November 12, 2024
n1436r_ff03

By Michael Stephan

On Sunday January 23, N1436R took the skies for the first time. The RV-14A built and piloted by Joe Migis completed an uneventful flight on a beautiful blue sky day.

Based at Hidden Valley, Joe stayed in the area over Hidden Valley at 2500 ft to confirm that all the systems were operating correctly. With those systems in the green, he headed to Gainesville to take advantage of a longer runway for the first landing.

After landing there, his entourage from Hidden Valley followed him to Gainesville an enjoyed a celebratory BBQ lunch before returning back home.

As of this printing he has 3.9 hours on the RV-14A, having spent that time breaking in the engine and tuning his autopilot. The next step is using the EAA flight Test Manual to work through the remainder of his Phase I Flight Test period.

Joe started the project in Coppell, and in the middle of it moved to Hidden Valley. For several years they renovated their house before restarting the project. Once back on the project it wasn’t long before it was finished. Mel inspected the airplane and within a week Joe had his RV-14A airborne.

Congratulations Joe!