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Flying again!

Flying again!

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There has been a lot of discussion as to what RV to make/buy and it all comes down to your mission. I wanted an RV-7 but decided that my mission was to fly a lot of cross country with a significant portion with 2 or more passengers. So I decided to buy an RV-10 even though that eliminated any acro.

I am renewing my insurance this month and so started to look at my time over the past 2 years I have owned the -10. Now I put my log books in a spread sheet i can sort and look at how I am using it.

I have a total of 191 hours to date on the RV-10 in 23 months (I know, low compared to some of the folks on here!).

- 92% (176 hours) of the flight time was cross country
- 23.4% was solo
- 38.5% was with 1 passenger
- 21.4% with 2 passengers
- 16.8% with 3 passengers

I was surprised how much was cross country versus local flight and and that 38.2% of my flying I had 3 or more of the seats filled. So I guess I only "need" the -10 38% of the time and could have an RV-7 and rent a 182 for those other times, but that is no fun and slower! Plus, even with just one passenger I find I don't have to pack light etc and just take what we want.

I have heard that for a lot of 4 seat a/c, they rarely have more than 2 people in them. At least for me so far I am using the -10 as I thought I would, carrying myself and family all over the US. It would be nice to have an RV-8 for those times I am flying by myself:) just need the money and time to have 2 a/c!

I am not sure how this compares to other -10 owners but this is my data to date. We find it is such a time machine and so comfortable that we are doing a lot of last minute trips around 500nm over the weekends to get out of the heat here or visit family and friends.
 
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The solution is simple......find a good mate with an RV8.

Close the thread now if you like mods :D
 
Matching the machine to the mission is critical. My wife fell in love with my hangar-mates RV-8A. Then we looked at its baggage areas and thought about it for a while. We're now building a Glasair Sportsman because my wife doesn't pack either light or small. Sure, it's slower than an -8 but it will haul everything we can jam into it, and will go in and out of some pretty unimproved strips. We're happy with the decision, but we're not flying yet.
 
Hmmmmmmm

Let's see Paul.

Louise A) Likes airplanes B) Own's own airplane(s) C) Enjoys building airplanes D) Likes talking about airplanes E) Is a scientist F) enjoys nature and the outdoors G) Is very attractive H) Enjoys traveling around the country I) Has a good job J) Has a great personality K) is not pretentious L) Is easy to talk to M)Likes airplanes. (yeah, I know, that's redundant. So?)

For the above reasons, I hereby disqualify your previous comment as I believe she is actually an android! :D

I bet she can cook too. :p
 
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Ironflight said:
Yup - my wife is an experienced expedition backpacker and explorer - she can and does pack VERY light. Just trying to avoid stereotypes!:rolleyes:
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It was a joke. Has everyone become so politically correct that you can't even joke anymore without someone getting offended........
 
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As far as flying and mission. I've the flying time I've done over the years by far the greatest percentage has been cross country. Its just hard to build up a lot of hours just boring holes in the sky. I enjoy taking my RV-4 out for a spin around the local area, add a few rolls and because I can but after a half hour or so (ok maybe an hour or so) I've had enough. Giving people who have never flown the experience also is a flight of similar duration. So do that once a week maybe and you end up with maybe 50 hours in the logbook. Now fire off for some destination and you start adding time in multiple hour chucks per leg.

Most of my time I've flown alone. The bulk of the 500 hours or so I put on the Mooney I owned for 5 years was alone as I flew it a lot on business trips. I'd guess about 60% of my RV-4 time is cross country as well. Having enjoyed the many benefits of filing and flying IFR in the system with the Mooney I miss that utility. So I'm building a -10 and would have built a -14 if it had been out when I started. But I'm keeping the -4 I hope.

Different missions, different airplanes. You can never justify on a pure dollars and cents (sense?) basis. I know a guy who learned to fly and bought a Cessna 400 (he can afford whatever he wants) but he is selling it because it doesn't make economic sense. I could have predicted it because he got into flying for the "utility" of it all and did not have the "passion" that, as far as I'm concerned, is an absolutely essential element to have if you are to justify decisions that a pure non-emotional, rational decision would veto.

I still fly the RV-4 on long cross countries but because it is only minimally VFR equipped get frustrated at times dodging weather that I'd have no issues with in a decent IFR platform. Of course I could sink money into upgrading the panel but that cash is reserved for the traveling machine slowly coming to life in my garage.

Of course to build one you have to justify that based on a passion to make things - otherwise you would just buy one of the many fine examples available on the market almost all the time.

I should find partners but that isn't something I've ever been very good at - somethings are best kept to oneself like good dogs and flying machines.

Richard
N144KT RV-4
Stafford, VA
 
GhostRider32 said:
I wasn't referring to you. After my joking comment about women not being light packers another comment was made about trying to avoid stereotypes. Do we have to be that serious now.......
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If you prescribe to the premise that we have a right to *not* be offended, then yes. I would suggest we all be very serious and not make any remarks that can be considered stereotypical. Particularly when directed toward protected groups. :rolleyes: ;) (My eye-winkie thing was meant to imply a joking tone, not a suggestive or flirtatious advance.)
 
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Goodness. I almost missed this discussion (and Paul hasn't mentioned it).

Jesse, I will be blushing for a week. Thank you for the extraordinarily kind comments. I'm reminded of that prayer, "Lord, may I be half as good of person as my dog thinks I am." I'll just substitute "Jesse" for "my dog"! Oh, yeah, I do cook, although I think Paul is a better cook!

To the OR, you clearly need an RV-3 as a second plane, not an -8. Ask Paul which plane he grabs when he goes up for acro or travels solo. Given the choice, I always pick the -3, also. (And, despite lame stereotypes :rolleyes:, I managed to pack light enough to fly to, from, and CAMP at Golden West using the -3). To paraphrase Dave (and with apologies to him), follow my example and:

RV10inOz said:
The solution is simple......find a good mate with an RV3.

Close the thread NOW if you like mods :D
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Low Pass said:
If you prescribe to the premise that we have a right to *not* be offended, then yes. I would suggest we all be very serious and not make any remarks that can be considered stereotypical. Particularly when directed toward protected groups. :rolleyes: ;) (My eye-winkie thing was meant to imply a joking tone, not a suggestive or flirtatious advance.)
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Oh the horror, you just made a stereotypical comment about a group that has possibly has no leeway in humor. Fifty lashes with a wet noodle for you and don't ever make the mistake of stereotyping anything again..... :D
 
Low Pass said:
If you prescribe to the premise that we have a right to *not* be offended, then yes. I would suggest we all be very serious and not make any remarks that can be considered stereotypical. Particularly when directed toward protected groups. :rolleyes: ;) (My eye-winkie thing was meant to imply a joking tone, not a suggestive or flirtatious advance.)
Click to expand...

Fortunately there is no such right, as the speech that is worth protecting is generally offensive to at least some portions of the population.
 
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