First off, thanks to everyone who contributes and runs this website. It's been the best source for RV information I could find. Right now I live in Dallas, so I plan to poke my head in the local EAA chapter and apparently 52F, where a lot of RVs hang out. Unfortunately, my work has me on about a 3-5 month rotation to Omaha. The good news is, it will be good for my career and I'll save a lot of money by expensing everything, but I'll also be away from the potential project.
I've been trolling this forum for years, and the 9 meets my mission....and am considering now is the time to make the plunge. I'm young (comparatively), no kids, girlfriend would put up with the hit on time and finances, etc. I'm pretty tired of renting 172s for $140+ and hour, and not being able to keep it for a weekend trip.
The reason I'm attracted to projects near or at the "on wheels" point is that I've never done any metal craftsmanship, and I'd like to get it flying sooner rather than later. My day job is an engineering inspector, but my wheelhouse is design and instrumentation/controls. So, I'd be pretty comfortable with the avionics installation, but not so much the structural or powerplant aspects. The NTSB report of EAB aircraft identifies the fuel systems as a major contributor to accidents, by the way. Good recommendations in that report: http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/2012/EAB_Study/index.html
Anyhow, I've seen a few threads with good advice on what to expect. Here's some great advice I've seen:
-thorough pre-buy
-get a list of what's included, and the progress of the build
-deviations from the plans
-confirmation of current owner for paperwork
I have few questions, maybe the expertise here can help.
What kind of insurance is needed/recommended for the kit, prior to flight? I don't want "aircraft insurance" quite yet since obviously a project isn't airworthy. However, the components are worth quite a bit. I want to insure the kit, in a rented hanger (perhaps renters insurance?), prior to it's first flight. This would also likely been a contingency for my financing.
Is it possible to get a repairman certificate for an RV (non-12)? I found a few EAA workshops, but they seem to be focused on the LSA -12. Needless to say, part of the attractiveness of the RV was the ability to do my own maint. and a cheaper "annual."
Lastly...thanks! I'll take any advice you're willing to give.
Cheers,
Chris
I've been trolling this forum for years, and the 9 meets my mission....and am considering now is the time to make the plunge. I'm young (comparatively), no kids, girlfriend would put up with the hit on time and finances, etc. I'm pretty tired of renting 172s for $140+ and hour, and not being able to keep it for a weekend trip.
The reason I'm attracted to projects near or at the "on wheels" point is that I've never done any metal craftsmanship, and I'd like to get it flying sooner rather than later. My day job is an engineering inspector, but my wheelhouse is design and instrumentation/controls. So, I'd be pretty comfortable with the avionics installation, but not so much the structural or powerplant aspects. The NTSB report of EAB aircraft identifies the fuel systems as a major contributor to accidents, by the way. Good recommendations in that report: http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/2012/EAB_Study/index.html
Anyhow, I've seen a few threads with good advice on what to expect. Here's some great advice I've seen:
-thorough pre-buy
-get a list of what's included, and the progress of the build
-deviations from the plans
-confirmation of current owner for paperwork
I have few questions, maybe the expertise here can help.
What kind of insurance is needed/recommended for the kit, prior to flight? I don't want "aircraft insurance" quite yet since obviously a project isn't airworthy. However, the components are worth quite a bit. I want to insure the kit, in a rented hanger (perhaps renters insurance?), prior to it's first flight. This would also likely been a contingency for my financing.
Is it possible to get a repairman certificate for an RV (non-12)? I found a few EAA workshops, but they seem to be focused on the LSA -12. Needless to say, part of the attractiveness of the RV was the ability to do my own maint. and a cheaper "annual."
Lastly...thanks! I'll take any advice you're willing to give.
Cheers,
Chris