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Thank you and love to this community!

sritchie

Well Known Member
Hello all,

I was feeling some emotions in the shop today and figured I'd allow myself a gratitude post; hopefully not too off-topic for general.

I'm in the home stretch of my RV-10 build, rigging control surfaces and one engine intake filter away from firing up the engine for the first time. I started the build in June of 2015. Some thoughts I had at the time:

- I bet I can finish this thing in 12 months tops.
- If I'm careful, I COULD be the first builder to never biff a single rivet. (I proceeded to rivet a doubler onto the wrong side of the vertical stabilizer spar and drilled out ALL of my first ~12 rivets. Another dream dashed.)

I now have a 3 year old daughter, twins on the way, I've moved jobs, houses... but after each long break in the build, when the fire and free time hit me, I come back to Vans Airforce and find the same level of excitement, care, veteran willingness to help others, and more and more build logs with unbelievable levels of love and energy and detail poured into them.

I can't wait to be done with my 10 and fly it for the first time, sure. This has been one of my life's major projects, and there is no way I could have gotten this far without all of you.

So THANK YOU ALL! I can't wait to meet more of you in person and show off this crazy project that everyone here has participated in in one way or another. You're amazing!
 
Congrats on being so close! I'm looking forward to hearing about your first flight soon. Let me know if you need a hand finishing anything up.
 
Awesome work.
You are at exactly the same stage as me.
Actually I fired it up for the first time last week.
But I also started in June 2015!
I had already built a 7 so I wasn’t as optimistic as you about timeframes.
However it has still been a lot more work than anticipated.
Good luck with the final stretch.
 
The last time I was at Oshkosh, I was chatting with two ladies that were volunteers. We were discussing the wonderful thrills of seeing and watching all the planes landing, taking off and around the grounds. One of them made a comment that like sritchie OP hit a home run about this hobby of ours. She said, “As we sit here, I wonder if everything was exactly like it is but all these people were gone, how many others would show up just to look at planes?” Without hesitation we said no one.

These airplanes are the common thread that bring us together but it’s those people that make it what it is. I feel privileged to be part of this community.
 
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Come to HBC

Carol and I volunteer in Home Built Camping, please introduce your self when you fly into OShkosh. We love to meet new Vans flyers.
 
you are sailing through it

2015 start and you are this close??? Slow down there hot rod :D I started in May 2006 and first flight was Oct 2019 so 13 1/2 years!! My list of distractions was very similar childless to having 2 kids, 2 house remodels, 1 out of state move, several job changes, still married to the same wonderful wife.

Yes I echo your sentiment. The process of building is such an amazing journey. The help along the way from family, friends and random VAF'ers, Vendors, and such... makes it all possible. 2.5 years and I still marvel at the thought while flying OMG I built this thing :). When its really bumpy its OMG I BUILT THIS THING :eek: When it comes up in conversation it's OMG you built that thing :cool: When you're chasing an issue its OMG I built this dang thing :mad:

I've often wondered how exclusive is the club of people who have built entire airplanes. Since the Wright's in 1903 to today how many people would that be? Van's has over 11k airplanes flying. How many of those are repeat offenders? What about all other experimental vendors combined? I'm sure some production airplane prototypes were largely built by a small number of people? Would the builder count even be 50k people maybe 100k tops? Thats a small number of the 7+ billion in the world. Fascinating thought to me.
 
In response to Ben's comment above. I had the same thoughts. In this world how many have built their own plane. When I finished mine a retired FedEX pilot at my home field congratulated me and said only about 15% of those that start actually finish their projects. He's built two himself!

Another thought I had was how many had actually test flown an aircraft that's never been flown. A club that's likely by the numbers a little more elite. Glad I'm a member of that one too.

Again though... it's the people. I've met so many through the years. When I was building I contacted Dan Horton who's known to all of us as one of the experts. He didn't know me from Adam but he spent over 30 minutes on the phone one evening explaining just how to fiberglass the canopy area. My first flyin in the RV was Petit Jean where I met Dan and and felt privileged to be able to personally thank him for taking the time he did with me on the phone. So many others out there just like Dan. VAF is such a great community to be a part of.
 
I know Sam and his wife and child. They are about the nicest people I've ever met. They're doing a good job on the plane, too.

I'm glad to call them friends.

Dave
 
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