I crashed my first avistar a few months back and built a new kit shortly after. i had been waiting for the right weekend to get out and maiden it and this weekend was perfect for it. the weather was sunny, hot and humid with 5 mph winds or so. We got the engine re-tuned and were ready to fly. i was a nervous wreck going out for that first flight since during the previous one i had crashed on take-off.

taxied around a few times to get a feel for how she handled on the runway and then pushed the stick forward and held my breath... straight down the middle and into the air! i was so happy! flew the pattern for about 7-10 mins and then did a few practice landing approaches getting a feel for the sink rate and throttle position. came around one final time and landed with just a tiny bit of bounce (1-2").

of course i fueled up and flew once more, but this time doing some figure 8's, a barrel roll and just having a great time. i could have flown more but didn't want to press my luck and it was about time to get home anyway.

i'd like to formally thank Dukester for his help tuning my engine and standing by me for both flights giving me instruction and advice. i really couldn't have done it without him. Thanks so much!