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What were your aviation accomplishments in 2010?

Ron Lee

Ron Lee

Well Known Member
Since the similar thread for 2011 has no goals for me, I will post my "accomplishments" for 2010. Some do not rate as high as others have responded but I am grasping here.

Flew four flights for Pilots n Paws (about 22 dogs)

Flew to Baja Mexico to go whale watching

Installed a smoke system

Experienced my first corn maze on a trip to Michigan.

May reach 1500 hours in the 6A.

Realized that I was not diligent enough with nose wheel pressure so I upped that to 40 PSI, cut holes in all three wheel pants to allow quick checking/filling and bought a straight inflator/gauge from Mr Farek to stay on top of tire pressures.
 
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Biggie for me???

Getting the plane done, and flown.

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I flew a plane I built (thanks to Vans, VAF, and the Geezer Squad (per Bo)) to SnF and OSH. The feelings of personal accomplishment was a little overwhelming at times. My hat is off to repeat offenders, as I can only hope to accompany you in future offending.
 
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Accomplishments

Current again after 16 years of not flying. Looked around for a good spam can to rent to regain currency and found a 1/3 partnership in a Cherokee 160 only 9 miles from my home. It sure feels good to go flying again. Now I have Grand kids to take along. (and I have to learn how to use the GPS:cool:)
 
I went to Oshkosh for the first time and it was flying in a friend's C-172. Couldn't land there because of the water but made it to Stevens Point and took a bus to Oshkosh.

At Oshkosh I got a ride in the -9A and learned the basics of riveting. :)
 
sbal0906 said:
I went to Oshkosh for the first time and it was flying in a friend's C-172. Couldn't land there because of the water but made it to Stevens Point and took a bus to Oshkosh.

At Oshkosh I got a ride in the -9A and learned the basics of riveting. :)
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That reminds me! I Survived SLOSHKOSH! :D
 
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I took 44 friends and family for rides in my plane. That's a bunch of people who got to see the world from a different perspective. Most enjoyable flight - taking my dad up for an evening flight over his home. Also the flights with the little kids. Their faces were so fun to watch as we lifted away from the runway. Casey and I got to spend a week flying across the US and seeing places and people that we would never have seen otherwise. Lee giggled as we danced with the clouds (her husband did too)! And lunch dates with my wife - a quick hop to an airport cafe and good conversation.:D
 
Probably biggest accomplishment was to get my IFR ticket and been enjoying it ever since. Had my longest X-country solo from CA to GA and really enjoyed that. Flew for charity, twice and the rest just enjoying the plane. The more I fly it the more I love it.
 
The chance to use an RV to help...

What great machines these RV's are! I've always harbored a fear of narcissism with this hobby. I've strived to put that aside and hoped one day I could use this passion for airplanes and flying to really help someone. I recently had that opportinty to do just that. It's made all the difference...

http://www.spotadventures.com/trip/view?trip_id=235545

The truth is, I've come to admire a lot of folks on this site. Most (if not, all) are not a bunch of "rich kids", but rather a group of thoughtful, considerate, and passionate aviators that really go out of their way to help others. Whether you know it or not, you inspire many of us to step out and do the same. Thank you!
 
Buying my RV.
Winning the People's Choice award at my home airport's fly-in.
Flying to the Arlington, WA fly-in in an airplane I own.
Flying to the Van's Homecoming.
Getting my Formation ticket.
Flying 70 hours in one year. That's about 1/5 of my total flying time, and more than double any year before this one.

I think it was a good year. :)

[edit] I forgot one: Recovering from a fall that crushed two vertebrae in my back. In hindsight, finding out that I would recover fully (in time) was probably the highlight.
 
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A good year

Getting my instrument rating.
First time to Oshkosh, flying with Tim Olson in his RV-10 and flying copilot in the Trimotor.
Transition training with Mike Seager.
Making several good go/nogo decisions.
Solid progress on the RV-10.
Taking about 15 people for their first flight in a light plane.
And giving my only daughter away to a really good guy!
 
