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When life gets in the Way...

JoeB

Active Member
I started my RV-10 build in 2011 with some ......misguided ideas of the actual amount of work building an airplane is. The first few months I found myself working almost 5-6 hours a day with many nights ending past midnight. I tore through the -10 Tail kit in no time thought I was going to knock out this airplane in 2-3 years flat......kinda fully looking back at it.

In the mean time my day job is flying for the Good ol USAF. Unfortunately where they usually want me to fly generally is about an 18 hours away or more from where my project sits idle in my garage. I have been gone 640-ish days since I started my project, on various deployments and work related trips. What I have found as the hardest things to is getting started again when I get home. Trying to get caught up on the normal grind, helping the wife with the projects and all the other things that normal people do every day that pilled up inevitably takes priority. As soon as I am caught up on normal "life"I start working on the RV and before I know it I am again overseas.

I completed the tail kit in about 7 months start to finish, and I have been working on the wings now for about 2 years............
I am still enjoying the build but can be overwhelming thinking how much is left and how little progress I have made lately.

I have seriously contemplated the quick build Fuse, but eh 7K seems like a lot of money to pay someone to do what I am sure I can accomplish, albeit a little faster.

Anyways I am sure there are plenty of you out there who have similar Life gets in the way experiences.

The bottom line is I am addicted to building, and flying and I just don't have the time for either right now. Have some serious "RV envy" of everyone posting those amazing trip pictures. Maybe the APP store has a good flight simulator I can use at my desk...

Well that is enough of a rant for the day, hope yall didn't waste too much time reading it.

No real point to this post just a Rant to fellow minded people who understand the trials of this enormous project.



Joe
 
As one that fought that same battle for 20 years of military career, I feel your pain! Back then homebuilding was a different, more difficult task, so that was pretty much out. I did buy a forlorn Funk that needed about everything rebuilt, and it got nowhere either.
Just don't let the flame die, in my case here I am at 77 years old, FINALLY getting to build MY plane, the way I want it, and really enjoying it. You should be so lucky!
 
Hang in there!

Most of us that have built an RV have had the same feelings, yours being more difficult as you cant even walk into the shop and touch a thing for days/weeks/months. It took me 16 years to build my -4, which I had planned to do in 3-4 years, and I was home every day after work! Of course, I didn't even own a computer then, so I couldn't see all the cool trip pictures, read the stories, ect. There were no pre-punched, or pre-built parts, FWF kits or the support this website provides to keep me going..Instead,I raised a family, built a house, moved 4 times,...and then one day I had a finished plane that flew perfect and did what I thought it would 16 years prior. It was worth it!
 
Right there with ya buddy. I've been working on my 9 since 2009. I'm mid way through the wings. But, three kids, a wife, my own business, and life in general always takes priority over building.
I will honestly say that the passion has died off a bit as a result. I actually listed the project for sale?but I keep working on it anyway, a little at a time. I guess we'll see what happens. If the right buyer comes along, I'll let her go, if not, I'll keep pluggin away.
I will say that I definitely underestimated the amount of work that goes into building one of these and how you have to stay on task to finish it in a reasonable time. This is something for everyone on the sidelines to consider when starting a project like this. Make sure you have the time?and money (it takes a lot of that too).
 
Hang in there, you'll get 'er done. I was able to finish an RV-6 while active duty and deploying very regularly 1991 to 1999. But it took me seven years and a dedicated 28 days between duty stations. Don't neglect your family, keep putting your hands on the project and try and enjoy the journey. I am building a second one now that I am out of the service and have more regular hours. It is going much faster and it has just been way more fun. You'll get there.
 
It took me just shy of 12 years to get from boxes delivered to first flight, with lots of life intervention. But I finally got there in late 2012 and it was *totally* worth the wait.
 
Do you have a building buddy? It really helps motivate you when you have someone to help you and work things out during the build. My building buddy was someone I never knew. We met while I was building the Cozy MKIV. I ended up selling that project to him near completion and helped him finish the plane. He in-turn helped me with my RV-10 build start to finish. It really helped to have that common interest and encouragement for the both of us. For close to 10 years, we committed to get together one full day a week to build our airplanes. I don't know if either of us would have finished without each others help. We are close friends now and we both continue to help one another with our flying planes. Like everyone says,,Don't give up. Commit some dedicated time to your project whenever you are back home. And thank you for your service and sacrifice to our great Country!
 
Ditto

I started my 10 build in late 2011, and I am just finishing up my wings. I don't fly for the USAF, but my wife and I both work fulltime jobs, plus we had 2 kids during the same period of time, and we don't have any family nearby. Needless to say, it's a slow, slow build. However, I'm grateful that I can do it, and just have to suck it up, that it'll take me longer than others. Your priorities are where they should be, in my opinion. Just keep eekin' along and it will be finished one day...
 
Rant

I'll listen to that rant anytime. Keep biting that elephant and thank you for your service. I just passed two years and started the fuse. I haven't flown in those two years so I envy your day job but someday my Lucy will fly and I'll forget all about days without flying.
 
