As we inch towards completion I've began thinking (and dreaming) about the first flight. After a week of dreams (nightmares) about the first flight I'm beginning to think we should hire a test pilot. We hired a test pilot for the first flight of the Luscombe when we finished it but I wasn't even a student pilot then and my dad hadn't flown in 15 years. I've been planning to have a local guy tune me up in his cub and C180 but maybe that isn't enough. I'll still be emotionally attached to the plane. Nobody around here will have any BH time so I'm not sure what insurance will say.

I'm curious what others have done after completing major work which included an extended period of time without flying for both the pilot and the plane.

A maule would be close enough if you can find someone local. Good on you for thinking safe!

Jim

I agree that some Maule time would be helpful. When I bought my Grumman Ag Cat, my only significant tailwheel time was in a J3, and all I knew about radials was from reading the operating manual and talking to guys that ran them. The old man I bought it from slapped me on the back and said go have fun, it flies like a big cub. As nervous as I was, I felt fairly confident after doing some stalls and slow flight. I’m sure you’d feel the same way making the first flight in your Bearhawk.

I don't think the challenge for you is going to be the tailwheel aspect of the flying. As far as I know all your time is tailwheel, with several hours in an actual Bearhawk, which is more than many can say.

I think your challenge, and really the challenge for any test flight, will be the flight and systems management in a new airplane.

High performance, constant speed prop, fresh engine to manage and break in, dealing with squawks. These are all high mental workload items, whereas taildraggers are like riding a bike.

I think the most valuable training you can get is in a high performance/complex/retractable aircraft. It demands that you actually use checklists and flows and put some thought into your next moves. A test flight should be approached methodically and procedurally instead of just "here goes!"

Or so I have read.

Whee,
After I marathon-overhauled the 170 (180hp, injection, CS prop, Sportsman, engine analyzer, Bushwheels, etc) I was likewise a little wary about soloing the first flight. I managed to get a highly-proficient 135 buddy to fly right seat with me. Besides being unfazed about all the upgrades, he was all over the engine analyzer and power settings, more than I could ever have been that day. Besides being super attuned to everything and ensuring a good test flight and break-in, I got a personalized crash course in operating my new engine and prop. Dependent on finding the right person, of course.
Oh yeah, and pre-oil the engine real good before first start.
-DP

Unless you have a better insurance company than I did, you're on your own with an EAB for the first 10 hours anyway. TT, time in type, blood - type, etc. didn't matter a damn to AVEMCO. Funny that they require 10 hours in type to insure you but the first 10 hours are not covered. Good way to get the 10 hours? Also, a similarly valued certified aircraft such as a supercub was about half the cost of the Rans for coverage [emoji15].

Don't overthink it. Get your buddy to tune you up a little and go fly. You'll do great with the flying part! Z's checklist recommendation is good advice and memorize any special emergency procedures and practice them a little in the static cockpit. Be ready for any surprises...I had one. We hooked the elevator trim up backwards. I'd be lying if I didn't say I had a moment of serious concern, but it didn't take long to sort it out. Seems trivial but with everything else going on it makes you think.

I know very little about home building.... so excuse me if I am asking a question with an obvious answer.

Do home built kit manufacturers, such as Bearhawk, have a recommended sequence of flight tests for the first few flights? As in progressively expanding the envelope from "high speed taxi" on to "basic flight" and then more advanced "slow flight and stalls", checking off various things as you go. Or do pilot / builders just make it up as they go along ala "Hey, I think I'll try sumthin...."?

kg wrote:I know very little about home building.... so excuse me if I am asking a question with an obvious answer.

Do home built kit manufacturers, such as Bearhawk, have a recommended sequence of flight tests for the first few flights? As in progressively expanding the envelope from "high speed taxi" on to "basic flight" and then more advanced "slow flight and stalls", checking off various things as you go. Or do pilot / builders just make it up as they go along ala "Hey, I think I'll try sumthin...."?

In my limited experience with 2 aircraft from the same kit manufacturer, no. It's up to you as the manufacturer to develop test flight parameters. I don't think they want to assume any responsibility for your test flights as you are the aircraft manufacturer, not them. Again, can't speak for all.

Edit. Forgot to mention that the logbook endorsement after phase 1 includes all the verbiage of what your supposed to test to be legal.

Thanks for the thoughts guys. My concerns have more to do with handling a situation where things aren't going right than anything else. I only have a few hundred hours but it is all in a TWs with 30 or so in a Bearhawk. Z may be right about getting complex training. It is dealing with all the new systems and handling their possible failures that I'm concerned with. I wish I could do like DP did and have another pilot help me make the first flight but that's not allowed in my situation. There's also the concern that my wife upped my life insurance and asked me not to make the first flight; strong vote of confidence, eh

I'm not sure about insurance yet. The agent I was planning to use moved on but she had told me she could get me insured for the first flight no problem because I have time in type. I guess we'll find out if that is the case pretty soon.

EAA has a lot of information about developing a test flight program and what to do on the initial flight.

whee wrote:I'm not sure about insurance yet. The agent I was planning to use moved on but she had told me she could get me insured for the first flight no problem because I have time in type.

She's now at Northwest Insurance Group at KHIO. I just bought a policy from her last week.

whee wrote: I wish I could do like DP did and have another pilot help me make the first flight but that's not allowed in my situation.

Do you have some condition (other than your significant other) that disqualifies you from the Additional Pilot Program from the FAA?

