The decals, numbers, and necessary placards were applied to the airplane and it was deemed ready for flight by the EAA participants.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was called to perform the final inspection. Brian Ashton, an FAA inspector, completed the inspection and signed off the log books on 1 November 1996. The Palmdale School District purchased liability insurance for the flight test phase.

Bob Hoey, one of the EAA participants from the very beginning, performed some low speed and high speed taxi tests with the airplane on the taxiways and the runway at Fox Field. Following the taxi tests a leaky fuel valve was replaced and some minor adjustments were made to the brakes.