Originally Posted by
Arnold E
Squark, are these the rules which if broken will see you transported to Guantanamo Bay,or are they recommendations which will see you spoken about with hushed tones if not adhered to?
I'd be questioning as to WHY you need more than the pilot on-board.
- Are you not able to fly it yourself?
- Do you need someone else to fly it but don't trust them with your baby?
- Do you feel it is technically required for the safe operation of the aircraft?
- Is there another similar aircraft out there that you or your test pilot can fly in first?
There are test pilots out there that have done dozens of first flights. Some want money, some will do it for the love. Don't skim on your pilot qualifications, skills or experience for the sake of a few hundo's $ or another reason, that in hindsight seemed like a good idea at the time.
I've done more than half a dozen first flights of homebuilts and a factory built. You'd be surprised what can pop up and if you're low time on the aircraft type, things can go unexpectedly pear-shaped very quickly.