you can get a ride before buying? oops
I'm about 2/3 through my ppl, started in 1992, 1998, 2000, and 2007. My training school honoured my original ground school receipt. Three times.
Went skydiving instead, much more "affordable".
I'm into RV-8A wings, awaiting inspection on elevator/rudder, and got real tired of deburring what looks like the same part over and over, so I took the summer off building, to get aeromotivated.
I've been looking to build something since I was 8, over 30 years ago.
I still have the bensen gyrocopter preview plans, and they don't sell the Rotorway Scorpion helicopter kit any more.
I looked at the quickie q2, long-ez and the dragonfly, then the berkut.
I actually saw a berkut in the air at Long Beach on a fine winter Saturday.
The temperature control for the curing scared me off (I live in Saskatchewan and heating the shop would be expensive), and have a buddy who got sensitized and had to hang up his long-ez hopes. I'd never heard of these RV thingys, and had never worked in metal.
A couple local folks built or are building Murphy Moose - nice a/c, but I won't be able to refuel it without a mortgage. So, on with the research hat, and as we all know - you can't look anywhere without seeing Van's Aircraft yesterday, today and tomorrow. After the composite manufacturers going out of business as I looked at them, I liked the idea of a company that was going to still be there for me at the end.
Turns out they make a heck of an airplane kit too. I woudn't have launched without the matched hole kit, was bugged the fuse on the 8 wasn't, but they fixed that before I got there. While everybody was wondering why that was the "Big Announcement", I was giddy with joy.
The closest I've been to flying in an RV is drooling on a couple of local RV-4's. I'm too heavy for the back seat in a 4.
I have some pretty awesome workmanship to live up to, locally.
One day before I'm done building, I'm going to Aurora to beg for a flight and a tour. I work in machine automation, I'm building one of their kits, and family can enjoy a vacation in the area.
Enough blathering on. I have to study for a cross-country flight in a few days, and I've still got some wing ribs too, for a "break"
PS. The 4 year old is already negotiating with mom for me to build a helicopter "when you're done the airplane".
I haven't flown one of those either.