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nobody would talk me out of it....

D

Daver

Well Known Member
Sheesh! I'm not even a pilot! yet.....

I have lots of right seat time in C150s from the 70's....

100's of hours in heavy jets.......riding in the back....

I love building stuff (I'm an engineer).

So I got this CRAZY idea I'd build a plane in my garage. Friends & family: "yep, he's nuts"

After much research, I decided on a 9A.

Well, here I am working on the tail feathers. I just need to build one more elevator.

I'm ording the wing kit next month.

I guess there's no cure for this. tons of fun.

I'm hopefull that flying it is as much fun as building it.

Anyway, that's my story & I'm sticking to it.

I'll have many questions along the way for you guys. Hope I don't wear out my welcome.

Dave
 
Dave

Like you I started building an airplane (fibergalss...Vision by American Affordable Aircraft).......Somewhere along the way I decided to get my private pilot cert.
My perspective as to what I wanted the aircrafts mission to be, avionics, engine choice were all changed by my pilot training experience.

With that said I belive you can complete the 9A before the ticket. Just find an individual willing to fly off the hours, and then get your ticket in it. But, get some good advice from those that have built and flown experimental as to what configuration your aircraft should be to fit your mission.

As Doug said, "welcome to the asylum". It has been fun, rewarding, wonderful learning, and challenging as I have built my 7A. My advice would be to have patiences, work through the mistakes...we have all done them....and don't ever give up.

Frank @ SGU and SLC,.......wiring/fiberglass....$$$$$$$$$$$$
 
Welcome to the club Dave!

My unsolicited advice is that (like Frank infers) I would HIGHLY recommend getting your PPL before you get very far into your fuselage. Until you've flown as a pilot for some time, you don't know what you're going to want/need in the way of a panel, constant-speed/fixed pitch, nosewheel/tailwheel etc. Some of this is very expensive (speaking particularly of a panel) that would be a bummer to have to replace when you realize you wish you would have done it a different way.

Remember too that finding a flight instructor willing to instruct in an experimental that you built could beeasy or it could be really tough, depending where you live. In any case, it will limit who you can choose to instruct you.

Good luck though and have fun!
 
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my brother, your neighbor (county wise)

talked me into it. and i was well into the kit when i started my traing for my private cert. decided i had better spend some time in a plane before spending to much more money. so i did. 45-50 hrs later i had my ticket in hand. and really have a good time with it. i am a fair weather pilot and plan on the ifr thing a little later on. as im sure you'll hear many times think twice drill once..slow and steady.
 
PPL optional to building

alpinelakespilot2000 said:
Welcome to the club Dave!

My unsolicited advice is that (like Frank infers) I would HIGHLY recommend getting your PPL before you get very far into your fuselage. Until you've flown as a pilot for some time, you don't know what you're going to want/need in the way of a panel, constant-speed/fixed pitch, nosewheel/tailwheel etc. Some of this is very expensive (speaking particularly of a panel) that would be a bummer to have to replace when you realize you wish you would have done it a different way.

Remember too that finding a flight instructor willing to instruct in an experimental that you built could beeasy or it could be really tough, depending where you live. In any case, it will limit who you can choose to instruct you.
Click to expand...

Everything said is completely valid but you can build first if you want. My buddy bought into building sight unseen, built the plane and did his whole PPL in his RV7A. He is pretty good at doing things and wasn't shy about asking for help and advice from builders, pilots and others and got it done! He found instructors easily enough in the Dallas, TX area.

Keep in mind that your average pilot doesn't know diddly about aircraft construction. Me too. I'm PPL w/instrument/multi and answered lots of how-you-fly-it questions about but now, I'm beating on my RV buddies for advice in building my ship. That acquired RV knowledge base is invaluable!

Finally, in 30 on and off years of flying rental beaters :( , nothing I have flown comes close to what I am putting in my plane so little of my flying experience applies to what I am building as far as equipment. I'm learning from scratch, too. As far as engines, props etc, IMHO other than defining terms, a basic PPL won't help you decide. Define your mission, do your research and ask RV guys what works.

As for learning, you learn what you fly. I once yakked it up with some USAF guys at Ft. Smith AR. They were doing some final TGs in some mil-spec twin bizjet before taking the test to transition to C-17s. None had over 200hrs or had flown before enlisting.

So get on with it, Dave. Building and flying are different but there is knowledge everywhere!

Just be careful if you go back to 'regular' airplanes. One guy I knew launched his TR182 and nearly aborted until he realized that the Cessna was performing perfectly, it just wasn't climbing at 2400 FPM like his RV-8.

Rock on.
John
 
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here's the plan

Thanks for the words of encouragement & wisdom.

I'm going to complete the airframe and then go to flight school.

I'm sure I want a "trike" geared plane but I don't know enough about engines, props and instruments to make those choices.

I got my 3rd cls medical just to be sure I can do this and I visited with some
flight instructors.

I will learn to fly in a Diamond DA-20-C1. Its a stick & rudder two place low wing trainer with 125HP & fixed pitch prop.

After I learn how to fly, I'll be better able to decide how to finish up my 9A.

I'm looking forward to all the things I have to learn.

I will check in often with silly questions of course!

Dave
 
of course, transitions training

forgot to mention my plan for transition training.

I'll travel to "whereever" and get the recommend transition training in a 9A before I fly mine.
 
Welcome

Well you are not alone, my wings are finished, fuselage is 80%, need to finish up on panel, and working on baffling. Oh, Yea, I take my check ride 12/1/06.Good luck, hope you enjoy building and flying as much as I do. This is a great bunch to lean on for help.
 
