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RV-7 #74286

CaptainQwyx

Member
Well, third time's the charm, so they say.

Started a 6A tail kit sometime around '98 or so after seeing a church friend building one in his garage (the thought of "building your own airplane" blew my mind). Hadn't even starting flight training. Idea was to build it and then learn to fly in it. Boy was I naive back then... (some would say still am...) :eek:

Got busy with church responsibilities, and kinda afraid of this idea - taking this on before really knowing about it, no flight time, is this really the plane for me, etc. Was able to sell the kit (and Avery tool-kit) to a co-worker and then started flight training a year or so later.

Bought a Cherokee 140/150 for a short time after getting my instrument rating. Then sold it due to job change and relocation to Denver.

Went to Oshkosh '06 and decided to jump back in with a -7 tail kit. Build up both stab's, even bought the wing kit. Moved here to Eagles Nest in Midlothian, TX and was commuting to Denver once a month for the day-job.

Could only take that so long so I sold both kits (and Avery tool-kit) for down payment on a B55 Baron - dreams of regular family mini-vacations and also solid IFR flight to Denver, and visiting family in WY, UT. Unexpectedly the Baron's first annual inspection turned into a 4 year restoration project that ate me alive funds-wise. We did get one epic family trip last summer across the US as a celebration of getting it flying again, but the TCO was just way out of line.

I was able to sell the Baron recently to a flight school and had paid down the loan just enough that the sale proceeds were enough to cover a (3rd) Avery tool-kit and a -7 empennage kit.

So here I am, back where I want to be - building for fun, and more in control of the airplane's TCO - not having to rely on anyone else for maintenance once it's all done. And it will get me back and forth to Denver just as fast, on 1/2 - 1/3 of the fuel burn. And looking forward to great trips with the wife to visit the eventual grandkids. I'm not putting any time-pressure on myself, but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm finishing sometime around when the youngest leaves the nest (6-7 years from now).

I've rejoined EAA 168, re-upped my dues here at VAF, inventoried the Empennage kit so let's get to it!

I don't plan on blogging every session, but I am doing some video capture for an eventual stop-motion movie of the complete build. Here's the first video of some workshop preparation, practice kits, and finally the tail kit inventory:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQpSHBEpT3c
 
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