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how old is the "average" RV builder?

young

I am 25. working on a -8 emp. Have wanted to build since I was 19 and finally decided to just take a plung and do it!
 
I am 28 and have wanted to build since I was 27. Took my builders class a day before I turned 28, and ordered my empennage a few weeks afterwards. I have met a lot of great people from all over the country since I started building and learned what dragging my tail is all about in a Citabria. It is definitely a project that has changed my life and I like everything about it so far.
 
RV-building and FLYING changes you for sure!

When you read my experience building my RV-9A, you learn that other builders are your first new friends. When you get the project flying, you meet "airport bums" in your test area. When phase 1 testing is completed, you get to meet a lot of other RV pilots at fly-ins around the country.

I started when I was 55 in 2002. I went to Oregon for my transition training on my 58th birthday. The next two days were flying with Mike Seager on June 1 & 2, 2005. The first flight of my RV-9A was on June 9, 2005. As of August 16, 2006 the Hobbs has 207.3 hours on it.

I have flown My RV-9A to Oshkosh Airventure in 2005 and 2006, camping by the airplane both times. At 59 today, I still feel young every time the wheels leave the ground.

Jerry K. Thorne
RV-9A N2PZ
"Enterprise"
www.n2prise.org
 
39, supposed to turn 40 next month, but I'm taking a pass :)

Wish I had found this adventure earlier!

Joe
 
Young yes....

I turned 61 the other day and I agree, still young......RVs keep you that way. Then again, a good woman does too!
Regards,
 
I started my RV6 when I was 26.

Fisrt flight when I was 31.

Now I'm 43...wishing I was 26 again, so I could do it all over.
 
This kinda says it all.

50bday3.jpg


Been building for about 4 years now. Wish I had started much earlier
 
age???????

I am 52, have 6 kids, oldest is 25, youngest is 7, currently 3 are teens :eek: . The oldest is done with college, married to a great guy, and turned me in to a grandpa for the first time on Valentines day!!!!! I will only be 63 when the last graduates from high school! It keeps life interesting!
 
25 here, this is my second 8, been working on emp for three months now. I couldn't thank my wife enough for her support. Brian Kelly
 
Soloed in 1957

Guess that makes me old. Just turned 67. Great friends come in every age.

Pressure testing right tank. Time flys when you're having fun. I learn a lot from the whipper-snappers on this list (anybody under 60).
 
Slowbuild 7A. Started building when i was 66. First flight I was 69. Now am 71 and have over 200 hours on it. Was just up today doing immelmans and stalls and felt like 25. Great airplane for any age. Fred
 
Similar age numbers as Fred.
First flight of my RV-7A was this July at age 69.
Started the RV when I was 65.
Tom
 
19, Dad want an airplane so I'm building him one. I'll be doing the majority of it since I have all the free time. Quick Build 7A gets here in one week, I should probably start flying lessons sometime soon :)
 
probably not the "average"...

I'm 19 years old and built an 8A with my dad over the last year and a half. The plane was a dream at oshkosh 2004 and with A LOT of hard work and many hours we completed the project and flew it to Oshkosh this year. I got the chance to fly it in the homebuilt review and it has been the best experience of my life (so far)....many more great RV experiences to come!!
 
Age

Presently in my seventies. I have built two RVs (test flew both) a Six and a Nine. Looking foward to building a Twelve. I also have a Cub am Keeping for the Grand Kids. There are other RV Pilots older than I am here in Florida. I learned to fly in a 7AC Champ for 15 dollars an hour. That was along time ago.
Gerry Chancey
RV-9, N92GC
J-3 Cub, N88583
 
52. And just for the record, Darwin Barrie is my hero. I still have to schlepp my a** to work every morning.:(

Dan, Jen will notice in a few years that all your friends are younger.

It's funny how that works.:p
 
youngest?

always wondered who has the title of youngest builder... I started 9/28/2002 when I was 19.5 years old. It was a steep plunge to take, but my skills have improved over time. I've got an RV-7A, slowbuild. I'm currently working on hanging engine, figuring avionics, and sanding my fingers off on the canopy glass work! I'm building the thing for myself... most of my family think I'm nuts and hate airplanes (Here is their typical sarcasm: you know those little homebuilt death traps)

And yes, for some reason my friends are all older... much, much older!!! :D
 
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mid life crisis?

ChiefPilot said:
37 here. Started my -6A when I was 32. Hope be done in time for the mid-life crisis at 40! :)
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40? Darn, I missed it. I always thought it happened in the 50s!
 
