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Builders Age

Your Builder Age (when construction started)

  • 18-25yrs

    Votes: 29 5.7%

  • 26-30

    Votes: 45 8.9%

  • 31-35

    Votes: 69 13.6%

  • 36-40

    Votes: 69 13.6%

  • 41-45

    Votes: 73 14.4%

  • 46-50

    Votes: 69 13.6%

  • 51-55

    Votes: 73 14.4%

  • 56-60

    Votes: 42 8.3%

  • 61-65

    Votes: 22 4.3%

  • 65+

    Votes: 16 3.2%
  • Total voters
    507
cjensen said:
i'm up there at 28!! :eek:
Click to expand...

That'd make me ancient at 32.

Just remember: you're never too young or too old to buy tools. Since you're gonna have all these tools, you may as well build an airplane... :D
 
Gray hair

27 when I started building.
29 when I finished and first flew it.
Does that make my data point 28? (I'm 31.)

I developed more gray hair (what's left of it) while building than while flying, that's for sure.

)_( Dan
RV-7 N714D (793 hours)
http://www.rvproject.com
 
36 when I started, 41 when I finished, 42 now. I was going to ask why no one was using the Poll that Doug made, then realized he just made it.

Cheers
 
Gee thanks

Thanks so much for reminding me that I am getting old. I used to be the youngest in every group, but in this group I am looking pretty old.

I am 38 and started building in October.

Antony
 
I might be the youngest??

I was 23 when I started and if it flies before AUG 9 (which it should) I will be 26 when my 8 flies!!
 
Roberta thanks me in advance for not checking the 'show who voted for what' button when I set up the poll.


:D ;) :)
 
I have socks older than half of you guys!

Glenn in Arizona -9A Fuselage (oh, yea, 53 years old).
 
Oh Crikey.. I thought I'd better drop in and vote today (Jan 24) to be included in a majority group of 51-55 yr olds because tomorrow, I join the minority group of 56-60.

Drat.
 
K-what???

Broken-wrench said:
Whos really older? A 41 year old with no kids who travels and buys what he wants or a 28 year old with kids?
Click to expand...
33 and started 3 months ago. Waiting for wing kit. K, k, ki, ki, kiiiiiiiii-ant even say it!!! No way!! Uh-uh. Not happening!:D (lucky for me my wife agrees)
 
What's the margin of error on this survey? (I knew I went to graduate school for some reason!) What about all those really old guys building who haven't figured out the computer enough yet to take part in this survey? (I can say that because if you're old and reading this you aren't the ones I just kind of insulted!) :D

The results will be skewed to the younger crowd here. Interesting nonetheless. Party pooper, aren't I?!
 
Last edited:
osxuser.....

Shoot/buck a lot of rivets before you turn 21. They will look MUCH better than if you shoot a few, 'after having a few'. :D
 
sorta the opposite of drinking and how the ladies look before during and after!! :eek: :D

aaahhh, college days...
 
31 when I started in May 05. Hopefully it will fly before 33. No kids and no wife make it easy, but the job and the Reserves make it hard. Why can't they just leave us alone and let us build, but still pay us? :p
 
Wow, I figured that when I began around 35 that I was getting a fairly early start, but after reading some of these posts I'm kinda feeling old and crusty... I just turned 37 a few days ago and have maybe 6 months or so until it's done. I'm amazed that 20-somethings are building; when I was early to mid 20s working as a freight dog and commuter pilot I didn't have a dime to spare, much less enough to build anything... stupid airline career.

Ah well, it's finally paying off; 37 with a wife, dog, no kids, an RV-8 and a CBR 600 F4 in the garage. I'm still young enough to act like a kid I suppose...
 
Young Guns

Well I didn't used to feel old! I guess I'm just a late starter. I didn't start my first motorcycle race until age 36 and stopped at 45. But notice the age is creeping up in the poll. Now I don't mind mentioning I started at 50.
Bill
Rotary10-RV
 
Shoot - Started too Early

Started at 60. If I had waited 11 months I could have been in a more exclusive group. Will turn 70 this year enjoying the ride.

