The Phase 1 period began immediately after receipt of the Airworthiness Certificate. First flight occurred on March 15, 2023. Many thanks to Tal for his support during the fly-off period. Could not have done it without him.
Because of the hot weather in this part of the country, many of the initial flights occurred around sunrise in the morning. This was beneficial to get cooler air for engine break-in, better lift, and pilot comfort. It also helped avoid local traffic, as most activity started later in the morning.
The 40 hour milestone was reached on May 3, 2023. I utilized the EAA Flight Test Manual as the basis for establishing the flight characteristics of the aircraft. The test cards were completed on June 16, 2023 with 57.3 hours on the engine. There were no major issues to resolve during this period.