M

mcsteatlh

Active Member
I'm here to tell all you folks 'thank you'. You see, I'm a life long dreamer when it comes to aviation. When I was young, I would always look up when I heard a prop plane. Well, that would be any plane for that matter. I was looking up, if there was a plane there. I'm sure most of you did, or still do, the same. I got to fly when I was young. In the 60's and 70's, my father built Mooney's for God's sake. A couple of years ago, I found my dad's old logbook. The last Mooney he flew was the single boom Aerocoupe that Mooney built. He was flying off the hours for certification purposes. Anywany, I digress. I've been a dreamer, flying a handfull of student hours every few years, when I let the pull and guilt of wasted youth get to me. I just let life get in the way. I make excuses (worry about money, divorced dad raising two young boys, self employed, etc etc etc) and I just have never finished my certificate. So. I take heart and live by reading all the posts from this forum. I glance at other sites but i've not found one comparable. And for that I say thank you, to you all. Thanks for the vacation write ups, and a big thanks for the technical expertise displayed here basically on a daily basis. I wish I could live the dreams that you made or will make, come true.

I really appreciate it
Mcstealth
 
An action is one a step away from the dream! You can do anything you want to. If you want to fly, stop making excuses and go take lessons :)
Same thing with building an airplane, you're just looking until you cut a check to Van's, then you're a builder.
 
It's never too late

... I never quite worked out how I ended up in IT instead of a cockpit of some sort. From the age of 5 I was going to be a helicopter pilot. This belief never wavered one millimiter until I aced the army entrance exams at 16 and got told I could take any job I wanted. 'Helicopted pilot' said I. Well, not entirely certain how, but 45 minutes later I walked out of the army careers office becoming a cartographer! Or not. I withdrew my application and the rest is history. This is the one and only decision I regret: I should have stuck to helicopter pilot.

So here I am nearly 33 years old, still no pilots license, and still only having been in a cockpit 25 or so times. I've done lots of other things. LOTS of other things. Even managed, somehow, to stay alive (much to the surprise of my parents)!! Flying, though, seemed to constantly elude me. Life, money, work, etc, etc: everything got in the way.

And what did I decide to do about it roughly this time last year. Well, I took teh bull by the horns and started a project so darn big there's just no way I could willingly let it fall by the wayside: I started my own RV project. So one way or another, unless I am willing to lose a huge amount of time and money (I'm not), I'll be flying at some point in the next few years. And in my own plane too!

You can do the same, or at the very least the flying bit. Never say never... if you can still breath you can still chase that dream... I will be...
 
I am blessed at the age of 17 to be in a group of some great people. I also am always looking to the sky at any sound of a whirling prop. I was lucky enough to grow up in a family of pilots, and continued the family tradition by earning my pilot's license this past August. It is something I will always love and will want to do. I'm glad I did this at a young age, and my only concern was being able to pay for it. I managed, and tell you what - It pays off bigtime :D . The EAA chapter I'm involved with hosted a fly-in in Great Bend, Ks a few weekends ago, and some people (non-flyers) were standing around when I walked up to my airplane, hopped in and fired up. The look on their face was priceless! I love moments like that.

I wish I could live the dreams that you made or will make, come true.
Click to expand...

Why not? Who's stopping you? Eye doctors have told me that I will probably not be able to land an airplane, but truth is, many pilots have the same eye problem I do. I got the medical, and pursued my dream. 95 hrs flight time so far and I haven't left one up there yet! No problem.

I guess my point is, even if life seems to get away, don't get discouraged. It sounds like you are very passionate for aviation, and it can be a big part of your life. If aviation is part of your life, then life should not get in the way of aviation. I encourage you to fully pursue your passion. Like said before, you're only one step away from a dream. Go for it! There's a great group of pilots on this site that will support you the whole way!
 
Live it up Walter Mitty!

This life was made to live. Live it, don't dream about it. You can make it happen if you want to. You're among dreamers who quit dreaming and started living. There is no good, logical reason to go build and airplane and fly it. But there is nothing else like it.

And to the Kiwi IT guy... you go dude! There are a lot of us flying IT guys! I'm an IT manager through the week, but on the weekends I'm in the air living out my dreams!
 
Here's one of my favorite quotes of all time...
All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. --T.E. Lawrence
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svanarts said:
This life was made to live. Live it, don't dream about it. You can make it happen if you want to. You're among dreamers who quit dreaming and started living. There is no good, logical reason to go build and airplane and fly it...............
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"For all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, "It might have been."
John Greenleaf Whittier
 
You guys are pushing me over the edge - I may get a divorce, but I'm definitely getting a 9A!
 
