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2015 Review

Jaypratt

Well Known Member
Mentor
Happy 2016!!!!!

2015 Review from RV Central

186.2 hours logged in all airplanes.

Flying Trips!

Sun N Fun and Key West in RV8 Borrowed Horse

Flew the Skywagon 'Paul Revere' to Spearfish, SD, Winifred, Montana, Kalaspell, Montana. Drove into Canada. Johnson Creek, Idaho, Salt Lake City, Utah, visited Park City.

Oshkosh in The RV8 'Borrowed Horse' ... After OSH, we flew to visit friends in Indiana, and Maine, drove into Canada, Prince Edward Island, camping along the Main and Canada coast. Then Flew to Watertown, NY and stayed a week with friends in a cabin on the St Lawrence River. On our way home we stopped and visited more friends in Missouri. Saw a bunch of springs and parks

Flew the Exp Super Cub 'Shooter' to The Big Bend area in Texas, with 19 other planes including 8 RVs. We flew lots of Rivers and Canyons. Fun, fun!

In between these adventures we managed to visit Amelia's Landing Hotel a few times in Port Aransas, lots of flights to friends farms, for burger burns and shoot outs, target practice.

2015 was a good year for Carol and I. We celebrated the new year with our friends and neighbors at home base, Hicks Airfield T67.
I hope the new year brings lots of first flights to you builders, and continuing fun safe adventures to all that are flying their RVs.

We expect a first flight of a new RV8 tomorrow, January 2, 2016. Stay tuned
Happy New Year!!! From RV Central
 
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Jay

I probably flew a lot less miles than you in 214 hours in 2015. Back it off to 21 squared and you can rack up lots more hours on the same fuel. Happy New Year to you and Carol!

John Morgan:)
 
I didn't get many hours or places as you Jay, but was able to get 52 hours in for the year.

Multiple places in Florida (Local eating flights)

Sun-n-fun - First Time for Smilingjack

Key west

New Orlean

Hilton Head

All in all a good year for me :D
 
That's a pretty full year, Jay!

When I looked back over 2015, I was a little surprised I didn't have a single overnight trip. I only managed day trips ...

img_1702-575x438.jpeg
 
A little over 100 hours last year, evenly split between business and personal.

My mom is in Pennsylvania. She's 81 now and doing great, but it's still a huge deal to get there from Alabama in four hours.

Took Patti to St Simon's for a few days last winter, and to Petit Jean again this fall, her first flying trip after some stroke recovery time. She continues to improve, and we are thankful for that.

The -8 has become a no-kidding power tool for chasing light commercial trucks across the Southeast. They're typically sold off-lease at auctions, for the most part strictly as-is, so hands-on inspection can be critical. I'm often up early, work a sale two states away, and back in the office that afternoon. It's the "personal business aircraft" promise I was selling for Piper back in the 80's, but the concept actually works in this case, given the RV's speed and total operating cost.

Here's a mission; jump in the -8 after lunch with my buddy Stan in the back seat. Fly to Chattanooga, jump in the courtesy car, run over to a auction site to inspect a box truck, buy it, then put Stan behind the wheel back to Montgomery. Return to the airplane, fly to Murfreesboro TN. Inspect a half dozen 15-passenger vans and a few other units of interest, then jump back in the airplane and zip home to South Alabama for dinner. Buy a few of the vans the next day via internet remote.

Here I'm working two lanes in Murfreesboro at the same time, from my office chair, with full knowledge of what I'm about to buy. What a world!

 
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It was a good year

Approx 180 hours in 2 airplanes.

Sold my RV7A to a great couple here in Michigan after 10 years and 1200 hours.

