Epiphanies?..

I was reading a thread this morning about someone who found unintentional (but fixable) damage to one of his empennage components, and his comment in the end was ?I?m tired of trying to chase the perfect plane?. This folks, is what I call an epiphany moment ? a time when your entire perspective suddenly changes. They can be thought of as either positive or negative ? and truly, it is all about how you THINK of them that makes them important. A big one is when you suddenly realize that you are flying in the airplane you built. It might be one where you realize that you are going to need some help, and take on a partner. Or that time when you stop stalling and realize that yea, you really DO need to take that engine back off the mount in order to change that fuel pump that you got from Joe?s surplus airplane parts, and no, you don?t know it?s pedigree. These are light switch? moments ? and they almost always feel like a weight has been lifted once you experience them.

I think one of my memorable epiphanies on my first build was when I realized that I didn?t need to build the ?ultimate? airplane ? I was building because my existing airplane (an old Yankee) wasn?t going to last forever (or much longer?), and I wanted a solid, dependable airplane that I could fly for a long time. Yes, I still built what I wanted ? but I felt the relief of allowing myself to NOT build every conceivable bit of perfection into the plane. I allowed myself to build a ?good? airplane. It was an immensely relaxing realization!

Honestly, I think every builder I have talked to has had at least one of these moments?.care to share your stories here?

Paul

I am still a new builder, but have taken much advice from others thus far.

In your honor Paul, one of those builders said to me once...."You're not building the Space Shuttle!"

Another said, "when in doubt, go look at the assembly of your "Certified Beech" and then get back to work, yours will be better!"

These have helped a perspective "perfection chaser" stay in check.

... After flying my -9A for a year, I've had two epiphanies

1) 160kts just isn't fast enough

2) A taildragger would be better

(kidding... sort of).

As Mark Forss from EAA one said in a Sportair Workshop, your not building a Swiss watch, your building a very good farm tractor.

I'm not a builder yet, but I had a life experience 3 years ago that sounds similar to the toddlers in the shop ordeal referred to by Paul.

I've always had a thing about parking my vehicles FAR away from others in public lots to avoid door dings. When I bought my new F150 3 years ago, it was no different. My family never wanted to go out to eat in my truck, because they knew it meant the longest possible walk from the parking lot to the restaurant. This went on for a year until the day when my wife had to borrow the truck to haul something. Well.... she backed into a mailbox and put a substantial dent in the tailgate. I was grief-stricken for days, but when the cloud lifted, my perspective began to change...and drastically. No longer did I stress over where to park. Heck, in my mind the truck had received its "initiation" into the real world, so it was meaningless to continue pursuing a dent/scrath-free existence. Like I said, I'm not a builder yet, but maybe it's similar to getting that first good ding or scratch in an elevator. Life goes on and what really matters begins to surface.

John Tierney said:

As Mark Forss from EAA one said in a Sportair Workshop, your not building a Swiss watch, your building a very good farm tractor.

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I think I just had one! And a good laugh! How true!

My most recent revelation was that I really want and am changing my quickbuild 9A configuration to a taildragger. This realization came after I agreed with myself (and the voices within) that it will make me a more refined pilot and that I really would like to land on unimproved (mostly grass) strips. It was also driven home after the possibility of using our own 1800 ft strip on the farm.

Well said Paul

I have copied and pasted below what I just wrote in the other post Paul was referencing. Just one more comment. I would guess the general pilot that starts off building a kit is a perfectionist (or annal as my wife says). In our profession (or even non profession), you have to be.....or things can come up and bite you if your attention to detail isn't there -- at least to some extent.

"I think we can all relate to this post. I think most of us strive for perfection when starting something like this because we want it to look great and want it to be safe.

There were many times in the project that I couldn't sleep at night because of a dent or a scratch or something that I'd worry about (mainly empennage phase). As many of you have mentioned, that's just part of the deal, and you have to fix it however it makes you happy and press on. Some might leave it like it is ... some might take it off and start over.... and some (like me) would lightly sand the groove so there are no sharp edges, fill it and press on. I feel there is no compromise in safety by doing that.