No you won't

airguy said:
You guys are pushing me over the edge - I may get a divorce, but I'm definitely getting a 9A!
Click to expand...

Not the way I have seen most divorce judgements come down ...At least in Oregon.

Of course i know your kidding...:)

Frank
7a...31.5 hours
 
Rick6a said:
"For all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, "It might have been."
John Greenleaf Whittier
Click to expand...
When I'm laying on my deathbed I don't want to say, "I wish I would have..." By then I should have already done it, tried it, etc.
 
McStealth and Airguy- kids and family always come first, but maybe there is room for a "hobby", too?
I was a dreamer for 30 years, and haven't flown for nearly twenty. I figured I'd fly again once I built a plane (my main dream) and money was not a problem. But then there were always things that needed to be done, and money always seems tight and the unexpected happens (which is to be expected - it's called "life").
Finally I took stock of the state of my character (I would finish a kit), looked back, peered ahead, and saw conditions wouldn't get dramatically better. What better time to get started than now!
I'm soooo glad I finally started building (last January). I've been through (I think most of) the emotions builders go through - which are many and powerful! My confidence and outlook have improved, and I spend less time in front of the tube.
I'm livin the dream, baby, and couldn't be happier! Now back to those tanks...
 
Indeed

Mel said:
Be very careful of AIDS (Aircraft Induced Divorce Syndrome).
Click to expand...


Symptoms include,

Losing.................. the car, airplane, house,
Living in...............A trailer park
Still paying for..... HER Car, non existant airplane,HER house (where she and the new BF live), kids college fund.
Seeing the kids once every three months if your lucky.

One of my renters had pretty much exactly this happen to him...Execpt he wasn't into airplanes.

Am I a little jaded?....Yes just a little.

Frank, happily married and staying that way!...I hope...:)
 
follow the dream -- examples

as a cfi i have had the opportunity to take a coupla senior citizens through flight training all the way to certificate. the first was an academic, phd, and is still flying (just got into a partnership in a c182 in the last year or so -- he's late-70's).

the next was a retired used car salesman. guy had absolutely no aptitude for controlling an aircraft. but the desire was so strong, he overcame the no-aptitude part, and wound up with his certificate as well. took about 30 hours more than most of my students, but that doesn't matter -- he got there.

unless your resources are so severly constrained that you couldn't possibly pay the freight, there's nothing holding you back but yourself.

hth,
 
I'm finally getting into a point (not there yet, but getting into it) where I can realistically see the possibility of spending the $$ needed to do this. My wife still chokes if we have to drop a few hundred unexpectedly on something, but she would be like that if we had a 6-figure income anyway. After many years of dreaming, I think I'm realistically about 2 years from making aluminum shavings now, and I'm really REALLY getting excited about it. The -10 is awfully tempting, but my wife hates anything smaller than a 747 and we don't (and won't) have any kids, so 4 seats simply are not needed. I'm still kind of on the fence between the 7A and the 9A, but I'm definitely leaning toward the 9A for economy with fuel prices the way they are now. I figure if I need to move 3 or 4 people in the air with -9A in the hangar, I can always rent a 182/210 or a Cherokee 6, something like that.
 
Another Great Quote

This is a quote that I have posted in our warehouse. I show it to prospective builders that are touring the facility.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn?t do than by the ones you did do".

- Mark Twain -

Bruce Reynolds, RV-6A
 
...and there ARE cheaper ways to do it

Remember, too, that although this is a Van's Aircraft forum, there are cheaper ways to get into the air. It's hard to build a two-seat RV for less than $50K or so. However, there are lots of cheap old factory airplanes out there, and there are also cheaper homebuilts.
 
I hear ya

airguy said:
I'm finally getting into a point (not there yet, but getting into it) where I can realistically see the possibility of spending the $$ needed to do this. My wife still chokes if we have to drop a few hundred unexpectedly on something, but she would be like that if we had a 6-figure income anyway. After many years of dreaming, I think I'm realistically about 2 years from making aluminum shavings now, and I'm really REALLY getting excited about it. The -10 is awfully tempting, but my wife hates anything smaller than a 747 and we don't (and won't) have any kids, so 4 seats simply are not needed. I'm still kind of on the fence between the 7A and the 9A, but I'm definitely leaning toward the 9A for economy with fuel prices the way they are now. I figure if I need to move 3 or 4 people in the air with -9A in the hangar, I can always rent a 182/210 or a Cherokee 6, something like that.
Click to expand...

