Introduction
Most aircraft have flight manuals. The manual will describe the flight characteristics of the aeroplane. The recommended approach speed, stall speed, and the stall warning characteristics are but a few examples of the contents of a flight manual. Flight Test Checklist is a step by step guide to help you create that manual.
Whether your kit plane comes with a manual or not, the first fifty or so hours will be devoted to test flying your aeroplane. This is where you confirm the manufacturers results and also prove to yourself that your aircraft is mechanically sound.
This book was originally designed from the FAA Advisory Circular AC-90-89 and through the author's own experience. After consultation with professional test pilots the Flight Test Checklist was expanded to tests and tasks more common to the certification of FAR Part 23 (CAR 523) Utility aircraft (Don't let these regulations scare you, they are there only for your reference and will give you an idea of what kind of standards to aim for). It is a summary presented in checklist format, something all pilots are used to. Although this book is complete in it's entirety, we strongly recommend reading the FAA circular and other flight test documents as an expansion to the Flight Test Checklist.
The Flight Test Checklist was not intended to flight test a new type of aircraft. We strongly urge the homebuilder to seek a professional flight test pilot when the aircraft type has never been flown.