Ironflight

Ironflight

VAF Moderator / Line Boy
Mentor
So here?s a thread for all of you that have finished your build, finished Phase 1, and are enjoying your airplanes?.either the first, second, third, or ?nth?. Those still building can look on us with hooded eyes and plot murder?.

The topic is this ? we all spend an inordinate amount of time in the shop finishing our airplanes ? I generally work on a project about four hours a day when its really rolling. When we finish, we rarely fly that many hours per day (who can afford the fuel ? so maybe just half that), so there is a void in our lives. Let?s assume that our jobs, household chores, vacations, trips, etc remain constant. So what the heck are you doing with all that time that you suddenly have in your life? Yes, planning for your next build is one option. Yes, spending all that extra time with the spouse is a great answer?.and for some, it is probably even true!

In my case, I do a lot of writing ? but I have always done that, so it doesn?t count. When we finished the -3, we were up to our armpits in the RV-1 project until early summer ? then things got quieter. So I have gotten back to actually exercising a proper amount ? bicycling in fact. Louise encouraged me to buy a good bike (when we met, she ? formerly of the US women?s bicycling team ? asked to see my bike. I showed her my 30 year old Raleigh Marathon. ?Oh, so you don?t have a bike? she said?.) and off I go on 25 ? 30 mile training rides many days a week. It beats sitting around the hangar, shuffling tools around without doing any fabrication?.keeps the Flight Surgeons happy... and the quiet time spent riding is a great way to write new stuff ? all I have to do is type it out when I get home.

Of course, I have a new AOA system arriving any day that needs to be installed?.maybe the tools get to work after all!

Next?
 
First 4 years of my build I had way too much free time. I had one job, didn't have a car and spent several hours every day in the shop. Was waiting for Uncle's approval of certain things too :)

Now the plane is flying and I barely have time to check VAF and three other aviation forums I frequented. Picked up second PT job to offset rent, food and parking. First job pays for gas and hangar. Commuting to/from airport is the killer it takes up to 1.5 hours each way. To ease the pain of long commute I bought a new car and joined a motoring club.

When I was still building I thought my next project will be a mahogany runabout, then Cobra kit car. Not going to happen...
 
A funny side effect of building my plane: Since most weeknights my wife and I would be in the shop building (with great music on pandora or similar) - we got out of the habit of watching TV.

At some point during the build the HDMI connector on our TV broke and then we never bothered fixing it.

So not only do we have all the time back from building, we got back all of our mostly wasted TV time. Now instead we mostly read/post on internet forums like reddit or other politics sites. We also spend a bunch of time reading in the bathtub.

When I talked to my wife about building another plane, she said - um, not yet. So I took up paragliding (flexible gliders kinda like hang-gliders) and that fills up my previous Saturday build-day.
 
This ought to be good thread.

I gather that most RV builders aren't, (or weren't ever) simply satisfied passing their spare time in front of a TV like 99% of america. I bet before the plane build there was something else, and I wonder myself what will consume my time after this.

But, what I really wonder (hope and doubt) does there also seem be a windfall of cash along with all that extra time, once the project is done?
 
Complete the "to do" list..sort of

Its been almost 2 years since I finished the RV-4 that was my "escape from reality building time". I am fortunate to have a wonderful girlfriend whom is as excited about aviation as I am, so it gets flow often..very often. When not flying, we are constantly working on hangar/lounge upgrades and just got ourselves an old house on the airport we are fixing up, as well as an old golf cart we are customizing for the house/hangar commute. I/We like shooting, and I am hoping to try my hand at some custom gun work over the winter...and dusting off the long forgoten R/C airplanes,and the old Harley cant be left out...so, We are seldom bored! I do plan another aircraft build someday though without a doubt.
 
We met at the Reno-Van's BBQ, don't you have a serious project coming up in Dayton? That should keep you busy!
 
I can't speak for myselfe since "I'm a buyer not a builder" but I stay in touch with the builder so I'll answer for him ... He's catching up on 3 years of honey do lists :)
 
For me, it has just been socializing and reconnecting with people. Some of it involves airplanes but most of it doesn't. I spent 6 years in relative isolation on the project, saying no way too often to way too many invites, etc. I think most people probably took it the wrong way. Reconnecting again is a lot tougher than I expected!
 