Bob Axsom

bbddrake8ll.jpg
 
Started building RV-10 at age 57 (kit purchased first day of OSH 2003, OSH order #2) after buying N65RV (RV-6A) at age 55. Will fly RV-10 prior to OSH 2006.
 
jbDC9 said:
freight dog and commuter pilot I didn't have a dime to spare, much less enough to build anything... stupid airline career.

Ah well, it's finally paying off; 37 with a wife, dog, no kids, an RV-8 and a CBR 600 F4 in the garage. I'm still young enough to act like a kid I suppose...
Click to expand...

Freight Dog! Me TOO! EX Express One & Zantop. Or Motto was " Come on Over to the Ugly side of the Field!" "if it flew in It'll fly out"
 
No time like now to start !

39 when I started my 7a - flying when I was 40 - finished at ??
41 when I started the 10 - planning to fly by 45.

As been said before - it's never too late to start!
 
Started at 50. Waiting on the wings now. Just hoping to finish at this advanced age. I envy all the guys that could make it work financially in their 20's and 30's.

Paul
91300
 
Thanks to a couple of you I'm not quite the oldest but I bought my RV8 project from another builder at age 58, made slow progress until I retired at 60 then flew it at 61. Made it a full-time project and completed it in 17 months/2400 hrs. You young guys will get older and slower too one of these days. Check it out in Doug's air-to-air portfolio (N88GK)
 
Another example

I realized I was aging when my preacher, my lawyer and my doctor were all younger than I. Now I am finding out that most who share my hobby are younger also.

I suppose you children need a few of us mature adults around to provide adult supervision.

I started my RV-8 4 months before my 61st birthday. Hope to finish and fly it before I reach 65.
 
Respectfully declining Bill Benedict's advice to wait, I started the -8A at 21 while still in school. Parts of the slow build airframe and engine went through four different moves (Golden, CO to Midland, TX back to Golden, CO to Houston, TX for the "A" and Burlington, CO to Houston, TX for the "P"), it stood by through a wedding, and finally flew in May '05 when I was 26. Get it done early so you can (hopefully) build another later.
 
Broken-wrench said:
EX Express One & Zantop. Our motto was " Come on Over to the Ugly side of the Field!" "if it flew in It'll fly out"
Click to expand...

Hey, I resemble that remark! I did a short gig at Express One, just over a year, '96-'97, B-727 FE (pax/cargo) then DC-9 FO. First freight job was Airnet (US Check) hauling checks in C-310s. Good times... and "why bother checking the weather, we're going anyway." When were you at Exp One?

John
RV-8 FWF
 
Old

I got my 6 tail kit in 1988, at 44. Finished in 1991 and have been flying it ever since. I'm 62 now. What happened between 1988 and 1991 you ask.
Just every day family life, kids in collage, honey dues and working to support the flying bug.
I'm often asked "ws it worth it?" Yes, every time we fly somewere, It was indeed worth it.
Rich
N721ET
 
I may have you young guys beat, age wise. I started a Fly-Baby at age 16 after fixing a wrecked Taylorcraft at age 15. The T-craft is still flying in Oregon. I paid $900 for it and spent six months getting it in the air. Learned a lot and soloed it on my 16th birthday. I sold the FB project when I started college and have lost track of it. I started the 7A at age 51, and two years later I'm at the FWF/canopy stage. BTW, any crop dusters out there? I worked my way through college in a Pawnee. Steve
 
I was 42 when I started, and I expect to be about 193 when I'm done! Hopefully, the price of a Flux Capacitor will have dropped below the price of a Lycoming by then.

Cheers,
Martin
 
A metal airplane

I wished someone would have told me my 8A project was metal :eek: I have restored, flown and sold many tube and fabric planes, this is my first all metal project. What the heck am I going to do with my pinking shears and all this dope :D .... Im in the middle of the pack at 38.
Pat
 
26 when started first 7A. 28 finished.
28 started second 7A. Almost done.

Age now: 27

This hobby keeps you young!

Steve
RV7A
 
pat said:
What the heck am I going to do with my pinking shears and all this dope
Pat
Click to expand...

You definitely want to stay away from dope while you're working on your airplane. Beer, maybe, but not dope.

And avoid shearing your pinky at all costs. Even with dope and beer, it'll hurt.
 
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