I'd Rather Eat Worms

[Jaypratt]

I am amazed at the loyalty to our RV airplanes. One of my friends owns a RV6 (wants an 8) mentioned that " this is the longest I have ever owned an airplane. I used to trade every few years" . ... Got me thinking........

It is true, of a lot of RV owners/builders seem to fly and own their RVs for years. I have seen a few drop out, and move to other things,,,, but for the most part I see RV owners sticking around. I have had 4 RVs, flying since 1996 but would eat worms before I would give up my RV.

Good airplane.

[Chino Tom]

Gave up my -6 after 9 years (flying) so I could finish my -8A. I would love to have TWO airplanes but it is not in the cards (maybe a Husky to keep my -8A company) and besides I'd have to get a bigger hangar! Can't imagine life without my RV.

[bsacks05]

Just had this conversation with my wife last night when I came into the kitchen with a part for my biplane project.

"So, when you finish the new plane are you gonna sell the other one (RV9)?"
"Nope, gonna keep both of them."

Then I went back out the garage.

[Mel]

I've owned a few airplanes in my time including a T-Craft, C-170B, Mooney, Globe Swift, Moni Motorglider, etc. Average time owned is 2-4 years. I've been flying my -6 for 16 years and have no intentions of getting rid of it.

[Bob Axsom]

I love to fly and I love to travel so the two loves are compatible. I have only owned two airplanes over the past 27 years because I picked the best for my needs that I could stretch to afford. I bought a 1981 Archer II from a TWA pilot with three airplanes and a shrinking billfold in 1982. I loved that airplane and we flew everywhere in it, coast to coast and border to border including many trips into Canada and Mexico. As I neared retirement the experimental aircraft with repairman certificate provisions appealed to my planning for fixed and reduced income life. I started looking and planning for it. My first attraction was to the Lancair 320 but after seeing an RV-4 at the annual EAA fly-in at Camarillo I opened up my thinking range. When the RV-6 became available I focused on it. I had worked in aerospace for many years and built free flight and control line models that I flew in competition up to the National Championship level in my youth so I knew something about form and function of airplanes. I wanted long range, speed, IFR capability, side-by-side seating and I wanted to fly it in races as I had the Archer II. I spent 8 years building our RV-6A in our garage and finishing at a rented part of a hangar in Chino while I continued to work with a 4 hour commute every day. I retired after I completed the test phase and my project that was in flight ops came to an end. We sold our house and moved to Arkansas where I pay less for a wonderful hangar than I did for a tiedown at SNA. We are in the center of the country now and the travel options are increased greatly in every direction. We have flown coast to coast and landed in 21 states so far with no plans to cut back. The airplane was built with a lot of TLC and I continue to modify it for racing. It is not the fastest RV but in the past two years it has won the SARL RV Blue (360) class championship both years. Every time I enter the hangar I marvel at the beautiful lines - you don't just sell something like this.

Bob Axsom

[mrreddick]

I was just looking at my electronic logbook and noticed the same thing Jay is talking about. A couple hundred hours in a Cessna, got bored and moved on to a Grumman. Three hundred hours in a Grumman, got bored and moved on to an RV6A.
Over 800 hours and every flight is like a new adventure! Never boring just tons of fun!

[Geico266]

Originally Posted by bsacks05

Just had this conversation with my wife last night when I came into the kitchen with a part for my biplane project.

"So, when you finish the new plane are you gonna sell the other one (RV9)?"
"Nope, gonna keep both of them."

Then I went back out the garage.

Sell the wife, and get a 3rd airplane.

[Rick6a]

Originally Posted by Jaypratt

.....would eat worms before I would give up my RV......

Oh yeah! It had been days since I last flew. Yesterday, after monitoring AWOS and hourly METARs all day long I finally seized upon a break in the persistent high and gusty wind conditions that hung around the area all day long. Even though overcast and light rain conditions still existed, I just had to take "Darla!" aloft for no other reason than to simply "clear my head." The one hour flight to nowhere ended in time for me to wipe the raindrops off her polished aluminum skin and then drive back home to catch the 5:30 evening news, a daily ritual. With my optimism restored and head sufficently cleared, no part of the nightly dose of doom and gloom could begin to overshadow the post flight afterglow I still felt. RV's will do that to you.

[Randy]

I still have a 59 model C182 available to me. Now that I am flying the RV, whenever I get into that 182 I find it hard to believe that I really enjoyed flying it so much before. Now it seems like flying a loaded dump truck.

It is still the ticket for the back country strips, but I can barley stand to drone along in the thing to get there now that I have been spoiled by speed and handling.

Randy C

[Bob Brown]

Just show up in Independence after a rainstorm...you can just slide past your canopy and catch 'em flying up off your wheelpants

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