Ironflight

Ironflight

VAF Moderator / Line Boy
Mentor
I know this might sound strange to the many folks that live within convenient travel distance of Aurora, Oregon, but as we pulled off the Interstate 5 at exit 278, my pulse quickened just a bit. I don?t think I?d felt quite like this since I was a kid on a family vacation, and we pulled into the Estes (Model Rocket company) parking lot in Penrose, Colorado. In both cases, I was about to get the chance to visit companies that had had a significant impact on my life, and I was not sure what, exactly to expect ? but I was excited!

In this case, as we skirted the southern end of the runway and the green office wing of Van?s Aircraft Incorporated came in to view, my first thought was just how compact the company ?complex? seemed to be. Heck, there were bigger buildings at the Jet Center next door! But as we have all learned in our lives, good things can come in small packages ? and Van?s facilities are built to match the company?s philosophy of Total Performance and efficiency. I would soon learn that they had plenty of room to do everything that they need to do, and nothing seemed crowded. Even the parking lot seemed ?right sized?, and as we pulled in, I noticed a familiar face in a car just pulling out. We waved, and Joe Blank slowed, then stopped, recognizing Louise and I, probably somewhat amazed that we?d made it (after being stuck in Winnemucca for two nights on the trip up). He was on his way to lunch, and since we hadn?t yet eaten, we took him up on his offer to lead us to sustenance before coming back for a tour.

When we got back to Van?s, our party (consisting of Louise, myself, and Louise?s sister and her husband) got a great welcome from faces familiar to us from such places as LOE and Oshkosh. We were just a little late for the 2:00 pm tour, but since we seemed to be the only visitors on this fine fall afternoon, Joe allowed that he?d waive the late fee and give us a look behind the scenes anyway. I had been looking forward to seeing just how they fabricated parts and assembled orders ever since I bought my first tail kit, and was amazed at just how smooth the operation really is. Familiar looking parts were stacked high on shelves in the stock room, part numbers making instant sense to anyone who has inventoried one of the many sub-kits sold by Van?s. Hey, there?s an RV-8 fuel tank close-out plate, and over there, a horizontal tail spar! I remember those W-7xx wing skins (same as on an -8)?.and look at that stack of RV-7 canopies! The guys in shipping seemed to really enjoy building crates and using up half the paper output of the great northwest in a day?s work. (And now I know that those crates are built of CERTIFIED bug-free wood to allow them to be shipped overseas?)

The fabrication room was even more interesting ? watching the CNC punches spitting out piece after identical piece from raw sheet stock was almost mesmerizing! The process was much quieter than I expected it to be ? this did not seem like an industrial operation ? in fact, it was a lot quieter than the workshop at home when the compressor and band saw are screaming away. Joe did a great job of answering questions, and even our non-RV relatives were fascinated with the way it all works. From raw stock to a computer maintained inventory system ? this company has its act together when it comes to providing kits and parts!

We walked into yet another large bay of the building and were confronted with rows of quick build fuselages standing on end ? tall aluminum stalagmites reaching for the ceiling. Sets of wings were stacked on shelves against the wall reminding me of being in a very special Home Depot store ? the REAL Aviation Department that every builder dreams of! The same room had shelves full of square crates with ?Lycoming? on the side ? jewels waiting for shipment to expectant future owners. Stacks of newly-welded RV-8 canopy frames and other steel components sat on yet more shelves waiting to be sent off for powder-coating. There was even a lumber room ? raw material for the busy beavers in shipping to devour and turn into all those neat crates.

Our final visit was the hangar where only a few RV?s were currently in residence ? their kin out on missions away from the home. A -10, the -8A, a -9 without an engine?.and best of all, the red RV-12. I?ve seen pictures, and even got a glimpse at Oshkosh ? but I?d never gotten a chance to really examine this beautifully finished airplane. Louise and I were curious just how the cockpit felt compared to the -6, and Joe invited us to board. I was amazed at just how roomy this little plane really is ? I think we both agreed that it felt like it was more spacious than the -6! The seats were comfortable, and head room was no issue. I could feel at home here.

