What has to happen in order to test fly an aeroplane?
a) Live in a country that allows it. What would we be/do,
if we lived in China?
b) Have a philosophy of life that makes you want to do
stuff even if it doesn't pay money. You are a group of
purists, who are not motivated by money. Those who interact
with us, mostly officialdom, hasn't dealt with, or is
not willing to recognize our essential character and what
drives us.
c) Arrange your life so that you can make it all happen.
Unless you've done it, people won't believe you when you
tell them that this is the most difficult part about building
and flying your own.
d) Acquire the skills, money, place, friends, family to
permit this activity of building. Building and flying
is not a solitary activity, at least not the path getting
us into the air. Once up it is very much a solitary activity.
One's personal life must be in order if we are to succeed.
The many abandoned projects speak to this. Those of you
who actually got to fly your creation are unique. Proof
is that magazines can publish the names, with pictures,
of all those who actually flew their creation.
e) Develop a thick hide against officialdom which insists
on wanting to play with your toy, even if remotely. Aviation
is subjected to regulations not foisted on most other
solitary activities. Why is that bureaucracies wish to
play with our toys even if vicariously. Is it envy? Why
do those who have never built an aircraft, or perhaps
don't even own one, largely ignore our needs and cries
for help, yet presume to make all decisions for us?
f) Expose yourself to severe criticism from those whose
job it is to look over your labour of love before you
take to the air. You did your best, and now you find out
that perhaps it wasn't good enough. You lay your heart
on the line.
g) Psych yourself up to fly. That is easier said than
done in that you must muster courage to do it yet check
yourself from being negligent.
h) Do it!
I did it. I went through all the stages. After 12 years
of dreaming, slaving, quitting, agonizing, dreaming, hoping,
sweating, dreaming, it flew. I spent most of my nervous
energy during the taxi trials. I think my voice on the
radio must have been very squeaky and excited. One day
I guess I was taxiing a bit too fast and the thing became
airborne. From then on I knew I had an aeroplane, not
just a machine.
The inspector came and gave me a list of 37 snags to fix.
That took a month. I received my flight permit, which
was a major milestone and effectively got one wheel off
the ground.
I finally decided to go for full flight one day when the
wind and runway direction were right. That decision was
almost an ethereal one - sort of an out-of body experience
- kismet - schicksal, fate - I made a pact with myself
that regardless I would make one flight down the runway
and land. The idea here was to make sure the aeroplane
was controllable at low speed and for the exercise of
landing. It was also to check the lift-off speed. That
went so well that I remember sitting there 20 feet off
the ground saying to myself why don't I just keep going.
Part of me said, "Shoot the puck and go". My
previously made decision kicked in and took that choice
away. I chopped the power.
So back I came and blasted off for a 40-minute flight,
essentially uneventful from a mechanical standpoint.
Thoughts on Test Flying Your Homebuilt
The first flight makes you feel something like a hunter
in a forest, stalking a prey that you know is watching
you looking for it. Your senses are keen to everything
- sound, vibration, smells, instrument readings, control
feel, angles, reactions. You make mental notes - you don't
dare to let your eyes wander. You look out for traffic
and listen to the chatter on the tower. A thousand things
demand your attention. If you are thorough you record
all your findings once back on the ground. Make sure someone
takes a picture of that big grin you'll be wearing!
I landed exhilarated. I was also tired. The high of that
first flight lasted at least a week. My wife wouldn't
let me do a second flight the day after. She determined
that I was too excited to do myself any good. You see,
although I have test flown three aeroplanes, I am not
a professional. So I waited.
The next 25 hours required to 'wring out' the aeroplane
were spent getting familiar with the various configurations
and performance of the aeroplane. Every hour increased
my confidence in the machine. I can say that it takes
longer than 25 hours to become thoroughly acquainted with
an aeroplane.
I was lucky in that I fly an Aztec, and curiously the
Mustang handles like an Aztec - the speeds in all regimes
are about the same, the planning is the same, and even
the control feel turned out to be very similar. I feel
it is crucial that pilots get some recent experience in
a similar type of aeroplane they intend to test fly. Most
will have a successful flight even without this experience
- if nothing untoward happens. Problem situations may
require automatic and correct responses.
Stalls were exciting. The aeroplane drops a wing sharply.
It is clearly not a trainer.
Although the aeroplane performs well, I am planning changes
to upgrade performance. Mostly in aerodynamic clean up.
I figure I can eventually get another 20 mph out of it.
I've agonized over a paint scheme. I'm busy writing a
maintenance procedures manual for it, noting things as
I experience them. Make sure you have such things as wiring
diagrams, bolt torques, and notes to yourself of things
you feel need to be watched. You will want to make adjustments
as you become familiar with the aeroplane. Get some advice
on how whatever you do affects other characteristics.
Get someone to look over your pride and joy a few hours
into the test program. Love is blind.
