More than before starting on the project... almost all in various RVs... Viva RV community :)
 
build or fly

Decisions, decisions. Build or fly. When the weather is good I fly my L2 Taylorcraft little warbird. When the weather is unsuitable for flying, I build. Of course the day job limits both. I am also taking instrument instruction in a span can with a local flying club.

A good weekend day begins with an early morning flight in the L2, followed by an afternoon/evening in my shop working on the RV8A that I am building.

Its all good..building and flying. I would hate to give up flying in order to build. My flying time takes away from my building time, but it is a worthwhile tradeoff.
 
Zero the first year...

The first year was a lot of work- no flying.
The second year I flew almost 60 hours (this year) in a 1957 Cessna 172- talk about motivation to keep working on the RV!
I also got some time in a RV6a- that's a shocking comparison to the C172
 
Hardly ever flew

More like start the engine once a week on my old Zenair to keep it turned over..I was too busy buildin'

Frank
 
I was fortunate to own a Yankee for 20+ years - the last 18 months of which I was building the -8. I probably flew my normal 150 - 200 hours/year while building....which numbers have greatly increased with the -8!

Paul
 
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Well.... does being an airline pilot count in this poll?

I used to have a beautiful classic 1960 C-172 up until two Setembers ago that kept me pretty current in general aviation stuff while I have been building. But the old girl had to go with the pay cuts ( and to provide for much needed resources to continue the RV-8 project). But when I owned the Cessna, I used to average still only around 35-40 hours a year. When you have a family with some littles and they all have to be somewhere at a certain time...well, most of you know what I mean.

My job as an airline pilot obviously keeps me current in everything else aviation related. But you know....it just....ain't...the same! Don't get me wrong! I love my job and can't imagine doing anything else, but it's hours and hours of droning along in a straight and level way ....ZZZZZZZZzzzzzz..... Doesn't mean I don't gently push the nose over and skim across the stratus cloud tops to enjoy that sense of speed just a little longer...all while the passengers in back stand in line for the bathrooms none the wiser to my passion!

Nothing quite like going out to the "drome" some early morning with your coffee, and opening up your hangar door to this beautiful creation that I (or you) built, to see the early morning light gleaming off the paint and canopy! BOY, I CAN'T WAIT!!! You ( or I...) strap on this beast to take her up for a nice little joy ride while the air is still silky smooth, and nobody on the planet is mad at anybody yet!

How's that for a little motivation to keep building?!

Other than my job, for now it's getting some stick time in my buddy's Stearman and SNJ about once a year in July.

...gotta get this bird done!


BTW, my littles won't be little for very long!
 
Almost none. I live in western Kentucky and I am jealouse of the Texas guys who have many RV's near them. I did get transition training in a 6 ffrom MR Bussell while I was in Florida this year. What a blast!!

I will need to find some way to get more hours before I fly my 7A, hopefully this fall.

Carl Nank
RV-7A
Canopy (finelly)
 
I sold an airplane to build my RV-7, and once it was gone I averaged ~22 hours per year. If I hadn't just checked my logbook, I would have estimated about half that. It sure didn't feel like I flew very much.

My focus was on getting the RV in the air. All currencies lapsed quickly. There were times when I wasn't even 90-day passenger current. It was a big lifestyle change, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. I didn't feel the pain of not flying. I had therapy in my garage. A few motivating flights from generous folks like Pop, Rosie, Subie, and Bill Kaiser were all it took to keep me on track.

Transition training with Alex DeDominicis, bam. I was flying. And once my RV-7 was in Phase Two I took care of my currencies quickly. And now there's no looking back!

It's worth it however you can make it happen.
 
about 80 hrs

i wasnt even flying yet, then i got to the wings and thought i might better spend some time in the plane before i get to much further. so i did the ppsel thing and thought ok this is cool. but the problem i had was thinking building was to much like work and wanting to "just buy a 182". :eek: well the thought of that was somewhat disheartening with the price/age (read corrosion/woreout)ratio. but i flew with ken harill in his 6 and well, i must say anything less than an rv and i'd rather not waste my time.there was a year taken off for less than desirable reasons. ive still got a ways to go but i'm gettin there. :D aug 12 makes 4 years.
 
How much flying while building?

Almost none, except when I get rides from others. Unless you've got a lot of excess $$ laying around that will allow you to fly enough to stay proficient, it's hard to justify it. I'm one of those people who doesn't like to fly unless I am really proficient or in the process of getting proficient, so flying just 20-25 hours per year (which is all I would probably choose to afford) doesn't make much sense. Now, once my RV is done, and the flying part of my cost of ownership is limited to fuel and oil, I'll be flying a whole lot. I will of course do whatever it takes to get proficient before I fly the RV.

I do miss it, but it's one of those compromises that have to be made, especially if you are not one of those DINK (double income, no kid) types. Every once in a while I envy those of you on this list in that category!
 
