I'm happy to announce the successful first flight of my Legacy this morning!  Janice and I have been working on it nearly full time for almost three years.  It flew just like it was supposed to, which is incredible.  Five minutes in this airplane is worth all the sanding and filling, sanding and filling, etc.  

 

I took off from our home field and flew to a nearby longer, wider runway for my first landing, a full stop.  It was actually a pretty good landing; certainly the best I've done since getting back into flying after a long layoff.  I shutdown and gave the airplane a close inspection, let some of the adrenaline subside, and took off.  After satisfying myself that I was safe to land at my home field (3,400' long runway), I returned home.  I landed just past the numbers, on airspeed and popped the speedbrakes as soon as I was on the ground.  Gentle braking and I easily made the next to the last turnoff.  What an airplane! 

 

There are too many people for me to thank everyone, but I couldn't have done it without the LML, Don and his web page, Scott, Steve, and JT.  You guys made the task more fun and helped me build it better.  I can't thank you enough.  And a special thanks to Josh Brungardt of HPAT for such a great instructional effort in 199L to get me ready for my first flight.  That training was the best money I've ever spent!    

 

Here's the obligatory first flight photo, showing me getting ready to start the engine.  (I haven't latched the canopy yet.)

 

 

Dennis Johnson, Legacy #257, now flying!