holy cow, what have i done....

ordered my info pack and my preview plans today. god help me, I have no business ordering this stuff. I keep hoping that the spirit of Kevin Costner will invade me and fill me with a modified version of the spirit of "If you build it, they will come"

"If you order the preview plans then life will line itself up so that you can build the plane"

I'll be freaking out quietly in the corner if you need me....

vans video

yeah that `16 dollar video cost about 35,000 so far.. and its still a long way off and more funds to go..

Danny...

Don't worry. People will feel sorry for you. Its a disease you know.........

Think of it this way...

You are building an asset not wasting money on a depreciating one like a car.

That's what I keep telling my wife and so far, so good!

Just wait until the aluminum parts arrive. Then-WHAT THE @#%& HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO! Keep in perspective, take it one step at a time. Don't look at the whole thing or you'll be overwhelmed. I started as "I got to build it." now, "I get to build it". Over the years and several hobbies (Expensive Hobbies) I have managed to support my bad habits without digging into the family funds. Sometimes it takes another part time job.

Derrell
RV7A Finish

N941WR said:

You are building an asset not wasting money on a depreciating one like a car.

That's what I keep telling my wife and so far, so good!

Click to expand...

thats what I keep telling myself, and I think that I believe it.

then when I float the fact that I'm considering building past either of the cfi's that I fly with I keep hearing the horror stories about various dusty hangers full of partially built RV's, that the project has to pass to the 5th builder before it has a chance to be completed, etc.

but like they say, I'm trying to eat this elephant in small bites so that I don't choke.

It's an activity, like anything else. It's good therapy and you can build at your own speed and your own budget. Be CAREFUL -- be very, very careful -- that it doesn't start sucking time away from your family and -- if you have young kids -- theyoung kids. They're not going to be this age again. Ever. The project will wait for you.

The other day I was pulling weeds in the garden right after mowing the lawm and said to myself "what's the pointof this? I'll have to do it again next week and this is time I'll never get back in my life"

building airplanes ain't like that. (g)

Don't worry. There's a 12 step program:

1. Info pack
2. Preview plans
3. Practice project
4. Tools
5. Empennage kit
6. Wings kit
7. Fuselage kit
8. Finish kit
9. Engine
10. Firewall forward kit
11. Prop
12. Avionics

After that, you're cured (except for repeat offenders)

Is this #3 in Daves 12 step list above?

RV Training Project

Sort of. But take a SportAir workshop instead. You'll build that and when you're done you not only get something to show your friends, you get a free bucket of confidence with every course.

None of those sportair classes are anywhere near me...

just called up to OR and added the training project to my order, now to start buying tools...

take this test

How many of these apply to you?

1. I have driven rivets when I was depressed, or to cheer myself up.
2. I have gone on riveting binges of several sub-assemblies in a day.
3. I work rapidly, often 'gulping' builder instructions.
4. I have sometimes riveted early in the morning or before work.
5. I have hidden parts and tools in different places to sneak a build session in without being seen.
6. Sometimes I avoid friends or family obligations in order to build.
7. Sometimes I find myself analyzing sections of the preview plans as if I was building even while at work.
8. I am unable to enjoy myself with others unless there is a rivet gun nearby.
9. At a party, I will often slip off unnoticed to go building.
10. Airplane building has made me seek haunts and companions which I would otherwise avoid.
11. I have neglected personal hygiene or household chores until I have finished a sub-assembly.
12. I have spent money meant for necessities on aircraft tools instead.
13. Most of my friends are kit airplane builders.
14. I have sometimes passed out from a night of heavy dimpling.
15. I have suffered 'blackouts' or memory loss from a bout of priming.
16. I have wept, become angry or irrational because of mistakes I have made.
17. I have sometimes wished I did not build so much.
18. Sometimes I think my building is out of control.

If you answered 'yes' to three or more of these questions, you may be an abuser. Affirmative responses to five or more indicates a serious problem.

Regarding the list above....You are never "cured". You just go into remission until the urge to build another one gets ahold of you!

I'll second Bob's comments... I took the SportAir sheetmetal class a few months ago... I don't know how I would have started without it.

It's when you get that big kit in the big box that takes you and two or three other people to get off the truck (maybe you can't even get it off the truck) and then you remember you just spent thousands of dollars for this large box of metal----that's when you might just think you're in over your head. Actually, I just wrote the check for the rest of my fuselage kit yesterday and I kind of had a pit in my stomach because it emptied one of my savings accounts. That made me nervous because I am not even halfway done with my wings!

Mike,

After taking the SportAir workshop last summer on a standby basis, I don't see how I would have done without it. I know plenty of guys (and girls, Roberta!) have, but like Bob Collins said, the confidence was worth every penny I paid for the course. If I were to do it over again, I would pay for the plane ticket to fly to the course rather than go without. While the traning project will teach you the mechanical steps of the project, I think I got more out of having an expert to ask questions of and actually show me what I was doing wrong.

I took it in Arlington, WA (Jack Dueck, a Canuckian taught) and there were guys that even camped out to save some dollars!

Take care,

Jim

SonoraMike said:

None of those sportair classes are anywhere near me...

just called up to OR and added the training project to my order, now to start buying tools...

Click to expand...

That Sportair workshop was just right. It got me on the right track and really instilled confidence in me. I actually waited til late October, '02 to start my empennage 'cause I wanted to attend the seminar, even though I had all the tools and the tail kit in August. They usually have a Spring and Fall session in Oshkosh. I don't think the Fall one has been scheduled yet. Hopefully it will be for midwest builders.

Roberta

Drag yourself out of that corner, Mike, and get to work.
You are about to embark on a very interesting journey.
As of today, 4189 guys and gals have flown their airplanes - and so can you.

dd

SonoraMike said:

None of those sportair classes are anywhere near me...

just called up to OR and added the training project to my order, now to start buying tools...

Click to expand...

then drop the money and go where they are. You'll make the money back. At OSH a few years ago, they had SportAir mini-workshops and one builder had these words: If your first exposure to building is the first subkit of your plane, you'll be ordering a second subkit.