RV Builder Profiles

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This section profiles people currently building.....a sort of 'RV of the Week' for those still pounding away at rivets. If you'd like to be profiled, use the stuff below as a template and send (1) picture (or a URL to a picture) of your project (preferably with you in it) and your particulars to me. Hopefully, if you're still thinking about building, what you'll get out of this page is that these exceptional planes are built by ordinary people with ordinary careers in ordinary places. dgr

Profile #86: Fred Shiple
Name: Fred Shiple
Location: Toledo OH
Occupation: semi-retired orthopedic surgeon
Age: 62
Aircraft: RV7

Started flying later in life (15 years ago). After 10 years in a Cardinal RG, I began looking around for a project. The kids were out of school and I finally had some spare time of my own. I'd grown up doing the car thing and continued the interest as an adult, always figuring that I'd eventually build a hot rod when I got the time. Five years ago a kit plane made much more sense than the rod, so I built a Kitfox on amphib floats and have had a ton of fun flying it for the past 3 years.

The bug bit again, so in December 06 I took a building course with Tom Emery (WPA RV Builders) -a great guy to work with- and finished the wings and airframe in Toledo thru last September. Have been working with Tom for the past 3 months in PA finishing the more complex systems in the project. I'm now retired from the operating room and have a couple of days a week to spend at Rostraver plus a week a month. A Lyc IO390 was installed in late October and we've recently added the RV200 prop. I'm expecting the delivery of a Steinair panel with Garmin stack shortly. Should be in the air by mid year.

E-mail:fredshiple'at'sbcglobal.net

Profile #85: David Nellis
Name: David Nellis
Location: Sterling Heights, Michigan
Occupation: Electrician/Machinist
Age: 49
Email: davidnellis691 'at' comcast.net
Ratings: VFR, SEL with endorsements for Complex and High Performance 300+ hours
Aircraft: RV-7A Slider

I had always dreamed of flying when I was young. My grandfather worked for an auto dealership that also was a Bellanca dealership. I flew with my grandfather and two pilots to the Bellanca factory to pick up an aircraft to be flown back to Michigan. It was a beautiful spring day. We were given a tour of the Bellanca factory and I was given a memento that I still have to this day, a Hamilton Standard turbocharger. It has a bad seal and was not worth the cost to repair. On the way home, I was given the right seat, an honor for an eleven year old boy. I flew the aircraft shortly after wheels up all the way back to Detroit. I was hooked.

The rigors of life took its toll and it wasn't until 1998 that I started my flight training. In September of 1999, I received my PPL and shortly there after joined a flying club. I became a plane captain for one of the aircraft. I assisted the A&P with the maintenance and repair of the aircraft. I did most of the work on an engine change to my charge and spent more time at the airport than at home. I became a member of the board of directors in charge of membership.

In 2005, the recession caught up with me and I was laid of from my electrician job and have not worked as such since. I now work as a dealer for the MGM Casino in Detroit. It pays the bills, but nothing more. I have since resigned from the flying club due to financial problems.

Two day before being laid off, I received the tail kit for my RV-7A. I now had all the time in the world to build the plane I could no longer afford. But that did not stop me. I began building and found the process rewarding and educational. The tail kit is complete other than the fiberglass and I have been slowly working on that.

I am also a machinist. I have a lathe and a mill in my workshop in the basement. I had a small business doing work for a life long friend of mine. He has closed his doors due to lack of business and hence I am out of business.

I offer my abilities as a machinist to the homebuilt community. I can work with you on solving parts problems. No job is too small. In the past, I have made a variety of parts, mostly for a friend for his Stewart S-51 Mustang. I have made various mounting brackets for engine components and the brake disk mounting. My major job was manufacturing from scratch the hydraulic cylinders for the landing gear retraction system. They have not leaked a drop of fluid since being installed excepting for a loose fitting. I have made an angle of attack probe and was just told it works perfectly.

If you need anything machined for your aircraft, let me know and I will work with you on creating a solution.

Profile #83: Frederic Magare
Builder Profile: Frederic Magare
Name: Frederic Magare (pronounced like "muh-gary")
Location: Kyle, TX (just south of Austin)
Occupation: High School Teacher (Junior ROTC)
Age: 38
Email: magaref "at" hayscisd.net
Ratings: PP ASEL
Aircraft: RV-9A

I have recently retired from the Marine Corps after 20 years as an enlisted infantryman. I now work as a Marine Corps JROTC instructor helping teens develop their discipline and leadership skills.