More....
 
Flying the -12 !

Just as we were looking over the panel, I looked up, and there was Van himself, walking in to the hangar. I couldn?t help but smile and tell him I thought I was looking at the future ? no one can keep their medical forever, after all! About then, Joe went over to get a can of gas, and it was clear that we were going to get a treat ? the weather was beautiful, the winds low?.yup, I was going to get my first flight in an LSA. Joe went about getting the airplane ready and filling out the all-important waiver as I caught up with Van on topics from LSA?s to medicals ? to the fine art of flying power-off approaches at 297 knots on a 19 degree glide slope in a cranked-delta wing airplane. Airplanes, space planes ? they are all the same at some level! Louise took a few pictures which revealed that all pilots and aeronautical engineers require hands to talk?

Joe signaled that he was ready to commit some aviating, so we climbed in and made for the sky. Others have written nicely detailed reports on the RV-12, so I don?t have to go into great detail, but I must say that this is an RV, pure and true! Light and responsive with excellent climb performance ? what more can you ask? The little Rotax does it?s job well and was easy to operate, although we did have to wait on the oil temp to come up a bit before doing the run-up - I?d say that the cooling is more than adequate! The airplane is nimble on the ground and the brakes gave very precise steering. I couldn?t? remember that last time I did much in a nose dragger, but my Grumman days came back quickly, and this was even better than a Yankee. Joe did the take-off, and gave me the stick as soon as we had a positive rate. Roll and pitch were quick and responsive, while yaw was like most RV?s ? you didn?t really have to think much about it! We climbed out at a rate far in excess of what I expected from an LSA (I don?t? know why I thought they might be anemic?.), and we departed for a little practice area where I tried a few standard rate turns, steepening them up quickly and quickly finding out that this was a true RV!

I asked if I could try a gentle wing-over, and Joe had no objections, so I pulled up into a military eight. Coming down off the first one, he suggested I try the next one with my feet on the floor, and as we rolled up to a steep bank, the ball just barely went halfway out of the lines on the Dynon ? not bad! I slowed things down to flap speed and dropped them both notches. A little slow flight, and he suggested I try a stall. I nibbled around with the horn blaring, and eventually pulled enough to get a very gentle break with the airplane more or less just mushing ahead. We recovered and headed back to the airport for a landing. I could tell right away that the wing had a much higher aspect ratio than the -8 or -6 ? power-off descents gave a much gentler glide angel than what I was used to in the RV?s, but this was no surprise ? the wings look LONG to me. We slid down final at about 58 knots, and the flare was very conventional, with a nice chirp on the mains and a good positive derotation to the nose. I only had to back-taxi about 20 feet to the first turn-off ? not bad for a first landing in an airplane I?d flown for about 10 minutes!

We taxied back in and I saw that Louise and Van were still talking as we rolled up to the hangar. Joe popped the canopy, and I grinned at Van??I think you?ve got a real winner here!? were the first words out of my mouth. He smiled ? I bet he gets that a lot. As Louise strapped in to see what this LSA thing was all about, Van and I continued our discussions about RV?s, design trades, and how he likes his RV-10 (parked right there for his evening trip home). It was great to talk airplanes with someone who obviously still enjoys them so much, and the twinkle in the eye told me he was probably much happier standing on the ramp than sitting in his office. I can tell you that?s how it works for me!

The afternoon fairly flew by, and before we knew it, the shop was closing up ? it was time to leave. This pilgrimage to Van?s is something I had hoped for since I was bitten by the RV bug half a decade ago. I am not embarrassed to say that I felt like a kid once again, visiting a place that had been the distant source of so much enjoyment. The folks at Van?s made us feel like part of the family all day ? the atmosphere is so much about like-minded people enjoying the same thing that you can?t help but smile the whole time. I am more convinced than ever that aviation is alive and well when in the hands of supporting companies like this ? and I am truly indebted and thankful for everyone that made our visit so enjoyable!

Paul
 
RV-12

Paul,

I just love reading and visualizing your adventures. WOW.

Just gotta finish my project.....such a long way to go - but forward I trod.
 
