But anyway, I'm not a certified A&P (yet) and so I had the typical reliance on the local shop to do all of the major maintenance above and beyond what the FAA considers "preventive maintenance" (stuff like changing the oil and changing tires). I religiously changed the oil myself, replaced landing light bulbs, replaced tires and brakes, etc., etc. If it was legal for me to do, I did it myself. I considered myself at least average if not better in the mechanically-inclined department. But for major stuff, I had to take it into the shop. I had taken previous aircraft to this shop (which shall remain unnamed to protect the, um, guilty...if you know me at all, you know which shop I'm talking about), and I had been completely satisfied with the quality of their work to date.
When I bought 1DD, it had a run-out engine. This served my needs perfectly. I bought the plane with the intention of replacing the engine. Immediately after acquiring it I had my shop order a Lycoming factory overhauled IO-360-A3B6D. Several weeks later, the engine arrived, and the shop did the installation. The engine itself was fine, and the break-in went normally, but I noticed that the shop had scratched the hell out of my cowling and spinner. Ok, I guess this is kind of normal wear and tear, especially after really major work? It seemed unusually careless, but I was so glad to have my plane back I didn't do anything about it.
Cut to several months later when the annual inspection was due. I decided to have the shop add a few nice-to-have items, such as shoulder harnesses, a standby vacuum system, etc. I also wanted them to repair a broken pipe on my permanently-installed oxygen system. I provided all of the parts for these jobs, since I was able to order them less expensively than the shop would have charged me...plus, the shop somehow claimed they didn't have a clue where to get the O2 system parts. Well, after the annual was done, the shop had butchered the plane. Plastic panels were shattered around the new shoulder harness mounts, cowling and inspection panels were scratched even worse, and there were random paint chips here and there. Mostly cosmetic stuff...at THAT point. Oh, but they somehow managed to destroy the Aerox oxygen system fittings and told me they couldn't fix the oxygen system. What?!
Ok, if that wasn't bad enough, it's the little things that get you. What really shocked me was the way the shop secured the left cowl flap. On the 201, the cowl flaps have quick release joints so you can remove the cowling without any tools other than a Phillips screwdriver for the camlocks...you can just pop the cowl flap attachments off by hand. It was obvious that the shop had lost some of the quick release parts (i.e. the spring and collar) and the cowl flap was safety wired on in a spaghetti-like mess. Totally kludged. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this! A new quick release is only a $5 part! What's the deal? Why did they forego the quality approach here? What else did they screw up that I don't know about?!
I decided to take the plane to another shop, this time a Mooney Service Center, and have them fix the cowl flap and attend to a few other items that the original shop totally neglected, one of which were the wing root fairing screws which kept coming loose. I asked that the new shop secure, replace, whatever these screws. When I got the plane back, the cowl flap was perfect, but the shop's fix for the loose screws was...and get this...silicone dabbed over each screw head. What the hell kind of fix is that?! And this is a Mooney certified shop!?!?! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Anyway, I'm trying to get through this story here...about a month later, I was flying through the California central valley at night when the low vacuum warning light came on. The D.G. and A.I. just tumbled over. I pulled out the new standby vacuum lever...nothing... What the?! I couldn't get any vacuum at all. Fortunately it was VFR (despite it being pitch black in the valley) and we made it home just fine without vac. The next morning I brought the plane into a 3rd shop, the shop across the field, and I had them take a look. The vacuum pump had died, predictably, but the interesting thing is that the standby system was installed completely inappropriately. The valve was oriented in a way such that it could never be fully actuated! To top it off, the valve was secured with tie wraps instead of adel clamps, etc., etc. Just a mess! I have before/after pictures, and the difference is amazing. Here's the "before" picture for your entertainment:
The valve is supposed to turn 90 degrees when the panel lever is pulled out. Above you can see the tie wraps and the orientation of the cable sheath, which would only allow for about 45 degrees of valve rotation. Wow!!!! I mean, I'm technically the operator and pilot in command, and I'm supposed to notice this kind of thing. But...up until this point in time I was fully putting my faith (and my safety) in the hands of these mechanics, who apparently went through lots of training to be able to do all of this legally, up to standards, and at a level of quality that keeps the fleet and pilots alive. Yeah, right! My mistake ever to put my trust in these fools. And this was a shop that had been around for something like 30 years!
Anyway, the new (3rd) shop replaced the pump and revamped the standby installation. They did a fantastic job, in fact. That shop actually did all of the maintenance from then until I sold the plane, and I was happy with their attitude and their work. They even let me do much of the maintenance under their supervision and signed off my work. But during the course of all this crap I became really jaded about the quality of work coming from these shops in general. Actually, that's a drastic understatement. I personally think that 9 out of 10 shops out there royally suck out loud, and that nobody in these shops really cares about quality anymore. They're just rushing you out so they can get the more expensive customers with the Duke or Baron or Malibu in there. This SUCKS! Not to mention it's a total hazard to my personal safety and that of my passengers -- friends and loved ones!