Purchased a flying RV10 late January, didn't really start to fly it until mid March. The weather in Michigan was awful. We put 120 hours on it in 9 months. 3 trips east to NY and PA visiting relatives. Spent an awesome week up in Canada visiting friends in Collingwood and North Bay. Flew my wife and 2 sons to FL for my parents 60 anniversary in June. Our local airport does a long distance fly out once a year, this September we all flew down to Gillespie, TX and stayed at the Hangar Hotel, from there we flew to a couple of great BBQ joints. Throw is a couple of flights to Mackinaw and Beaver Island with some friends. Bummed I missed Petit Jean this fall. Did I mention the 10 is an awesome cross country machine!

Also flew about 60 hours in my Just Highlander. They were all local, 100 miles or less. For short breakfast flights my wife would rather take the Highlander, low and slow with great visibility. I'm putting the skis on today, skis open up a lot of grass runways near me in the winter.

Wising everyone a safe and healthy 2016

Gary
 
2015 - The Year in Review

In February 2015, I bought a RV-8 out of Arizona. (I got my license in 2014).

I struggled hard with the decision whether to build or buy. I spoke with Jay Pratt multiple times on the phone. He gave tons of really good free advise (keep it light). If he wasn't so busy building planes for others I probably would have become a customer.

I sincerely appreciate all the guidance I received from everyone on this site who gave me guidance on reaching a decision, Jay Pratt, Jim Thill, Vlad, Mike Starkey, Mike Seagar, and so many others.

A huge thanks to DR for this site and all those who contributed to the thread, "How to Land an RV-8". Whew!

Flying 2015:

1. Benson Arizona to Cameron Park California. Longest cross country to date.

2. Lincoln California to Independence Oregon (Fly-in). First time I ever descended through a broken/scattered cloud layer. Boy was it bumpy underneath.

3. Lots of local flights.

Goals: Many. Fly more. Mountain flying course, Sun N Fun, Air Venture, Idaho, upset recovery training, aerobatic training, IFR,...
 
~500 hours in the right seat of a regional jet
Not nearly enough in the Citabria or Cessna 170
One awesome trip to Oshkosh after a 4 year absence. Loved Dirks Bentley!
Bought tools and tail kit for an RV-8.........

Lots of hope and confidence that 2016 has hope and opportunity though.
 
Fun Flying!

Only 50+ hrs in the -6A, but probably about 50 more through Flight Reviews, Instrument Proficiencies, and ferrying. Also got in some hours doing Condition Inspections.

Every year of life is good --- some are just better than others!

Happy New Year!

Ron
 
Good thread Jay!

599 RV hours in 2015. Didn't go to Newfoundland but visited Alvord Desert.
Didn't go to Oshkosh but made it to S-n-F. Couldn't reach Corpus Christi but flew by Eglin and Pensacola...
Introduced a dozen people to RV world some of them even bought kits. Passed recommended TBO on the engine. Still pulling strong.

Major goal for 2016 - a trip to Alaska. The preparation has already begun. :)


 
N37HR

Jeff Reins RV8 flew today January 2, 2016!!!!
His airplane has a O-340 Stroker rated at 177hp. With a Hartzell. I was the pilot, and am really excited about this airplane. Performance is fantastic.
 
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599!!!

Vlad,

That is a lot of hours! You are welcome to come back to Cowtown anytime. Alaska will be a challenging trip. Be careful
 
About 130 hours - 99.9% in our Rocket. Two trips to Key West via Ft.Worth, our first over water, international flight to Bimini, plenty of weekends in Vegas and Phoenix, and one near death experience.

Lots of memories and education this year.
 
It's all relative...

Vlad,

That is a lot of hours! You are welcome to come back to Cowtown anytime. Alaska will be a challenging trip. Be careful

Jay,
I was working over the holidays, (as always). Crew scheduling called me New Years eve and said they wouldn't have to sit me down. Why? I finished the year on the 31st with 998 hours...almost an even grand.
Dang...working too much!

Come remove a few shingles from my house sometime...
V/R
Smokey
 
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180 total hours.

First flight of my RV-9A on 4/30/15, 110 in it for the year.

Two trips to Florida in the 9A, and one to Virginia. A couple to Galveston and to Corpus Christi.

