than trying to decided based on what others have done.

Paul

Ironflight said:

So the important thing is to know how you react to the unexpected - emotionally or logically.Paul

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That's my big concern, the emotional attachment to the plane may blur my decision making in an emergency. It just seems wise to have another pilot make the first flight. Really whether more qualified or not. Either way, I and my plane with have our first flight together at some point.

not to be a smart one, but you are still going to have a first flight.

It is your decision, and yours alone...

...and you are going about it the right way asking the questions and evaluating your skills/risk.
I have been involved in many first flights, my own, and in chase/safety mode. There is no wrong decision as long as you qualify yourself as mentioned by above.

I was going to make that first flight, whatever it took. I had bundles of tailwheel time and a few hours in type with no takeoffs or landings. So, an hour with Mike Seager in the 7 and when he said "go fly your airplane". That was all I needed to here. If it took two days and many hours with Mike, I would have done it until I heard those magic words.
Get your transition training from a trusted source, a flight advisor opinion, them make your own decision.

There is something very special about taking the bird you built on its maiden voyage. You only have one shot to do that, but that does not mean it is the right or only thing to do.