grjtucson
Well Known Member
This morning I had 5 members of EAA Chapter 81 (Tucson, AZ) help me out with a Post-It Party at the chapter hangar for my RV-7. It is nearing the end of a more than 15 year build and these guys did a real service to help that along: huge thanks to Erik, Bob, Chuck, George, and Norman for taking a couple of hours today to go over N567AJ with five very fine toothed combs and share your advice/concerns/questions (and point out the obvious but missed things too).
It was mildly humbling, in no way at all humiliating, and I learned an incredible amount. Most importantly it will be a better airplane and one in which my confidence in it, both for the Airworthiness inspection and flight, has been fortified considerably. I don't expect that the list of items found will require more than a few days to address.
For those that are still building "parts" like I was up until the first week of last October when I moved from garage to hangar, EAA Tech Counselors and other qualified builders are a fantastic resource and have been key to my continued albeit slow progress. I've had lots of eyes on the work every stage and that is extremely useful and important. Thank you Wally, Gil, and Chuck.
This was the first time I've had the project gone through since I started building "an airplane" and it was considerably different in many respects. Everything is a lot more "real" when your first engine start is behind you and your Airworthiness inspection and first flight are weeks/short months away. The first engine run was honestly the scariest, and most gratifying, thing I've done yet on the project. This inspection equalled that in every respect.
On to the last bits now, addressing the inspection list, riveting the boot cowl and center section uprights, weight and balance, and final preparation of a mountain of paperwork. A thank you here to my EAA Flight Advisor Paul for his guidance as I do this, another fantastic resource that I am just beginning to utilize and one that I appreciate just as much as the Tech Counselors.
Keep building!
George
It was mildly humbling, in no way at all humiliating, and I learned an incredible amount. Most importantly it will be a better airplane and one in which my confidence in it, both for the Airworthiness inspection and flight, has been fortified considerably. I don't expect that the list of items found will require more than a few days to address.
For those that are still building "parts" like I was up until the first week of last October when I moved from garage to hangar, EAA Tech Counselors and other qualified builders are a fantastic resource and have been key to my continued albeit slow progress. I've had lots of eyes on the work every stage and that is extremely useful and important. Thank you Wally, Gil, and Chuck.
This was the first time I've had the project gone through since I started building "an airplane" and it was considerably different in many respects. Everything is a lot more "real" when your first engine start is behind you and your Airworthiness inspection and first flight are weeks/short months away. The first engine run was honestly the scariest, and most gratifying, thing I've done yet on the project. This inspection equalled that in every respect.
On to the last bits now, addressing the inspection list, riveting the boot cowl and center section uprights, weight and balance, and final preparation of a mountain of paperwork. A thank you here to my EAA Flight Advisor Paul for his guidance as I do this, another fantastic resource that I am just beginning to utilize and one that I appreciate just as much as the Tech Counselors.
Keep building!
George
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