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What do you do to pay for your flying addiction?

Interesting Group

I manage a municipal electric utility. I started as an Air Force officer. Spent 10 years doing various jobs, mostly as a navigator on tankers and C-130's. After leaving active duty, I spent 5 years as an engineering professor teaching engineering materials and manufacturing processes. Then I moved to the municipal utility environment. After 2 moves I am back with the utility I started with in 1983. Have 2 adult children and 2 grandchildren, ages 2 years and 1 week.
Got my PPL in 1973. after flying some for 2 years, I had to re-think my priorities because of the growing family. In 2001, I saw that the children were out of the house and bank account and I started flying again. Am nearly finished with the empenage for an RV-8. The wing kit is to be shipped April 17.
 
Navy

Working at submarine force staff as warfare assessments officer. Look forward every day to getting home to play with our 5 month old son. The Navy has been my only real job, went to USNA right out of HS, and spent many years at in submarines, at sea and in the shipyards.

I've got about three more years till retirement; then, I'll have to find a real job ;)

Uncle Sam didn't like my eyesight when I was at the boat school, so I couldn't fly above the water, got lots of time 'flying' below the surface, though. I got my PPL back in '03, went to Oshkosh and then ordered and finished my empennage early in grad school. Expecting wing kit shipment this week :D
 
Gac

I'm an Avionics Engineer for Gulfstream Aerospace. Basically I do Avionics and Electrical installation drawings in AutoCAD. I work on the retrofit side. We install anything from a full-up glass cockpit upgrade and any other cockpit avionics you can think of, to iridium cabin phones and other entertainment mods. We do retrofits on the entire Gulfstream product line as well as Challenger 601 and 604s, Falcon 10, 50, 900, 2000s, Hawker 700 and 800s.

I am also an A&P so I do GA radio installs and sheet metal repairs on the side.
 
I've been laughing for hours... :D

I'll pass on trying out her new nickname to her face until after the credit card is run on the wing kit balance ;)

Joe
 
I am a veterinarian in private small animal practice. Learned to fly in Alaska, and have been at it for 28 yrs. Used to own and fly a C170B, and miss that girl bad, but now working on an RV-8 empennage. Married with all kids gone and out being adults, two still in college (5total between our combined families). Have wanted to build an airplane since I was 16. Can't believe it is finally coming together. :rolleyes:
 
Right brain guy

I see lots of software guys and engineers in this forum. I'm the total opposite--a right brain guy. I've spent the last 29 years in advertising, marketing and graphic design. High-tech companies hire me to explain the benefits of complicated technologies in a way that's simple, interesting and fun.

People often tell me I don't seem like the type to be building an airplane in the garage. They might be right! I've been working on my 9A for over 5 years and the end is nowhere in sight.

My left brain really enjoys the challenge of figuring out how to make this thing fly--but it's counting on the right brain to come up with a great paint scheme!

Mark
Working on the canopy
 
I'll have to confess--I'm one of those lawyers who trigger nausea in many of our listmates. I do chase ambulances, and have caught enough to allow me to work on a RV-7QB.

I used to fly for the Marine Corps, light jets mostly, and had several all-expense-paid trips to the Orient. Our kids are all gone, and we have 4 wonderful grandkids (can I post pictures?)

Really, I am too old for this hobby and this crowd. Remember the Peter Pan principle: If you refuse to grow up, you can fly! I'm just happy to be here.

Jim Pleasants
Saint Simons Island, Georgia
 
4 years out of college, married, I do the electronic side of marketing and advertising (think radio/tv/intraweb, etc) for the family-owned retail business here in Maine..

which explains why I'm only a lurker, and can't afford to be a builder yet.. :)
 
jferraro16 said:
I've been laughing for hours... :D

I'll pass on trying out her new nickname to her face until after the credit card is run on the wing kit balance ;)

Joe
Click to expand...
I suggest waiting until the plane is flying. That way you can make a quick escape :)
 
JMRV7 said:
4 years out of college, married, I do the electronic side of marketing and advertising (think radio/tv/intraweb, etc) for the family-owned retail business here in Maine..

which explains why I'm only a lurker, and can't afford to be a builder yet.. :)
Click to expand...

