Quote Originally Posted by Mike Switzer View Post
Biggest issue i see is, you legally can't fly off the 40 test hours on your plane if you aren't already a pilot
Mike hits it on the head. The other big problem with the "build, then learn to fly in it" concept is 2 people can't be in the plane until the 40 hours are flown off (ok, there's some nitpicking exceptions discussed in another thread on here somewhere, but certainly not an instructor / student pilot situation).

So, what you would have is a brand-new non-flight-tested homebuilt and no license. You would have to find someone ELSE to fly it for 40 hours (or more) to get the required Phase I flight testing out of the way. Then you would have to find an instructor, who, if not experienced in that type, at least experienced enough to be willing to try and instruct in that type (or willing to get transition training, fly your plane solo for a few hours - whatever they feel they need to be comfortable instructing in it). Depending on the type, that might prove difficult, if not impossible, if it's not a simple low/slow kind of airplane.

Then, you would beat the snot out of your nearly-new, carefully hand-crafted over several years airplane with the trials of learning to fly. Why not rent someone else's TRAINER that's intended to take some, let's say "new pilot" abuse?

Before investing the money and time in building an airplane, I would STRONGLY recommend getting the license FIRST. Then, when you're into the build project, you can reserve maybe 1-2x / month to go out and do a little flight in a rental. Or, for that matter, your flight training experience (and EAA chapter participation, getting into the build, meeting other builders) might get you into situations where you get some flight time without it being in a rental...