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RV-12 demographics

How old were you when you acquired your first RV12 kit or plane

  • under 30

    Votes: 5 3.1%

  • 30-39

    Votes: 7 4.4%

  • 40-49

    Votes: 26 16.4%

  • 50-59

    Votes: 45 28.3%

  • 60-69

    Votes: 50 31.4%

  • 70-79

    Votes: 22 13.8%

  • 80 and older

    Votes: 4 2.5%
  • Total voters
    159
D

diamond

Well Known Member
I'm curious what the demographics are of the average RV-12 builder. I once thought that most were retired folks with LSA in mind, but more recently it seems the younger crowd is becoming more active. So the question is this. How old were you when you acquired your first RV-12 kit or flying RV-12?
 
I am not a builder yet but plan on building a -12 when I finish my Sport Pilot training. I am 55 and three choices seem to fit my mission and budget, the RV-12, Zenith CH 650 and Sonex. I do not want a build that will take many years and like the -12 as it can be flying in a year or so if you can dedicate the time to build. The support on this site is also a major deciding factor. I will be attending Sebring and Sun-n-Fun in the spring to ?try them on? before making the final decision. I also plan to build E-AB as I like the Jabaru or UL Power, maybe even Viking after I see more in use. Once I am finished building and if the Drivers Liscence Medical proposal goes thru I may start a RV-7.
 
diamond said:
I'm curious what the demographics are of the average RV-12 builder. I once thought that most were retired folks with LSA in mind, but more recently it seems the younger crowd is becoming more active. So the question is this. How old were you when you acquired your first RV-12 kit or flying RV-12?
Click to expand...

Yeah.... just a bunch of old farts with a little cash.
 
Hey Big John - -

Some of us 'kids' have just not grown up yet ! ! ! ! :):)
( no plans to either ! )

John Bender
348 hours
 
I have seven builders who aren't old enough to get their driver's license--do they count??

Bob
 
I will speak up for the younger crowd. I am 26 and actively looking at the rv-12 for the following reasons. I have been a fly on the wall for well over a year and I am getting closer and closer to finally making a decision!

1) I do not have my SP or PPL, my father had a plane when I was younger and would love to get into flying but renting a plane does not appeal to me. The local rental aircraft have been abused and it shows.
2) I want to build my own aircraft, I know I can buy a 30 year old 150/152 for a lot cheaper than a RV-12, however I would rather have a brand new / build by me airplane.
3) I have found that insurance companies will not even consider a pilot with no to little time for a lot of experiemental aircraft. The rv-12 requires about 60 hours of time to get insured. A taildrager RV is around 150 hours that is approx 100 hours of paying well over $100 an hour for a 30+ year old outdated aircraft.
4) I believe that you should not exceed your limitations. The RV-12 is relatively limited even if you hold a private pilot endorsement. It is like getting your motorcycle endorsment. You should learn on a Honda 250 or Kawasaki 500 standard bike before jumping on a Kawasaki GSXR 1000.
5) All my flying would be local and to see family across the Chesepeake. It takes me 2-3 hours to drive (Thanks to limited bridges and no ferries), it would take me 45 minutes to fly.
6) MoGas - need I say more
7) I want to get my A&P, I know I dont need it to work on my own airplane, but it is a life goal of mine. If you take the 3 week class to get you light sport repairman certificate, your E-LSA build counts toward your 30 months of working under your own surpervision.
8) I can build it in under 1000 hours and enjoy flying it while I build my RV-10. Wife eventually wants kids so I need a larger airframe to transport them over the bay to see the grandparents.

I know it isnt for everyone and my reasons are for me and they may not apply to many people, but thought I would share. Feel free to let me know if I am crazy on some of these points!

Hopefully I will come to a final choice on aircraft soon
 
I'll speak for myself - thanks

My driver's license says that I'm over 70 but unless you want to have a foot race with me, I'm not old - too many fires during my 42 year career as a firefighter. In fact, I do not allow anyone around me to use the word 'OLD'. I am not the same as I was at say, 30, but I certainly am not 'old'. I define 'old' as when you use that word as part of an excuse for not being able to do something. The day that I attain the status of 'old' is the day that I will give up on the idea of flying, my car, my tools, sxx, etc. Functionally dead, I think. And yes, I don't trust anyone over 130!

The RV-12 suits me because I don't need an airplane that consumes 8-15 gallons of 100 octane fuel per hour.
 
BigJohn said:
Don't hold your breath on that one.........;)
Click to expand...

They might! We Australians recently got it. Over here, CASA usually follows the FAA, but for once they seem to be leading the way. Mind you, it took a lot of lobbying over many years by the SAAA (Sport Aircraft Association of Australia).
 
I'm "only" 46 and healthy, but never found the time or motivation to justify getting an IFR rating for the type of flying I do - mostly local with the rare longer cross country.

I debated building an RV-7A for a while, but kept coming back to the 12 which I started in April and just finished up the wing kit. I'll probably keep up my medical, but flying under LSA rules will not make any difference to a "younger" guy like me.
 
another old timer

Recieved first kit in April this year and I am 75 and looking foward to many years of flying my RV 12 if I can ever get Subkit 5.
 
Welcome to the group - -

Glad to see another in my area. I think there are 5 in Iowa now flying.

John Bender
348 hours
 
E. D. Eliot said:
My driver's license says that I'm over 70 but unless you want to have a foot race with me, I'm not old - too many fires during my 42 year career as a firefighter. In fact, I do not allow anyone around me to use the word 'OLD'. I am not the same as I was at say, 30, but I certainly am not 'old'. I define 'old' as when you use that word as part of an excuse for not being able to do something. The day that I attain the status of 'old' is the day that I will give up on the idea of flying, my car, my tools, sxx, etc. Functionally dead, I think. And yes, I don't trust anyone over 130!

