So you've finished your airplane, now what?

Paul Eastham · #1 09-12-2007, 09:32 PM

You're done with Phase 1, got some good X/Cs in, taken all your friends for rides, now what have you or what will you do with all your spare time?

Robert M · #2 09-12-2007, 11:10 PM

One can never predict what the future will hold. Having said that and still in the building process, My plans are to build another RV (maybe a 3) and fly the one I have every available minute. Also, (wife has me by the scruff of the neck), I plan to get caught up on all of the "things" I have let slide while building. I have actually thought about buildin an RV-12 - I think that is a neat plane!

pierre smith · #3 09-13-2007, 05:40 AM

Hi Paul,
A friend is building his -4 in my hangar and it sure helps relieve the builder's withdrawal and he's tickled to death to have a shop to build it in.

I think you saw it when you were down here.

Pierre

Ironflight · #4 09-13-2007, 06:24 AM

I need to select multiple boxes!! Like.....almost all of them!!

Interesting poll idea...

RV8N · #5 09-13-2007, 07:06 AM

I started dating my wife-to-be shortly after finishing the RV. I now spend most of my time running kids around and doing projects around the house.

My wife regrets missing the building process and we plan on building a Bearhawk in the future. Unfortunately it will probably be after the girls have left for college.

Karl

Mel · #6 09-13-2007, 07:10 AM

I'm with Paul. We need to be able to check multiple boxes.
I'll be turning 65 in February, and there are so many airplanes I want to built. First to finish the bi-plane, next I want to build a T-51B. Too bad so much time is taken up maintaining a runway and mowing.

Paul Eastham · #7 09-13-2007, 07:47 AM

I do believe I enabled allowing multiple selections on the poll

rv7boy · #8 09-13-2007, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mel

I'm with Paul. We need to be able to check multiple boxes.
I'll be turning 65 in February, and there are so many airplanes I want to built. First to finish the bi-plane, next I want to build a T-51B. Too bad so much time is taken up maintaining a runway and mowing.

Mel,
Your comment interests me. I still have the dream to someday have a little grass strip with a house nearby amid the hills of Tennessee.

What in particular are you referring to when you say "maintaining a runway?" You must mean other than mowing since you mention it separately. I'd like to know how much time it takes to mow and maintain a grass runway.

Also, are there any particular grasses that are better suited to a grass runway? My thinking is the middle third could be different than the outer two "thirds" since the ends will be where most of the landings are made. Is there a tough, slow growing, inexpensive grass that is best suited for a grass field in the Tennessee climate? I would think Middle Tennessee weather is not too different from your part of Texas.

Any things you would do different in building your grass airport?

Thanks,
Don

Mel · #9 09-13-2007, 10:17 AM

Because of the "black gumbo" soil we have, a grass runway did not work for me. When it rained, it stayed wet for weeks. Then when it did dry out it started cracking. I had crushed white rock (calichie) put down. It is very dusty, but when it rains, it dries out in a day or two. Weeds love calichie. They grow in clumps and make it rough. I have to kill the weeds and blade the runway regularly. I have not been doing this regularly so the weeds have taken over. Now I have to blade everything down and almost start over.
The tractor I've been using is not quite big enough to pull the blade. Now I'm looking for a bigger tractor.

Jim P · #10 09-13-2007, 10:21 AM

Let's see....

Wife want's a Cobra kit car so that's on the list, but she also mentioned a boat. Then by that time, my boy is going to getting old enough to think about flying lessons so I'm going to have to look for a Champ to restore. Way too many projects.