I've gotta say the final, final assembly at the hangar has to be some of the most enjoyable time spent on the project in all the years of riveting and wrenching. The reality of "don't f*** this part up it's the last time" requires utmost focus and really sticking to your plan. Documenting your work so as not to miss anything, review your documentation and again on the plane. That time spent with no distractions, mostly by myself seemed almost meditative and very rewarding. I did not start any one assembly (HS, VS, Rudder, Wing bolts...) without seeing it through in one session. No critical assembly left undone. Document ANYTHING on my "punch list" if left incomplete. Review punch list often. Second or more set of eyes all over the plane.
This is the only time in the whole project that building took priority over family life for me... thus the 13 years
. It was a pretty hard month and a half on the wife I think bless her she never complained.
The entire plane, yes plane!, suddenly was viewed through the morbid lens of yes this one bolt, nut, cotter pin and so on has the potential to kill you and your occupants. It's hard to grasp that when you start with a pile of aluminum in a flat crate from Van's many years prior.
I completed transition training with Mike Seager end of June. The first day driving back from Vernonia it hit me like a brick. This is serious, this is an airplane you assembled in your garage. You are going to fly it. Wow! That, to me, was very sobering.
Now that I'm done, done and insurance is lined up and the plane sits ready for action Murphy laughs at us as the weather has gone to s*@$ here for at least a week ha ha. Oh well, it'll happen.