My Pilgrimage

It was the summer of 1998 and I had finished -8 tail. The 8A had just come out and I had zero tailwheel time so the 8A looked like an option. I had never seen one so I got on a flying cattle car and flew to Portand to have a look.

Van's was still in the warehouse in North Plains and as I walked in a freindly fellow named Scott (forgot the last name) asked if he could help.
The next thing you know we were in the 8A demonstrator climbing out of Sunset Airpark. This was only a few months after the -8 crashed in California so only basic maneuvers allowed. In fact the aft stick had been cut pretty short but a few steep turns and some slow flight and I was hooked. After the flight I met the Mr. RV briefly and ordered the wings and fuse that day.

Paul Danclovic
Jamestown NC
RV-8A N181SB
 
Plan ahead if you visit Van's

Word to the wise...if the factory is still on the same work schedule as they were in 2005, the machines will be idle on Fridays. We still got a good tour, but if I had checked ahead, we would have re-arranged our schedule to be there on a different day. :(
 
rv7boy said:
Word to the wise...if the factory is still on the same work schedule as they were in 2005, the machines will be idle on Fridays. We still got a good tour, but if I had checked ahead, we would have re-arranged our schedule to be there on a different day. :(
Click to expand...

I htink that's still true - Joe said they work 4/10's, and friday off in the fabrication shop, if I remember correctly.

Paul
 
Paul,
I'm one of the locals that you mentioned. I'm fortunate to live roughly 25 minutes from Van's via the scenic country backroads. Even though I've been there many times, your excellent write-up brought a flood of emotions back to me. I still feel it every time I visit, whether it's to pick up my next kit or grab a few parts, or whatever. My first visit is one I won't forget. Scott Risan took me up in the 9A for a demo flight, and was nice enough to take my youngest teenage son up for a ride, too. It continues to motivate me as I work to get my fuselage finished. Thanks again for an excellent write-up!
 
I'll never forget my visit there...

I was in L.A. for a few days on business (December '07), and had been slowly approaching the point where I was ready to commit to the project. I managed to clear off one full day from my schedule (a Thursday, if memory serves) and jumped on a Southwest jet out of LAX early in the morning to fly up to Portland, where I rented a car and drove down to the factory. Just like Paul I missed out on the main tour, but Scott was kind enough to give me a bit of a walkaround anyway and let me see the operations.

We went out to the hangar and looked at several of the airplanes, and it only took a couple minutes talking to get a fly in the 9A demonstrator. We had about half fuel and 20 knots in our face on the runway, and I don't think we used 300 feet on the takeoff roll - it was incredible to someone whose main flying experience is a C-172! We headed out to the practice area and played around with the airplane a little bit, and I just simply fell in love with it. Scott saw another airplane he recognized, a C-182 belonging to someone he knew, and took over the 9A and *chased down the 182* in nothing flat. That's when I really knew I wanted one of these. After landing we talked about the airplane a little more, went inside the office, and I wrote a check. Deal's on....

I hardly even remember the drive back to Portland or the subsequent flight back to LA - I was still lost in the dream. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a center fuse section calling my name in the garage.
 
On the opposite end of the spectrum...

Boy, these reportst are soooooooo much better than my experiences with my own pilgimage to the company behind my own aircraft (Avions Jodel in Beaune, France).

I arrived at a deserted airfield, managed to find the door on the side of a derelict hangar. After a couple of minutes a Frenchman shows up, speaking nothing but French. Fair enough, I'm the guest in his country, so I brush off my highschool French and try to talk Jodels. He didn't seem interested. I needed some parts, so I tried to get some from him. After a deep sigh, he got out the parts book.

Parts purchased, (half of them on backorder - never arrived), I made the mistake of mentioning that I'm the one behind the jodel.com website. That's when he started threatening me with lawers. Mind you, at the time they didn't even have a web site and my jodel.com site had already been online for 8 years or so and I had sent hundreds of interested people their way for plans and parts. Maybe a thank you would have been more appropriate?

I still like their aircraft, but the company? Naah.... I'd prefer dealing with Vans any day....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.