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I have sold the RV-8

David-aviator

Well Known Member
Yes, the airplane is sold to much younger friend who helped me build it.

It was tough decision but it hit me this week, if I keep flying it I will wreck it.

Problem is I like to fly - often. Recently flew with direct cross wind, twice quarterly tail wind and nearly lost it.

Ok. Short answer, don?t fly on such days. That?s not good enough.

There aren?t that many good days to fly and to deal with challenge of not wrecking airplane many flights is less than fun at my age. I enjoy flight but don?t need an emergency landing quite so often. And it never made sense to me to own airplane and not fly couple times a week.

So moving forward, have another good friend building RV-12. He says could use help completing it. We will finish the 12 and fly it.

Was difficult decision but it is done.
 
David, I've enjoyed your RV8 related posts over the years. I will make a similar decision about my 8 in the future. I'm always watching for the signs that it is time.
I look forward to your RV12 posts.
 
Flying stops being fun when you worry too much about that next landing or a windy day.

Respect to you for knowing your limits and wanting to match your skillset with the right airplane.
 
David, I've enjoyed your RV8 related posts over the years. I will make a similar decision about my 8 in the future. I'm always watching for the signs that it is time.
I look forward to your RV12 posts.

I, too have appreciated your -8 posts.
 
Flying stops being fun when you worry too much about that next landing or a windy day.

Respect to you for knowing your limits and wanting to match your skillset with the right airplane.

It is landing with less than a head wind component that I find so challenging.

There is a transition from landing to taxi where there is no directional control until tail wheel planted, that is unsettling.

An airport with more than one runway direction would help but here with 8/26 parallels, there are many days with variable south or north wind, one should just leave hangar door closed.

Landing with any headwind component is no problem at all.
 
Grass

Some wouldn't think so, but I think I've been blessed with a grass runway at my farm. The grass is a lot more forgiving than pavement if you're not straight on touchdown. Taildraggers need a lot of attention all the way down to taxi speed.
I think you made a wise decision. I hope you enjoy the 12.

Eddy
 
Welcome to the club, David. We are all assembled with different parts -- very few have the same parts as Bob Hoover or Chuck Yeager. Some spent their entire careers flying professionally and keep on flying something until they physically or mentally can't. Others, with the same professional background, never fly again once they retire. How does that happen?

I once commented to Danny King when I was about halfway through my slow build, "I haven't flown in years and haven't missed it. What if I don't WANT to fly when I'm done building?" He just shook his head.

After 13 years of building and 7 years of flying Smokey, I was done. I found flying boring (yes, even in an RV!) And I found myself worrying more about the "what ifs" than simply enjoying flight. I can't explain it. I was just done with flying.

We all change with time, some in different ways. Best of luck building your friend's -12. Maybe you'll discover another way to fit in. Maybe not. It's all good.
 
Best of luck to you David going forward.
I've enjoyed your posts over the years as well as your advice & assistance, when I was going through my 7A to 7 conversion.
 
Had great dawn patrol along Missouri River, sector west of St. Louis is secure, no enemy sighted.
Three good landings, no tail wind to screw me up. :)
Landing with tail wind not good idea with tail dragger.
 
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Welcome to the club, David. We are all assembled with different parts -- very few have the same parts as Bob Hoover or Chuck Yeager. Some spent their entire careers flying professionally and keep on flying something until they physically or mentally can't. Others, with the same professional background, never fly again once they retire. How does that happen?

I once commented to Danny King when I was about halfway through my slow build, "I haven't flown in years and haven't missed it. What if I don't WANT to fly when I'm done building?" He just shook his head.

After 13 years of building and 7 years of flying Smokey, I was done. I found flying boring (yes, even in an RV!) And I found myself worrying more about the "what ifs" than simply enjoying flight. I can't explain it. I was just done with flying.

We all change with time, some in different ways. Best of luck building your friend's -12. Maybe you'll discover another way to fit in. Maybe not. It's all good.


Once upon a time I would have found this post hard to believe, who would go to all the trouble of learning to fly & loose the passion, but I am now starting to understand this situation a little more. I've recently retired from flying professionally inc the Airlines as I simply wasn't enjoying flying like a bus driver, there's no enjoyment in that the Airlines treat you poorly, it's not a job I would encourage anybody to pursue. But I still enjoy my little plane (7ECA) & didn't get my T/W rating till recent times, I find the challenge very rewarding & seek out x wind landings etc on purpose, keeps you sharp:) I have flown an RV8 & loved that, found it easy to handle in any condition so have been searching for one now for ages. I guess near on 40 yrs driving planes with a couple of hrs under my belt helps but as mentioned we are all made differently, I like a challenge bring it on...lol
 
