ORIGINAL: Gordon Mc


If I'm understanding you right, then this seems like the wrong "solution" to me.

If someone brings a previously unflown aircraft to an event (regardless of whether this is a jet event, or giant scale fly-in, or whatever) in order to benefit from the nucleus of talent available at the site, the larger than normal runway, the fire-crew that's present at the event, or whatever - then it seems to me that the sensible thing to do in order to minimize risk is to ask that the test flight simply be done before or after the event's core hours ; in this way the model is not being flown "in the event", and more importantly the crowds of spectators that show up at the more popular events will have either not shown up yet, or substantially dispersed.

If instead of the above sensible approach (which has been used at MANY events with great success), the AMA is saying "just have the CD step off-site momentarily, and all is wel for you to do the maiden", then they create the option for increasing the risk ... Now, instead of doing the maiden flight when the site is less populated before or after hours but while he is still there to ensure that things are done as safely as he wishes, it seems that the CD may instead elect to run down to the local McDonalds for a burger during the event's busiest hours, and have a maiden flight take place in front of thousands of spectators (aka potential victims) ???

Just doesn't make any sense. Do the maiden when the risk is minimized, not just when the CD is removed from the site.

BTW, often the event CD is THE most knowledgeable and most capable pilot around, such that insisting that he get lost during the maiden removes the option of using the person who is most able to perform the maiden with the least risk. If they care about minimizing risk, shouldn't AMA be advocating the use of the most capable pilot, rather than prohibiting his use ?
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