I originally began building an RV-6A in 1998 while stationed in Twentynine Palms, CA. A duty station change dictated the project be shelved for eight years. (Although I still considered myself an "active" builder by researching and procuring items for my aircraft.) Now that I've returned to the calling I've decided to complete the RV-9A. (As a low time pilot I feel it's more suited to my abilities and mission profile.) After a small hiatus during the summer to build a storage shed, "Magare Aircraft Technologies" is set to focus all workers (me) and capital toward the completion of the greatest personal aircraft the world has ever seen! (I'll try to keep you up to date.)

One final thought: I'm continually delighted at the character of the people I've met through aviation! I'd like to say, "Thanks", to all for accepting me into this family. I enjoy it immensely.

Profile #82: Rob Reece
Name: Rob Reece
Location: Irving, TX
Occupation: Something with computers
Age: withheld
Family: Wife Shannon
Email: mashy 'at' vansairforce.net
Ratings: none yet
Aircraft: RV-8
...shown here with the COOLEST workbench ever (and a VAF cap sighting).

"It was ’76 when I started junior high. New school, new friends, my voice hitting 5 different octaves while saying ‘here’ at the beginning of class, and a new way to walk home. It was on this new way home that I discovered Sherwood Lanes, the bowling alley in San Angelo Texas. My M-F after school ritual had begun. Some days it was bowling and pool, other days it was foosball and pinball, but it was always something everyday. A little later it was a dating hangout along with the skating rink and movie theater, there’s no telling how many dates I took to Sherwood Lanes.

Fast forward 30 years...my phone rings. My dad (Bob Reece, lifelong pilot and current Director of Judging for AirVenture) asks if it was OK if he could come up the following weekend to help build my workbench. Does the Pope wear a pointed hat? Yes, get on up here! You see, I’ve recently received my tail kit for an RV-8, and we’re both so excited we don’t know what to do with ourselves. So he shows up with an 8’ section of a bowling lane for the bench top............from Sherwood Lanes! The place had been closed for years, but now they started selling pieces and parts so he went down and bought a couple 8’ sections, one for each of us. Wow, this is greatness, building my RV-8 on something that molded my youth. Yet another reason why aviation is good for us all."

Profile #81: Chad Jensen
Name: Chad Jensen
Location: Normal, IL
Occupation: Pilot/Aircraft Sales
Age: 28
Family: Brittne (wife), Wiley (Golden Retriever-our kid. He's 3)
Email: cjensen@imageair.com
Ratings: Comm, Inst, Multi, Ground Instructor
Aircraft: RV-7

I'm a normal guy living in a normal town called Normal, IL. I've had a love of airplanes since I was a kid. My dad used to take me to the airport in Stuart, FL to watch the airplanes (F-14's, Gulfstreams, and A-6's, amongst others) takeoff and land at the Grumman plant that used to be there. One of my first memories (aviation or not) is my first ride in an airplane when I was about 4 years old. It was a Piper Seneca, and ever since then, I knew I would be a pilot someday. I've had my schooling, got the degree, and now I'm married and work at the FBO in town. I've owned a couple of Cherokees in the past with partners, and sold my last share to start on my dream project, the RV-7. I never thought I'd really ever do this, but I listened to those around me that are a couple of generations ahead of me. If you don't just start it, you never will...So, here I am. I started the Empennage last summer (2005), and I'm currently working my way through the wings and fuel tanks. I'm planning a taildragger, tip up canopy, and an engine...of some sort.

Here's a pic of me-
http://www.chadandbrittne.com/images/Wings/4-11-06-008w.jpg

And the current status-
http://www.chadandbrittne.com/images/Wings2/5-7-06-008w.jpg
http://www.chadandbrittne.com/images/Wings2/5-8-06-003w.jpg

Chad Jensen
Image Air

Profile #80: Thomas Henderson

Attached are photos of my project at it's current state of progress. I have been mentored by Fossil (Mike Ballard, builder profile #79), and we are building sister airplanes. Engine, prop and avionics are pretty much identical, and paint schemes will probably be somewhat similar as well. As in Fossil's profile, we took delivery last March, and picked up our kits as a two ship on the same day. Fossil is about a week or so ahead of me, but that's just him being a good lead. (Besides, it's hard keeping up with these retired guys when you have a day job!)

