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Russell Duffy wrote:
Greetings,
He just got he airworthiness certificate today, . . . He managed to take off in about the first third of the runway,
I really don't want to sound abrasive or like an I-told-you-so smarta$$. This is one of those times when email just doesn't cut it. But a good friend was over today helping me weld axle plates onto my gear legs. (Gas welding 1/2" steel plate to 1" round bar requires help!) We got on the subject of flight testing, and this very subject came up.
The FAA publishes a circular with very detailed advice on flight testing. Their method includes lots of slow taxiing, with speed slowly building over many runs, and then several hops before first flight. It was stated that a lot of people ignore this advice and just sort of 'kick the tires, and light the fires'. So I have a couple related questions.
Did your friend do ground testing get before recieving the airworthiness, or was it a kick-n-light procedure?
What is the general consensus within this group about how much testing is necessary? Do you lean more toward being fairly cavalier, or have you/do you plan to follow the FAA guidelines and increment taxi speeds at 5mph per several runs until the plane reaches flying speed and then do several hops before an actual flight? Most important, how do you know when the plane really is ready? Is there clear signs, or is it just a gut feeling?
--
This is by far the hardest lesson about freedom. It goes against
instinct, and morality, to just sit back and watch people make
mistakes. We want to help them, which means control them and their
decisions, but in doing so we actually hurt them (and ourselves)."
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