Quote Originally Posted by GWright6970 View Post
If I remember correctly, AC 90-89A has included taxi tests as a task to be included in the 40 hours. (Just to muddy things up! Sorry!)
When I flew off my 40 hours on both Model IVs i figured every minute I was seated in the airplane with the engine running, I was in Phase I testing. Oil pressure, temps, RPM stability with throttle inputs - everything was relative to the correct function of the airplane. When finished with the 40 hours, I, as the test pilot, signed it off and have never been questioned by anyone on the accuracy of the hours reported. In fact, when finished with the actual testing - climb, cruise, stalls, everything, I was still fairly early in the 40 hour required time, so did a lot if flying over a lot of scenic areas within the designated area simply to demonstrate reliability and comply with the requirements. My buddy who flew off his 20 hours in his Lancair 4 because his engine was certified accomplished the exact same thing.