Hope to fly in a month or two. In the meantime, I just have to figure out how to get it out of the garage!

Tom Henderson
'Hollywood'
hollywd 'at' bellsouth.net

Profile #79
Name: Mike Ballard
Location: Lanett, Alabama (7A3)
Age: 63
Aircraft: RV-8 (#2)
Website: http://www.knology.net/~mballard/

Attached photo shows my grandkids Hayden and Jack with the project in the garage for wing fitting. I began this project March 14, 05 and hope to be flying again soon since I sold RV8 number one about 9 months ago and I have certainly missed the RV flying.

First RV8 QB took about 2.5 years and hopefully this one will be complete in about a year of work. Of course it does help to be retired and able to spend more time building but second time around IS much easier.

This one will have GRT glass cockpit and Mattituck built IO-360 and Hartzell blended airfoil prop.

Profile #78
Name: Steve Massari
Location: Bridgewater, New Jersey
Age: 45
Aircraft: RV9A

I have dreamed of building an airplane since I read that article in Popular Mechanics about the VW powered homebuilt many years ago. I decided a year and a half ago that it was time to get started on my own homebuilt project. Everything I read pointed me toward Van's Aircraft. So, after much deliberation, I placed the empennage kit order. At this point the empennage and slow-build wings are complete. The quick-build fuselage is under way in my garage. I am not in a hurry to complete the project, as I treat it like a hobby. I would estimate time to completion as three more years. I have access to a Skylane to fly in the meantime.

Why the 9A? Well, like many people, I struggled with that decision. I have had my share of tandem airplanes and aerobatics, courtesy of U.S. Navy flight training, T-28 - T2 - A4. My interest in flying now lies in straight and level cross-country. I love those one hundred dollar hamburgers.

I am planning on a new Lycoming 0-320 from Van's and a Hartzell constant speed prop. The instrument panel will be steam gauge technology. A Garmin GNS430 will handle the navigation and communication.

I am married to a wonderful girl who loves to go flying. (What more could you ask for?) I have three children, Chris - 15, Dan - 13 and Megan - 9. My family shares my interest in flying and is very supportive of my RV project.

For a living I own and operate an ACE Hardware Store. It does come in handy sometimes.

What a great hobby !

Steve Massari - [S.MASSARI 'at' VERIZON.NET]

Profile #77
Name:     Paul Dye
Location: Nassau Bay, TX (Southeast of Houston on Clear Lake)
Age:      46
Aircraft: RV-8
Email:    pdye 'at' houston.rr.com

My mother says that the first word I ever said was "airplane", despite the fact that there were no aviators in my lineage. I became a hangar rat at age 13, helping an FBO restore some surplus L-4's he had - learned to fly in them (and anything else he had on the line), soloed at 16, licensed at 17 while I was still in High School. When I got to the University of Minnesota, I could never understand why all the rest of the Aeronautical Engineering students weren't wearing scarves and goggles as well - I guess it surprised me that people would want to design airplanes without wanting to fly them! My goal was to get my degree and go to work for Bellanca up the highway making Vikings. It became apparent to me that the realities of the general aviation business world dictated that I have a more "secure" plan, and when an opportunity arose to become a Cooperative Education student with NASA at the Johnson Space Center, I decide to give it a try. They put me in Operations, and I realized that flying 'em was more fun then just designing!

Soon after graduating and taking a permanent position with NASA as a Shuttle Flight Controller, I bought my first airplane - a beat up but airworthy AA1B. I've tinkered with it more than a little, putting in a 160 HP engine, long range tanks, and a bunch of stuff - but always knew that I wouldn't be satisfied maintaining and modifying - sooner or later, I'd build! The RV's had always looked great, but I didn't look forward to building an all-metal airplane from scratch - and then the QB option presented itself at the same time I had some spare time. The RV-8 looks suspiciously like the numerous starts I have made at a fresh design for the ideal airplane over the years - and this one I could have flying much more quickly!

N188PD is growing up in my garage, and will move to my hangar at Pearland Regional when it's time to hang the wings. It's a full glass cockpit (what can I say - I'm a rocket engineer!), and as a Shuttle Flight Director (call sign "Iron Flight"), I am a slave to redundancy. Three busses, two alternators - it should get me home. I'm enjoying every minute of the building, but looking forward to having one really capable aircraft for travel and fun. I have a lot of talented test pilots lining up for rides - and they'll all keep me honest as we build and test! Now that we are getting ready to fly Shuttles again, my building pace may slow down, but it WILL get done.