Ron, give me your Address and I'll send you my Christmas Letter

Ron, for the past 20 years I have written our adventures in a Christmas Letter. Give me your address and I'll send you a copy. Coincidently this 20th Christmas Letter is 20 pages long. Something I did not mention in it is the fact that I completed 5,000 flight hours and our RV-6A completed 600 flight hours this year which is kind of significant since I did not start flying until I was 44 and I did not start building the RV-6A until I was 60. I flew in 5 air races, winning none but reached my highest ever average speed of 224+ mph in the Rocket 100 air race last month. I developed two new sets of wing tips that proved to be slower than the set I developed in 2007. I found that taping all the joints and seams in the landing gear (struts and cuffs included) was good for a 2 kt increase in speed at 6,000 ft density altitude - that is AMAZING!!! Managed to keep my instrument rating current for 26 years. Last and certainly not least I pased the 3rd class medical exam one more time - that becomes a big deal later in life.

Bob Axsom
 
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2010 has been a year of accomplishments like no other.

1. Finished and made 1st flight in my 9A(inexpressable in words)

2. Flew it to OSH to be a display plane in the Cleaveland tool booth.(4th time to fly there but this was the most rewarding)

3. Finally was able to take my wife on her 1st cross country yesterday to Lee's Summit, MO to meet friends, go downtown KC for fancy lunch, fly home in time to pick up the girls from school.
 
big year

Getting the 7 finished, painted, assembled, inspected, flying and mostly debugged. Somewhere in there I got current after 3 years of no flying and a tailwheel endorsement. Next 10 days will work on IFR and night currency. I did fly off the handle a few times--does that count?
 
Got my fuse kit basically finished (then had to stop building because I'm moving :mad: but I'm building a new place with a huge barn/hangar to build in :D so it's all good).

Went up to Maine and bought an airplane (2001 C-172R), then flew it back to Texas. 15 hours enroute over 3 days with some weather, most excellent cross-country adventure.

Started my IFR ground school a couple weeks ago.
 
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Jumped through the hoops....

to get my medical back. Six months downtime after a stent in the LAD. Successfully proved to the Fed that I'm alive and well.
 
Construction:

Panel done
Tip Up canopy done
Tail mounted and wiring done in fuselage
FW penetrations done
Engine on hoist

2011 goal is obviously first flight.

Flying:
Did my first IPC so that obviously means I'm not renting and flying enough while building. However, after the Instrument Proficiency Check, the instructor said my performance made him want to come out and practice. :)
So, that sure made me feel good. I offered to safety pilot for him. ;)
 
Got the "Eagle's Nest" high school RV-12 build started. That was enough to do that I had to put off getting my instrument rating.

Bob
 
2010

Completed build of first RV12 in Europe SN-120033, Finally, got UK approval for test flight. Waiting for the most snow in living memory (mine that is) to compact/disappear so that I can get the machine airborne. Now looking like first week in 2011.

First visit to Oshkosh from Scotland - took me 30 years, but I got there "through the most water in living memory" ;-)

Cheers...Keith
 
What a great year

-Took my first ride in my dads -7:cool:
-Learned how to do rolls :D
-I was navigator/ co-pilot for first flight into oshkosh:eek:
-Navigated/co-piloted a 4,000+ mile cross country flight.
-Flew who know how many hours:confused:
-Got some quality stick time
-Went upside down at least 100+ times:eek:
-Began PPL ground school through sportys
-Survived (Goal is to live forever... so far so good:cool:)
 
Snowflake said:
Hey, isnt' that Nick Parnell's plane?

Just kidding... :)
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Beat me to it!

Completed another deployment to Afghanistan
Qualified in two more pointy nose jets
Got married
and the biggest one of all... got the RV-7 kit out of storage after 5+ years and resumed construction! I've given up counting build hours, the clock is going on 8 years! :mad::D
 
1. Made lots of friends at VAF and EAA
2. Started building my 12
3. Got my pilots license after 20 years of dreaming

Will be hard to top this year.
 
Completed Phase 1 Flight Testing

...and started carrying passengers and venturing further afield.

Jim Sharkey
RV-6
 
1,000 hours

In late November when I totalled up my RV hours there were
4 numbers (went past 1,000 hours logged). 800+ in my RV-6
and just under 200 in my RV-8A (although the hobbs is 220+).
Have more RV time now than any other make and model.
 