Paul, if you need a change of pace after you get moved in over the hill, stuff that bike in one of your (two seat) RVs and c'mon over to Davis, a "bicycle friendly community". And laugh when you see the inside of my hangar, also known as "Lars' Home For Orphan Bikes". Another one of my weaknesses. When I get a hard time about that (often) I remind my tormenters that the Wright Brothers started their careers as bicycle mechanics. It sure is flat here, but it sure is a nice place to ride.
 
2 kids!

Try having two kids after building. You will be wondering how the heck you ever had time to build a plane.
I guess we were really bored after building:)
 
The bandsaw now cuts parts for four Adirondack chairs and a table.

The scuba gear is getting dusted off and the -10 is being prepped for my IFR re-training/refresher.

My three beehives need attention and medicating for the Winter season.

My wife has kinda been neglected during our incredibly busy ag season and I need to fly her/us down to Beaufort, S.C. to our creek based getaway home for a spell:) and drown some bait:D

Last week, our Methodist Pastor was out of town, so I was asked to lead the service as well.

Best,
 
The RV isn't totally done yet, about another month before first flight. But, my Son asked me to help with the completion of this little project:

IMG_0266.JPG


About a half year to go on this one, Dark blue with the white stripes :D
 
Ironflight said:
... Next?
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Go hiking in the mountains, mountain bike the great trails in the area, get ready for lots of snow skiing, swim in the crystal clear lake, lots of boating!

...oh, wait a minute. You live in Houston. I almost forgot. :eek:

Sorry, never mind... :eek:

Karl
 
Bought some land in Atlin, BC and planning a cabin build for next summer. Hope to be available on the RV hotel list by 2014.

Thinking about another airplane - maybe a Highlander or Cub on floats.

Greg
 
Geico266 said:
Build a new house. That will keep you busy for a year. Ask me how I know. :rolleyes:
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My wife and I designed and built our new house... just the two of us. Contractors were used for pouring the concrete slab and blowing in the insulation. We did the rest. 3 years of evenings and weekends, we moved in 2 years ago, and we're STILL not done :eek:


Not much progress on my Bearhawk, either ....
 
ScottSchmidt said:
Try having two kids after building. You will be wondering how the heck you ever had time to build a plane.
I guess we were really bored after building:)
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Amen! Brother!

Ordered the 10 tail kit when we found out we were gonna have the first one. Built the plane in 22 months. 1 week into phase 1 we had the second girl. Guess I need to order a compair kit now. :eek:
 
Before starting my build, I finished my basement (http://thebasementreno.blogspot.ca/). I'm showing it off here because I'm really proud of the work I did considering I've never done any kind of construction before and I did all the work by myself. Only had professionals come and do the carpets and counter-tops.

Being the computer geek that I am I will be slowly converting my home into a smart home with my own custom software to control lights and HVAC. It already handles house-wide music and movie play back to the TV or home theatre.

I'll have plenty to do! :D
 
Dbro172 said:
I gather that most RV builders aren't, (or weren't ever) simply satisfied passing their spare time in front of a TV like 99% of america. I bet before the plane build there was something else, and I wonder myself what will consume my time after this. ...
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I can't say I was ever satisfied with TV, but do believe I was addicted to it. I started building in part to break that addiction, now I'm addicted to building.:rolleyes: (Spent 94 hours last month in the shop.) I've tried to get my wife to let me cancel the cable, but she's not there yet...

This part of the world offers lots of opportunities for weekend getaways close enough to not require tanker-loads of gas, so I'm hoping we can put the -7 to good use when it's done.:cool:
 
After an 11 year build, I'm having a very difficult time focusing: On anything. I know I have leaves to rake, garages to clean, doors to hang, gutters to paint etc., but I just can't seem to focus to get them done.

Out of habit I go out to the hangar at the same times I did for 11 or so years, and even there I know I have things that need to be done to improve the plane, but I have a hard time giving more than an hour or so . I've had a project on my list for a month -- put some velcro on the cables for the Zaon unit to keep them out of the way. I can't even seem to attack THAT project.

So I'll just pull the plane out and fly south along the Mississippi River for a while and then turn and go back, worrying later about how I'll afford the gas money and convincing myself that that was accomplishing something, even though it really didn't.

After building, I can't sit still, but I can't seem to do anything either.
 