Paul F. Dye
Lead Flight Director
Space Shuttle Operations - NASA/JSC

Profile #76
Tony Partain
Here is an update on the project. I made the trek to the factory on February 8th and picked up the Quickbuild fuselage and wings. As you can see, I have been working full time on the plane. This is one of the most rewarding thing's that I've ever done. If you look in the background you will see a couple of Lancair IVP's, both of them are turbine powered. One is a new Garrett Turbine putting out over 800 hp. Can you say fast? They are projecting well over 400 mph cruise. Of course this comes at a price, over 35 gph and about $600,000 for the plane. Back to work!! We want to fly by mid summer.

Tony Partain
Partain Trading Company Inc
2512 NW Ordway Ave
Bend OR 97701
800-774-0828 watts
541-330-0828 local
541-330-0831 fax
541-521-7787 cell
tpartain 'at' bendbroadband.com

Profile #75
      click to enlarge
Name: Jeff & Diana Gross
Location: Houston, TX
Age: 26, 25
Aircraft: RV-8A
Website: http://members.ispwest.com/jgross/flying
Email: n250jg@sbcglobal.net
Our slow build -8A began life while I was still in college back in Colorado and has already traveled a lot even though it’s not completed. The tail was built in a spare bedroom in the trailer house in CO; ailerons and flaps in Midland, TX, during a summer internship; wings in the single car garage of a friend back in Golden, CO; the fuselage in the two car garage in Houston; the panel was assembled in Washington; the engine rebuilt in Burlington, CO, in dad’s shop and hauled back to Houston in the pickup. The whole thing now resides at West Houston Airport (IWS) where we’re doing the final assembly.

I started this project back in January 1999 after seeing how much fun my friends John Stewart (RV6A, N799HS) and Jim Baker (RV6, N699JB) were having building and flying their RVs. After college I took a job with ConocoPhillips (then just Conoco) and the plane and I moved to Houston, TX. This is where I met Diana and, despite the fact that the RV (or “the other woman” as she calls it) moved in the house first, she married me… but please note the last sentence of the paragraph above. ; ) Seriously though, Diana has been a great help and continues to inspire and push me to get it flying.

The kit is standard, has an IO-360-B1E with a 200 hp sump and 10:1 Lycon cylinders, dual mags, vacuum system, and an IFR panel with mostly standard steam gauges, RMI encoder and engine monitor, Garmin GNC 300XL, SL30 Nav/Comm, and PS Engineering audio panel with CD player. We’re finishing up the baffling, cowling, canopy, and endless fiberglass work now with hopes to be in the air in a few months. We’ve been keeping a website to document everything as well so feel free to stop by and look around.

Jeff Gross
N250JG #81185

Profile: #74
Name: Walter Tondu
Age: 41
Location: Torrance, CA
Occupation: IT Director, Skechers USA (The shoe company)
Project: RV7(A)
Email: walter at tondu.com
Website: http://www.rv7-a.com
Serial # 71266, QB Wings, SB everything else. I started my kit in April 2003. I'm building in my garage. As of yesterday elec. wiring is almost completed, engine is hung and plumbed, canopy (tipup) needs a bit of fiberglass work to be considered complete, and I'm currently working on the cowl. Plane has an fuel injected IO360, horizontal sump, LASAR ignition and all-electric EFIS panel. I hope to be moved to the airport in a few months for final assembly and first engine start.
I've really enjoyed building this plane. I try to work on it every day. The best part of building is meeting other builders who have come before me and the others who are on their way. Here's a picture of what I'm talking about, local guys coming out to help me with the engine hanging. What a great bunch of pilots and builders.

#73
Jack R. Holland
email: jackr at dtnspeed.net
Here is my RV-7 and hangar. I have a private RLA in central Illinois. Runway 36-18 3000' with a 600' displaced threshold for 18 due to 'side buildings' and 29-11 2200'. You can find me in www.airnav.com at 1IL9 or McLean, IL. I started my RV-7 Feb. of '03 and hope to fly spring '05.

