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What do you do to pay for your flying addiction?

UAVs

Been with Gov't contract companies for the last 11 years working various facets of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAV). Been QA, Supervisor, and flightline mech/tech. Like the flightline the best. Prior to that I was a machinist for 12 years, a valuable asset to building an RV. No wife, no kids. If I didn't have to work for a living I'd have my -7A airborne this year; hoping for '07.
 
yet another engineering type...

Involved in fracture mechanics, fatigue and damage mechanics analysis of structures including rotorcraft and fixed wing craft. Instrumentation, data acquisition and analysis are my specialty.
I am retiring in 18 months from Ohio to payson, AZ. My primary goal at this point is to fly this project there rather than ship it!

-mike
 
Hawkeye7A said:
Been with Gov't contract companies for the last 11 years working various facets of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAV). Been QA, Supervisor, and flightline mech/tech. Like the flightline the best. Prior to that I was a machinist for 12 years, a valuable asset to building an RV. No wife, no kids. If I didn't have to work for a living I'd have my -7A airborne this year; hoping for '07.
Click to expand...

Hunter? Sierra Vista?
 
I'm a data network architect/engineer. After many years working for Wall St. firms, I just settled down at a non-profit organization. A lot less stress and more time to build.

My 8 is the last (I hope) in what seems to be my attempt to cover all modes of transportation. I have a bicycle, a car, a horse, a boat, a tractor, and am building the plane. I figure all I need is a snowmobile and a camel and I have it all covered:)
 
I am a mold maker by trade. I retired after owning a mold shop for 25 years. I started up a new small shop on my farm just to stay involved in the industry. I now have three employees and work harder than I did before I retired. I guess we make our own misery. My son and I build plastic injection molds and aluminum die cast molds. We also have two plastic injection molding machines for production work.
 
Yes, another Engineer...

... but I took my time getting here. Worked as a construction and mill blue collar slave in my youth, before I finally got smart and started taking college courses when I could. Took 11 years to get a 4-year degree, but that bought my ticket into the aircraft industry, where I've been for about 24 years now. I do Liaison Engineering, repairing discrepancies on in-service aircraft.
My career goal is to have the term "millionaire adventurer" associated with my name. :D
 
I spent 26 years as a high school technology teacher. I started out teaching welding, machine shop and drafting, and finished my teaching career in Computer aided drafting, electronics and photography. I've spent the last 7 years as a Middle School Principal, grades 6,7,and 8. I'm retiring at the end of this school year and will be working fewer hours as a consultant next year. My RV-9A QB kit that I bought at Oshkosh last summer was my retirement present to myself!
I've previously restored a Luscombe and built a Sonerai II that I sold a while back.

Mike Doyle
RV-9A QB
 
Oh yeah!

mgomez said:
Hunter? Sierra Vista?
Click to expand...
Yes, Martin. I was with TRW/NGC for 10-1/2 years and just recently changed to a company who handles the O&M training for soldiers on the Shadow. Had a 3-1/2 month stint in the sandbox in '04 and was in Macedonia in '99 also with Hunter. What's your connection with them?
 
What do you do?

I'm a half retired orthopedic surgeon - don't operate now. Flying since 1964. Two years as a flight medical officer with the USAF cemented my love of flying. Bill
 
nothin much but flyin soon

Public service for 35 years, including working with delinquent kids, school system, school board elected, real estate (private) then land acquisition and management of public conservation lands. Retire in May 06.
 
Started out learning the financial ropes at a small local trucking company. Then moved on to accounting work at a large corporate law firm in Dallas. Decided I didn't like either of them so got my CAD degree and started doing engineering drawings. Also was a steelworker for 10yrs in the Naval Reserves. Now I'm doing applications design.

Guess I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up :rolleyes:
 
All around great husband and......

Well that?s the way I see myself anyway. My wife disagrees less and less so hopefully she?s beginning to see it to.

Actually I?m the Arkansas Regional Sales Manager and Systems Applications Manager for a material handling company. I just took the Sales Managers position and moved back to Arkansas from Dallas. Miss 52F but I?m sure I?ll adopt a new home somewhere around here.

I?m working on the empennage for my new 8. My wife got tired of hearing me talk about it and look through the catalogs for hours and finally told me just ot build the dang thing.

