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The maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. This is similar to a ship's maiden voyage. Maiden Voyage is the fifth Album led by Jazz musician Herbie Hancock, and was recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in 1965 for Blue Note

The first flight of a new aircraft type is always a historic occasion for the type. It is also one of the most dangerous, because the exact handling characteristics of the aircraft are generally unknown. The first flight of a new type is almost invariably flown by a highly experienced test pilot. Test pilots are Aviators who fly new and modified Aircraft in specific maneuvers allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated First flights are usually accompanied by a chase aircraft, to verify items like altitude, airspeed, and general air-worthiness.

A first flight is only one stage in the development of an aircraft type. Unless the type is a pure research aircraft (such as the X-15), the aircraft must be tested extensively to ensure that it delivers the desired performance with an acceptable margin of safety. In the case of civilian aircraft, a new type must be certified by a governing agency (such as the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States) before it can enter operation. The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of

Notable first flights

An incomplete list of first flights of notable aircraft types, organized by date, follows.

References

See also

Flight test is a branch of Aeronautical engineering that develops and gathers data during flight of an aircraft and then analyses the data to evaluate the flight characteristics

Dictionary

maiden flight

-noun

  1. The first flight of an airplane or other airborne vehicle, usually used to test or demonstrate the functions of the systems.
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