Maiden flight
In the early days of aviation it could be dangerous, because the exact handling characteristics of the aircraft were generally unknown.The maiden flight of a new type is almost invariably flown by a highly experienced test pilot.Maiden flights are usually accompanied by a chase plane, to verify items like altitude, airspeed, and general airworthiness.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.An incomplete list of maiden flights of notable aircraft types, organized by date, follows.
First Flightaircraftrocketsaviationhandlingtest pilotchase planealtitudeairspeedairworthinessFederal Aviation AdministrationWright FlyerConcordeAirbus A380Thomas MoyClément AderGretz-ArmainvilliersGustave WhiteheadLeutershausenLyman GilmoreGrass ValleyRichard PearseWright brothersKitty Hawk, North CarolinaTraian VuiaRomanianmonoplaneMontessonAlberto Santos-Dumont14-bisGlenn CurtissScientific AmericanSopwith CamelbiplaneBrooklandsWeybridgeSurreyBoeingB-17 Flying Fortressheavy bomberDouglas DC-3cargo aircraftConsolidated B-24Hughes H-4 Herculesflying boatde Havilland Cometjet airlinerLockheedC-130 Herculesmilitary transportSud Aviation CaravelleAvro Canada CF-105 Arrowsupersonicfighterinterceptorfly-by-wireLockheed A-12reconnaissance aircraftVickers VC10Boeing 737Tupolev Tu-154TupolevTu-144Boeing 747widebodyMil Mi-24helicopterAirbus A300AirbusAirbus A320Antonov An-225 MriyaBoeing 777Scaled Composites SpaceShipOnedouble-deckerToulouse–Blagnac AirportAirbus A400MBoeing 787composite materialsMitsubishi Regional Jettwin-engineregional jetMitsubishi Heavy IndustriesComac C919Scaled Composites StratolaunchBoeing 777XIngenuityKF-21 Boramaemultirole fighterAgency for Defense DevelopmentKorea Aerospace IndustriesV-2 RocketKarman linePGM-11 RedstoneWernher von Braunballistic missileLaunchedCape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 4SputnikVostok-KSaturn VSpace ShuttleDelta IV HeavyFalcon HeavyElon Musk's Tesla RoadsterSpace Launch SystemArtemis 1StarshipVulcan CentaurFlight testCBS News