I look forward to the day when I can take my new grandson up for his first flight. (Need to find a really robust car seat) ;)


Donald Prater
RV-8 Empennage
N284DP (Reserved)
 
Add another cop to the list. I'm a Sergeant with the Santa Rosa Police Department here in Northern CA. I supervise a patrol team of 12 officers, and our SWAT team. It's an entertaining job with lots of stories, but when I grow up I really want to be an RV pilot. ;)
 
I cropdust for a living. I fly a AT-602 500 to 600 Hours a year. In my spare time I run a shop and maintain 10 turbine spray planes and 2 1340 PW Radial AT-401 Spray planes. In the rest of my spare time I build R-V's.
RV-4 Flying
RV-8 Flying
Currently Restoring Citabria
 
Professor

I torture students for a living :D . I am a college professor. I teach and reasearch mostly in production/operations management. In a former life I was an electrical engineer doing mostly digital hardware, software, and firmware. Married, no kids, one dog. My wife is an accountant (at least that is what she was the last time I saw her; it is tax season you know). It sure is nice being DINK's; but the taxes suck!
 
Body Mechanic

I am a general surgeon. That means everything in the abdominal cavity plus breast cancer, trauma, thyroid tumors, stuff like that. The similarities between my job and my aircraft addiciton are surprizing. The key is to make sure everything is just right before you close.

I have had a fascination with airplanes since I was a toddler. Started with plastic models, spent years at radio control. I bought the plans for a Sequoia Falco as a resident and even started to build the tail section. Kids getting to the the teenage years (plus geez, how do you control the moisture in a drafty garage that goes from thirty degrees, 80% humidity in the winter to 110 degrees 5% in the summer?)

So, one is college, the other going next year. Spent a bunch of years coaching girls volleyball and still am one of the team physicians for the US National (read Olympic) Team.

Started my RV 8 about a year ago. This is such great therapy. I figure another six to eight months to finish the wings, a year on the fuselage and then on to the finish. For me, as I found in R/C, the building is the joy. Not that I am not looking forward to flying but I think I will have to start another project when this one is done.

The RV community is certainly a warm and friendly place to be. Hard to express how much help I have had from people I have only met online.
 
Breaking 'em, now fixing 'em.

After a career bring Heavy Metal home for all you brilliant engineers to fix, (learnt so much from you in the process) I am now doing my penance, maintaining my RV-7.
Well, still testing it actually.
Pete.
 
Me...everyone knows what I do for a living - I take your hard earned money! I'm now running the business full time which leaves very little time for flying.

My background ranges from mfgrs (worked at Champion for awhile building citabrias) to the airlines and have had the pleasure of working on everything from GA aircraft to 747's. Also spent a number of years doing Airline FAA technical consulting for 121, 135, 145 carriers internationally and had the great opportunity to travel the world on someone elses dime. Dealt with aviation companies literally on every continent on the globe (except for the Antarctic). I've seen the best and the worst in the aviation biz, and It as a blast, but living out of a suitcase wasn't fun after a few years.

Now I spend all my time devoted to figuring out ways of getting you fine folks to depart with a frew more of your dollars! I'm far from getting rich, but God am I having fun. It's weird to be building many panels for people that when sitting on the bench represent sometimes double what the cost of my entire RV-6 did years ago when I scrounged it together!

I'm constantly amazed at the huge diversity of airplane people. From filthy rich independently wealthy people, to hard working laborers and everything in between...all over the globe! The homebuilding crowd has to be the best group of people I've had the good fortune of working with in many years. As a bunch, you'll be hard pressed to find another group of people that are so remarkable in so many ways. I feel like I've made so many truly valuable friendships just from this community alone, that I couldn't ask for a better business to be in. Sure, aviation isn't as profitable as many other businesses, but I wouldn't trade it for anything right now.

Now the hard part is finding time (and money) to build my next RV. I think I'll need one of each :)

Cheers,
Stein.
 
Another Law Enforcement Officer

I'm a State Prison Guard working in a Fire Camp near Clear Lake, Ca. I'm also a 20 year Reserve Deputy Sheriff (Level 1) with the Yuba County Sheriff's Dept and former SWAT Team Member. I get to put the crooks in jail and I get to keep them there.
 
Yet another computer guy....