My 17 year old son was playing ping pong and the paddle slipped out of his hand (his story and he's sticking to it). He dented two of the large wing panels that were against the wall (before I started the wings). I was bumbed (again) at the idea of wanting a perfect airplane but not having the perfect airplane. But things happen along the way of this awesome journey, and all we can do is try to not stress too much over the unexpected bumps in the road. It's all fixable -- it might just take a little (or a lot) longer with whatever solution floats your boat." Dave

SilverEagle2 said:

Another said, "when in doubt, go look at the assembly of your "Certified Beech" and then get back to work, yours will be better!"

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+1 for this. I long ago ceased to panic about perfection after seeing my 172 opened up for annual and getting a close look at "certified" work.

Just this past weekend I had my fuse all cleaned out and prepped to paint floors and sidewalls because my wife didn't want to fly in an "ugly airplane" - but the more I thought about it (I didn't even have a color in mind, I figured I would just go with an off-white for something neutral) the more I didn't like it. I'll just fly it naked for Phase 1 like so many others do since I'll be scratching/dinging paint anyway as I adjust and inspect stuff. If I don't like it later I'll put some lightweight upholstery over it, and I'll even let my wife pick out the colors. I'm building this because I want to, and that's all the goal I need for this project.

my story

For me, a major reason for taking on this project, an RV 7, is to build as a team with my 14 year old son, Doug. Ultimately, it will likely be his plane anyway.

This means, when he bucks a row of rivets on a skin surface, and loses control once (this happened) bucking the skin next to the rivet into a little, but visible, blister, I have had to learn that the skill being acquired is far more important than the cosmetic result.

BTW, building an airplane is a blast. Building an airplane with your son is indescribable

My epiphany

My epiphany was realizing that, "it's okay if other people don't understand the desire to build your own airplane."

In my own pursuit for perfection, I wanted everyone who asked the question "why build an airplane?" to fully understand and appreciate the "why".. I talked about freedom, speed, efficiency, cost savings over certified, expertise gained, pride of ownership, the challenge, adventure, passion, etc, etc. and they still don't get it. I think I wanted to see them get that same look in their eyes that I apparently get (according to my wife) when talking about planes. Maybe I needed this to feel like I was "normal", whatever that is. In the end, I realized it doesn't matter to me anymore.

Early in my build I was contemplating a very difficult hole I needed to drill. I was procrastinating because any small slip would totally destroy the part. That's when I asked myself what would happen if I ruined the part. The answer was one of those 'light bulb' moments; "I made this one, if I wreck it, I'll just make another!"

Pat

I'm not sure if my epiphanies are actually that or if they're just an accumulation of levels of building evolution, but two come to mind and they worked in concert to carry me past the empennage and on to the wings and fuselage. Both were at Oshkosh and not in my work shop.

The first customer-built RV-8 I saw at Oshkosh was ... umm ... interesting. Having just started my tail feathers a couple of weeks before Oshkosh, I was VERY critical of the builder's trim tab.

However, as I looked over the plane, I saw LOTS of stuff that appeared pretty cobbled together, and obviously not built per the plans. I honestly felt sorry for the builder (OK, so hubris was rearing its ugly head -- it had, after all, been flown to Oshkosh, not trailered.) It was then that I KNEW that even I could build an RV.

I lost count of the number of times I screwed up that stupid HS bracket (don't remember the part number, but you all know which one I mean.) I'd make one, discover that I'd messed it up, order another angle, wait for it to be delivered and start over. It had to be PERFECT.

After building the empennage and getting quite frustrated with the imperfections that were multiplying, I moved on to the wings. With each little dinged dimple, I winced because I could see my Gold Lindy fading away.

The next Oshkosh got me going again because I saw, through a builder's eyes, what a true grand champion looks like. I saw details that I'd never seen before on trophy planes, and was humbled as I considered how scarred and battered my project was.

Disappointed, I went home and surveyed the wings. I did some serious soul searching and accepted that Smokey would never win any awards, but would be a SAFE and FUN plane to fly, at the very least, and made that my goal.

Seeing a poorly-built RV inspired me to get started, and seeing the best of the best inspired me to accept imperfection and just get the darned plane built! Valuable lessons both.

Good on you!

stevemcgirr said:

For me, a major reason for taking on this project, an RV 7, is to build as a team with my 14 year old son, Doug. Ultimately, it will likely be his plane anyway.

This means, when he bucks a row of rivets on a skin surface, and loses control once (this happened) bucking the skin next to the rivet into a little, but visible, blister, I have had to learn that the skill being acquired is far more important than the cosmetic result.

