A New Homebuilt And Rusty Pilots

They expressed their nervousness, which was understandable. Who wants to show their flight skills to a critic when those skills are at low proficiency? It is human nature to want to show your best side, but a rusty pilot flight review will show the naked truth. I explained there is nothing wrong with being out of practice, and a flight review is not a test, but an opportunity to learn. Their anxiety acknowledged, we moved on to the needed practice.

Mike Hart

Sunday, June 02, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The article details a challenging flight review for two rusty pilots preparing to conduct the maiden test flight of their newly built, high-performance, conventional-gear experimental aircraft, presenting a significant "risk stack."
The training methodically addressed these risks by restoring general proficiency, mastering tailwheel-specific challenges (like rudder control and ground loops), and earning a high-performance endorsement using a similar aircraft.
A crucial element of the preparation involved intensive practice of engine-out-on-takeoff scenarios, identified as a common and dangerous event for experimental aircraft maiden flights.
The experience demonstrates that complex, multi-layered aviation risks can be safely managed through deliberate training, methodical preparation, and acknowledging specific challenges, allowing pilots to confidently handle demanding situations.

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Not all flight reviews are equal, and rusty pilots are not at all uncommon, but I recently faced a scenario that gave me pause. It read like the beginning of an NTSB report with a stack of extremely novel circumstances. My choice was either be one of the contributing factors to an accident or one of the mitigations. My goal was the latter.

I recently had the opportunity to provide a flight review for two pilots—a father and son—who had taken a roughly five-year break from flying. During that time, they built a new plane. It was now ready for its maiden flight, but they, as pilots, were not.