One of the joys of building something yourself is seeing many parts become one. This project started with a shipping container of components, materials, two dozen pages of plans, and a semi-complete construction manual. It went through phases that felt like reverse engineering some alien tech with parts from a crash site. I had hundreds of parts laid out on the shop floor for examination, wondering how they work and what the thinking was behind them. Parts would slowly disappear from the shelves and boxes and become part of this aircraft. What was a complex mess became a single piece that can interface with a pilot and an airport. ![[Made it to the Airport-20250901234348321.webp]] Up until weeks before finalizing the build, I had no clear plan for how to logistically proceed. I had seen other builders flying off dirt strips or having elaborate flight testing setups. In my area, I didn't really have the option to "wing it," and on the other hand, I had no idea how to plan for flight testing at an airport. This meant taking one step at a time and figuring it out as things had to happen. ![[Made it to the Airport-20250901235705097.webp]] Luckily, airports are full of airplane enthusiasts, and given they like a project, they are willing to help. The Bearhawk got a very warm welcome, I am happy to say. From people offering temporary hangar space to helping with weight and balance to compass swings, I got generous help as soon as it was clear what the project was. Interestingly, any attempts at early planning or general requests yielded basically no response. This may be useful information to other experimental airplane builders: help at airports is easier to find with an airplane. Everybody there gets the goal of making it airworthy immediately. ![[Made it to the Airport-20250902120730715.webp]] A couple of things need to happen before first flight. The biggest items on this list are verifying the fuel system, weight and balance, engine ground runs, and passing the airworthiness inspection. ![[Made it to the Airport-20250901235927844.webp]] Having infrastructure for these tasks is not something I anticipated, but it worked out in a way that I could sneak in and use some of it when there was vacancy. ![[Made it to the Airport-20250901232443249.webp]] So here we are in this ridiculously awesome hangar, nestled between the big birds, getting ready for first flight. Thanks to everyone for making this happen. I couldn't have hoped for a better place. ![[Made it to the Airport-20250901221457896.webp]] For the most part, XHawk is ready for flight testing. I am reaching the point of redundantly checking every little detail over and over where it starts becoming a distraction. It's increasingly time to focus on mentally preparing for the next phase and get past the first flight, then execute the flight test program. ![[Made it to the Airport-20250902000037642.webp]] One thing I realized when I started flying is how much sky there is. When you stand on high ground, it dominates more than half of your surroundings, more than a semi-sphere. Naturally, we are focused on the ground and have to be deliberate to be in the air. I've been deliberate about getting the XHawk off the ground – methodical through every phase of construction and testing. But now the project transitions from build phase to validation phase. All the assumptions built into this project need flight test data to confirm them. Let's find out. ![[Made it to the Airport-20250901234158637.webp]]