Mid-life crisis

rv8ch said:
40? Darn, I missed it. I always thought it happened in the 50s!
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Hey Mickey didn't you hear, 60 is the new 40 so you have lots of time.
I guess it must happen some time in the sixties because I'm 57 and still waiting.
Tom Norwood
RV-6A N822PM (res)
TMX 0-360 FP
 
mid life crisis

NYTOM said:
Hey Mickey didn't you hear, 60 is the new 40 so you have lots of time. ...
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Phew! Good to hear - thanks! I was worried that I had missed it. I've heard it's a lot of fun - sports cars, girlfriends, divorces, all that! :)
 
rv8ch said:
Phew! Good to hear - thanks! I was worried that I had missed it. I've heard it's a lot of fun - sports cars, girlfriends, divorces, all that! :)
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OK, I've had the divorce, and got the fancy airplane - where to I go to get my sports car and find the girls?! :p :rolleyes:

Paul
 
35

I'm 35 and just started my RV-8 empennage. Hope to have it flying by my 40th b-day! Wish me luck! :D

Been flying 21 yrs.

Brent
 
25....... Hopefully starting next Summer on my -8 Project. I don't want to have to drive to the airport to work. Kind of limits the build time a little when you have to drive to work on it. Better to have it at home and tinker when the time is available. (Just got done flying formation for the first time w/ the Houston area bunch, what a trip!!) :D
 
hey jonathan-

you are the first person my age that i've heard of thats building an RV. I started building when I was 18 back in febuary of 05. Thats amazing that you are doing it all on your own! Keep it up--its so cool to step back and look at the final product thinking that you built an airplane!!
 
rv8ch said:
40? Darn, I missed it. I always thought it happened in the 50s!
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Well, if it goes by toys, I guess I started my midlife crisis in my early teens with no end currently in sight :cool:
 
Started building in January ('06) when I could say "I'll be 50 next year." Now I can say "I'll be 50 on my next birthday."
First decided that someday I would build an airplane when I could say "I'll be 20 next year."
 
Jonathan Cude said:
I started 9/28/2006 when I was 19.5 years old.
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Man, that was fast! Been at it for 10 days and already hanging the engine??? Har har har.

But seriously, I don't mean to be too nosy, but I wonder... how on earth can a 19 yr old afford a toy like this?? When I was that age (feeling awful old now at 37), I was a full time college student working as a CFI on the side and had basically no money. After paying for gas and insurance on my car there was pretty much nothing left over. Started dating my wife around that time, and she had to pay my way for a date... lame! But to be able to afford an airplane??? Nope! I just had to delay for 16 yrs or so...

John Bixby
Houston
 
Correction correction... I started 9/28/2002, not 9/28/2006 (trust me I WISH I COULD BUILD THAT FAST!!!!) *I also went and edited that post, thanks for the heads up on the typo!

This hobby (more like lifelong pursuit) is probably among the most expensive. It amazes me how any of us can afford the planes we are building. For me, it was a matter of getting my ducks in a row in regards to expenses, time, etc. The biggest obstacle is time management... school takes a bunch of time and often seems to get in my way!!!

I am just glad we live in a country where people of all ages, backgrounds, and personalities can build and fly these suckers almost completely at our discretion.

"If you want it, go get it; move smart, move fast, and let no one cloud your dreams."
 
Jonathan Cude said:
The biggest obstacle is time management... school takes a bunch of time and often seems to get in my way!!!
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No joke. Stupid jobs and school, always getting in the way of our play time! Unfortunately, we gotta have that job/school to help pay for play time... it just isn't fair! LOL
 
jbDC9 said:
But seriously, I don't mean to be too nosy, but I wonder... how on earth can a 19 yr old afford a toy like this?? When I was that age (feeling awful old now at 37), I was a full time college student working as a CFI on the side and had basically no money. After paying for gas and insurance on my car there was pretty much nothing left over. Started dating my wife around that time, and she had to pay my way for a date... lame! But to be able to afford an airplane??? Nope! I just had to delay for 16 yrs or so...

John Bixby
Houston
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I'm 21 and a full time college student with a job on the side.

Most of my classmates spend most of their money on alcohol, cars, and girls while I'm saving money. I'm still driving my first used (light on gas) car that is paid for and I don't intend to change cars anytime soon which saves me money. I live a home which saves me money... See a patern here? It's just about priorities.

I bought the empenage at the end of July, will order my wings before the end of the year to not have the price increase and will pretty much be out of money. That means I'll have to save some to finish the airplane. I just have to build slowly ;)
 
The words Paul wrote are so so so very true... infact i wonder if he copied my writings from somewhere (just kidding)...

i remember ordering tools and saying, "man this costs a fortune." My roommate was in the same room and said, "man i'm broke." Now he wasn't broke, he had a little over 60 beers to his name and a half finished bottle of Jack Daniels. If he needed food or something, i'm sure he just traded the alcohol like cigarettes in prison. Van doesn't accept beer for parts... (or does he???? :confused: )
 
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