The RV-12 suits me because I don't need an airplane that consumes 8-15 gallons of 100 octane fuel per hour.
Click to expand...



I tell my mother-in-law, I may grow older, but I refuse to grow up. She still doesn't like it. BTW rearrange the letters in M-I-L, it spells woman hitler.:D

Marshall Alexander
 
I have been in contact with Mitch, however our schedules have not lined up. I hope to meet up with him soon when we are both in town. I conveniently live without 5 minutes of St Mary's Airport.
 
I was 36 when I started building my RV-3. 57 when I started building the RV-12. I'm 60 now and this RV stuff is what's keeping me young. That and my 5 year old daughter.
 
CVal said:
.......I know it isnt for everyone and my reasons are for me and they may not apply to many people, but thought I would share. Feel free to let me know if I am crazy on some of these points!
Click to expand...

Cval - thanks for sharing - guys like you are the future of general aviation! Way to go!
 
Popularity obviously dominated by the 50-70 group. It would be interesting to run this poll again in a year or two. I wonder if the upgraded avionics kit will make this plane more appealing to the 50 and under group?
 
What is wrong with this poll is that in reality most are in the 70 and 80 bracket, but the old timers never learned to use computers yet!
 
Don, do you have facts to support that claim? I suspect not, and I know a lot of "old timers" who are very savvy in computers of all kinds. Man, we even use Iphones, drive cars, fly airplanes, do math problems in our heads for amusement, and occasionally run the vacuum at home for the wife.
Dick Seiders
 
Some of us are even housebroken!!:)

But, I know what you mean. Usually a kid, and that can mean anyone less than 30, can solve my computer issues.
 
Nah, it was just a fleeing thought, stated to make the young ones think we were of greater numbers than we really are. (and you forgot the IPADS)

dick seiders said:
Don, do you have facts to support that claim? I suspect not, and I know a lot of "old timers" who are very savvy in computers of all kinds. Man, we even use Iphones, drive cars, fly airplanes, do math problems in our heads for amusement, and occasionally run the vacuum at home for the wife.
Dick Seiders
Click to expand...
 
Comparisons

the comparison with the RV-builders in general is interesting -- that one seems to show a broader age distribution than the RV-12 builders.

I wonder about the age distribution of all recreational general-aviation pilots.
 
LSA Pilot Age

Last month I attended a two day E-LSA Repairman Inspection Course that Rainbow Aviation held in Lakeland. Its really exciting to read about the high school students building RV-12s, but based on this poll and the profile of this useful class, we've really got to keep working on getting some younger folk into these LSAs. In the class of less than thirty, one student was recovering from dual hip surgery, another struggled at times to follow the lectures (dual hearing aids) and what was really disturbing, we had one heart attack on morning of day two. (Fortunately, we learned that he had a couple of stents put in by the time the day was over and he was expected to fully recover.) Maybe the Florida location skewed the attendance - I'm not yet 50 but I almost felt like a teenager.

Even my wife is now skeptical when I try and convince her that this LSA thing is not necessarily for old, retired pilots unable to handle regular airplanes!
 
and, as the old joke goes, "Thank God I can still drive!"

especially important for LSA pilots - drive...driver's licenses.... get it.....


Bob Bogash
fully recovered from hip surgery, cataract surgery,....
N737G
 
Started our build when I was 15, still building at 18 with no plans on stopping ( its addictive!) :rolleyes: Around a hundred others are in the same situation as me thanks to Eagles Nest Projects
 
Last edited:
I see I posted on this thread a couple years ago. Looks like we had seven high-schoolers than. To this point, we have had at least 102 "kids." all in the first age group, do at least part of an RV-12. That should lower the average just a bit! I would also submit that this age group learns more, and can do a lot for the aviation cause over the next few decades.

Bob
 
OK-- I'll confess

Started 143WM when I was 68, finished when I was 69, and have just turned 72.

I can (just barely) use a computer for net and work processing (can't type, tho) and a GPS-- avoid the rest of the electronic gadgets like the plague. If they'd been an option, 3WM would have round gauges and DOES have backup round altimeter, airspeed, and slip indicator. Although I no longer fly instrumenst, I still believe the old gauges were much easier to scan (scan, not read) than the D-180)

Wayne 120241 143WM :)
 
Why?

Why do guys even involve their wives in discussions such as this - if you want to build an RV-12 and have the time and $$$ for it then go ahead and do it. If she is for it and supports you then great, if not then she is missing one of the most beautiful experiences in life (free flight).

If she doesn't agree with your building and flying an RV-12 then consider letting her go and find and marry someone who hugs trees, hoards his money and drives a Smart Car or a Fiat. Life is too short!!!!!

If I have offended anyone here then too bad - I'm not sorry. Life is too short - go and enjoy it!!!
 
Nope - but since you assumed!!!

She's received one half of everything plus more and it was worth it. We grew apart and lost respect for each other (very common in the USA).

Before I retired, I had an extremely stressful but rewarding position with the LA City Fire Department. I had more stress at home than on the job. Stress = cancer and both of us got cancer - I was dying - decided one morning to take control of what was left of my life and eliminate both sources of extreme stress. Divorces cost a lot of money - if I could go back to age 25, I would wait until I was 35 before even considering marriage or even involvement - then find a woman who would respect me.

Respect is everything - it is earned, not given. I urge all men to lead, support and respect their woman. Too many AMERICAN MEN don't lead, support, or respect their woman and to top it off, THEY ARE WIMPS. Just ask the women. Nuff said.
 
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