Joe, thanks for sharing.
I've been building my 7 for over 5 years now. Two kids, built a new house, moved the project three times including shop set up, and trying to float it paying cash. I enjoy the building process like you and I think that's what keeps me going. I've got to know the wife better through the process as I've had to learn to prioritize things to keep her happy :D. Kids baseball, piano recitals, school etc, has taught me the art of multitasking activities so that I can still get build time in. Many times I looked at the huge amount of work ahead and almost listed the plane for sale. I have a friend a few years ago that finished his glasair II. I watched him have burst of work times through the years and then the project would set under sheets for a year or two until another burst. He kept pounding away until finally one day it was done. I think having a goal to just fly it some day is what kept him moving. He now puts 400 hrs a year on his plane and just got back from a Houston, Montana, Denver round Robbin. Just keep moving! Gotta get back out to the shop now.... Good luck! :D
 
Lots of good advice and perspectives here. My RV-10 was a 6.5 year project, partially because I have two young kids and all that comes with that. I stopped keeping track of hours early on, when I saw that I was kind of slow. Learned to enjoy the process rather than fixate on the finish. It was a lot more fun after I learned to just forget about the finish line, and focus on the process instead. Building is very rewarding, and once it is over, there is a big hole in the garage and in your daily routine.......why rush it? :)
 
There are likely far more homebuilts that don't get completed by the first kit owner than those that are completed by the first kit owner. It's a massive undertaking. I take my hat off to those who follow through from cardboard box to flying airplane.

In our case, we're the second owners of our Glasair Sportsman kit. It was started in 2006 and we purchased it in 2011. I figured it would fly in 2013 or 2014. I've now revised that to hoping for first engine run in 2015. That's a do-able objective if my work life and home life cooperate.

At this point I've come to realize that my primary job is NOT building an airplane. I work to support my airplane habit. If there is a fast-build option, go for it. All too soon we will be too old to fly, so get into the air as fast as you can.

Now for full disclosure... I have a very bad habit of taking a "shotgun" approach to working on the plane; I want to do a little bit of everything. It has been a real challenge teaching myself to set a single goal and to work toward that single goal. Last year I forced myself to start at the tail and work my way forward, not moving to the next task until the previous one is completed to the point of airworthiness/readiness for final inspection.

This approach has proven to have two huge benefits for me;
1) tangible progress reinforced by the satisfaction of COMPLETING something.
2) with only one task at hand, it's really easy to get back to that task if you've had to step away from it for days or weeks while "life" got in the way.

Stick to it, focus on one bite of that elephant at a time. When you complete something, give yourself permission to stand back and admire what you've done. You deserve the credit!
 
Oh I know what you mean

I started the tail in January 2007 between a PCS (military move) from Japan to Wyoming. I had to wait 7 months to get set up in a house to start working on it again but then I had to deploy. I got back just in time to open my "quick" build for Xmas of '07. I was doing good but 5 deployment and a marriage slowed me down. Next came another PSC to Arkansas and a Divorce. I should have used the plane to distract me but I didn't, and it sat idle for 2 years till I did a local move to an airpark. It has been 1.5 years but I got the house and a hangar set up and today (no kidding, 3 Feb 2015) was the first time that I have worked on the RV since Nov 2010.

I can't tell you how good it feels to be building again. I know how frustrating it is to start and stop but now I have all the motivation in the world to finish.

My dad always says "whether you are aware of it or not the universe is unfolding as it should" and I beleive that. I sometimes don't like it, but it always works out.

Oh and all my friends that I have been talking to about my RV for the last 10 years have all gone out and bought flying ones. So now I must finish mine so we can all fly form again. And you better get to work on yours so you can join in.
Aloha,
KC
 
You are not alone.

All this job-hopping for the last 3 years has made me work on Tony Boy in fits and starts, too. I'll get going for a couple of months and then something happens, or we'll move. Heck, even OSHKOSH makes me stop for a few weeks, and then it's playing catchup at work and before I know it a few months will go by. I was just kindly reminded by a fellow VAFer that it's been 2 years since my last blog post. Yeah, thanks for that! :eek: I've quit worrying about it. I've resigned myself to the fact that the engine needs to be torn down anyway, so why rush it?

I'm glad to read about others who worked on their planes in this way... and finished! It gives me hope! :D
 
Well said and i bet well experienced by us all!

The task is extremely daunting to say the least. I have a very demanding job and interrupted life at times that has stood in the way and I bet I have sold this thing in my mind several times.

I ordered the Q build Fuse after completing the wings and empennage kits, boy did i GROAN over spending that money but i had taken years to build already and the progress was too slow.

The Q build Fuse is going Very Well! I am building components such as the Rudder, Control systems, cabin airframe and seeing substantial progress right before my eyes after only a few months of weekend time working on it. IMO it was the correct thing to do to get me "back in the game" of building my own airplane and actually finishing it before i die. :)

Even though you dont "work" for my country thank you for you service to yours and the work that our military people do to keep us safe!

Good building and clear skies!
 
All this job-hopping for the last 3 years has made me work on Tony Boy in fits and starts, too.

Katie,

Keep at it. I think it's really cool that you're rebuilding Tony Boy. Here's a bit of a cheer up: at least you don't have a whole other plane to finish before you can get going on your 3... (like me). I'll have to wait to fly "the Good Stuff" for a few more years yet. :(
 
Many of us in the same oat

Hi Joe,

I don't post much, but my oh my, did your words resonate. My RV7 71700 EI-EEO took 7 years..... I thought it would take three or four. The way I worked it was if she said jump, I jumped, and when I wasn't jumping, I was in the shed. The arrangement worked out quite well! Fiona and Fabulous Fiona are now good friends, even though unlike you I ended up with just two seats.

Keep going, keep your eye on the light at the end of the tunnel. You will emerge.

Andrew Butler
RV7 EI-EEO
EITT Trevet, Meath Ireland.
First flight 19th Feb 2011.
 
I feel your pain. I started on my 7 in May 2006. I still slug away at it almost every day for at least a little while. It seems to me that the weather has a large affect on what I get done. It is had to enjoy the work if it is to hot or cold.
 
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