No matter how many airplane types you have flown, there is a moment just before you advance the throttle for your first flight in a new aircraft where you pause and take a deep breath. First flights are momentous occasions for both builder and pilot—and if they are the same person, they can be sobering, daunting, and exciting—all at the same time. Good test pilots try to keep the excitement to a minimum—we prefer routine, boring, and “normal”—but the anticipation is hard to argue against when you have spent several years building the machine into which you have strapped your butt. The moment of deep breath and deep concentration is important to transition your mind from the thousands of details of the build—and into the moment of flight. Hopefully, you have some transition training under your belt—there is little excuse not to do so these days—so that the upcoming flight is not a new and unique experience. But sometimes experienced pilots do have to take a new machine up without specifically flying the type before. They rely on similar experience with other machines and the advice of numerous colleagues with equal or better experience to get through the moment.
All of these thoughts went through my mind (briefly) as I rolled on to the runway and prepared to add power to the F1 Rocket that we have spent the last two and a half years building. The freshly painted machine was ready to go—a new airworthiness certificate had been issued a couple of days before and we took the intervening time to reassemble it from the inspection condition to the flying state—plus look everything over one more time. My own readiness was based on having flown an F1 from the back seat several years ago, years of test flying many different types of single-seat aircraft, and several “work up” flights in the previous two days in our RV-3. The RV-3 was a good analog for the Rocket because it has a big engine for the size of the airplane and can climb at almost 3,000 fpm—similar to the Rocket.
Work-up flights are just what they sound like—you do numerous stalls in many different attitudes, pull a few G’s, and get used to some unusual attitudes. You then do numerous emergency landings from various places over and around the airport, taking them all the way to a full stop to assure yourself that yes, you actually did judge the energy correctly! Since the RV-3 has similar wings and wing loading to the Rocket, I pulled the power back on several takeoffs to see the sink rate that would develop in a turn—but not down low! I did these at close to pattern altitude, and even though I knew they were coming, the sink rate you get in a short-wing airplane is eye-watering in the steep (essentially aerobatic) turn if you try to get back to the runway. What I found in this case is that—just as we have taught for over 100 years—something with less than a 90° turn is going to be the safe bet.
Finally, I rehearsed the actual flight using the actual test card that is prepared from the EAA Flight Test Manual. It’s a simple flight—up above the airport, quick controllability checks, a slow to near stall, a practice approach—then a landing.
The result of all this thought and preparation? A successful first flight and the kick-off of our Phase I test program! The Rocket’s performance is truly outstanding, handling is solid, it is not twitchy, and it stalls almost straight ahead. The airframe is straight and flies hands-off with the autopilot disengaged. There were no unexpected moments, and my landing was just like all the first landings I do in a new type of aircraft—probably the best one I’ll ever do in the machine. Concentration and attention to detail will do that for you.
No one builds an airplane alone. First to thank is my pilot/builder wife Louise for allowing me the time and expense of being in the shop way too much. Then there are the numerous experienced builders and pilots who I depend on for answers and problem-solving. And of course, there are the many vendors who take the time to explain their products and customize them when required— the industry is all there to get people to that moment on the runway where we pause, take a deep breath. Then go fly!
Congratulations Paul, it’s a beautiful aeroplane and, as always, it’s been a pleasure following along in your articles. I hope to experience the same elation later this year now that retirement allows me to get stuck into the last 90% (after 18 years of building).
I was unable to obtain transition training prior to first flight in my E-AB Lancair Legacy. A friend with a great deal of experience flying Lancair aircraft offered to perform the first flight for me, an offer I gratefully accepted. Yes, it would have been grand to fly the aircraft on it’s maiden flight, but I am not an old, bold pilot.
That was an excellent choice – too many builders give in to peer pressure and assume that they HAVE to do the first flight of their new airplane, or be in it when it flies. My informal survey over the yers says that 50% of builders choose to have someone else do the first flight – so it is not unusual, and is often the right thing to do. It takes much of the emotion out of the picture – and you will always have your own first flight in the plane that you built.
Congrats Paul! I’m looking forward to checking it out in person at Oshkosh.
See you there!
Congratulations Paul, wow two and a half years flew by. It was great to hear your updates and progress reports. Now for some real FUN. We have been relying on the RV15 Project details from Louise and the RV15 posts. You get no rest 🙂
Hope to see you at OSH and check out a completed RV15.
Paul, Excellent article as always. You did not mention one very important piece. LOBO studied fatal accidents in our community and found that many accidents occurred during the first Phase 1 flight. We advocated to the FAA leadership to change their policy and we developed with them and EAA the Additional Pilot Program AC 90-109 using experienced pilots with the builder to conduct that very important Phase 1 flying. Our organization was the beta tester for it. Since its adoption in 2011 our community has not had a fatal accident during Phase 1 first flights. I highly recommend it to all experimental builders.
That’s a good point Jeff. I helped in the concept and writing of the APP, and am a big supporter of it. I personally find that for first flights, it is better to just have the qualified pilot onboard (risk only one person rather than two), but for all other parts of the test program, the APP has reduced Phase 1 mishaps across the board – not just for Lancairs.
If you have a knot in your stomach (not just butterflies) before a first flight, you probably should have someone with more experience doing that job – and there is no harm in that. You will always have your own first flight in the plane that you built – and doing it with an APP Qualified Pilot makes that happen quickly and with lower risk.