The RV's are just superb airplanes. Yes there cheaper ones but i don't think there is anything that compares to the quality of the RV matched hole technology. Right there is the difference between finishing your airplane and selling it as a partially complete...At least for many folk.

Resale value is as good as it gets in the homebuilt world.

As to the 9 being more economical, unless the 9 kit is WAAY cheaper i don't think there is much difference in the cost....Assuming you put the same size engine in each.

BTW...My Wife really wants (wanted..:)..) a 4 seat so "we can take our friends". This is irrational at best and down right uneconomic but I only just talked her out of it...I mean, get richer friends, get them to buy their own RV...LET them drive. Just because we CAN fly does not mean I have to throw money down the drain on a continual basis just because for the one flight in a hiundred we might get to share the privilage....Is it my fault we have poor friends?

My Wife is just not selfish enough at times....:)

Frank
7a
 
Well, yeah, but...

frankh said:
The RV's are just superb airplanes. Yes there cheaper ones but i don't think there is anything that compares to the quality of the RV matched hole technology. Right there is the difference between finishing your airplane and selling it as a partially complete...At least for many folk.
Click to expand...

I agree with you, or I wouldn't be building an RV-7. However, mine will cost $80K or more...and not everybody can afford that, however good the value may be. Even a $50K used RV is a lot of money.

I was just suggesting that any airplane is better than no airplane.
 
I also agree...

I was just suggesting that any airplane is better than no airplane.[/QUOTE]

Indeed ,but to be honest, my own experience with building a Zenair Zodiac (much cheaper plane) is I would have spent about the same cash if I had rented a C152 for all the hours i flew it....About the same performance too.

Of course there are other benefits...but for me the hundreds of hours I spent messing with the thing and the paltry sum I got for it compared to what it cost me really did not make financial sense.

It MAY not make much financial sense to build an RV either, except there is no way you will rent anything like the performance of the RV...Certainly not at C152 rates!...:)

Purely personally, if I wanted a cheaper plane I would buy a used homebuilt and pay an A&P for the inspections.

Example...A VFR long EZ with a 900 hour O235 for 14 Grand...and it is a NICE airplane...You can buy a lot of Inspections for (50-14)= 36 big ones!

Of course you might get killed to but thats all pat of the adventure...:)

Frank 7a
 
A co-worker and I were sitting around the firehall one day ( believe it or not)
discussing his decision to buy a new Harley Davidson or not. After weighing the pros and cons he finally said " you know what? I'm going to be in the ground for a long time when life is over" He has put over 100,000 miles on it since then , the other day he dropped into my shop and told me he just ordered his 2007 model.I did pretty much the same thing with the RV-8 decision. I looked in the mirror what little hair I had left was getting greyer I had survived divorce and all the other stuff that life throws at you and decided it all can't be for someone else, this one is for me.
I think decisions like this for the average guy are kind of like jumping into cold deep water from some high place, most of your nerve is used up making the decision but once you're in the air you are going to finish the job like it or not and more often then not it was worth it , and you are left wondering, What was all the worry about.

RV 8 fuselage
 
Amen to that

Walter Tondu is now building an EVO Rocket.

I USED to think he was a nice guy....:)

Frank
 
Certainly there are cheaper ways to fly. I could always drop the equivalent of a few months house payments on an ultralight if all I wanted was to get off the ground. I'm currently renting, mostly c172 with occasional 182 time, and paying out the wazzoo for beat-up trainers with poor maintenance has just finally got the better of me. It's no longer an issue of whether or not I'm going to have my own aircraft - the maintenance issues on the renters alone made that decision for me. The question is what airplane, and how to get it.

If I'm going to have my own wings (and like I said, that decision is made), then I'm looking for the most performance I can get for my dollar, and the RV series as a whole is a strong contender against ANY aircraft for that criteria. The factory-built thing is not a consideration for me since I'm still a workin' man and simply don't have dead presidents falling outta my butt, but I do have time and talent and a natural love for all things mechanical. I too looked at the 2-seat versus 4-seat decision from the same aspect - very seldom will I need 4 seats - 99+% of my flights will be solo or with one passenger. I'll rent a 210 if I need to take 4 buddies into the mountains for a snow-skiing trip or some noise like that. I don't want to be paying the drag penalty on all those flights for hauling around empty seats. I'm not interested in acro beyond some upset and unusual-attitude recovery, but I do want a solid IFR performer and a true traveling machine on low fuel burn. The 9 or 9a will give me that quite easily, especially with a good set of injectors and engine monitor so I can run LOP at altitude.