BTW, building an airplane is a blast. Building an airplane with your son is indescribable

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I often wonder how many spouses and kids are driven out of the shop by the pursuit of perfection. Paul and I had several serious discussion before and early in our build ensuring that he wasn't going to pursue perfection AND have me as a building partner. I had almost no experience in the skills needed to build, so there were going to be mistakes made. Thankfully, Paul agreed that we are striving for a safe plane we can be proud of, with many of his special design features, but not a plane of award-winning workmanship and I've had a wonderful time learning to build. And, without the stress of "failing" to meet some Oshkosh judge's standard, I find myself comfortable re-making parts and drilling out rivets just to satisfy our own standard.

Oh, and my epiphany? When I made my first figure 8 and Paul didn't pop a cork. He didn't even get upset. I realized that he really is happy to accept some mistakes as long as I was learning and trying to do good work. He told me then, and several times since, that building is more about learning to correct/hide your mistakes than being perfect.

prkaye said:

... After flying my -9A for a year, I've had two epiphanies

1) 160kts just isn't fast enough

2) A taildragger would be better

(kidding... sort of).

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It's still possible to change #2!

greg

I'll never forget how soon that moment came to me. The first night of squeezing rivets, I said, "I will take my time, I am NOT going to have to drill out rivets." I drilled out 12 that evening. Still have 'em in a film can, just as a reminder.

Last year I started supervising a high school group building a 12. Right away I decided "B" work was good enough. "A" work really only exists on show champions, and after you have a couple builds under your belt. So, a cleco left a dent in the VS. Paint prep will cover it. Several other small things have happened, and a few replacements have been purchased. Things look quite good and are structurally perfect.

The surprising thing is that now most of the work would get an "A." Tuesday three guys (including a supervisor) from the local FSDO spent an hour or so going over our RV-12, and I got a letter on FAA letterhead that I just might frame. We did ourselves proud; they were very complimentary. I would say that the secret isn't to try to build perfection, but to put your heart into your work, and learn from your mistakes. I know a bunch of kids doing just that.

Bob

Skill

No one was born with the skills to build an airplane.....you have to learn them. That was my light bulb moment.

I've been a craftsmanship nut since I was a kid building model airplanes. I've built more show-quality living-room-queen RC models than I care to count. So, I was really hung up on doing perfect work when I started building my own airplane. My tech counselor won a Bronze Lindy with his first airplane, an RV-6A. His airplane is gorgeous down to the last painstaking detail. It was also the first RV I ever saw up close and the first I ever rode in. How's that for setting the bar? He saw my stress right away and gave me some advice- a test for whether or not a part should be scrapped.

1. Is it still safe? If not, the answer is obvious. If yes, then you have options.
2. Will it cost me the Silver Lindy? If yes, then scrap it OR accept it and shoot for Bronze.

He also said, don't let perfection be the enemy of good work. If you live in fear of making mistakes, you will never finish the project. If you try too hard to fix mistakes, you might cause more damage than if you'd have just accepted it and moved on. Know the requirements for proper metalwork and systems installation so there is no question about airworthiness.

I'm fortunate now to have a previously flying and nicely-built airplane to rebuild. My goal is for the parts I build (like the entire empennage) to match the quality of Tony's work.

You"re right on Paul...

Yep, I had a beautiful epiphany today. I don't care if my plane isn't perfect. I just care that it is safe.
I spent some of my free time today filling and sanding the infamous dent. I need to get some 400 grit sandpaper and then I'll finish the sanding and priming. Then I'll leave it alonee until its painted.
Things I learned...
1.) My plane won't be perfect but it will be safe.
2.) I can fill a dent pretty darn well...bring on the dents (just kidding)

I am WAY happier accepting a plane that isn't perfect rather than trying to build one that is. I can't imagine building a perfect plane and then having a scratch or dent...it would be a nightmare. So, moving forward, I will strive to build a safe, airworthy aircraft to the best of my ability but without the need for perfection that was beginning to rob me of my enjoyment of the process.

And of course, Epiphanies aren't just about building.....

We all know how invulnerable when we are young, right? Well, have you ever had one of those moments when the intellectual knowledge that you can be killed in an airplane suddenly and sharply comes a " bullet past the ear" moment - when you feel all the way down to your nerve endings just how lucky you are to be alive? Did it change the way you conduct at least that part of your flying? If it did, you had an "epiphany".

See...epiphanies are about how you view and react to the entire universe!

Great contributions so far BTW....

