One of the things I like about working odd shifts on a mission is that you work until 0200 in the morning, then sleep until your eyes open ( nice to have no alarm clock!), and then you have a few hours to enjoy whatever you want to do during the day before going back to work! I, of course, choose to fly...
So this morning I scooted across Galveston Bay to the friendly folk's airspace in Beaumont. Always looking for company, they are quick to give you an IFR block so that you can play among the clouds in safety (and legality)....I pulled up and rolled over to top a growing cumulus inverted, and looked down (or was that up?) just as the hour meter on the EFIS screen clicked from 199.9 to 200.0 - what a moment!
First flight was October 9th of last year, and aside from a month in the paint shop, she's been flying steady ever since. Aside from the few minor things I have faithfully reported here along the way (nothing is perfect, everything has glitches), the Valkyrie has been always ready to roll.
Is the RV-8 the perfect airplane? Well, frankly - no....but for my purposes, I can't think of anything else that can come as close. Is it the best aerobatic machine? No - you'll never beat an unlimited Extra, Eagle, or whatever. But I wouldn't want to try and pile a passenger and 150 lbs of luggage in one of those and fly 800 miles in under five hours. It is both responsive and stable - an interesting combination which makes for a good traveling machine, and a decent IFR platform - with an autopilot.
I am certainly not a salesman, and have even had my frustrating moments with Van's on occasion. But overall, I can't think of an airplane that I would rather own. The -8 seems to embody the concept of "Total Performance" better than anything I have seen.
A couple of us were talking at the airport one night, and the topic of the "best" airplane came up. It was mentioned how we all loved the P-51, and how few American aviators would argue that it wasn't the best fighter of its war. But you know what? Other planes could out turn it. Other planes had great range. Other planes had more firepower, more ordinance-carrying capability, more armor. Other planes could fly higher....in fact, the Mustang was second best in almost everything! However, if you finish second in every major golf tournament, or ever NASCAR race in a season, you are going to be Number One!
With this bird, I have reasonable speed, excellent handling, great range, weather-handling ability - all that is important to me. It might not be perfect for anyone else....
....but hanging there in my harness as I rolled over the top of that cloud, I couldn't think of anywhere else I would rather have been! I continued the roll and dove down the back side of the cloud, then banked and yanked right through the next one....it might get better than this, but for me, I don't know how!
So this morning I scooted across Galveston Bay to the friendly folk's airspace in Beaumont. Always looking for company, they are quick to give you an IFR block so that you can play among the clouds in safety (and legality)....I pulled up and rolled over to top a growing cumulus inverted, and looked down (or was that up?) just as the hour meter on the EFIS screen clicked from 199.9 to 200.0 - what a moment!
First flight was October 9th of last year, and aside from a month in the paint shop, she's been flying steady ever since. Aside from the few minor things I have faithfully reported here along the way (nothing is perfect, everything has glitches), the Valkyrie has been always ready to roll.
Is the RV-8 the perfect airplane? Well, frankly - no....but for my purposes, I can't think of anything else that can come as close. Is it the best aerobatic machine? No - you'll never beat an unlimited Extra, Eagle, or whatever. But I wouldn't want to try and pile a passenger and 150 lbs of luggage in one of those and fly 800 miles in under five hours. It is both responsive and stable - an interesting combination which makes for a good traveling machine, and a decent IFR platform - with an autopilot.
I am certainly not a salesman, and have even had my frustrating moments with Van's on occasion. But overall, I can't think of an airplane that I would rather own. The -8 seems to embody the concept of "Total Performance" better than anything I have seen.
A couple of us were talking at the airport one night, and the topic of the "best" airplane came up. It was mentioned how we all loved the P-51, and how few American aviators would argue that it wasn't the best fighter of its war. But you know what? Other planes could out turn it. Other planes had great range. Other planes had more firepower, more ordinance-carrying capability, more armor. Other planes could fly higher....in fact, the Mustang was second best in almost everything! However, if you finish second in every major golf tournament, or ever NASCAR race in a season, you are going to be Number One!
With this bird, I have reasonable speed, excellent handling, great range, weather-handling ability - all that is important to me. It might not be perfect for anyone else....
....but hanging there in my harness as I rolled over the top of that cloud, I couldn't think of anywhere else I would rather have been! I continued the roll and dove down the back side of the cloud, then banked and yanked right through the next one....it might get better than this, but for me, I don't know how!