Well, that was it. That got me all fired up and I decided to become an A&P. That way I could do everything myself. I trust myself way more than any of these monkeys out there turning wrenches. Well, that pipe dream lasted about two days until I found out that it was going to take months and months of full-time training, or a couple of years of night school. Damn!
Up until that point, I had minimal exposure to the amateur-built, experimental, homebuilt -- whatever you feel like calling it -- corner of the industry. My buddy always pointed out that you can get a used Lancair 360 for a great price, etc. But I didn't want a used homebuilt...I wouldn't be able to sign off the annuals. I might be hard-pressed to find an A&P who would be willing to do that every year. It's an interesting irony...these half-ass shops will gladly take on a certificated aircraft and do sub-par work, but they're more than reluctant to risk their hide working on a perfectly good homebuilt. Anyway, building my own plane made total sense. Build your own, and you get the official Repairman Certificate for the aircraft, which means you can do all of the maintenance legally...right down to the annual "condition" inspections. Perfect!
What really helped flip me in the homebuilt direction happened one summer weekend when I flew up to Lake Isabella to do some camping. Great time to think about stuff when you're staring at a campfire. One morning while I was up there, I was flying my R.C. glider near the airport (yeah, I know, I shouldn't do that) and an older (maybe 70) guy came over and introduced himself. He said that there was an R.C. flying club just around the bend and that I should hook up with them. Did I want to see his R.C. plane collection in his hangar? Yeah, you bet. He had a hangar full of his own designs. Models he had built and flown in the 60s. Very cool!
But...and then it happened...what he also had in the hangar were two homebuilt aircraft. One was the most gorgeous purple Kitfox (a Classic IV, I believe) I had ever seen, and the other was a SeaRey amphibian. WHOA! I was drooling all over the place. You built these yourself? How long did it take to build? etc., etc. I asked him a million questions and gawked at the quality of his workmanship. Definitely a skillful guy, and the planes were COOOOOL! We talked for a while, and he showed me stuff like the little "turbulator" that he installed on the SeaRey to improve engine cooling. Got a homebuilt? Need to add something? Just do it. More or less, it's an open playing field with very few legal hurdles standing in the way of making mods. It's an experimental plane, after all. STC? Field approval? What's that?!
Ever since that day, I have not looked back. It's been 100% homebuilt for me. Now, don't get me wrong, I loved and still love the Mooney. Great, great plane. Hell, I wouldn't turn down flying any type of aircraft. But if I can't legally do the maintenance on it, and if I have such trouble finding a qualified shop, well that won't do. So why deal with that in the first place?
I guess the next thing that happened was I started doing some research on all of the hundreds or maybe thousands of models of kit aircraft out there. It is truly unbelievable how many choices you have...and that's just the model, let alone the options you have when configuring your personal aircraft (instrumentation, panel layout, avionics, powerplant options, propeller, ignition, upholstery, aesthetics, etc.). Wow, this is too cool.
I think something stuck with me about that beautiful purple Kitfox I saw in that guy's hangar that day, and I kind of got hooked on the idea of the Kitfox. I tried to figure out what my sort of "mission objectives" were, and it was tough to narrow it down. I think at the time what really appealed to me was the notion that I could build something that would be a terrific short field airplane...something that could haul me and a passenger with camping/fishing gear and get in and out of tight spots. Not that I have had too many opportunities like that, but the romance of outback land-anywhere kind of stuff was what I thought I really wanted. The Kitfox is great for that kind of thing, and it's really, really easy to build.
Yeah, yeah, they're really slow. If you know Kitfoxes, you know that they're not exactly speed demons. You'd be lucky to keep up with a Skyhawk on a good day (some Kitfox drivers out there might get pissed...I apologize!). Could I give up the Mooney's 160-knot performance and adapt to going slowly again? I thought so. The desire to build and do all the maintenance myself, plus the flexibility and ruggedness of the Kitfox were big enough overriding factors for me at the time.
Wait...I built an RV-7...what happened? Ok, I'm getting there.
At this point I was Kitfox-crazy. All I seemed to do was browse Kitfox builders' web sites. I was impressed with the online presence and the extensive availability of information accessible on the web. That was really important to me. I didn't want this to be a purely "plans" experience. Nor am I one of those guys who needs to build something totally unique...I'd rather build along with many, many others who have gone with and before me to prove the concept as safe and reliable. I mean, this is my first homebuilt after all!
I made the deadly decision to get in touch with SkyStar's (Kitfox mfr.) sales department. I spoke with Joe Brewer. He was very cool to me and put up with all my newbie questions. Not only that, but Joe invited me to a Kitfox fly-in happening just a few weeks later and in California to boot. I jumped at the opportunity to take an up-close look at lots of Kitfoxes. I had seen a few at Flabob here and there, and that was cool, but to see a dozen or more and to be able to poke my head in and really talk to the builders...very cool.
