As I write this, two of my buddies, Ron Duren and Bill Shook, are preparing for their first flights. It has been a memorable couple of weeks to say the least. Bill and Ron just happen to be building their airplanes in the same hangar, and for the last several months, these two have had a friendly competition to see who would finish their project first. They have both been working long hours, Ron on his RV-7 and Bill on his RV-8, fueled by the desire to take these aircraft they have been working on for the last several years to the skies. Last Saturday they both moved one step closer to reaching that elusive goal. They scheduled appointments with the same DAR to have their aircraft evaluated, and after several hours and much paperwork, they both emerged victorious. Congratulations to both of you, and good luck on your first flights!