This post makes for an interesting comparison: I'm 14 years out of law school, married to exactly the right woman with one wonderful kid.

I work about 60-80 hours a week at a pretty heavy-duty Washington law firm, which likewise explains why I'm only a lurker, and can't find the time to be a builder yet. :mad:
 
What I do

I'm a television News Assignment Editor for the Number One Canadian Television network CTV. Hence they almost always come to me when a winged wonder gets bent or is otherwise in distress. I find banging rivets at night a great way to "de-stress" after a particularly busy day shifting reporters and cameras around South Western Ontario, dealing with producers, anchors and tape editors.
My other job is keeping my wife calm after the Visa bill arrives with the latest "must have" from the accessories catalogue.
My firrst plane was a Steen Skybolt and after years of loops and roles, I'm looking forward to hamburger hunting..fast.

Dave C
RV-7
C-GCPD (reserved)
 
my turn

Ahhhh, some other lawyers out there. I figured this was too creative an endeavor for attorneys. Just kiddin' guys.

I am a recovering attorney. I jumped ship 10+ years ago to start my IT consulting firm, which I sold last year. I am now doing freelance IT consulting while trying to convince one of the big consulting firms to hire me.

DC YXer -- I used to work at AGSH&F. Where are you?

Antony
 
Another retired cop

I'm a retired cop, spent most of my career flying Bell JetRangers and as the unit safety officer, which only got me into trouble! Now I work part time with other retired farts on government contracts "escorting" illegal aliens and felons back home and out of the USA. ConAir rules!
 
I sell timeclocks for a living. Actually, "Labor Management Solutions". I worked on the client service side (implementation, service and training) before moving to sales.

I am a RV buyer not a builder. I cover the state of Florida, and when I took this position, I decided that I needed to start flying again to make the most of my territory. I originally got my PPL back in 82, and only had about 60 total hours. Flying got too expensive, so I put it on hold.

About 10 months ago, I decided to get current again so I could fly from Jacksonville to some of my meetings in Tampa and South Florida. I started looking at planes, and RV's seemed to fit the bill. Fast enough to get to Tampa in an hour, and it is normally just me, so 2 seats is enough. I found a local 6-A that was brand new (35 hrs) for sale. Tom Butler built it.

I bought N436JE in October, and have put about 60 hours on it since then, all around Florida, and one trip to Atlanta. It has worked out GREAT. :D .

In a few months, I want to upgrade the panel, so I can get my instrument rating. I am trying to be cautious with the weather (I drove down to Tampa yesterday, because I had to spend the night, and the forecast wasn't very good for today). I always wake up early (to check the weather) the day of a trip to either drive or to catch a Southwest flight to wherever I am going if the weather doesn't look good.

James Raymond
N436JE
Neptune Beach, FL
 
Civil/Construction Professional Engineer

I design and build taxiways, runways, parking aprons and hangers. I am currently building the new Alpha taxiway at Pope AFB, NC as well as the new POL facility there. I am also building a new Aviation Support Facility (hanger) at Hunter AAF, GA and the new Depot parking apron at Warner-Robins AFB.

In a former life I flew A-10s for 13 years at Myrtle Beach, Osan AB, Davis-Monthan and Pope. 3 tours to the Sandbox and 100 combat sorties during our first unplesentness over there was enough for me.

Scott Murchison
RV-4 Wings 99%
Lillington , NC
 
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Not retired cop

City of Santa Monica Police.
And there be a lot of sunburned cops with our department... after standing on the beach for the whole day during the recovery and accident investigation of the Bonanza crash. What a mess. :(

Peter Lashley
SMPD

Rv-8 : Still in tiny little bits on the shelves of Van's Aircraft
N88PL - Reserved
 
