Ed Sullivan wrote...

All in all, I would suggest that having someone else make your first
flight would be tatamount to having a stand in take the first shot at
your new wife.

If your new wife has the potential to crush you, stab you,
and burn you to death due to your inability to handle her,
you might consider getting a stand-in until you've polished
your skills a bit. So to speak.

Pride has no place in flight test.

Dave 'long fall' Hyde