The article details the successful first flight of "Melmoth 2" on November 1, 2002, the culmination of a 21-year personal project to build the experimental four-seat composite airplane.
The pilot describes the experience as one of profound relief rather than excitement, comparing the emotional satisfaction to witnessing the birth of his children.
Initial flight testing revealed several technical challenges, including an incorrectly plumbed oil cooler, difficulties with landing gear extension, pitch trim limitations, and engine cooling issues, which the author is addressing through ongoing experimentation.
This is it: the end of a 21-year countdown. The 9,600-foot Mojave runway stretches out in front of me, the chase plane is coming up from behind. It’s clear and calm this November 1st-the day when, as I heard someone explain yesterday on NPR, “the barrier between the living and the dead is thinnest.”
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Peter Garrison taught himself to use a slide rule and tin snips, built an airplane in his backyard, and flew it to Japan. He began contributing to FLYING in 1968, and he continues to share his columns, ""Technicalities"" and ""Aftermath,"" with FLYING readers.