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So I flew up to Cameron Park (an airpark where I could definitely see myself living someday...) for the 2001 Kitfox Fly-In. Wow. There were tons of 'em there. Builders and fliers and then some. Great bunch of people. After I got home, I finished up my research and decided that a Kitfox Series 6 was the plane for me. I was almost ready to pull the trigger, but I figured I should sell the Mooney first.
So what went "wrong"? Why the switch to an RV-7? I'm getting there...
In typical "Dan" fashion, I gave myself too much time to think about it all. I should have just thrown down a deposit then and there, but really in hindsight I'm glad I didn't. I continued doing research and deliberating over the choices more and more. Composites? Not for me. Let's see...there was the Zenith...nah, those things are BUTT UGLY! There's the Van's RV series. Nah, that's only for aerobatics, it's probably hard to build, and it must be expensive. Wait, it cruises HOW FAST?!?! Must not be a very good short field aircraft. WHAT?!?! Probably has no useful load. Wait, it can haul HOW MUCH?! No way. Must be expensive. HUH!? How can they charge so little for so much plane?! Oh, man, that was the slippery slope. All the figures were pointing toward the RV. Speed, agility, climb, comfort, and yes, even price. But in the end it came down to these things...
Starting to change my mind again...must...make...a...decision...
I don't exactly remember how, but I got hooked up with the SoCal RV email list group. I sent a message or something mentioning that I was a prospective RV builder. I got a response from a guy named Bob Owens, who said that his son Laird built an RV-6 and that he'd exchange a ride in the RV-6 if I'd give Laird a ride in my Mooney. Um, yeah! I flew up to Whiteman and Bob gave me a great demo ride. The plane flies beautifully. I've never felt anything so harmonious. Yeah, that term is overused when describing RVs' control feel, but man is it an accurate way of putting it. That ride was awesome.
Done deal. But wait...which model? Of course I wanted one of the most recent models (RV-7, RV-8, RV-9), which had CNC match-drilled components and lots of design enhancements, more room, more power, more speed, etc. Definitely not the RV-9...it's cool for what it is, but I don't want a trainer (sorry, RV-9 builders...). But should I go with the RV-8 or the new RV-7? RV-8 of course. It's the fastest in the fleet! For sure. Definitely. Right? Nope.
Jen (my fiancee at that point) just wouldn't go for it. The RV-8 has tandem seating. She's a timid flier to begin with, and she was terrified by the idea of sitting in that narrow back seat, staring at the back of my head for hours on end. I showed her lots of pictures from various angles and tried to convince her. No way, Jose. DAMN! Well, looks like the RV-7 (side-by-side) then, huh? If it wasn't for me being so damned conscientious (she is my wife now, after all), I'd be building an RV-8 (although now I'm VERY glad I didn't). But the RV-7 has all the design enhancements of the RV-8 and more, and it can also take the fat 200hp IO-360. Done deal! Actually, panel space in the tandem RV-8 is somewhat limited by comparison, and equipping one for IFR would actually be a challenge. So the RV-7 is probably the best choice for me for many reasons (as of winter 2004 I'm fully convinced!).
But wait...this is a metal aircraft. With those rivet things. No, I wasn't that clueless to start off, but I had never shot, bucked, or squeezed solid rivets. What was bucking anyway? AN470-what? AN426-huh? What's Mil-spec? I had pop riveted lots of old rusty VW bug parts together, so I knew generally what I was doing with metal, but I honestly didn't even fully understand why you needed a rivet gun. Yeah, I guess I was that clueless (if you are, too, check out my rivets & riveting page). Plus, I had zero exposure to aircraft construction standards. So the best thing I ever did was to sign up for the EAA's SportAir "RV Assembly" workshop. Unbelievable experience. Long story short, I spent a weekend up in Corona building an actual RV airfoil sub-section. Tom Emery was the instructor, and he was awesome. To say that the workshop gave me the confidence and skills necessary to build this thing would be true, but a bit of an overstatement. I think a more accurate way of putting it is that the workshop gave me enough confidence in my ability to pick up the necessary skills while building. For a first-time builder, this isn't the type of thing where you learn everything up-front. I learn something new every day. Really. It has been such an enriching process.
Ok, well I guess I'm coming to the end of this long-winded story. I think fate played a large part in it, but going completely logically, the RV-7 is absolutely the best plane for me right now, hands down. It promises to have the performance I want, the flight characteristics I desire, blah, blah. And during the past year or so of building, I've discovered that:
Ok, so there you have it. I'm building a Van's RV-7 (tailwheel, tip-up canopy, 200hp IO-360) and have not had second thoughts about the decision ever since. Although...the Harmon Rocket is so freakin' fast! Don't even make me go there...
Update: November 13, 2004
About two or more years after writing this, I still agree with all of my points...especially the stuff about the RV builder community being a vital ingredient in the successful completion of the project. And after putting hundreds of hours on this plane, my assumptions about how happy I would be with it fell far short of reality -- this plane is such a BLAST to fly! And yes, the Harmon Rocket II or F-1 Rocket still lurks out there and tempts me as a great 2nd project. If only I had all the time and money in the world...