Once upon a time I would have found this post hard to believe, who would go to all the trouble of learning to fly & loose the passion, but I am now starting to understand this situation a little more. I've recently retired from flying professionally inc the Airlines as I simply wasn't enjoying flying like a bus driver, there's no enjoyment in that the Airlines treat you poorly, it's not a job I would encourage anybody to pursue. But I still enjoy my little plane (7ECA) & didn't get my T/W rating till recent times, I find the challenge very rewarding & seek out x wind landings etc on purpose, keeps you sharp:) I have flown an RV8 & loved that, found it easy to handle in any condition so have been searching for one now for ages. I guess near on 40 yrs driving planes with a couple of hrs under my belt helps but as mentioned we are all made differently, I like a challenge bring it on...lol

Adrian, just wondering if you've landed the 7ECA with quartering tail wind and how it went?
 
Often, my two local fields I use have what I call squirrely winds on short final due trees, gullies and hangars, keeps me on my toes🙂

Well I have difficulty with it on hard surface, grass less so.
Just have to be, as you say, on your toes. Have not departed runway yet. :) :)
 
Well I have difficulty with it on hard surface, grass less so.
Just have to be, as you say, on your toes. Have not departed runway yet. :) :)

There's a little trick I do if I am Ldg in x winds especially with any T/W component, I always fly it on well above the stall speed touching the upwind wheel down first especially on sealed Rwy's then I put the other wheel down once I have good directional control then the T/W, works for me but I do practice it a lot:) I luv the challenge:)
 
There's a little trick I do if I am Ldg in x winds especially with any T/W component, I always fly it on well above the stall speed touching the upwind wheel down first especially on sealed Rwy's then I put the other wheel down once I have good directional control then the T/W, works for me but I do practice it a lot:) I luv the challenge:)

That's generally what I try to do but as tail is coming down there is period with no directional control (except brakes). The rudder is in relative calm wind state, no directional control until tail is down and TW steering possible.

That's the area that has been unnerving me with the 8. Twice I was headed for boonies and just caught it with TW steering.

Bud Davidson talked about landing with quartering tail wind at OSH. It is a dicey event with TW aircraft. Utmost caution must be observed to prevent ground loop. I have read since, some ag pilots will not land their expensive airplanes in those conditions.

Just food for thought....I have reached point not interested in practicing it, more interested in avoiding it.
 
That's fair enuf Dave, avoid is always a good choice🙂 I guess am a little diff than most, all my flying career I've tried to 'add' to my skills trying diff methods, but that's just me😉 I've played with toy planes all my life, they are much harder to fly/land as you ain't in 'em!🙂
I force my t/w down early not too hard though so as to get that rudder authority, it's a fine line between control and aviating again as in getting airborne when you least expect it😉 I get great joy in ldg X-wind right in front of the clubhouse, we have so many "noisey" wheel drivers that the skill of t/w is dying off! In fact nose
She'll planes should be banned😂😂lolol
 
That's fair enuf Dave, avoid is always a good choice🙂 I guess am a little diff than most, all my flying career I've tried to 'add' to my skills trying diff methods, but that's just me😉 I've played with toy planes all my life, they are much harder to fly/land as you ain't in 'em!🙂
I force my t/w down early not too hard though so as to get that rudder authority, it's a fine line between control and aviating again as in getting airborne when you least expect it😉 I get great joy in ldg X-wind right in front of the clubhouse, we have so many "noisey" wheel drivers that the skill of t/w is dying off! In fact nose
She'll planes should be banned😂😂lolol

I agree with all above.

Did not get serious about TW ops until age 72 and started RV-8 build. It has been a very interesting late chapter in my flying book. :)
 
Good on you

We will all reach that point in our flying when it is time to hang it up. There are so many neglected aircraft around my home airport because people just can't seem to let go. Only you can decide when it's time to give it up. When my time comes I plan on passing my aircraft on to someone who can enjoy it as much as I have and not let it waste away on the ramp. Best to reach that decision when both the aircraft and myself are in one piece.
 
David,

You are welcome to come fly with me in the 6A anytime @ ksus. PM or text me a couple days ahead of most weekends. We have the quartering tailwind mod :)))

Bob Miller
 
David,

You are welcome to come fly with me in the 6A anytime @ ksus. PM or text me a couple days ahead of most weekends. We have the quartering tailwind mod :)))

Bob Miller

Thanks Bob. I am busy working with hangar neighbor on RV-12 project plus he has RV-7 I can fly...still have the 8, have had a couple very good flights recently, am going out feeling good about it all.

dd
 
Delivered RV-8 to new owner yesterday.

Had excellent flight with excellent landing on 1500' turf runway.

Am going out of TW ops with good feeling. Building and flying RV-8 was great experience.

Moving on with friends RV-12 project.

Thanks to all for kind words. :)
 
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