Confessions of a Shop Flirt

[polishpilot]

I know the feeling, as anyone building an airplane would know. The County Sheriff where I used to live (and built the 9A) would come over after work and drink my beer while we talked and I tinkered on the plane. Great times.

[terrykohler]

Have you noticed that most of the usual suspects present at the Saturday breakfast gathering don't often fly by themselves. I think many of us like to share with others those things we most love to do.
Over the years, I've found that passions such as sailing, golf, flying, and even cooking are not things I like to do alone. Some people are good at going solo - some of us just aren't.
Looking back over nearly 50 years of flying, some of my favorite memories are of kids - telling the 10 year old at the airport fence in Peoria that I needed him at the controls while I did my preflight. Having a Young Eagle start crying after landing and telling me "that was the coolest thing I ever did"! Some of the stuff you get to look forward to.
Oh yeah - I'm expecting a ride as soon as you're out of phase I, and I promise not to to teach or preach.
Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP

[goatflieg]

Originally Posted by terrykohler

Oh yeah - I'm expecting a ride as soon as you're out of phase I, and I promise not to to teach or preach.

You got a deal... and if you're inspired to teach or preach, I'll listen and learn.

[bk1bennett]

I love the stories in this thread!

I am building the RV-14A in my garage. My nephew, I call him the protégé, comes over to help me work on the plane a lot when he has time. He is in college. He loves it and he’s a good worker. And he is looking forward to being able to fly it, which I have promised him he will do someday.

My neighbor down the street came by and saw me working on the plane and we talked. He is a pilot for Southwest airlines. He thought I was building an RC airplane. I told him about the RV that I am building and he was inspired. Now he is building an RV 7A in his garage with his sons.

I can’t believe what has happened since I started building the tail kit. I am looking forward to the stories about the impacts that this project will have on family and friends. It is exciting to share this with other people.

This is an adventure I would not trade for anything.

[UH1CW2]

I was very fortunate last summer as I moved back from Mississippi to Michigan. I hadn?t spent time with my 16 year old nephew since he was about 6 years old. One afternoon he came out to the airfield with me to just hang out. I showed him the airplane (Long EZ) in my hangar and he was a little interested but not excited. I asked him if he wanted to go for a ride? His response was very skeptical. I said we could just taxi over to the fuel pumps and get some fuel after that we would taxi back to the hangar. He decided that would be OK. Anyway, on the way back I asked if he wanted to just go up around the pattern and back down again. He agreed with some hesitation. Once up in the air I gave him the controls, we flew for 30 minutes in the pattern and landed after about five practice approaches to the runway. About a week later we went for another short ride around the general area. He is now about to take his private pilot check ride. His mother had told me he had zero direction in life. All he ever did was sit at home and play on-line games. He is now enrolled at Western Michigan University in the Aviation flight program. His goal is Commercial Instrument Multi Engine pilot and possibly go into the Airforce. I was able to work with him and be his mentor along with being his ground instructor throughout the process. It?s a good feeling to introduce someone young into a sport that is slowly becoming unaffordable for so many. I believe that if we do not mentor the young into this field of interest, General Aviation will become a thing of the past.

[tcard]

Originally Posted by UH1CW2

I believe that if we do not mentor the young into this field of interest, General Aviation will become a thing of the past.

I've given my share of rides at our airpark picnic, as well as for Young Eagles, Bronze Eagles, and Challenger Air, but I have to admit that I'm a shop flirt, too.

Originally Posted by goatflieg

So it's ok if I want neighbors to peek inside my garage. I'm not showing off... I just want to share something I love.

I grew up moving every few years, so I developed my own ways of meeting people quickly to try and make friends. (Has anyone ever watched us land at a fly-in and secretly hope there were fresh, homemade cookies in the baggage compartment?) That skill has served me well over the years, including a time a few months after we moved in to a previous home it was time to meet the neighbors. Very much along the lines of the OP hoping people would peek in to see what he was up to, what a better way to introduce people to their crazy new neighbors than to let them walk through the airplane construction zone with the wings in process and tail feathers neatly placed on a table to the side. So what do I do? Have an 'Open Garage' instead of an 'Open House'. I ended up taking a few of the people I met that day for airplane rides.

[RV10Man]

[quote=tcard;1431120]I've given my share of rides at our airpark picnic, as well as for Young Eagles, Bronze Eagles, and Challenger Air, but I have to admit that I'm a shop flirt, too.



I grew up moving every few years, so I developed my own ways of meeting people quickly to try and make friends. (Has anyone ever watched us land at a fly-in and secretly hope there were fresh, homemade cookies in the baggage compartment?) That skill has served me well over the years, including a time a few months after we moved in to a previous home it was time to meet the neighbors. Very much along the lines of the OP hoping people would peek in to see what he was up to, what a better way to introduce people to their crazy new neighbors than to let them walk through the airplane construction zone with the wings in process and tail feathers neatly placed on a table to the side. So what do I do? Have an 'Open Garage' instead of an 'Open House'. I ended up taking a few of the people I met that day for airplane rides.[/QUOTE



I'm actually working on my CFI-S (sport pilot CFI rating). I'm only PPL rated, don't have instrument or commercial, but can get the sport pilot CFI without those. I'm doing it so I can literally GIVE sport pilot instruction in our Sling 2.

[goatflieg]

Couldn't resist hiking up the skirt again today. No lookers. Darn newfangled kids... don't know what they're missing.
"Hey, what's that guy got in his garage?"

[goatflieg]

"Holy cow! Is that an airplane?!"

[goatflieg]

"Hey, neighbor... like whatcha see?"