19 MAY 2022: LAUNCH NIGHT, BEFORE ANYONE HAD FLOWN VERY FAR
The opening AVSIM release thread catches the moment before experience could catch up with expectation. captain420 reposted the planned 2000Z availability, payment arrangements and request for patience if the launch encountered trouble. ark4diusz, Silicus and Andreas Stangenes answered with exuberant approval. These first reactions document anticipation. They cannot be reviews of systems depth or long-term reliability: the aircraft had only just become purchasable. [14, 19 May 2022; announcement and first responses]
On the next page, fakeflyer737 linked the excitement to the health of the wider hobby. tweekz welcomed the developer's approachable manner and asked for patience with early faults. JRBarrett planned to wait before buying and speculated about server load and authorisation. The audience was already discussing the complete ownership experience: buying, installing, getting help and trusting a new development team. [15, 19 May 2022; fakeflyer737, tweekz and JRBarrett]
Celebration and caution were answering different questions. One said the product had caught the imagination; the other asked whether a promising demonstration would survive a home installation and an ordinary evening flight. A fair account needs both. Launch-night excitement is part of the history, rather than proof that subsequent criticism was unfair. [15, Dated launch reactions and contrasting purchase decisions]
Original May 2022 passenger-window view of the engine and wingtip fence. A dated record of the launch-era visual presentation, before the later IAE and Sharklet additions. [16, Official article image: /images/1250410_20220513194930_1.png]