The students were not informed about the pending first flight for several reasons. The major reason was to minimize the pressure on the EAA volunteers and the pilot to fly the airplane if conditions weren't "just right". We were also concerned about the unpredictable weather and the possibility of a mishap or major delay. The Palmdale Learning Plaza principal, Rick Grove, and the primary coordinating teacher, Peggy O'Brien were on hand.

On the 17th of January, 1997, following a couple of windy months, the core EAA volunteers prepared the aircraft for its first flight. Bob Hoey would be the pilot.


The first flight was a short straight-ahead hop down the 5000-foot runway at Fox Field to check for control effectiveness, trim settings, and general operation of the engine and other systems.