2010

I added to my collection of airplanes.
A Cessna 1976 180J. I have wanted one of these since I started to fly. A dream come true. I have named it 'Paul Revere'. This is one of the Best camping airplanes. Our favorite vacation thing to do, aircraft camping.
Flew the RV8 'Borrowed Horse' to lunch today with some of the local RVers. We stoped at friends airport homes and delivered gifts and Christmas Cards. Love my RV8
 
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This was a very good year for me and my EVO rocket. I had the ECI cylinder recall to deal with before the beginning of the flying season and I lost about a month of flying time but I still managed to get my 100 hours in. The engine has never been stronger and my race times reflected that change. In the last year I set a personal best time of 277.31mph, 241knots at the Taylor Rocket 100.
My first race there, in 2006, my average speed was 236.24mph for an increase of 41.1mph in five race seasons. Flat out I am now running at Vne and so future improvements on the plane will be offset by lower rpms. Efficiency is my next target; same speeds with less fuel.
I believe that I now have the fastest recorded time of any rocket or RV.
 
I was busy

I started off 2010 with my multi rating, followed closely by my Multi-IFR. I got my first commercial aviation job working at a fly-in fishing camp only to get laid off 6 weeks later.

After coming home, I got a non-aviation job and with that money I started my RV8.
 
Worth the wait!

After 13 years of building I finally got my "Grin" with Mike Seager at OSH.:D
 
me too

Finished and flew my plane. Flew it to Sun n fun and Oshkosh with my oldest boy, Charleston SC 22 times, Atlanta twice to see the Braves with each of my sons, and Teterboro NJ to see the Titans play the NY Giants in the New Meadowlands Stadium. Logged over 145 hours in 8 months of flying my RV.

Got my CFII ticket and haven't used it once! I take that back, I took my oldest daughter flying a few times and logged IP time.:D

I guess of all that, flying my kids in a plane we built in our basement was the highlight. It doesn't get much better than that.
 
My -8

Completed my -8 in July with first flight a few weeks later in Aug. After that I caught a bug that will not allow me to stay away from my plane for more than a day or so :)
 
Finished my RV6.
Got the Phase I flown off.
Learned how to fly it.
Got my PPL.

Pretty Good Year I guess.
 
I finally got my RV6 to the airport, assembled it, and I've done my first taxi checks. :)
I got my first ride in a WWII fighter--the back seat of a P-40 that I helped do the two seat conversion on for the Liberty Foundation!
And, I got 2.5 hours of right seat time on a B-17 :D Thank you, Liberty Foundation!!!
 
I pushed my RV-8 out of the garage, put the wings on and fit the fairings & flaps...Just before the October rains began. (then took 'em off and put everything back in the garage) Working on fiberglass has gotten easier with the canopy skirt behind me. Working on flush wing tip lights.
I reserved a nice short N Number (89SE)
I called Van's for the 'Bill of Sale', and I'm working thru the EAA registration pack.
Built a nice 60x60 Butler steel Hangar at our airpark property, Made the doors myself.
Helped the son resurect a 1966 Bellanca 260, it should fly for the first time in 15 years...right after Christmas!! :D
 
Began Building Again!

It is a blessing to be back at it after a decade off. My shop got to be about 80% finished--good enough. Built the jig and start the left wing.
So far, I am planning:
Dynon skyview (7" and 10"), Dynon Transponder, autopilot, D6, 430WAAS, SL40, PMA5000EX. O-360 rebuild on order with SD8 installed along with two P-Mags.
I waited long enough for some incredible technology.
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Life is good.
Bob
 
My biggest accomplishment of 2010 was.... (Proud Mom Alert!)... watching my son solo the Schweizer on his 14th birthday! And many, many thanks to an awesome glider club!
 
tangocharlie said:
My biggest accomplishment of 2010 was.... (Proud Mom Alert!)... watching my son solo the Schweizer on his 14th birthday! And many, many thanks to an awesome glider club!
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That's awesome, Tammy. Congrats to your son!

Gliders have interested me since my dad and I were flying R/C gliders on a sod farm outside of Plainfield (south of Aurora) back in the late 70's. A full size glider rating is on my "Bucket List" for when the economy (and my paycheck) recover.
 
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