It's got enough performance to haul my expanding waistline in and out of just about any field I want to go see, and it can climb above any mountain ranges I will encounter in North America with sufficient airspeed and long enough legs to make it a very useful traveler. I don't need 300 hp to make my chest puff out and put a grin on my face, I just need 14,000 feet IMC at 180 TAS. If I can get that with 8gph, so much the better.
 
Man - so many of these replies sound like my story. Grew up loving airplanes also. I was super envious of a friend down the street, who's father was restoring a Great Lakes biplane in the garage, but my life revolved around the ocean (dad was a marine biologist) so I was never introduced to flight first-person - nobody offered and airports are always closed to walking around and getting to know people.
So instead of getting flight training, I got scuba training. Man, if I took all the hours I've logged underwater and applied them to flight I could have flown coast-to-coast 15-20 times. The wife already knows I want to build a plane and get in the air, so next year is when I start living the dream.

Almost there...
300+ hours at negative altitude -
 
A sign on an RV-9 at T31..

There once was a prince that asked a beautiful young maiden to marry him.
She turned him down.

So he went to the airport.

And flew whenever he wanted.

And hung with his buddies.

And drank beer and farted whenever he wanted to.

Follow your dream...
 
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frankh said:
[snip]

Example...A VFR long EZ with a 900 hour O235 for 14 Grand...and it is a NICE airplane...You can buy a lot of Inspections for (50-14)= 36 big ones!

Of course you might get killed to but thats all pat of the adventure...:)

Frank 7a
Click to expand...

:D Frank you're my kind of guy. Best quote I've seen this week. :)

"To die... that would be an awfully big adventure."
-- Peter Pan
 
Oh come on...it's not that great

Just kidding. Flying is pretty cool. Even in a '76 Archer.

I'll tell you what though; At the risk of throwing cold water on the party, I wouldn't fly if I was divorced and had two young boys depending on me.
I do have two boys, 8 & 10, but if I screw up they have a very fine mamma to look after them. And it might seem silly but my wife and I don't go flying just the two of us cause I just think it's tempting fate.

Call me chicken....

S_tones
 
Each to his own

s_tones said:
Just kidding. Flying is pretty cool. Even in a '76 Archer.

I'll tell you what though; At the risk of throwing cold water on the party, I wouldn't fly if I was divorced and had two young boys depending on me.
I do have two boys, 8 & 10, but if I screw up they have a very fine mamma to look after them. And it might seem silly but my wife and I don't go flying just the two of us cause I just think it's tempting fate.

Call me chicken....

S_tones
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If this is your personal standard to protect the future for your young un's then I think its entirely justified...No calling you chicken from here.

Now, do you pile the whole family in a single road vehicle and actually take it on the freeway?

I'm sorry but everytime I drive the 60 miles up to Vans on I5 some idiot tries to take me out...Sometimes on the way back too!...Now I point the RV North and I arrive much less stressed...If I don't get killed thru crashing the heart attack will be put off for a few more years at least.

Your a braver man than me!

Frank
 
You got it!

Frank has it nailed. Yes, the worst and most dangerous part of my day is definitely driving to the airport and back......and I fly ag daily. Have been for 36 years now, raised kids, got divorced, still flying ag and my beloved RV with new wife too! :D
 
agreed....mostly

There is much truth in what you say. I do in fact drive all over the place with the family but this is of course necessary risk. Flying recreationally constitutes additional unnecessary risk and, statistically, it is significantly more hazardous (GA, not commercial) than driving. Of course each of us is entitled to determine where our cutoff for acceptable risk is.

I have to confess that I just have a problem with the image of my wife and I going down in flames and knowing the kids will be without parents. Just can't imagine anything worse....well, maybe seeing a great white coming out of the depths beneath you while your paddling around with a stringer of fish. That's pretty bad too.

S_tones
 
Yup and I appologise

Because I so rarely speak out of turn.....NOT!

But seriously, I really do appreciate our point about where your personal cutoff is. Its not just aviation either. I am married to a teacher who earns very little.

Personally I couldn't imagine me "not being around" and her having to sell our nice house which we built together with our bare hands (and a lot of power tool help from Harbor Freight!).

So I worked like mad paying everything off before I built the RV.