I'm a computer breaker by trade... specializing in not specializing... firmware, embedded systems, games, banking, web development, network security, telephony... sometimes I break them the way a horse breaker breaks a stallion, sometimes I break them to see what's wrong with them, sometimes I break them to prove they can be broken, sometimes I break them by accident... and sometimes I let a metaphor run a little too far. :)

I've also made forrays into marketing/sales, electrical engineering, and even (gack) management when duty called.
 
mlwynn said:
The key is to make sure everything is just right before you close.
Click to expand...

Thanks...now if I ever have to go under the knife, I'll have nightmares about the surgeon slapping his forehead and saying "Damn, I left a cleco in there...I guess I have to drill out a few rivets and go back in!"
 
How about names

Come on everyone, how about including first and last names as well as your city and state. No need to be secretive. Heck most of the cops and former cops included their names, city and state!!!
 
7996d

I hide out under the title C.P.A. It provides a lot of cover.

I spent 9 months at Jay Pratt's while he helped me complete my airplane, and everyone but my closest friends thought I was slaving away over a set of books.

When I am "at a client's office," or "out of town on business" ,half the time I am, the other half I am flying my RV-8. (Thanks to Jay Pratt.)


Bob Dean
N7996D (115 hours)
 
This is really good.

Who ever started this thread, thanks. Great reading. While I respect all of the RVers in law enforcement protecting us and the juvy judge is a hoot, I vote for my favorite caucausin african-american, Pierre Smith. Not only is he a great friend, this guy has done more in one lifetime than most people will try in three and he has a solution for practically any problem. I rate him up there with Ben Franklin, Samuel Clemens, Teddy Roosevelt and Bert Rutan. Truly a Renaissance man.
 
Retired from Ford Motor Co. after 39 years. Now a full time -8A builder received finish kit today.

Jim G
 
Another computer geek

After 13 years in the airline industry, I started my second career. I've now been 20 years in the computer field as programmer and now as a systems engineer. I look forward to full time RV flying. :)
 
What I do!

When I started building I was a Manufacturing Engineer for a company that made automotive body parts. I worked there for 20 yrs and then they went belly up and closed the doors. Ended up being one of the best things that could have happened to me. I am now a Blackhawk helicopter mechanic at Ft. Campbell, KY and I love it :) Glad I served 3 yrs in the Army after High School, that's what allowed me to get the job.
 
I am an A&P for a freight outfit based in Memphis, TN. After starting two kids and a house. I now get to do my airplane. After changing tires and brakes and replacing boxes, it is nice to do stuff that takes skill. :D
 
What I do.... Well the most obvious is the Delivery of QB for Vans. Our service has worked so well that we are now hauling for seven other manufacturers. We now have 9 full time employees. Our drivers now have plenty of experience in handing kits and handling customers. As a RV builder this has been a great adventure, dealing with Vans and working with the staff from the shipping, engineering departments all the way to upper management. Fantastic group. We have delivered over 400 kits now with two damage claims totaling less that $600. Those claims were taken care of the week that they happen no questions asked. We receive emails every week thanking us for making their deliveries better.

Next I also run a transportation brokerage that ships 50,000,000 lbs of potatoes every year. Fun stuff. Its like being a commodities broker only the commodity is potatoes.I have been doing this since 1987

Prior to that I sold over the road trucks for several years

Prior to that I was a truck driver, driving my own truck to all 48 states. Got to see the country and learn the business from the bottom.

Bottom line 29 years in the shipping business.
 
Another Computer Geek

Well after trying several other things, managing motorcycle shop, factory work, technician for a LARGE plastics company, making lots of ice cream at a creamery, running a chain saw in thinning contracts and a couple of years of operating a fiberglass job shop I decided I liked computers.

I went back to college at close to age 30 and have been working in the computer world for the last 20 years. Started on CPM machines, moved up to programming assembler language and now like many deal with Microsoft stuff mainly.

For the last 8 years I've worked for myself. Like they say good in some ways, bad in some ways. :rolleyes:

Two things I had on my list of "want to do someday" were taking a motorcycle trip to Alaska and building an airplane. My son and I rode our motorcycles to Alaska in the summer of 2004 so I figured it was a good time to take care of building the airplane starting in 2005. Went to Osh and chose the RV7A as the plane of choice and ordered it the next week when we got home. (I had already done a lot of research and thought the RV was what I wanted.)

