A big milestone day…first engine start. It was going to be the last sunny day for over a week and I could hold out any longer. Of course it was about 95F outside and blazing hot sun and super humid. I think I lost about 5 pounds of water weight getting the plane ready. I took a few breaks inside to cool off. I made myself a checklist of things I wanted to watch and monitor during the engine run. I had already burped the engine and it was time. I climbed in check the master switch and gave my wife the thumbs up to start recording. It started right up and even ran for about a minute before I realized the fuel valve was closed. Oil pressure came up, fuel pressure looked good, temps were climbing, battery was charging. Everything was in the green. I waited until 122F and then advanced the throttle to 4000 rpm. It ran super smooth except for the lower cowling flange which was getting smacked around by the prop wash. I should have taped that down. After shut down I check and no leaks. It was a great day.