Paul

See...epiphanies are about how you view and react to the entire universe!

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I had the epiphany at some point that "this thing could actually kill me". That was a big one. When I first started thinking about building and during the build, the risk was sort of academic to me. When I went to the funeral of a local builder (who died in an RV crash), I had that epiphany. I had it again during my test flight period when I made a poor judgement of cloud height before takeoff and ended up inadvertently in IMC. That epiphany has totally changed my risk approach. Now I don't fly at night (although I am night-rated), and I'll probably never get into single-engine IFR flying. Both of these were things I thought I'd do in my RV eventually, before my epiphany.

I think I just had one.....yes, yes.........

I am sick of doom and gloom on this forum. If you think flying is too dangerous, or not worth the money, or otherwise unrewarding, please keep it to yourself.

Yer OK Phil, but Dan is right. Time to pull down yer earflaps, toss that scarf around yer neck, take yer prop out of the bucket, kick the tires, light the fires, holler CONTACT!, tally-ho , and all that. Hoist yer glass and tighten yer @#$. Watch out! There's an RV comin' through!

2nd chance

I was lucky enough to build two RV's. So several epiphanys came to light.
My first, the RV-6, was choosen for its sexy tail dragger looks and it's
side by side cozyness. And I always wanted it to look brand new.
5 years into its flying life, I realized that my next plane would be
better suited for my mission and not just the dream. But it took awhile
to figure out what that was. Thankfully, there was a 2nd chance. Even
though I love to fly, building is great fun (didn't seem so the first time
around.... tying to build that watch I guess). The wheel up front was
the easiest decision. I didn't have anything more to prove to myself and
seemed more practical. Tandem would be more fun for me, more room
for both occupants and the -8A has both front and back baggage for
easy balance. I polish less now. Even though the hours
per year are about the same in the -8 as it twas in the -6, I stay
current IFR. The challange of flying accurately is just as statisfying
as the perfect wheel landing.

If you think flying is too dangerous, or not worth the money, or otherwise unrewarding, please keep it to yourself.

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It wasn't my intent to "spread doom and gloom". Clearly I don't think flying is too too dangerous, expensive or unrewarding, as I fly my RV frequently. My epiphany about risk doesn't stop me from flying my RV - it just changes my approach (no pun intended). This thread was asking about people's epiphanies - I don't think I should be asked to keep mine to myself just because it's not happy enough for you.

Not to worry Phil. I can keep Dan happy by sending him some scented resin from my new "scents of America" product line. The first one is called "Springtime in Gary".

I also have a more manly scented resin coming out called "Oglalla Feedlot".

DanH said:

I think I just had one.....yes, yes.........

I am sick of doom and gloom on this forum. If you think flying is too dangerous, or not worth the money, or otherwise unrewarding, please keep it to yourself.

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Should everyone who disagrees with you be barred from posting their thoughts?

Should everyone who disagrees with you be barred from posting their thoughts?

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No, he just snapped from the weight of all the gloom and took a swing. I sympathize. This is VANS AIRFORCE. Not VANS SCAREFORCE.

prkaye said:

I had the epiphany at some point that "this thing could actually kill me". That was a big one. When I first started thinking about building and during the build, the risk was sort of academic to me. When I went to the funeral of a local builder (who died in an RV crash), I had that epiphany. I had it again during my test flight period when I made a poor judgement of cloud height before takeoff and ended up inadvertently in IMC. That epiphany has totally changed my risk approach. Now I don't fly at night (although I am night-rated), and I'll probably never get into single-engine IFR flying. Both of these were things I thought I'd do in my RV eventually, before my epiphany.

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Great perspective Phil. Its good to be reminded of this because being aware of it CAN make us better pilots and should help us to make better decisions. The operative words are CAN and SHOULD. Some know the risk and push it anyway. Great thoughts Phil...

DanH said:

I think I just had one.....yes, yes.........

I am sick of doom and gloom on this forum. If you think flying is too dangerous, or not worth the money, or otherwise unrewarding, please keep it to yourself.

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Now, now, now Dan. Take a big deep breath in and calm down. Phil is explaining his epiphany, not dooming and glooming the world of aviation. I happen to think his epiphany is one we should all have. It helps keep us humble.

John Tierney said:

As Mark Forss from EAA one said in a Sportair Workshop, your not building a Swiss watch, your building a very good farm tractor.

