cthelan
Member
RV-8A N723CT Chris Thelan
HOW LONG IS THAT FLIGHT TO OSHKOSH?
It all started at Oshkosh ?04, when my dad and I went to our first AirVenture. I was 17 years old and already an avid private pilot, taking my flight training at Wings Aloft flight club at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington. My dad started flying in the mid 1960?s but chose to forego flying for many years in order to attend college, raise a family and pursue a professional and business career.
As we walked the fields of airplanes, each one more interesting than another, we started to visualize, dream and scheme about what it would be like to build our very own airplane. Could we actually do it, which one was the right one for us, was it possible to finish the project and fly our very own airplane before I went off to college?
We started tallying up what we had to gain (or lose). If successful we would spend a great deal of time together as a father and son team, learning many new skills and venture into several new territories of aviation knowledge. Surely, we would strengthen our camaraderie and love of all things that fly. There is also the affordability we could achieve by flying a homebuilt wherever and as often as we liked. On the other hand, we had to contemplate, if only briefly, the possible failure to complete the project. Such consideration would help guide us to make the ?right? decision on which homebuilt was the best for us.
For me, how better to learn the fundamentals of airplane design, construction and maintenance of an airplane, together with detailed working knowledge of the mechanical, engine, electrical and avionics systems. I had already decided on a career in commercial aviation. I felt that learning from the ground up, understanding building plans and specifications, the use of all tools necessary to build an airplane, a thorough understanding of how airplanes are put together would make me a better pilot. It all sounded like a real adventure and a lot of fun. I was soon to learn just how much work goes into building a plane.
What brand of plane would be the best for us, given our budget of time and money? After all, there are hundreds of kit brands and numerous choices of materials, including wood, fabric, composite, and aluminum.
After reading plenty of catalogues, web blogs and old fashioned asking around, the decision became clear, it would be a Vans quick build kit. Tried and true aluminum, readable plans and specifications as evidenced by Vans having the largest number of completed kits in the world, together with plenty of builders assistance resources and a proven resale market.
After the order was placed for an RV-8A in February ?05, the tools and tail kit arrived it became very apparent to my dad and myself that ?builders school? was in our immediate future. After all, we had a goal of flying our plane to Oshkosh ?06 and time would need to be spent very wisely to complete the project by July of 2006.
For builder?s school we chose Wally Anderson?s Synergy Air based in Eugene, Oregon. Wally had extensive experience in airplane building and a genuine gift for teaching novices like us. After an intensive one-week class, we could perform all the fundamentals and subject to continued tutoring along the way, our RV had become a real project. Wally?s insight and ability to explain the building process dramatically accelerated our weekly progress. Wally commented, ?It was a real pleasure to teach the father and son Thelan team, their desire to learn was very apparent. One of the real joys for me, is working with men and women who want to learn, improve their abilities and gain the necessary confidence to take on and complete an airplane?
As the days, weeks and months rolled by, each visible progress was being made. Seeing real progress kept me going at every stage of the project. Sure, you can get discouraged from time to time because not every piece is completed as quickly as you?d like, but even the smallest visible progress keeps you going.
HOW LONG IS THAT FLIGHT TO OSHKOSH?
It all started at Oshkosh ?04, when my dad and I went to our first AirVenture. I was 17 years old and already an avid private pilot, taking my flight training at Wings Aloft flight club at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington. My dad started flying in the mid 1960?s but chose to forego flying for many years in order to attend college, raise a family and pursue a professional and business career.
As we walked the fields of airplanes, each one more interesting than another, we started to visualize, dream and scheme about what it would be like to build our very own airplane. Could we actually do it, which one was the right one for us, was it possible to finish the project and fly our very own airplane before I went off to college?
We started tallying up what we had to gain (or lose). If successful we would spend a great deal of time together as a father and son team, learning many new skills and venture into several new territories of aviation knowledge. Surely, we would strengthen our camaraderie and love of all things that fly. There is also the affordability we could achieve by flying a homebuilt wherever and as often as we liked. On the other hand, we had to contemplate, if only briefly, the possible failure to complete the project. Such consideration would help guide us to make the ?right? decision on which homebuilt was the best for us.
For me, how better to learn the fundamentals of airplane design, construction and maintenance of an airplane, together with detailed working knowledge of the mechanical, engine, electrical and avionics systems. I had already decided on a career in commercial aviation. I felt that learning from the ground up, understanding building plans and specifications, the use of all tools necessary to build an airplane, a thorough understanding of how airplanes are put together would make me a better pilot. It all sounded like a real adventure and a lot of fun. I was soon to learn just how much work goes into building a plane.
What brand of plane would be the best for us, given our budget of time and money? After all, there are hundreds of kit brands and numerous choices of materials, including wood, fabric, composite, and aluminum.
After reading plenty of catalogues, web blogs and old fashioned asking around, the decision became clear, it would be a Vans quick build kit. Tried and true aluminum, readable plans and specifications as evidenced by Vans having the largest number of completed kits in the world, together with plenty of builders assistance resources and a proven resale market.
After the order was placed for an RV-8A in February ?05, the tools and tail kit arrived it became very apparent to my dad and myself that ?builders school? was in our immediate future. After all, we had a goal of flying our plane to Oshkosh ?06 and time would need to be spent very wisely to complete the project by July of 2006.
For builder?s school we chose Wally Anderson?s Synergy Air based in Eugene, Oregon. Wally had extensive experience in airplane building and a genuine gift for teaching novices like us. After an intensive one-week class, we could perform all the fundamentals and subject to continued tutoring along the way, our RV had become a real project. Wally?s insight and ability to explain the building process dramatically accelerated our weekly progress. Wally commented, ?It was a real pleasure to teach the father and son Thelan team, their desire to learn was very apparent. One of the real joys for me, is working with men and women who want to learn, improve their abilities and gain the necessary confidence to take on and complete an airplane?
As the days, weeks and months rolled by, each visible progress was being made. Seeing real progress kept me going at every stage of the project. Sure, you can get discouraged from time to time because not every piece is completed as quickly as you?d like, but even the smallest visible progress keeps you going.
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