G

gbumga

Active Member
I have hit a new low. I have no building partner and have shamefully used my family, then girlfriend and friends to help me when you need a third hand. I get the part/assembly setup before they come over and then kind of trick them into the shop and mention, could you help me for a second. They all seem to enjoy it but dang I'm starting to feel guilty about using people for my needs. This is said tongue in cheek but there is a lot of truth to it also. The farther I get into this the more consumed I am by the project. When I date a new gal I work flying into the conversation and how they feel about it and have let some go when it is obvious they aren't into flying. Work has become a means to supply $ for the plane, I told my boss that I'll be retiring when the plane is finished, which should be perfect timing anyways. I had no idea the level of effort and learning this takes, I knew it would be big on the building side but I'm really surprised how much new information has to be learned. Like the thread yesterday about final torque, heck I thought 20-25 in. #'s meant 20-25 in. #'s, then I'm directed to AC 43*** and learn about final torque where you have to calculate the friction of the lock nut in and add it to the book torque value. Now I plan on reading up on every new technique in AC*** before doing something out of my knowledge base. Having fun, making new friends and haven't run any blood relatives off yet. Gene
 
Gene,

You are on the way to developing a serious character flaw. NONE of us were guilty of tricking anyone into helping us build our RVs. To offer you some help with this problem, just stop by anytime and we will discuss how to deal with it. Just plan on a few hours and we will talk it through. BTW, bring your bucking bar collection when you come;)

Bob Kelly
 
better to find out now!

Gene, better to find out now while you are dating that they don't like flying instead of after you are married. I had just started building the the tail feathers when I started dating this particular gal. She said that she would go to the airport with me, but didn't want to sit and watch. She is now a driving force in getting this thing built. Guess what? I married her and she has already asked what we are going to build next! She had bucked over 98% of the rivets in my, er uh, OUR plane! She drills, deburs, dimples, rivets, etc. She has also kept me from messing things up several times, by questioning what we are doing. I can't think of trying to build without her. SO, you are not really USING them, you are just trying to find out if they are REAL wife material or someone that will own your plane through a divorce. A.I.D.S.!! Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome. Don't let it happen. :eek::D
 
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Beware of having your girlfriend help. When Judith riveted in a mid-riff top, I found it extremely distracting...
 
Ain't that the truth. Dating and aviation seem to be mutually exclusive, extremely time consuming occupations, both of which cost more money per hour than I make in a day.

Good thing I DON'T have a girlfriend...
 
I have my girlfriend rivet only the very last rivet of every completed part I've built so far... That way, if it falls apart in the air, I can blame it on her. :D
 
RVRC said:
Gene, better to find out now while you are dating that they don't like flying instead of after you are married. I had just started building the the tail feathers when I started dating this particular gal. She said that she would go to the airport with me, but didn't want to sit and watch. She is now a driving force in getting this thing built. Guess what? I married her and she has already asked what we are going to build next! She had bucked over 98% of the rivets in my, er uh, OUR plane! She drills, deburs, dimples, rivets, etc. She has also kept me from messing things up several times, by questioning what we are doing. I can't think of trying to build without her. SO, you are not really USING them, you are just trying to find out if they are REAL wife material or someone that will own your plane through a divorce. A.I.D.S.!! Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome. Don't let it happen. :eek::D
Click to expand...

A few years ago, my G/F at the time wanted to spend the weekend doing some inane activity that did not involve 100 octane. When I explained that I had been gone for 2 weeks,and really wanted to go fly, the last words that she uttered (at least in my presence) were "all you ever want to do is go flying.You spend more time with that plane than you do me." The next sound she heard was my car leaving for the airport!
I am now coming up on 5 years of matrimony with the sweetest young lady a guy could wish for. Oh and did I mention that she can time mags, run the compression tester, and gets bummed out if she can't help with the annual inspections? I proposed to her while we were elbow deep in Poly Brush at the fabric covering seminar at Arlington!:D Also, it was my wife that told me to quit looking and talking about an RV,and go buy one!
I did not build my RV, but I can understand the work that you guys (and ladies, too!) put forth to see a build through to the first flight. Life is too short to undertake a project like this without support from ones significant other.
 
At least you haven't stooped so low as to having children just to get a small set of hands to help you with those hard to get at nuts and bolts. Depending on how far along you are with your project, you may want to start considering that now.
 
Shameless, ain't it....the way we flirt!

My wife also 'made' me buy my -9a last year! Aren't they great???
I say, WAY better than a dog!
No, wait, that's what I said about kids, ( especially when they're big enough to push the plane out across soggy grass!)
They're both the greatest! :)
OH, and can't forget Mom's, who 'loan' you the money to get the plane in the first place!
( I musta been REAL good in my past life!?!?!)
 
Shame is when I talked my 7 year old grand daughter into climbing into the tail cone to tighten up and clip some tie wraps I forgot. I told here there was a surprise in there. :rolleyes:
 
oops

Weren't we supposed to use the kids?

I had my kids plugging tiny rivets into tiny holes for the elevators and rudder.
I did one side of one elevator myself, and they did the rest.

I don't remember the times or the ages, but IIRC, the three of them were about 4 times faster at it than I was. They plugged in the rivets, went out to play while I shot the rivets, they came back and did some more.

It doesn't hurt that I keep a stash of gummy worms for "helper treats".

They'd rather eat worms too :)
 
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