Please don’t get the idea, though, that I didn’t like the V1.0…I came away, in fact, very much a fan of the plane, and my flight was one of the most enjoyable ones I’ve had in ages, though I have to admit it surprised me a few times…in good ways, that is.
My companion for the flight would be Ameravia’s Ramon Pineda, a 15,000-hour helicopter and fixed-wing pilot from Venezuela with great flying stories to tell. He was a great flying buddy. As we waited for the fuel truck, we walked around the V.1.0 and remarked upon the design. There’s nothing very surprising, really. It’s a classic metal craft from stem to stern. Like Mooneys, the V1.0 makes use of a welded steel cage up front and built-up wings and tail. It’s strong, with the added crashworthiness of a cage up front.