Dave

Been a great thread to follow. I did my training c 150 at a college flight school with a bunch of great young budding atp pilots. Was one of the best experiences of my life.
Flying, building the plane, decisions about the type of plane I want, building with great friends (retired ap mech. from United / A6 viet nam war vet who is also building a 7A), encouragement from family and friends, ? answered by the guy's at Van's, and these great forums @ Vans Airforce, and being an airport bum has been great.


Again have fun and enjoy the process

Frank @ SGU and SLC
 
Welcome aboard

Dave,

Good choice for a project. I'd encourage you to plan to get your ticket before this time next year. Probably all the advice offered here is right, even though some of it is conflicting. Unfortunately, no one mention the most important thing - and your opening note hinted at it. When you're a pilot you can fly. It may be a rented bird or a club plane but you're flying. Flying is as close to a mystical experience as most of us will get while we occupy space on this planet- and we can do it regularly. The experience of piloting a plane is living poetry; its part art, part skill, part knowledge and totally inspirational. Building a 9A will get you a great plane you can call your own but don't miss the joy of flying for 2 or 3 years just because you don't have a plane. You'll enjoy your nine all the more if you have some experience under your belt.

And as for whether or not there's a cure for this disease? Honestly, nobody knows if there's a cure because no one that's caught the disease wants to be cured. At times I've even wondered if we're not the healthy ones and the folks that don't want to build and fly their own plane are sick ones. Maybe we need to find a cure for the common illness of not craving air time.
 
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Thanks to all who responded to my post!

Its nice to know I'm not alone in this.

I know I will love flying. I did some from the right seat some years ago.

What worries me is, if I get my PPL now, I'll want to spend time & money flying and the RV won't get built.

If I could only train my wife to rivet..............while I'm out flying, yeah, that'll
work.....NOT.

I'm just going to enjoy the build for now but at the rate its going, flight school is not far away. Since I'm self employed, I'll just "carve out" a block of time (a couple of months maybe) & hit it hard - maybe 3 - 5 flights a week.

Anybody know how the DA20-C1 flies compared to an RV9A?

Made my first booboo that will require a new part. I'm sure this has never happened to anyone else...I misaligned the trim tab hinge while drilling it. I'll call Van's tomorrow & get a new hinge coming.

I'm sure I'll do more stupid things (part of the "fun" I guess)

Dave
 
I didn't have a private when I purchased my RV6 tail wings & fuse kits. Now I have a multi instrument commercial. The RV6 is still not finished. Now that I look back on it I should have spent the time and money on the 6 rather than obtaining advanced pilot ratings. I say go for it Dave.
Aaron
 
Heavy Jet riding...

Daver said:
100's of hours in heavy jets.......riding in the back....

Dave:

What heavies have you "ridden in"? I have over 5K hrs. "riding" in the back of an E-3 Sentry (AWACS)...the only real flying I get to do, I have to pay for myself which is why I'm building a 9A! :)
Click to expand...
 
well, the "100's of hours in heavy jets..." was mostly probably like, you know,
727s, 737s.

Well, at least I could have a cold one while flying.....

Dave
 
Answers to your questions, Dave.

Dave,

You will find answers to many of your questions here in this forum. My personal RV-9A experience started in October 2002 with the first flight June 9, 2005. The Hobb's meter now indicates 211.9 hours. I have flown to Oshkosh 2005 & 2006 and camped out there. I have been to the Great Lakes, New England, NJ, PA, TX, NM, Denver, and Florida several times, including one flight to Stuart, Florida and back to Chattanooga in one day.

Some of these guys have used my web site as a builder's resource. You will find my postings at www.n2prise.org. I posted a page on the site about choosing a tip-up or slider canopy. That page features a guy who built two RV-9A's -- the first one a tip-up, the second one was a slider.

I made a few minor mistakes here and there during construction, but never had to buy replacement parts from Van's (lucky I guess).

I have put in some extras along the way including a real-time video system that lets me make videos with narration of the action outside, radio traffic, music, etc. I have videos I made of my arrival and departure from Oshkosh 2006.

Feel free to check it all out online and ask any questions you like. I learned from the guys who were ahead of me. I have been passing along that information and my experiences ever since.

As for learning to fly, do it now if you like. I learned like so many others on Cessna 172, 152, and 150 models. I flew a Beech model 77 "Skipper" one time and it was easy. My total flight time was 189 hours in the Cessnas before my transition to my RV-9A. I spent two days flying with Mike Seager, the factory flight instructor in an RV-6A built by Van himself. You can learn about Mike on my web site also.

Jerry K. Thorne
East Ridge, TN.
RV-9A #90622 N2PZ "Enterprise"
www.n2prise.org
 
Dave -

Great to have another homebuilder and ga pilot in the ranks!

I just scanned the previous posts, so forgive any redundant comments.

Keep your eyes open to all options with the training/building plans. You might be able to save a significant load of money with overlapping your training (in a rental then in your plane) and building. I had never really given it much thought before, but with finding an RV savy CFI and experimental-willing flight examiner, you might be able to launch into having the plane and certificate together.

Keep your mind open and listen to all the info on boards like this. Also, find some people at local airports who like to fly and talk (i.e., old timers!). Even if they're not homebuilders, you will get good info on aircraft construction/maintenance techniques and even leads on pieces and parts.

In this business, who you know goes right along with what you know.

CFII/MEI
 
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