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While I was building, I kept telling my wife that I'm building the best airplane I can and once it moves to the airport, it is a tractor.

N941WR said:

While I was building, I kept telling my wife that I'm building the best airplane I can and once it moves to the airport, it is a tractor.

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This is amusing to me, as the 172 I'm flying now is essentially a farm truck, used primarily for shuttling people and parts between two far-apart farming operations.

I always tell people that the J-3 Cub is basically farm equipment, built by good old American farm-boys. And it really (retty much) is!

I always tell people that the J-3 Cub is basically farm equipment, built by good old American farm-boys. And it really (retty much) is!
__________________

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Uh huh, all the cubs around here are all shot up....literally...from the inside-out.

One of my building epiphanies occurred when someone asked, for the umpteenth time, "what do you need one of THOSE for?!" There is a group at my airport who are anti anything but the most basic everything... spartan upholstery, minimal paint and absolutely positively nothing but a basic six pack at most. They have only recently begrudged others (and now themselves) autopilots. So when I got the inevitable haranguing on something I was putting it, I finally figured out the right response: "What do you NEED an airplane for?"

I finally realized that trying to justify my choices to others was pointless. It's good to go over the thinking, but trying to convince other people that my preferences trump theirs on my plane is a waste of time. It wasn't about what I need, it's about what I want. When I finally weighed it, it was slightly heavier that I was hoping for, but not that much heavier than I was really expecting. I then thought about what I would have left out, to reduce weight. Nothing. While I didn't need everything, I had exactly what I wanted.

Jeremy Constant

Small personal baseline adjustments

Initial build quality baseline: I will strive for excellence and build the very best airplane that I can build and it will be light and fast and beautiful. Let others compromise, I will not. I never changed that objective so maybe I don't have any qualifying experience but I did make some small adjustments in my thinking as I progressed through the build of our RV-6A quick build kit.

1 - There are some basic incompatabilities in the kit that have to be fixed (like the rear of the filter air box and the nose landing gear strut cannot share the same physical space).

2 - When something doesnt seem right, it needs to be given a lot of thought before pressing on.

3 - Sacrificing a perfectly good tool by modifying it to accomplish a onetime task is OK in the bigger value picture.

4 - Sometimes when a task does not work out as planned it is an opportunity to learn a better way to do the job in approach or airplane configuration.

5 - A pound of long rivets and a rivet cutter is better than reordering many fractional pounds of various sized rivets.

6 - I will repair everything that is discrepant rather than ordering new parts because it will be just as good after the repair and the experience will make me focus on doing things right the first time.

7 - If the outcome of some build task seems uncertain, special tools or equipment can be made or purchased to improve the precision of the work.

There are many more of these little mental adjustments that occurred in the build process which I think meet the theme of this thread but I never gave up on my initial objectives. I was sure it would be a prize winner at Sun 'n' Fun and/or Airventure after it was painted in 2005. It was not. The hope for an award was a good motivator in spite of my subsequent disappointment and the experience of trying was good. The airplane came out heavy with the two extra range 8.5 gallon tip tanks, it was reasonably fast, it flew like a dream and to our eyes at least it is beautiful. I continue to modify the plane to make it faster and so far have increased the speed by approximately 14 knots TAS at 6,000 ft density altitude. Would I ever take the attitude that I am building a tractor into a project like this? Absolutely not.

Bob Axsom

A couple of my epiphanies.....

. On my first airplane (RV6), I built it to fly in IMC - then never did. I was, after all, a professional pilot and needed that capability, right??

. On my second airplane (RV8), I realized my folly on my first and built it simple, fast, and VFR !..... now I'm trying to figure out how to justify upgrading my panel so I don't have to scud run with my loving wife in the back.

. Trying to convince my wife of anything involving our airplane only has to do with money. All other considerations are totally up to me.

The 30' Airplane

About 2 years ago in my then 12 year build process, I realized that I was NEVER going to finish if I didn't put some major time into the project and "ignore perfection".

I was painting in a booth I had made at my house and found out that I hadn't used the correct reducer (at least I think that was the problem) and I ended up with a million tiny bubbles in the right wing paint. The old me would have looked to "make it perfect".

The new me said:

"I'm building a 30' airplane.....Looks good from 30'"

Now, I think once it's flying that I'll wet sand and buff the wing.

Moved on and never looked back. My motto now is "Is it Safe...If Yes, move on"