First Post!

mmeredith · #1 07-19-2011, 07:36 PM

I have been lurking around the VAF forums for a while now intrigued by these wonderful RV aircraft. I have to tell you, I was very hesitant to even think about building an experimental aircraft due to the fact that many people that I talked to kind of looked down on kit aircraft. I was almost ready to give up the thought when lo and behold I found out there was a gentleman at my airport that had built his own experimental aircraft, an RV-7A. I had to check this out and what a beauty it turned out to be. The builder was Don 'Squeak' Schnarr and later he gave me a ride in his creation during a breakfast run. The 'RV Grin' was an understatement. I couldn't believe the performance of this machine. It seemed as if the aircraft would maneuver just from thinking about where I wanted it to go. It was like I was wearing the plane! That was a great flight offered by a gracious RV Ambassador. Thanks again Squeak!

Now I was sold that Van's RV line was definitely something that I wanted to pursue. The question now was did I have the skill set to take on a project like this. I never for once in my life thought about bucking rivets to build a plane... at my home... that would fly! I started to read a lot of blogs about those that have undertaken this journey before me. I had tons of questions like what tool kit to buy, what model to build, am I really thinking about doing this? I read about 'Builders Assistance' classes and I looked into those.

This past weekend I attended the 'Basic RV Construction Skills' class put on by Troy Grover of Grov-Air. What a wonderful experience that was. If anyone is apprehensive about building an RV, please go attend Troy's class. I learned so much about the tools of the trade and even now feel confident that I could take on building a Van's RV. I got to try out many different brands of tools and got a feel for what I believe would be the best for me to purchase. I also got to see various RVs in different stages of construction that was helpful in visualizing the build. Troy rents out space at his facility and offers builder's assistance to those individuals. All-in-all it was a great experience. Highly recommended.

Sorry for the long post, but right now I'm just excited about starting this journey. The next step is to determine which would be the best model for me. I'm almost sold on the 9, 9A or maybe a 10, just need to find someone close that could offer me a ride! Thanks for reading! (Picture Left to Right: Me, My Dad, Troy Grover)

Matt Meredith

panhandler1956 · #2 07-19-2011, 07:51 PM

Welcome aboard!

Mike S · #3 07-19-2011, 08:33 PM

Matt, welcome to the good ship VAF

It is great that you are contemplating building an RV.

What is going to be your "Mission" with it???

Knowing what you plan to use the plane for is a big part of choosing the model.

Are you single, married, kids, etc all come into play, does the family fly??

Lots of info about various models and their niche here, get familiar with the search function, and dont be afraid to ask questions.

And, yes, you can build one

Vlad · #4 07-20-2011, 02:15 AM

Nice to have you here Matt! These are wonderful machines you won't regret it.
Welcome to the adventure.

pierre smith · #5 07-20-2011, 04:21 AM

You're welcome to fly my -10, left seat, anytime you're down this way (2J3) and see for yourself that it outruns Bonanza's, 210's and Comanche's!...and can haul 4 240 pounders as well.

Read may tag line in red!

Again,...welcome,

f1rocket · #6 07-20-2011, 04:29 AM

Where do you live in Indiana?

Geico266 · #7 07-20-2011, 06:22 AM

Matt, you need to get to OSH and look at the RV gathering of aircraft. It never ceases to amaze me. The people, the planes, the colors, the innovation, every year I am renewed & inspired!

A better group of aviators and friends you will not find anywhere!

Geico266 · #8 07-20-2011, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MC2

Pretty much to a man, all RV people are very cool people. People who look down at the HB guys, just don't know what they are missing.

Regards,

Its funny, I think people who fly spam cans are looked down upon.

videobobk · #9 07-20-2011, 06:34 AM

Welcome aboard! Squeak usually comes to our Airport Awareness Day over at OVO (North Vernon.) Come over with his group on Aug 13 and you can check out my 9A. It will give you a nice comparison between how the two fly. Any RV is an RV--they all bring out that grin. You can also look over the 12 we are building.

Bob

mmeredith · #10 07-20-2011, 06:43 AM

Thanks everyone for the wonderful welcome!

Quote:

Originally Posted by f1rocket

Where do you live in Indiana?

Randy: I live in Washington, Indiana, about 80 miles south of you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pierre smith

You're welcome to fly my -10, left seat, anytime you're down this way (2J3) and see for yourself that it outruns Bonanza's, 210's and Comanche's!...and can haul 4 240 pounders as well.

Read may tag line in red!

Again,...welcome,

Pierre: Thanks for the great offer. If I can get down that way I will take you up on that!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike S

Matt, welcome to the good ship VAF

It is great that you are contemplating building an RV.

What is going to be your "Mission" with it???

Knowing what you plan to use the plane for is a big part of choosing the model.

Are you single, married, kids, etc all come into play, does the family fly??

Lots of info about various models and their niche here, get familiar with the search function, and dont be afraid to ask questions.

And, yes, you can build one

Mike: I am married with three boys 6, 5, and 2. Each of them has flown with me, but not all at the same time (I fly a 172 and don't have room for all). I can envision taking the boys on the annual pilgrimage to OSH in the future and the 10 sounds perfect for that. Otherwise most of my flying would fit the two seat model. Of course the boys would probably fight over who went to breakfast with dad on a particular Saturday morning. Hmmm, the 10 is looking better