Of course most of my buddies thought I was nuts....You get used to oatmeal 3 times a day eventually!...But we did it, we live debt free and I don't worry about it anymore.

She is awefully cute and could pick up another one like me in a heartbeat...My job is done and I still have enough energy to enjoy the RV in my mid 40's....:)

Cheers

Frank
 
good life style

frankh said:
Because I so rarely speak out of turn.....NOT!

But seriously, I really do appreciate our point about where your personal cutoff is. Its not just aviation either. I am married to a teacher who earns very little.

Personally I couldn't imagine me "not being around" and her having to sell our nice house which we built together with our bare hands (and a lot of power tool help from Harbor Freight!).

So I worked like mad paying everything off before I built the RV.

Of course most of my buddies thought I was nuts....You get used to oatmeal 3 times a day eventually!...But we did it, we live debt free and I don't worry about it anymore.

She is awefully cute and could pick up another one like me in a heartbeat...My job is done and I still have enough energy to enjoy the RV in my mid 40's....:)

Cheers

Frank
Click to expand...

Frank, regardless of any other circumstances, debt free living is wise.

Carrying debt wisely is fine too. Hardly anyone who is in debt does. I've been debt ridden and now debt free and help others with finances...

Your position is the best in which to be.

John
 
I thought I would never fly, but I am(-:

A death of a friend, a passion to live and to see others drove me over the edge to get my pilots license. I am a student with only four hours and I can hardly wait to get up again. It's a rush, a feeling of butterflys in the stomach, a plethora of emotions always fill my heart and soul with every flight. I am hooked, and I know why; life is so short I just new I must fly and set aside any and all excuses to why I could not. To realize a hidden dream tucked away in the irony of life, brought me to this point in my life.

Jim ;)
 
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Some people cannot afford to fly

Some really hard choices have been made by all of us in life and a lot of them turn out bad. I read about these poor young kids that didn't have much but they started flying at 13, etc. etc. - that's not poor. Rationalizing that everyone can do that if they want to bad enough is just blue sky stuff. Many people will die and never have the opportunity to be a pilot and it is not just because they are not willing to give up their cable TV, cell phone, or they are affraid of the risk. They truly will never have to opportunity for anything above the food, sleep and warmth level of human needs. Some of these people dream of things they may get if they can just get a job. The dream is all that keeps them going. Now, the fear factor is just a choice. Flying is a challenge and a thrill. Most of us wouldn't have it any other way. Those that could fly and choose not to because of the risk - well, they are self limiting life's pleasure but it is their choice to exclude themselves from this band of brothers. The dreamers often do not have a real choice. I have loved airplanes all my life but the first time I got to ride in a small plane was a ROK Cessna 180 from K-16 to K-2 in Korea. I could not afford to take flying lessons until I was 44. I started building an airplane by getting a equity line of credit on my home when I was 60. I turn 70 in a few days and after 4,600+ hours of flight time I am still enjoying every flight. Many early age fliers are burned out long before they reach my age so keep dreaming, you never know how life is going to turn out.

Bob Axsom
 
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Opportunity

Threads like this are one of the best reasons to hit VAF daily. Thanks, Doug!

I have read many great thoughts and a few wonderful quotes, often by non-fliers. I'll add my own thought:

You can have anything you want if you'll forget two words; new and now.

That has allowed me to own more nice cars than I can remember and many other toys that I really didn't need. In fact, selling a '56 Porsche Speedster (and no, it wasn't a kit car) allowed me to start my 9A. We bought our first new car in over twenty years just last year. I had to drop out of flying for about ten years, but I knew it wasn't forever. A dream is just a dream without thought, planning and sacrifice. Yeah, I loved that old Porsche, but. . .

Those of you who are flying, thanks God your your abilities and opportunities. Thank your families. Those of you who want to fly, do a serious appraisal of your goals and resources. If it looks at all feasible, go for it.

I do videos for missionaries. As such, I get to see the "garden spots" of the world. These discussions are not even thinkable in a large part of our world. I hope to be able to share the thrill of flight with some of the people who could never consider what we here undertake. Flight is special. So are fliers.

Bob Kelly
 
This thread was going thru my mind...

...as I rolled inverted to pull a split S.....The sun was setting behind Mary's peak (local landmark next to Corvallis airport in the Willamette valley. The cloud layer gave a sureal look to the whole valley...

Wow I thought...This is SOOOOO COOOOOL.....:)

ha ha ha ha.........

