Having done the Pre-Oil, the Lycoming manual advises a start within 3 hrs.

A big moment finally arrived, so we positioned a fire extinguisher, and …

… found some nice big chocks.

We had also prepared a checklist detailing parameters to note and how to start etc!

The G3X system has an excellent feature whereby all monitored parameters are saved to an SD card every second or so, meaning you have a detailed record which can be investigated later on a computer.

The most important thing is to be sure the oil pressure rises on start. We planned a 3-4min initial run, and then a shutdown to check for any leaks etc.

First Start

Lycoming say in the IO-390-C Series Engine Installation and Operation Manual:

“Let the engine operate at 1000 rpm for approximately 3 minutes.”

First Taxi

After a thorough check around the engine, we were pleased to see no evidence of any leaks.

Feedback from knowledgeable spectators pointed out a couple of cables which could be anchored slightly differently to improve their rigidity, so this was addressed.

Then we put the cowling on, & started again for a short run, up to a slightly higher RPM this time.

Also planned for this start was a quick taxi, to check the brakes and ground handling.

It was all rather successful, as you can see on our faces!

We now had to wait a few more days for the paperwork to arrive from our Light Aircraft Association (LAA), allowing us to begin flight testing.

G-STRV was ready … so I went home and made sure that I was as well!