There's nothing wrong with ground evaluations when getting to know a freshly built airplane . . . although I've gotten familiar with any number of airplanes in my long life and never felt the need to do HSTT's. I would have been looked upon as something of an idiot in fact, had I tried such antics. There are ways to find or diagnose engine problems without racing down a runway without the intention to take off. Is it too obvious to mention there would have been no brake fluid fire on Larry's plane had the plane been operated in a more thoughtful way? Aside from low speed initial evaluations of gear tracking and braking with freshly-built aircraft, most HSTT's are performed by guys thinking they are familiarizing themselves with a new airplane they are a bit afraid of and unexpectedly finding themselves in the air or blown off the runway by a gust. They panic, try to force the airplane back on the runway then lose control and damage the plane. Or they find themselves in the weeds (or worse) having run off the end of the runway. Re brakes, any experienced A&P who regularly services aircraft can easily tell whether the airplane has been operated by pilots or drivers. Many fine pilots are drivers of course . . . I've just found in my own life that the less I use brakes the more skillful I've become. I shouldn't have commented on the brake fire. I had no idea it would stir controversy since most of us are all grown up and have seen enough examples of poor airmanship to know what works and what doesn't. I'll leave the topic alone. Provecho, Mike StirewaltKSEE
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