Ironflight said:
So what the heck are you doing with all that time that you suddenly have in your life?
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You evidently didn't get the memo. That's what all those Law & Order reruns are for! You should be saving them now on your TiVo or DVR.
:rolleyes:
 
After finishing the RV-7, I found I really missed building so I helped my brother-in-law finish his Xenos motorglider project -- I built the wings, did the panel wiring, etc. Once that finished up, I decided to take on a life-long dream: building a Fokker DR-1 Triplane replica from Plans. I'm about a year into it and almost have all the wooden ribs built. Plus I'm learning and practicing gas welding for when I start the fuselage. Don't know if I will be able to pull it off, but it's the journey, not the destination. Of course, flying the RV-7 takes priority, but like Paul, high AvGas cost prevents me from flying as much as I'd like. As others have said, if I wasn't building, I'd be wasting my time on the couch watching TV.
 
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After I "finished" my RV-8 almost 6 years ago (dang, already?), I flew the cr@p out of it for the first 3-4 years or so, but the last couple of years I've slowed down on it quite a bit... it's a combination of high fuel prices and my wife wanting me to stay a bit closer to home. I guess she grew tired of being an "RV widow". I'd like to build another project, but now just isn't the time; gonna do an airpark hangar/home and any new projects gotta wait until that's done.

So then, what to do in the meantime? Well, I'm a warbird geek, have been since I was 10 yrs old, and what a coincidence, there's a CAF wing just 12 miles from home here in NW Houston. So I joined up 3 years ago and have been scratching the builder's itch by working on a T-6, C-60 Lodestar, BT-13, L-17 Navion, and an N3N. When I showed up with my RV parked out front, the guys looked at it, then blessed me as the new "metal man". Awesome! It's been a hoot and I've learned quite a lot by working on these old machines; helping change engines and cylinders, plus wiring, radio/antenna installs and whatever metal work (and Bondo!) that needs doing.

As an added bonus, I'm getting to fly this stuff... I sponsored and checked out in the T-6 a few months ago and have 25 hrs in it so far, plus a right seat checkout in the Lodestar with hopefully a PIC type rating in a few months. The downside to the T-6 is the 30 gph fuel burn, and then there's the Lodestar at 100 gph or so! The RV is definitely a lotta bang for the buck at 8-9 gph.
 
between two kids in elementary school, flying full time, running my engineering company, household honey do's and keeping my 68 vette running i don't have any spare time. I don't even get to fly the RV that much.

bob burns
RV-4 N82RB
 
1. Get my King and Sporty's Instrument ground school courses back out and start working on an instrument rating.

2. Try to figure out what I want to build next.

3. Grade landings with the local airport bums.
 
It's kinda nice!

I loved building but I'm having a very nice time now that the build (and the RV-1 project) is over. I had lots of back-burner projects I was anxious to address, including....

1. Studying and preparing for the Commercial ticket written. (Hopefully the training for the practical will shortly follow.)
2. Preparing the house for sale next summer. (Anyone want an airpark home and hangar on the southeast side of Houston?)
3. Getting seriously into the planning process for a new airpark house and home where hiking, mountain biking, snow skiing, and lake swimming are minutes away. (Thanks, Karl, for the reminder of what there ISN'T near Houston!)
4. Visiting all the "Don't Miss" sites near Houston before leaving. (Both of them. :D
5. Focussing more on work-work.
6. Trying to get out on an occasional bike ride.

When did I ever have time for building?????? :eek:
 
If I had spare time and money, I'd like to give home brewing a try... even malting my own grains and making the equipment to do that myself.
 
flyeyes said:
For the musicians or wannabe musicians, these people are friends of mine.

Nice at home winter projects
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:D

I've built a few tube amps from scratch. I grew up in my dad's TV & electronics repair shop and had all his old electronics school textbooks (all tube stuff from the 1950s) memorized by the time I was in 5th grade.

The last tube guitar amp I built was a Marshall preamp section (JCM 800 style / 2204 circuit), except using a low wattage output stage with a pair of 6BQ5/EL84's and a tube-type rectifier (6CA4)to give probably around 12 watts output driving a single 10" Celestion. I gutted a solid state Marshall Lead 12 combo cabinet to build it all inside, ending up with a nice, all-tube compact amp with the famous Marshall "crunch" sound.

What's all this got to do with RVs? Nuttin', except this amp is home-built, high-performance and will fit in the back of my RV-6 :p
 
Three major things .... 1) I do more volunteer work for good causes, 2) I spend more time at the gym, having greatly increased my weight training regimen, and 3) spend a lot more time doing the 4587 things that piled up on my honey-do list over the past six years.
Given the weight training with longer workouts, I'm stronger and in better shape than any time in the last 15 years. Have added seven pounds w/o having to buy any new clothes!
 
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