FIRST FLIGHT

31 OCTOBER 2013

NAVAL BASE VENTURA COUNTY PT. MUGU CALIFORNIA

WIND: 7 KNOTS - NORMAL

TEMPERATURE: 22 CELSIUS - NORMAL

LOCAL TIME - 1400

OPERATOR: AIRCRAFT PREP FOR TOWING

LOCAL TIME - 1415

MAINTAINER: AIRCRAFT ARRIVED LAUNCH SPOT, BLADES SPREAD, APPLY GROUND POWER FOR STATUS CHECK

LOCAL TIME - 1420

OPERATOR: REPORT AIRCRAFT STATUS

MAINTAINER: BATTERY CHECK, ENGINE CHECK, FUEL SYSTEM CHECK, COMM NEGATIVE, FLIGHT CONTROLS CHECK,  CHECK CHECK CHECK... TROUBLESHOOTING COMM RADIOS

OPERATOR: COMM RESTART AND CHECK STATUS

MAINTAINER: NEGATIVE

OPERATOR: REPLACE RADIOS AND CHECK STATUS

LOCAL TIME - 1445

MAINTAINER: COMM CHECK NORMAL

OPERATOR: HOLD ENGINE POWER, CHECK ALL PARAMETERS

LOCAL TIME - 1455

OPERATOR: ALL PARAMETERS NORMAL, APPLY FLIGHT POWER

LOCATL TIME - 1505

OPERATOR: ALL PARAMETERS CHECK, PREPARE FOR FLIGHT

LOCAL TIME - 1507

LAUNCH COMMAND APPLIED AND IT TOOK OFF

This moment is here, after 18 months of research and development, design and integration, testing and production. We are finally here, in the observation room, where there are a lot of computer screens providing live video of the aircraft and live information from the control room.

Up until 1455, everyone and every team is just gossiping, wondering if the aircraft will actually defy gravity or not or will it do something crazy that we didn't expect. To make the environment more humorous, some jokingly said it must be this or that problem. I said, oh it must be a software issue (a mechanical engineer always think problems come from software, we didn't need electricity and software back in the days).

As soon as 1505 hits and the operator announced prepare for flight, the room went silent. I can seriously hear everyone's heart beat, or maybe it is just my own beating so fast and hard. I couldn't wait for the landing skids to leave the earth, defy gravity and prove what Newton taught us.

It took off, it sure did as expected and there went a round of applause in the room. I didn't, I had a huge smile on my face and felt really warm inside. Some left the room not too long afterwards, but I stayed to make sure it actually lands. You want to make sure having a first flight should also have a first landing, or else you might make head news tomorrow on CNN.

Congratulations team, couldn't have done it without you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WW1s9Nqyd8