Post-construction glow

Ok, this post might be a little weird, but I feel compelled to share this you all.
Background: I am just coming off 1st test flight as of 8/13/11 of my slow-build RV-8.

For the last month or so since I flew my -8 I have had this extremely strong sense of 'I can't believe I did it'! Not big picture, 'I built and flew my own airplane' like friends and family view it, but rather I can't believe I accomplished all those tasks!
When I was in the process of construction I seldom allowed myself to ponder the thousands of little (and big) things that had to be done to finish.
Now I can clearly remember ALL of the steps and all the learning that went with them and it's kind of mind blowing!
I honestly didn't expect to have such strong sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. Forget about how fun these things are to fly, that's just icing on the cake!
I can see why people repeat-build...

Statement analysis...

I see another build coming....the family version now???

Brent, I share your feelings. As overwhelmed as I sometimes was with the daunting task of actually building an airplane (as mechanically declined as I am), I think I enjoyed the building process as much as, or maybe even more than, flying the plane.

I think we all start flying and then realize that we should've put this gizmo here instead of there, or wish we hadn't done something the way we did, and toy with the idea of building another one, if only to improve the end product.

I still treat myself every once in awhile to a glance around the cockpit and remember taping my Panel Planner cutouts on my instrument panel blank and moving them around until I was happy with the arrangement.

Or will look at the sunrise reflecting off the wing and remember the wings jigged in my basement with neat rows of clecos sticking out like a couple of silver porcupines and I'll smile.

And whenever I wipe down the VS I can't help but think of the time I asked my son to help me rivet and nearly cried as the rivet gun got away from him and went BRRRRRRP, leaving a long trail of semicircular dents in my new VS. *sigh*

I BUILT A FREAKIN' AIRPLANE.

Kinda fun, isn't it?

Hanging out here isn't helping things any. If we didn't, our planes would probably sit quietly in our hangars and we'd just fly and not look back as much. However, I'm sure Van's would like our repeat business.

N8RV said:

I BUILT A FREAKIN' AIRPLANE.

Click to expand...

+1.......................That says it all....