What do you do

I have been retired for 25 years from the California Highway Patrol. I was a Traffic Officer (Road Patrol) for 10 years and a Fixed Wing pilot for 8 years in the area of Barstow,Calif. Loved that job !!
My wife and I have built two RV-4's ,first finished in 1983 and second in 2002. 700 hours on the first one and 62 hours on the second.
I now have a problem with the medical requirements of the Fatherless Aviation
Administration and the RV-4 sits in the hangar. I can taxi it all I want !!
We got to the point of having the grass runway on the farm with the hangar 100' from the back door and the runway from the back door. Got it MADE , huh ? Until the damngummint got hold of me !!!
Oh well , we are riding our Honda Goldwing almost every day - 20,000 miles since April 2005. Not bad for an old 74 year old.
Life goes on.
Bob n' Lu Olds
RV-4 , N1191X
Charleston,Arkansas
 
Add me to the IT geek list. I currently work for a large storage company designing and implementing disaster recovery solutions. (Think 9/11 and all the companies that were back online in a matter of hours/days.)

--Ken
 
So with all the police officers (bless you all and thank you for your service) on this list bulding...

When are we going to see pigs fly?

Sorry. Someone had to ask. :)
 
Another Engineer

My BS degree is in aerospace engineering. So what have I been doing for the past 25 years? I've designed weapons, artillery projectiles, mobile cranes, dredges, a robotic arm, field kitchens for the Army and now I'm designing armored vehicles. Not one of them was designed to fly. But it has paid enough to allow me to go home at night and build my RV-4, which should be flying soon. :D

Alan Billings
RV-4 finishing kit
Taneytown, MD
 
My oldest (of 2) sons & I own & operate a small commercial print shop. I came the route of plastic, controll line, R/C & now RV. I started flying in the mid 60's-off & on since then-still no ppl. Lauren Payne's article about OV1's broght back memories. I sat right seat in an OV1B with the 73 SAC in Viet Nam.

Derrell Brooks
RV7A Finish
Alpharetta, GA
 
My oldest (of 2) sons & I own & operate a small commercial print shop. I came the route of plastic, controll line, R/C & now RV. I started flying in the mid 60's-off & on since then-still no ppl. Lauren Payne's article about OV1's brought back memories. I sat right seat in an OV1B with the 73 SAC in Viet Nam.

Derrell Brooks
RV7A Finish
Alpharetta, GA
 
Director of IT for a civil engineering consulting firm Doucet & Associates, Inc.. Been flying spam cans since the early '90s.
 
I torture Jr. High kids all day :cool:
oops...that word should be teach...teach! Sounds like Captain John and I have a few things in common outside of planes. I also teach Technology
Ed only at the Jr. High level it's more of an exploritory setting. I even get to teach an aviation unit. As a teacher I don't make squat, but I pay for my habbit / obsession operating a contracting business. I install custom shower doors on weekends. Currently building a Kitfox IV (good deal came along) but have been on this site for 2 years. Future plans to build an RV-10.
Dan B
Mesa, AZ
www.azshowersolutions.com/Kitfox1.html
 
Teacher...are you kidding?!!

Yep, me too. I teach pre-engineering and computer applications at the local high school. I had a "real" job for twenty years as a manufacturing plant manager. I love the teaching gig....gives me time to work on the 7A.

Sam Evans
Abilene, TX
7A, forward fuse
 
I've been putting this off for months, I guess it's time to come clean!

I'm a retired old fart and part time airport bum. I used to be a Systems Engineering Manager for Big... well a large company. But that was so long ago they didn't call us geeks, more like eggheads. I don't know how I ever had time to work, my wife keeps me busy twelve hours a day, no wonder my 7A isn't finished.

And, I throw my hat in ring with the shot and a beer guy's!

Larry - Finishing
RV-7A N75LF reserved
Illinois (St Louis area)
 
Well, I'm the Production Manager at a fairly large outdoor seating manufacturer. Been here for almost 19 years. Grew up in the Midwest and got my PPL in '87. Flown mostly Pipers and Cessnas. Currently own a Cherokee. I grew up building model planes, then C/L, then R/C and always thought I'd never get to build a "real" kit. A couple of years ago at a local fly-in I saw this sleek nice looking plane and found out about RV's and I was hooked. I happened to be in Washinton visiting my brother and drove down to Aurora and got a ride in the factory 9A and was really hooked. Got my tail kit in November '05 and my wing kit last week. Loving every minute of building, though don't profess to be a professional at it, but I did stay and a Holiday Inn Express last week.