Seems since I started on the 7A that I've been busier than ever with work. Guess that is good as I have to pay for all of this somehow! :eek:
 
I take your money

Well, I was a Union Journeyman Electrician for 28 years, but our local and national union management put 1000's of good electricians out of work, including me, all in the name of political clout. Political clout won't pay my bills. Thanks a lot, Jeff and Ed. So now I am a blackjack dealer at a Detroit casino just making end meet on a little more than minimum wage. I hope to become an electrician at the new casino in about two years. This will be a big step forward. Two kids in college, one is almost done. When I can retire, I will be able to order the wings, I am finishing the tail kit on a 7A at this time.

Dave Nellis
Sterling Heights, MI
N410DN (Res.)
 
Sempe Fi

Retired USMC aircraft maintenance officer. I did 9 years enlisted on the CH-53D and CH-46E helicopters as a crew chief, gunner and power plant mechanic. Spent a number of years as a QA inspector at an aircraft factory in Japan. In my 14 years commisioned service I managed squadron and depot maintenance on aircraft, avionics and engines.

I work now as a consultant in DoD and the aerospace industry (mostly government but some commercial) for systems logistics solutions. I set up supply chains, repair depots and the such and integrate industry into the DoD support system. Mostly on aircraft but also on some land systems (nothing on or under water). For those that know: Performance Based Logistics. One of the FUN contracts I have is with the Navy where I'm working on the BAMS Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

Empty nest and single, so now I put my money where I want and that's an RV-7A so that I can visit grand kids and other family more often. I've got a serious "copilot" and she is very supportive and excited about the bird (now if I can just get her to share in the financial side of the excitement....)

Jekyll
 
Blue Collar

It?s good to see some fellow Blue Collar guys out there. I came from humble beginnings as a high school drop-out with a GED working odd jobs as a youngster to landing a job at what is now the largest coffee plant in the world. Been there for twenty years and will retire in about twelve more. Its shift work but the pay and benefits are good as my wife and I have raised 3 kids and managed to build the airplane.
 
pierre smith said:
Mornin' everybody,
I have flown ag over mainly cotton and peanuts for 35 years, going on 36. Fly an Airtactor 502 (www.airtractor.com) manufactured in Olney, Tx. Also CFI and offer transition training in our 6A.
Former jeweler (20 years) and diamond grader/buyer/seller........born in South Africa, raised in Rhodesia, immigrated 1961 to this beautiful land....God's country, the USA!
Pierre
Click to expand...

Amen, Pierre! Glad to have you here!
 
ptrotter said:
I'm a data network architect/engineer. After many years working for Wall St. firms, I just settled down at a non-profit organization. A lot less stress and more time to build.

My 8 is the last (I hope) in what seems to be my attempt to cover all modes of transportation. I have a bicycle, a car, a horse, a boat, a tractor, and am building the plane. I figure all I need is a snowmobile and a camel and I have it all covered:)
Click to expand...

You're a sick man. I wanna be like you when I grow up.
 
Dirt Farmer!

Mint farmer actually. Chances are when you brush your teeth tonight, that minty freshness might have come from my family farm in central Washington.
Like school teachers in the summer, famers have nothing to do in the winter. So I buck rivets. I'm married with no kids, 25 years old with a luscombe, and a half finished -4 in the shop...and we rent a house from my aunt to pay for the "kids" as my wife calls them. :rolleyes:
 
I've been employed by our cats as their chosen servant.

Other than that, I'm a marketing manager for a software company based in Utah. Pays the bills.
 
Sales....

I work for Honeywell in their security and fire alarm business. I am a sales manager and also do some technical training on our products. One of the perks of working for Honeywell is that we also own King, so when it comes time for avionics, I am hoping the employee discount comes in handy!

I've been in the security and fire alarm business for over 20-years now. The travel is a beating, especially since my territory covers EVERY state west of the Mississippi River, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam.

Most weeks find me as a passenger on some major airline, while traveling to see customers. I also went back to school (Honeywell pays 100%) two years ago to get my MBA. I finish the degree in only 5-more weeks, thank God!

Finally, we just moved to a new home on almost 3-acres. Same town, different ZIP code. Doing some MAJOR-league remodeling, and also planning a nice big shop once the house gets semi-done. My building has been on hold for awhile with everything going on in my life but hopefully that settles down soon! Heck, my wings have been sitting in their crates for almost 6-months now! What a shame, huh?
 