About 20 per year

I try to go for about an hour every three weeks. For me, it serves many purposes:

1. There is no better motivation to finish your plane than to spend some time at the airport and in the air. Every time I finish a flight, I just can't wait to rush home and finish the whole plane that day! Of course, that's a physical impossiblity, but that's how I feal.

2. I'm building a buick target (see the taildragger minding its own business thread), and renting a 2005 citabria to help build time. 29 TW hours so far.

3. BFR's are MUCH easier if you actually log time between them.

4. I'm building this thing. Flying often helps me think of nice to have's and must haves to put in MY plane.

Presently I get paid every two weeks. Budget is based on two paychecks per month. June and December give me a spare paycheck. It's gets sent to the FBO. Oh yeah, being a DINK does help, but my wife feels that should go towards travel, not an RV.
 
vmirv8bldr said:
Oh yeah, being a DINK does help, but my wife feels that should go towards travel, not an RV.
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DINK here as well - just tell her that the RV will open up a world of travel! :)
 
Ok, I'm in trouble now. I have a kitfox 4. I fly this baby... everyday :D .


hee heee heee. I put 250 hrs in last year. so far this year I have 150 hrs and 180 flights, with 1500 touch and go's. I started on my RV last november and ordered the finish kit two weeks ago, I have a few little things to do on the fuse, but otherwise, I need that finish kit, if things go right, it will be flying next year. One advantage, I have this airplane in the last stall in my transmission shop. So I'm always over at it, working on it.
 
I've been told how important it is to stay current while building. I don't want to finish my RV and then have to spend a bunch of dual hours just get safe again. I also want to build x-country time so I can get an IFR rating eventually and really use the RV for travelling.
So, my wife and I try to do a cross country trip once a month (in rented Katanas). This is the only flying I do now. This past weekend we did a 1.5 hour (each way) trip to visit an uncle and his girlfriend at her cottage, plus an hour giving her a tour of her lake. last month we did a much shorter trip (about 40 min each way) just for brunch on Sunday morning, and the month before that we went to visit the grandparents (1.5 hours each way). Next month we might do Toronto (about 2 hours each way).
So, on average, I expect to be flying 2 to 4 hours per month. Certainly not a lot, but I can't afford much more than that if I want to keep up the building and save for an engine!
 
80 hours a year during building

And so far - 233 hours in the 14 months since I completed my -8. What's that tell you? Little Robbie likes his new toy.

Seriously though, I was flying some Super D time, J-3 Cub time, but I focused on flying the Acrosport 1 that I owned then since it was more difficult than the -8 and I figured that it would make it easier to transition to the RV. That and a few hours in my buddy's -6 with 190 hp and CS prop so I could get used to the RV's approach profile. My plan worked well - the -8 was pleasantly easy to operate in all phases of flight and of course ground handling.

Keep smashing those rivets,

Rob
 
Feelin' the pain

I am really feeling the pain of aviation withdrawal. I went from 150 hours the year I started the plane to about 50 hours last year.

Some weeks I can't stand it, and I just have to fly. I called my not-so-local FBO last night after work and asked them to leave a plane out for me. I had a good old time. There was no one else in the pattern and the wind was dead calm. I did touch and gos to each of our intersecting runways by taking off and joining downwind for the runway at 90 degrees to the one I departed on. Then I did some simulated IFR approaches (not for currency since it was VFR), squeaked the last landing on and tied the plane down with a smile.

Man I need this RV done.
 
I did not fly at all for 21 months while without a plane and during building (sold the SeaRey on Labor Day 2002, finished RV7A and flew it in April 2004) except the 7 hrs I got transitioning with Mike Seager. That was my BFR as well. The training was in early March, 2004 and I test flew the 7A on April 7, 2004.

Roberta
 
Flying and building

Lucky me, with 2 aircraft available. Have flown 60 to 80 hours per year, much of it brief flights in the Pitts with many touch and goes as well as acro; can get in 2 sequences and 5 or 6 T&G's in 0.5 tach time- what a blast. Staying current on approaches and night ldgs has taken some focus. Working on engine baffling, and generally find building fun - still hope to fly it some year. Bill
 
Around 200 hr/yr

I flew to work every day and my annual average was a fairly consistent 200 hr/yr.

Bob Axsom
 
flying and building

Started my RV6 July 15 1995, owned a Cheorkee Six at the time, and only flew it 25 hours the first year of building. I sold it to buy the engine, new Lycoming 0-360. I borrowed a Cessna 172 to fly for the last 3 months of my building that first RV. Total build time 16 months.
I have kit built Super Cub 180 hp, While building my new RV8 I am still logging + 200 hours in it and the RV 6 per year. The RV 8 will be finished soon and the RV6 has just been sold.
If you can, keep flying while you build. If the rain will stop, I will go up today in the Super Cub.
 
Jaypratt said:
and the RV6 has just been sold.
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You sold Borrowed Horse?!?! Didn't know that was in the plan Jay....now you REALLY gotta get the -8 done - hope to see it airbornes soon....

Paul
 
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