Earl Findlay
Active Member
I am working away, making rather fast progress on my RV-14 kit. Days go by as I build, and I feel on top of the world. Other days, I feel completely incapable.
I am learning so much about myself through this build. One of the things that has really hit home and become apparent is that I am a perfectionist. Except I have never built an airplane before, and I am doing a far from perfect job with my build. I am not capable of doing a perfect build. Is there even such a thing I find myself wondering? I am building an airplane that’s going to be safe and certainly won’t fall out of the sky, but I don’t think that I will ever have a showpiece on my hands.
Some days, I am pretty down on myself, wondering if I am really cut out to be doing my own build. But I want it. I want it more than anything. This build for me is more about learning some life lessons, having some fun (it is hard sometimes), and in the end, having something that I can be proud of to fly around.
As I find myself missing the PERFECT mark, I wonder what’s out there? When it comes time to sell what will eventually be my airplane, do people expect perfection? Is an airplane that’s “safe” what people want? Or am I building something that nobody will want, despite it being safe, yet not perfect? Truly, what’s the end goal of a build .. an airplane that is perfect, or just an airplane that is safe?
I doubt I am alone in how I feel. I suspect many builders have been right here before. I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts on anything that I’ve brought up.
I am learning so much about myself through this build. One of the things that has really hit home and become apparent is that I am a perfectionist. Except I have never built an airplane before, and I am doing a far from perfect job with my build. I am not capable of doing a perfect build. Is there even such a thing I find myself wondering? I am building an airplane that’s going to be safe and certainly won’t fall out of the sky, but I don’t think that I will ever have a showpiece on my hands.
Some days, I am pretty down on myself, wondering if I am really cut out to be doing my own build. But I want it. I want it more than anything. This build for me is more about learning some life lessons, having some fun (it is hard sometimes), and in the end, having something that I can be proud of to fly around.
As I find myself missing the PERFECT mark, I wonder what’s out there? When it comes time to sell what will eventually be my airplane, do people expect perfection? Is an airplane that’s “safe” what people want? Or am I building something that nobody will want, despite it being safe, yet not perfect? Truly, what’s the end goal of a build .. an airplane that is perfect, or just an airplane that is safe?
I doubt I am alone in how I feel. I suspect many builders have been right here before. I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts on anything that I’ve brought up.