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Thanks, Tom Berge!

jjhoneck

Well Known Member
As many of you know, Mary and I have been searching for an RV-8A since last winter. Somewhere along the way, someone recommended that we hire Tom Berge, of Minneapolis, to help us evaluate an aircraft we were looking at in Minnesota. (We were long-term aircraft owners and pilots, but new to the homebuilt world.)

That went extremely well. Although we did not buy that first aircraft, Tom was extraordinarily helpful, and his RV expertise was in evidence from start to finish.

Since then, Tom has helped us in a thousand different ways, and I wanted to give him a big thumb's up recommendation here on Van's Airforce. He is truly a "one stop shopping experience", helping us with initial evaluation (looking at photos on the internet, specifications, etc.), physical evaluation (prebuy inspections), test flying, purchasing, modifications, delivery, AND transition training!

And, I'm glad to report: Success! Tom spent the last four days with us in Texas, teaching us how to fly our amazing new (to us) RV-8A! Earlier today we delivered Tom to the big airport in Corpus Christi, where he rode the executive mail tube back to his home in Minnesota.

Before THAT, however, Tom helped us to find our new plane in Vermont, where he spent a couple of days working helping us work with the seller and evaluating the plane from stem to stern, top to bottom. After we decided to buy it, he helped with the transaction from start to finish -- and then flew the plane back to his home base in Crystal, MN, where he spent a week making modifications to it so that Mary could fly it.

These mods included installing quick-adjustable rudder pedals, which made it possible for my, er, "height challenged" (5' tall, in heels) wife to reach the rudders, while still allowing the plane to work with my 6' frame. Then, because we're both pilots and didn't want to feel helpless in the back cockpit, we had Tom install a back-seat throttle, and rudder pedals.

Then, the "while we're at its" started. As long as it was all apart, we had one of the TruTrack autopilot servos rebuilt, cuz the altitude hold "null zone" was non-existent. (It kept saying either "trim up", or "trim down". It was never "happy" -- now it is.) Tom also installed a baggage door arm that holds the door up nicely. And we had the plane annualed. And we installed the aftermarket front axle.

The list seemed never-ending, but with Tom's help each modification was carefully weighed for cost and benefit, and done quickly, efficiently, and correctly.

The fuel tank pick up tube service bulletin had not been complied with. Tom fixed that -- a real job. He replaced most of the phillips screws in the airplane with stainless steel Torx and Allen screws, making future disassembly/assembly SO much easier.

And then, finally...it was done, and time to deliver the plane to our island off the coast of Texas. That was a fun flight, dodging weather all the way from MN to TX.

Then the fun REALLY began! Transition training.

Mary and are not inexperienced pilots -- we've flown coast to coast, Canada to Mexico, for two decades -- but it's always been in spam cans. Cherokees, mostly, but with a sprinkling of rental Cessnas and our beloved old Ercoupe. Needless to say, transitioning to the little RV-8 was fun and exciting, as we went from a waffling old mini-van (the Piper Pathfinder, with an O-540 out front) to a little fighter plane!

In retrospect, both of us agree that, of all the CFIs we've known and worked with, Tom is by far the best. With Mary, especially, he knew what to say, and when to say it, to make her feel at ease in the plane -- a plane she was nervous about flying from the get-go. He was patient, and very, very knowledgeable. Because of his excellent training, I feel competent and ready to fly our new airplane anywhere -- and so does Mary.

Better yet, he spent his last few hours with us teaching me how to perform basic maintenance on the plane. We've always done everything the law would allow us to do to our certificated planes, so I'm no stranger to grease and tools, but the RV is a whole new world. Tom patiently demonstrated how everything went together (and came apart), so that we are now happily ready to perform oil changes, brake jobs, etc., without fear of screwing up too badly!

In the end, the best part is that he's become a trusted friend. Tom is just an all around good guy, whom I trusted implicitly from the moment I spoke with him on the phone. We never had a contract, and, in fact, I never met him in-person until he delivered our plane -- yet he flawlessly performed complex evaluation and delivery procedures thoroughly and on-time.

He is truly one of the good guys in aviation, and I can HIGHLY recommend his services. :)

Now...here's a picture of our pretty new bird, in her temporary quarters. (Until we sell our Cherokee Pathfinder.) We've christened her "Amelia", and you will soon see her at a fly-in near you!

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Couldn't Agree More...

Yes, he is a top notch guy...gave me some transition training and did some great things to my plane. Anyone who employs his services will not be disappointed.
 
Congrats on your purchase and welcome to the RV owners world. Enjoy your new airplane.

Thanks, Tommy!