Not a bad year.

Now, hopefully to get her painted this year.

Oh, and I just bought a J-3 Cub project. And not just any J-3 Cub. I tracked down and bought the J-3 that my grandfather owned when my mother was a child! I should take delivery (Partain) around the end of the month!

-Dan
 
Slow Year

Only 118.

Mostly business trips in the 4 (27 hours) and 10 (71 hours). Fairly even split between local (52) and cross country (66) on a total of 87 flights.

Ones that count as cross country were:

San Antonio. Houston. Orlando. Dallas. Orlando. Little Rock. Lee's Summit. Mount Vernon, IL. Petit Jean. Dayton, NV. Little Rock.

I am a bit sad to say that I only logged 10 hours more in the 4 than I did the AN2, at 17 hours. Man I'm ready for THAT airplane to leave.
 
Our Best Ever.

... Just a little over 400 Hrs. and 50,000 miles in our RV-9A. All very worthwhile, as we have had the pleasure of meeting hundreds of other RVers and making as many new friends.
We want to thank everyone for their trust, and acceptance of our company and products. You all have made this our very best year as well as our most enjoyable! Thank You, Allan & staff...:D
 
Just calculated my 2015 numbers.

Nothing like Vlad, but who is!?!

;)

Mine came in at 295.5 hours.

A good first year of flying my plane, I think?

:cool: CJ
 
Just calculated my 2015 numbers.

Nothing like Vlad, but who is!?!

;)

Mine came in at 295.5 hours.

A good first year of flying my plane, I think?

:cool: CJ

Are you kidding! That's awesome! I didn't even get that total amount when I add up my work flying and RV flying :mad:

Have fun in 2016!
 
Good year for us too

I dont have the hours in front of me but...

New Waverly TX-Destin (beachtime)

New Waverly TX-New Orleans (partytime)

New Waverly TX -Sedona AZ-Durango CO-Leadville CO-New Waverly TX
Wife and I yearly trip (Trains,Wineries, Grand Canyon, Highest Airport Certificate, White Water rafting)

New Waverly TX-West Virginia (purchased a Peitenpol and my brother flew it home in 16 hours :p)-Osh Kosh-Winterpark CO
My son and I went and checked out the Pietenpol, then went to OSH then downhill mountain bike riding.

Numerous trips to check on wife's parents..4 hours driving vs 1 hour in the RV.

A few $100 hamburgers.

Many local sport flying sessions. Wife doesn't like pulling G's.:(

Dang I love this plane.:D
 
In 2015 I managed to log a whopping 14.4 hours.

I flew half an hour in a Champ, my first tailwheel instruction. Fun little airplane, but it was enough to convince me that a Champ was simply not what I was looking for.

The rest of the time was all RV-12. A couple hours of transition training, then a 790 NM cross-country (with a CFI in the right seat) to bring the "new" plane home. The rest of the year was spent with a lot of fixing and a little flying.

This was still a big improvement over 2014, with 0.7 total - none of it as PIC. We'll see what 2016 brings, but I'm betting it will be better. :) So far I've only been out once for a couple of hours, we've been mostly IFR since the first of the year. I'm spending the time planning where to go this year.
 
Only in the single digit flying hours for 2015, and my last real progress on the RV-7 was in May, but since then my wife and I both retired, relocated ourselves, the RV-7 project, two cats, and all our worldly possessions some 2200+ miles, found a home on an airport, and are looking forward to many more building and flying hours in 2016. Now that some house remodeling and the holidays are done, I look forward to getting the last of the moving boxes out of the hangar, and getting the shop set up to resume poundin' them rivets.

This was before the furniture showed up and crowded me out of a shop while the remodeling was going on...
FP13092015A0002K.jpg


Also, my 170 that got run over by a stray Cherokee in 2014 is coming along, with an new aft fuselage and right wing. We hope to have it back with us before summer:
FP04012016A0006V.jpg
 
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