Like everyone in Australia, Scott is a friendly, easy going guy, and somewhat typical of RV owner-builders. He is married with 3 children, ages 13, 11, and 8). Joining the RAAF at age 30, he became an air traffic controller and after 3 years in the military decided to take the officer training course, and is now a Flying Officer (equivalent to a Lieutenant in the USAF). He specifically chose the assignment in Darwin because of the extensive mixture of traffic and changing weather conditions. Scott hopes that his next assignment will take him south to Williamtown, which is a fighter base with F-18s.
Scott?s father, Bruce Hartwich, was a career officer and fighter pilot with the RAAF. He served outside of Australia in England and in Saudi Arabia. Flying the Mirage III, he frequently flew air demonstrations in the Mirage, and was noted for how slowly, skillfully, and perfectly he could slow roll the airplane during a pass down the runway. Scott and his dad decided to build airplanes at the same time. His dad selected the RV-4, purchasing the entire kit at once, and Scott chose the RV-7, purchasing the individual kits as necessary for the building process.
Being retired from the military, Scott?s father finished the RV-4 in about 2 years, and flew it from the 1200 foot family airstrip located on 80 acres near Hamilton, Victoria Province (about 2000nm south of Darwin). VH-BPH is equipped with an IO-360 engine with fixed pitch propeller, and has inverted fuel and oil capability. It has electric trim and electric flaps, and at 974 lbs empty, it is the light-weight VFR airplane that Van intended it to be.
With 60 hours on the airplane and with Scott just about checked out to fly it, his father died in a workplace accident while working part time for a local grain company. The RV-4 would become Scott?s airplane, and a lasting legacy of an RAAF fighter pilot. Friends came to the aid of the family, including Jon Johanson (who has flown his own RV-4 around the world). A friend helped Scott get completely checked out in the airplane, and Jon Johanson provided Scott with the same fiberglass seat that had flown twice around the world. Scott says it makes a world of difference for him in the RV-4.
Scott flew the RV-4 to Darwin from Hamilton, made the round trip again for his officer training, and now has about 200 hours in the airplane. He is a typical RV builder, and has no fear of tackling a leaking fuel tank or wiring upgrade to his radios. When he receives his next assignment (hopefully to Williamtown), somehow I think he?ll be able to keep family, the RV-4, and the RV-7 project in balance, as he makes the move.