I am counting the hours to Sunday, which will be the next time I will get to fly it -- and the first time without Berge in the back seat, torturing me. :D

Of course, Mary will be back there, instead. Which is worse? :rolleyes: ;)
 
What a beautiful story with a great ending! That is the way aviation USED TO BE, but seems almost rare these days. You do everyone a favor by letting us know of a great guy to perform these services if needed.
By the way - great looking 8 as well!
 
I want to thank Tom Too

A thank you to Tom for my first flight in a RV and also for his advice and helping me put my RV9A together after painting.

Mark Kenworthy
Tomah WI
 
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Well folks I guess I need to chime in here and add my recommendations for Tom. He and I have flown together for over 20 years and he has been our "go-to" guy for anything involving RV construction for the Twin Cities RV Builders. I have made about dozen initial test flights over the years and my standard has always been that I wouldn't fly it until Tom gave it the OK (including my RV4 and RV7).

The downside is that now he will be busier than ever!!!!
 
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All good things written here about Tom are true. I had my first RV ride in Tom's first RV in 1993. Well, I started my project that year. Tom came over and helped me get started with the first (horizontal stab spar) rivets. He frequently came over to help with this or that - a big help always. I was again in his 6 when we flew chase for the first flight of my plane in 2001, although I'd had a number of breakfast flights in it prior to that, including transition training. I followed Tom's work on getting his instrument, commercial and CFI ratings. I believe I was his first passenger on an IFR flight in IMC.

Although he and his wife sold their business a decade or so ago and "retired", I think he's busier with his second career... Certainly having more fun!
 
What a beautiful story with a great ending! That is the way aviation USED TO BE, but seems almost rare these days.

Actually, I disagree. The "charlatan-to-good-guy" ratio has always been blessedly low -- and remains that way.

Pilots are a special breed. There is something about the act of hurling oneself bodily through the skies that seems to weed out the idiots and asshats.

Which is good! :D
 
Thanks again Tom

I must agree with everything said about Tom. He did my transition training Almost 3 years ago. Very knowledgable guy in all aspects of aviation and in the world of RV's. He made my transition into my 7a easy with his methods of training. Thanks again Tom
 
Let me jump on the Tom Berge fan club bandwagon. Tom helped me with an issue I had regarding my prop. I have a 3-blade Catto in front of my O-320, and I was curious if it was pitched correctly. I could never achieve the full redline RPM in flight despite the fact the static RPM was good. Tom came down with some friends and a 2-blade Sensenich prop belonging to one of the guys, complete with spinner, etc. We installed it on my RV-6A and Tom went flying. The bottom line was, the metal prop only gained about 5-8 mph and 90 RPM, so the Catto is good. I've been too busy with other stuff to figure out why the Lyc won't get up to 2700, but then the fuel burn would be ugly. I was happy to buy Tom and his friends lunch and pay his gas from MN to MO. Tom's a good friend.
 
Tom

I did my transition training with Tom, it went like everyone else has said. All was good. Ron
 
Tom looked at my airplane project three times during its construction (as did Doug Weiler, by the way) and when it passed his rigorous inspections, I had no qualms -- none at all -- about the plane.

He did my first flight for me and I had about 7 or 8 hours of transition training with him.

He's patient, knowledgeable and just a plain fun guy and a pleasure to know.

BTW, if you're still building, listen to this podcast I did with him many years ago and save yourself some trouble.
 
+1 more for Berge

Thought I would just re-open this old thread to heap some more praise on Tom. Had the pleasure of flying 4.1 hours with him this past weekend up at his place.

I totally agree with everything positive that everyone else has said in this thread about him.

I might add that his 7A is smoooth, quiet, and warm as toast. It was built right and is maintained right.

I would also add that not only is he a superb instructor in the air, but is an outstanding ground instructor as well. I have found that combination to be rare over all my years of flying.

Happy to answer any more detailed questions about my experience with him. Just shoot me an email.
 
Another thumbs up for the Bergenator...

Tom helped me get my pilots license under AOPA's mentor program. He frequently took me out flying to show me things I didn't quite understand from my flight instructor. Not only that, he gave me my first real cross country experience flying his hot rod RV-7A out to Yellowstone where we went fly fishing.
And yes, he sold me on the RV airplane and he is pretty much responsible for the project in my basement now.
Overall great guy, very knowledgeable, very skilled pilot. If you've got RV questions, he has the answers for you. I wouldn't trust my plane or my safety to anyone else.
 
+2 for Tom !!! He flew out to Oregon with my 17 year old (who he never met) and brought him back in our new RV. Then did both of our transition training. You can not find a nicer guy or one who is more bent on making sure people enjoy these planes.
 
Tom gave me about 9 hours of transition training in my 7A and in that time, I got more out of it than the the previous couple of hundred hours of flying and instruction to that point.

He's amazing.

He's like an RV Whisperer.
 
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