PaulR
91300
inventorying wings
South Alabama
 
occupation

AP/IA owner of my own maintenance shop.(a very small maintenance shop so company meetings are real short.)... AA-1A pilot.. 7a builder wannabe. On my own for the last two months and paying bills!!!!! barely but still paying!!!
Brian Wallis
"twinkie"
N41RC
If anyone gets stuck in the atlanta area or needs a mechanic in the atlanta area.. feel free to call
315-486-3117... will trade stick time....
 
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Laser?

I may have had a small part in this honkin' laser evolution. I installed a CO2 laser system at Sandia National Labs at Kirtland AFB back in the early 90's. It was out in a test trailer, in the middle of the desert, with a bunch of long haired, gap toothed Physicists running amok trying to figure out it's atmospheric absorption characteristics. When asked what they were going to use the laser for (normally used for product package marking and coding), they just said, "please install and calibrate it and do not leave this room without an escort." Uh...OK....nuf said. :cool:

Several years later I saw a public display booth at KAFB with...you guessed it...a "honkin' laser" mounted atop a KC-135 model with pictures of blowed up missiles, scorched cinder blocks 'n such. :D

Brian Denk
RV8 N94BD
 
Intel inside?

Oh, but since the days of laser schenanigans, I'm now a Senior Facilities Operations Technician at Intel. It's HVAC on a VERY grandiose scale. Thanks to the dot.com boom, the RV8 came to be. Now with the stock in the crapper, well, gonna have to sell off the kids for scientific experiments. :eek:

Kidding! Really. Honest. :rolleyes:

(name the Monty Python movie where THIS one came from!)


Brian Denk
RV8 N94BD
RV10 '51
 
..And another Computer Dude

After recently working for a 2nd tier database / mobile middleware company in Dublin, CA, made the jump to work for a really big software company as a Senior Program Mgr in Redmond, WA, which a lot of folks refer to as the "Dark Evil Empire." It's really not too bad. At least Bill lets me drive the Death Star on Thursday's! Oh, and it let's me afford the -7.
 
Engineer Herder

I have spent 10 years in the AF looking at Radar Scopes in the back of an AWACS. 6 years active duty, 2 years as an activated reservist, 2 years a regular reservist. The reserves is how I pay for my "habit." Of course, no wife and kids helps keep the money flowing to what I want.

When I am not Reserving, I am a Program Manager (or 'Mangler' as my engineers like to call me) for a small defense company in North Ft Worth.
 
What I do

I live in Brisbane, Down Under. I get up when you all go to sleep in the states.
I put little back boxes onto your Tv so we can tell what you watched last night.( Tv Ratings ) Have been into electronic for about 20 years now.
Single, no kids, except for my cat and dog. If I didnt have to pay my ex-wife out I could have been in the air bye now.
 
I Fly

Flying is all I know. Spent 20 years in the AF flying OV-10, A-7, F-105, F-4 and F-16, then retired. Spent 17 years in the airline flying Fokker F-28, B-727, B-737, B-757, B-767, and Airbus 320 series, then retired again. Now fly Part 135 contract operations. Do whale surveys for NOAA in the Winter and Forest Fire support in the Summer, only when I want to and just enough to support my new RV-8. First flight was last Wednesday and I have put 11+ hours on in 3 days. Named her after my grand daughter so she thinks I'm way cool. :cool: The RV is way more fun than anything I have flown so far. Seriously. :)
 
Factory Worker

I?m a 20 year 2nd shift factory worker. I fix machines that assemble light bulbs, they filmed a ?How its Made? episode the other day. There is a Laser connection though. We use lasers to weld the things together and I have replaced thousands of ?Flashlamps?

Warren
AHYUP.COM
 
Congrats!

ronschreck said:
... only when I want to and just enough to support my new RV-8. First flight was last Wednesday and I have put 11+ hours on in 3 days. Named her after my grand daughter so she thinks I'm way cool. :cool: The RV is way more fun than anything I have flown so far. Seriously. :)
Click to expand...
Congratulations on the first flight, Ron! Feel free to post some pictures!
 