Retired USAF F-16 maintainer. 8 year in high risk workers comp insurance as an underwriter/loss control/risk manager. Currently keeping workers from falling off high rises :eek: , cutting off fingers and poking out eyes for Perini Building Company in Las Vegas as a Safety Engineer.

Rick Sked
RV-10
Mating the two big fuselage parts
 
I'm a veterinary pathology resident. I got my PPL after I graduated from vet school and was working as an ER vet. Of course, now that I'm back in school, I don't have the cash to fly.

Working on an RV is high up on my list of things to do as soon as I get done with my program. My wife's an anesthesia resident at UC Davis, and when I fly down to visit, all I can think is, "I wish I had a plane and an instrument rating." Well, once I get done, I'll fix that problem. =)

Thanks to everyone for providing some great reading!
 
I am a consulting mechanical engineer in the medical device R&D world. Just out of college, I worked at a nuclear bomb factory for about 5 years, and the last twenty years have been in medical devices. I did the typical rubber band models to control line gas to RC planes to an RV path.

Married with three teenage sons, started the plane project when they were 2, 4 and 6 years old, finished 7.5 years later.

The best part about being in the RV world is the friends one makes.

Alex Peterson
RV6-A N66AP 726 hours
Maple Grove, MN
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~alexpeterson/index.shtml
 
Hey Bobby---

A300Driver said:
Probably no surprise with my web name.........
dsc015084ey.jpg

Former Air Force now flying freight, generally at night, for an express company out of Memphis.

Elvis Lives!

Bob Richie
RV-4 N9611C
Zuehl, TX 1TE4
Click to expand...


When do I get my chance to fly freight, generally at night, again?!?!?! Can't wait for that phone to ring ;)

Glad the -4 is treating you well!

Joe
 
one day closer to retirement

By day, I'm a flight operations (aka aircraft performance) engineer for a bankrupt airline... hope we stay afloat til the airplane is finally together. We do takeoff and landing analysis, flight planning, W&B, and everything in between.

By night, I'm an RV-7A builder after I get to play with our little one and get her to sleep. For some reason, that's happening later and later these days. Why can't she go to sleep at 6pm anymore!

 
Moooooooo

23 years as a Ag by-product merchandiser. In English, that's feed for cows and chickens (mostly dairy feed). That's why to me, Chino smells like RV money (if you've ever been here, you know what I mean). Two sons, one in college and a high school junior. So far, they don't share the passion for all things that fly, but I'm still working on them. In a previous life, charter pilot and flight instructor. Lucky to be part of the RV community, so many great people.
 
AT's and RV's

LOCKNUT said:
I cropdust for a living. I fly a AT-602 500 to 600 Hours a year. In my spare time I run a shop and maintain 10 turbine spray planes and 2 1340 PW Radial AT-401 Spray planes. In the rest of my spare time I build R-V's.
RV-4 Flying
RV-8 Flying
Currently Restoring Citabria
Click to expand...

It's good to see some Air Tractor drivers on here. I work in the engineering dept. at the AT factory. Currently working on cockpit layout for the AT-1002. It's a 1600 HP, 20,000 LB. GTOW, single engine taildragger w/ side-by-side seating. Kinda like a REALLY big -7...
When I'm not "working", I fly for Civil Air Patrol, and fly competition aerobatics in a Super Decathlon.

-8 Preview plans in hand

J. J. Humphreys
Olney, Tx.
 
delivery man

hey, stay away from the computer a few days and look what i found! i wondered what all of you did. I deliver babies of all sizes and shapes! I've been known to take out a uterus or two also
dennis g :)
 
Another engineer/computer guy

I'm and Aerospace engineer by training. Spent the first 20 years working in the aerospace industry (Boeing Vertol - PHL, McDonnell Douglas - STL), first as a design engineer, then got into the CAD side of things - programming and defining how computers should be used to do things 'better' for engineers. Transitioned to EDS in '91 (buyout) and now I'm IT project manager working for GM in the DET area. Wife is a teacher. 3 kids - 2 out of college, one a Sophmore.

I got all my ratings (up through CFII) before I got married. I did a lot of instructing and even got into some charter flying when I was in STL. Haven't done much flying since I've been in DET, but that is about to change.

Dennis Glaeser
Rochester Hills, MI
7A Fuselage
 
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