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  #1  
Old 10-03-2012, 05:55 PM
Ironflight's Avatar
Ironflight Ironflight is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dayton, NV
Posts: 12,256
Default What to Do, What to Do?.What do YOU do?

So here?s a thread for all of you that have finished your build, finished Phase 1, and are enjoying your airplanes?.either the first, second, third, or ?nth?. Those still building can look on us with hooded eyes and plot murder?.

The topic is this ? we all spend an inordinate amount of time in the shop finishing our airplanes ? I generally work on a project about four hours a day when its really rolling. When we finish, we rarely fly that many hours per day (who can afford the fuel ? so maybe just half that), so there is a void in our lives. Let?s assume that our jobs, household chores, vacations, trips, etc remain constant. So what the heck are you doing with all that time that you suddenly have in your life? Yes, planning for your next build is one option. Yes, spending all that extra time with the spouse is a great answer?.and for some, it is probably even true!

In my case, I do a lot of writing ? but I have always done that, so it doesn?t count. When we finished the -3, we were up to our armpits in the RV-1 project until early summer ? then things got quieter. So I have gotten back to actually exercising a proper amount ? bicycling in fact. Louise encouraged me to buy a good bike (when we met, she ? formerly of the US women?s bicycling team ? asked to see my bike. I showed her my 30 year old Raleigh Marathon. ?Oh, so you don?t have a bike? she said?.) and off I go on 25 ? 30 mile training rides many days a week. It beats sitting around the hangar, shuffling tools around without doing any fabrication?.keeps the Flight Surgeons happy... and the quiet time spent riding is a great way to write new stuff ? all I have to do is type it out when I get home.

Of course, I have a new AOA system arriving any day that needs to be installed?.maybe the tools get to work after all!

Next?
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Paul F. Dye
Editor at Large - KITPLANES Magazine
RV-8 - N188PD - "Valkyrie"
RV-6 (By Marriage) - N164MS - "Mikey"
RV-3B - N13PL - "Tsamsiyu"
A&P, EAA Tech Counselor/Flight Advisor
Dayton Valley Airpark (A34)
http://Ironflight.com
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  #2  
Old 10-03-2012, 06:02 PM
Mike S's Avatar
Mike S Mike S is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton Airpark, NV A34
Posts: 15,420
Default

Easy answer, I spend way too much time here on the computer
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Mike Starkey
VAF 909

Rv-10, N210LM.

Flying as of 12/4/2010

Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011

Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.

"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
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  #3  
Old 10-03-2012, 06:17 PM
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Vlad Vlad is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Utah
Posts: 8,151
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First 4 years of my build I had way too much free time. I had one job, didn't have a car and spent several hours every day in the shop. Was waiting for Uncle's approval of certain things too

Now the plane is flying and I barely have time to check VAF and three other aviation forums I frequented. Picked up second PT job to offset rent, food and parking. First job pays for gas and hangar. Commuting to/from airport is the killer it takes up to 1.5 hours each way. To ease the pain of long commute I bought a new car and joined a motoring club.

When I was still building I thought my next project will be a mahogany runabout, then Cobra kit car. Not going to happen...
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  #4  
Old 10-03-2012, 06:19 PM
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kevinh kevinh is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Mateo, CA
Posts: 1,419
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A funny side effect of building my plane: Since most weeknights my wife and I would be in the shop building (with great music on pandora or similar) - we got out of the habit of watching TV.

At some point during the build the HDMI connector on our TV broke and then we never bothered fixing it.

So not only do we have all the time back from building, we got back all of our mostly wasted TV time. Now instead we mostly read/post on internet forums like reddit or other politics sites. We also spend a bunch of time reading in the bathtub.

When I talked to my wife about building another plane, she said - um, not yet. So I took up paragliding (flexible gliders kinda like hang-gliders) and that fills up my previous Saturday build-day.
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-kevinh, Track my RV-7A, flying, alas, sold in 2013 after 450ish hours. (I'm now building something different)
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  #5  
Old 10-03-2012, 06:33 PM
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Dbro172 Dbro172 is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Fargo, ND
Posts: 1,073
Default This ought to be good thread.

I gather that most RV builders aren't, (or weren't ever) simply satisfied passing their spare time in front of a TV like 99% of america. I bet before the plane build there was something else, and I wonder myself what will consume my time after this.

But, what I really wonder (hope and doubt) does there also seem be a windfall of cash along with all that extra time, once the project is done?
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Derek Hoeschen
EAA Tech Counselor
RV-9A #92103 - N803DK
G3X, Superior XO-320, Dual Pmags, Catto 3B
www.mykitlog.com/dbro172/

1974 Bellanca Super Viking - N16AW - Flying
RV-8 #83565 - N184DK - building
1968 Mooney M20C - N6801N - Sold
1956 C-182 - N744W - Sold
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  #6  
Old 10-03-2012, 06:40 PM
fixnflyguy fixnflyguy is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Winston-Salem, N.C.
Posts: 1,213
Default Complete the "to do" list..sort of

Its been almost 2 years since I finished the RV-4 that was my "escape from reality building time". I am fortunate to have a wonderful girlfriend whom is as excited about aviation as I am, so it gets flow often..very often. When not flying, we are constantly working on hangar/lounge upgrades and just got ourselves an old house on the airport we are fixing up, as well as an old golf cart we are customizing for the house/hangar commute. I/We like shooting, and I am hoping to try my hand at some custom gun work over the winter...and dusting off the long forgoten R/C airplanes,and the old Harley cant be left out...so, We are seldom bored! I do plan another aircraft build someday though without a doubt.
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RV-4/N76WE
8A7 / Advance NC
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  #7  
Old 10-03-2012, 06:49 PM
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Mel Mel is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Dallas area
Posts: 10,768
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I'm retired. I don't have spare time anymore!
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Mel Asberry, DAR since the last century.
EAA Flight Advisor/Tech Counselor, Friend of the RV-1
Recipient of Tony Bingelis Award and Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award
USAF Vet, High School E-LSA Project Mentor.
RV-6 Flying since 1993 (sold)
<rvmel(at)icloud.com>
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  #8  
Old 10-03-2012, 06:52 PM
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bret bret is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Gardnerville Nv.
Posts: 2,828
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We met at the Reno-Van's BBQ, don't you have a serious project coming up in Dayton? That should keep you busy!
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  #9  
Old 10-03-2012, 07:49 PM
humptybump humptybump is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 3,179
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I can't speak for myselfe since "I'm a buyer not a builder" but I stay in touch with the builder so I'll answer for him ... He's catching up on 3 years of honey do lists
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  #10  
Old 10-03-2012, 07:54 PM
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Geico266 Geico266 is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Huskerland, USA
Posts: 5,862
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Build a new house. That will keep you busy for a year. Ask me how I know.
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RV-7 : In the hangar
RV-10 : In the hangar
RV-12 : Built and sold
RV-44 : 4 place helicopter on order.
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