Retired Airline Pilot

Yup, here is another guy that did 37 years in the Airlines.

Started with Qantas Airways in Sydney, OZ,in 1966, then moved back to Canada in 1969 and went through the mill with Pacific Western Airlines, which evolved into Canadi>n Airlines which was finally absorbed by Air Canada. Got to fly DC3, Lockheed Electra, B707, HS125, with Qantas Airways, then B707again, DC6B, Convair 640, Lockheed Hecules, B737, B767, B747 with the Canadian companies.

It has been a good run and I happened to be at the right place at the right time which allowed the move into the left seat (C-130) at the age of 31. I guess the diversity in the flying has kept the job interesting for me. Flying the C-130 "Herc" was pretty wild. One day you would be moving an entire oil rig out onto the Arctic ice from a dirt strip, and the next day you could be shooting an ILS into Germany with a couple of F-104's in the back. We got to fly a lot in the deserts of the world, including the Arctic, Arabia, Africa etc, mostly involved in oil exploration.

My last flight (three years ago) was down to Sydney and back through PHNL which completed the full circle of my airline flying. A very satisfying ending.

Hopefully, the flying is not finished yet because I may be getting a part time job flying a Beaver on float and skiis. That would be very cool, because my first job ever, was flying a Super Cub on floats in the wilds of British Columbia.

My wife is quite supportive of the RV project which is surprising since her only two flights in an RV-4 made her nauseous. It was quite bumpy though, so I am hoping for better luck when our bird is finished. I have two daughters and my wife has one of each. Both of our oldest kids have left home so just one teenager left.

Presently, I am building an RV-8 with a buddy and we have finished the empennage, working on our QB wings in the home shop, and the QB fuselage awaits patiently in the chilly hangar for warmer weather.

Meantime, I am extremely lucky to have a friend with an RV-4. He lets me fly it occaisionally and what can I say? There can be no greater love than for a man to share his RV with a friend. I really do count my blessings.

Cheers, Pete
 
Retired, Forester US Forest Service--Zone silviculturist, which means I was the bad guy that decided what timber should be clear cut vs. thinned & how to reforest after we raped & pillaged. Was a great job until certain people got involved who didn't know what they were talking about.

Retired, Oregon Air Guard where I did non-destructive inspection. X-ray inspections, dye penetrant, ultra sonic, mag particle, dye penetrant and oil analysis. Deployed to Alaska, Canada, Panama, Iceland, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. It was a good gig & I only left because they kicked me out for turning 60.
 
Very cool thread! All these guys I know, but don't know, you know? Jeffy, I knew you were a cop, but Detective Lieutenant? So young too! :eek:)

Anyway, I is a 'lectric ungunear. Worked my way through school as a machinist, good background for building. Did mostly IC design. Retired at 43, yes I was lucky, but also, I was good, and worked my ass off. That was 12 years ago, time since then mostly spent playing with airplanes.

Finished "Nuisance" in '03. A great airplane, great people, don't know what I would do with out the whole flying scene.

John Huft
Pagosa Springs, CO
RV8 "Nuisance" (not 'the' nuisance, and not 'a' nuisance)
C185 "Awesome Teresa" (after my ever tolerant wife)
Mullicoupe under construction
 
Here's another one (cop)

I've been a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for 32 years. 30 on operational police work, twenty of that as a crime scene specialist. I have a nice all days labour relations position now. :)
 
ronschreck said:
The RV is way more fun than anything I have flown so far. Seriously. :)
Click to expand...

Whoa, an RV-8 is more fun than OV-10s, F-105s, A-7s, F-4s??? Cool! If RVs are good enough for ex-fighter pilots, it'll work for me. That's one of the reasons I picked the RV-8; never got to fly anything military, so I figgered I'd build my own little fighter. The fact that the RV looks pretty sharp in a military paint scheme is a nice bonus...

Chalk up another airline puke; B-737 copilot, Houston based. Worked my way up via CFI, C-310 cargo, Beech 1900 capt/fo, 121 charter pax/cargo B-727/DC-9, B-747 engineer, and finally 737 fo. One of these days I oughta bid for 737 captain... but don't wanna commute to Newark, woof!

John
 
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