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/med ... 90-116.pdf

whee wrote:There's also the concern that my wife upped my life insurance and asked me not to make the first flight; strong vote of confidence, eh

I guess I'll add my .02$ Alaskan.....

First, if your wife asked you to not make the first flight, I wouldn't. Simple as that. No sense in turning what should be an amazing day into your wife scared to death.

Second, I heard someone once say that if you aren't sure of your ability to dead stick land an airplane you have never flown then you have no business doing the first flight. Makes sense to me, trouble is, do you know of anyone that is qualified to do the first flight? Someone that knows the build enough to trust it, and someone that you know has the skills to get it done even if there is something minor?

As for me, Alaska plus experimental means I'm not going to be able to get insurance, at least not for the first 10-40 hours. It's a risk I'll have to take.

Originally I had someone lined up to make my first flight, someone that has test flown zillions of airplanes after rebuilds and knows how to handle himself in an ill handling airplane, but unfortunately he moved away (actually to your state).

Now that he is gone, and now that I have a bit of time in my 170, I plan on flying a lot the week or two before first flight, and specifically getting some more instruction focusing on emergency procedures and engine out landings. I'll have a lot of people looking it over, but then I'll climb in and go.

Keep in mind though, my wife is well able to take care of herself, and doesn't mind, and I don't have kids at home anymore. If I was in your shoes, I'd be interviewing test pilots, and once it's back on the ground, and a report that it does nothing weird, and checked over, I'd climb right in and go.

Opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it....

Stay in the pattern.

gbflyer wrote:....Don't overthink it. Get your buddy to tune you up a little and go fly......

x2.
I disagree about the complex time thing.
Time in a higher-powered c/s propped taildragger (like a skywagon or maule) would be a real plus though.
I would suggest getting several hours in a taildragger shortly before flying the BH for the first time.

As far as having someone else fly it first...
I'm sure you'd feel terrible if you balled it up.
Now imagine how you;d feel if someone balled it up for you.
Esp if there won't be any insurance coverage on it for the first 10 hours.
Personally I wouldn't want to be the first to fly it, mainly because of that.
There's a guy near here who built a BH,
He's a low time (student?) pilot.
He had others take the first flight(s) in it--
result was two prangs by two different pilots.
And a lot of bad feelings.
He took the third flight himself--
result, another prang.
At least this time he's only mad at himself.

Magnet wrote:Stay in the pattern.

I disagree.
I'd stay over the field all right,
but orbit at a couple thousand feet AGL.
Gives you more options re making it to a suitable location in case of a precautionary or forced landing.

Chris In Marshfield wrote:

whee wrote: I wish I could do like DP did and have another pilot help me make the first flight but that's not allowed in my situation.

Do you have some condition (other than your significant other) that disqualifies you from the Additional Pilot Program from the FAA?

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/med ... 90-116.pdf

The APP is pretty restrictive so I have several disqualify factors. Main one is that my plane wasn't built from a kit.

akschu wrote:First, if you're wife asked you to not make the first flight, I wouldn't. Simple as that. No sense in turning what should be an amazing day into your wife scared to death.

Second, I heard someone once say that if you aren't sure of your ability to dead stick land an airplane you have never flown then you have no business doing the first flight. Makes sense to me, trouble is, do you know of anyone that is qualified to do the first flight? Someone that knows the build enough to trust it, and someone that you know has the skills to get it done even if there is something minor?

I agree. I won't be making the first flight unless she changes her mind.

The trouble is going to be finding a qualified pilot that is willing to make the flight. I image most any ag-pilot could do it but how many would be willing to? It is likely my dad will make the flight and he is capable of doing if he puts forth the effort to knock all the rust off. I thought about asking Blackrock but my build pics probably scared him off

whee wrote:The APP is pretty restrictive so I have several disqualify factors. Main one is that my plane wasn't built from a kit.

Ah, I see. I don't know why I thought you were building a QB kit.

A dirt or grass runway forgives minor errors for ground handling till u are comfortable with TO and landings. Soloed my brother on a huge runway covered with glare ice. figured he couldn't hurt it.

whee wrote:I wish I could do like DP did and have another pilot help me make the first flight but that's not allowed in my situation.

I don't know enough about EAB to know what I don't know, apparently . The other thing I'd do, probably obvious, is to carefully select a an airport with a huge runway, in desolate airspace, with flat, arrow-straight county roads all around it and no nearby power lines.
Eagerly awaiting the first flight pirep,
-DP

whee wrote:
I agree. I won't be making the first flight unless she changes her mind.

The trouble is going to be finding a qualified pilot that is willing to make the flight. I image most any ag-pilot could do it but how many would be willing to? It is likely my dad will make the flight and he is capable of doing if he puts forth the effort to knock all the rust off. I thought about asking Blackrock but my build pics probably scared him off

I'm not sure I would put your dad in it either, not unless he was very proficient, which will take some work....

Couldn't hurt to ask Mike, worst he could do is say no. You might want to check with your local EAA chapters. Sometimes you can find some help there. My friend that I was going to ask is in Emmett, not sure how far that is from you, or even if you would consider asking him, but he used to test fly rebuilds at Merrill Field, and has a million hours in 180s/185's in the bush.

How far out are you? Do you think you will have it flying this summer? If so, I better get out into the shop. My goal is to beat Zane and Paul M, just because I need a goal to get it done....