Now if only this could be my job and I could retire and use for some real good in the world

Frank
 
Thanks Jim

szutowiczrv10 said:
A death of a friend, a passion to live and to see others drove me over the edge to get my pilots license. I am a student with only four hours and I can hardly wait to get up again. It's a rush, a feeling of butterflys in the stomach, a plethora of emotions always fill my heart and soul with every flight. I am hooked, and I know why; life is so short I just new I must fly and set aside any and all excuses to why I could not. To realize a hidden dream tucked away in the irony of life, brought me to this point in my life.

Jim ;)
Click to expand...

Jim,
I enjoyed reading your post. I'm going to forward it to a friend that's right on the edge of starting flying lessons. I think it will do the trick. Have you ever considered writing?

Thanks,
Mark
 
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Procrastinate Not

I have waffeled and wavered along the way, and Im sad that I did. I let my "other" life get in the way when I could have spent more time in the air. Still Im glad for what I have done and might do next. Ive seen lots of folks drop out of flying after they discover it is very complex, and yet others move on to become Airline Captains. I think the difference is an individual thing, and each of us must make some serious choices at key points along the way. Its a Rat maze. If your just starting out, or have reached a low spot, I suggest joining the AOPA and do some serious browsing on their Student Pilot webpage. They have compiled a wonderful world of useful advise and assistance for the beginer. Go out to your nearest airport, grab an instructor and make him ride in the right seat and show you what to do next. Good luck

Airport Bums of Waycross
 
jim,
I enjoyed reading your post. I'm going to forward it to a friend that's right on the edge of starting flying lessons. I think it will do the trick. Have you ever considered writing?

No, never thought much about it, just like writing when I get it right. Thanks though, I am sure I will have much more to write about when I complete my training. I plan to travel often. ;)
 
wow! And thanks!!!

Another round of thanks to this forum, and to all who have replied. With words of encouragement and solidarity that could make a chick flick proud :p :p, I will at least finish the King DVD PPL course that I have and see where that leads. Maybe it will get me motivated more so than I am now.

Thanks everybody!

Mcstealth
 
My favorite saying is:

"90% of the things people say they can't do, they never tried".

You don't build an airplane to save money, you do it for the satisfaction of doing something 99% of the population never tried. Plus, all your friends think you've lost your mind.

Bob
 
Others have said it more eloquently, but my $.02...

...is to go for it. I'm late to the thread, but as a guy that soloed at 19 and finally finished up my PPL this summer at 41, I can tell you my biggest regret is in not doing it sooner. Call it a mid-life crisis, the drive to get my non-pilot dad up with me to see the Mississippi country side before his vision is completely lost to macular degeneration, or just the ache that hit when I heard the buzz of an engine overhead and thought, "Man, I'd love to be up there." For any of those and many other reasons, I stopped saying "some day" and made it a reality.
College, marriage, family, and work throughout those 22 intervening years - everything was a good or great excuse to not get it done. But the dream didn't die, and now that I have my "license to learn", I'm passing on the dream to my boys. Maybe they'll be like the young man that posted earlier in the thread and have their PPLs by the time they're 17. Maybe not, but the option will be there for them to the degree that I can encourage them and help.
To the extent you can, prioritize the budget. Eat tuna fish, PB&J, and mac & cheese. Do whatever it takes to throw the spare change into the "flying jar" every chance you get. You'll get there. I finally got my dad in the air in early August. When we landed and that tough old fart just looked at me with a hint of a tear in his eye and smiled, it was worth every penny.
With all this said, I'm probably going to have to put my flying on hold for a while for a one-year trip to the sand box for my Uncle - but I'll take my off-duty time to refine my RV-10 building plans :D. Again, go for it, Mcstealth. And let us know when you knock out that King course.
 
RV-10Drmr said:
...is to go for it............I finally got my dad in the air in early August. When we landed and that tough old fart just looked at me with a hint of a tear in his eye and smiled.
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I know exactly what you mean. When I finally took my elderly dad for his first light plane flight with me at the controls he was wide eyed and completely awed, taking in everything. He pointed to a single small cloud hanging alone in the sky above and asked "Can we go there?" At 7000 feet, I knew it would take some time and considerable effort for my little C-150 to eventually get us there but finally, it did. As we cruised around and around that perfect summer-time cloud my dad turned to me with a grin on his face and shouted above the cabin din, "I can die now, because I've seen heaven." Nothing will ever come close to replacing that exceedingly rare moment in my life.
 
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