Profile #72
Garrett Smith
I am Garrett Smith, and I'm a systems administrator (read: computer geek) at API Digital, an ISP in Huntsville, Alabama. I have contemplated airplane construction for the past few years, but not until I met (and got RV rides from) some of the terrific guys in the TVRVBG (http://www.tvrvbg.org) did I settle on an RV. I live in an apartment, so building space . . . . well, fortunately, my parents (and their garage) are located about 20 minutes away. Neither of my parents are pilots, so talking them out of the garage for a year or so would have been a challenge if not for RV rides with Sam Buchanan and Bob Butler. Getting both my parents rides in these airplanes increased their enthusiasm about this project by a pretty large margin - we went from "Well, I dunno" to "When can we start?" In fact, this whole thing has more or less turned into a big family project - Dad has been helping me with the construction, and Mom has been helping to inventory and organize parts. I can't say enough about great family support - thanks guys!

The plane: we're going with a RV-7A, and because I told mom that she would only have to park outside for a year, we're going with a Quickbuild kit. My dad and I built the empennage this past May at the Alexander Technical Center in Griffin, GA, and the rest of the quickbuild kit showed up in the middle of August.

We're having a blast so far. We've got a website to document the progress, too, and we're talking about putting a webcam in the shop.
Good times.

Garrett Smith
www.golfsierra.org

Profile #71
MARK CASTLE-SMITH
   I have attached a few photos of our RV 7 that we are building in England for which we recently won the Best Part Built Homebuilt at the PFA (our equivilent of your EAA). The builders are shown in one of the pictures and are from left to right: Mark Castle-Smith, Annabelle Burroughs and Barry West.
   This is our first kit and I must admit that I was slightly concerned whether or not to 'expose' our workmanship at the rally, as we really had no idea whether or not our standards bore scrutiny! We were very touched to receive so many congratulations at the rally.
   A few notes to accompany the pictures. The engine is a rebuilt Lycoming IO-360 A1B6 200hp fitted with inverted systems and the excellent Aerosance FADEC system. We have had the engine running on a test bed and the smoothness of power delivery was outstanding, the engine ran at a smooth idle down to 500rpm, gave us about another 8hp on stock and 8-10% better economy. We can't wait to fly behind it. All the excellent firewall forward build has largely been down to Barry.
   In the cockpit we have fitted a centre console to primarily house the Garmin 530. In place of the standard throttle we have fitted twin side mounted throttles - we all like to fly right handed with a 'proper' quadrant! She is fitted with the standard flight instruments, but if we were starting again, we would almost certainly fit a glass cockpit. If you add up all the instrument costs that something like the Blue Mountain system would replace, there is not a huge difference, especially if you include the 2 axis autopilot. We have gone for a fairly comprehensive fit as we all want to travel widely in her.
   We hope to be flying sometime in the new year. Good luck to everyone else curenttly building.
Hope this is of some interest.
Regards
Mark Castle-Smith
FMI: http://www.rvuk.flyer.co.uk/

#70: Bruce Gray
My name is Bruce Gray and I am a Quality Checks Manager for return to service components in the H.P.T. section of turbine motors. I have had a dream of building or owning an airplane since I could remember. My father and I took ground school together while I was attending High School some year's back. Long story short I never took a flight lesson after receiving the completion certificate from ground school. I did a 6 year hitch in the U.S. Army and again didn't fly opposite of my intentions to fly helicopters.
My father sent me a borrowed package with brochures and video of a cool kit plane 6 months prior to me leaving the military. The day I received that package change my life. I was hooked the moment I saw the front cover, this was March of 94'. The RV4 was the plane for me. I called my dad and told him what WE(I) were going to build. I left the military, found work and began to plot and plan for the first stages of my endeavor. Another long story short I found a 4 emp. someone abandon. Two months later Van's came out with the RV8. Oh man', sold again. The 4 emp. kit was sold for a couch for my wife and I ordered a RV8 emp. kit. I am currently on the wings to my 8 now and no, it didn't take me 8 years to build my tail feathers. The empennage kit was on my door step in March 2001 and only took 5 month of a little here a little there. Sold the house built a new one with bigger garage (a must) and ordered the wings. I received the kit June 25, 2004. It has been less than a month and I have the left wing in rough structure.
BRUCE GRAY [brucerv84us at hotmail.com]

"I had to catch the wife as she came home from work last night at 10pm (to get this pic).
It was no problem due to me rat'in around in the garage anyway."

#67

Miki Raviv of Israel - email: gmraviv 'at' 012.net.il
   I'm Mike Raviv, 60, retired Mechanical Engineer, spent my cariere in aerospace related projects. EAA member for 22 years, started with two other aviation enthusiasts the Israel EAA Chapter (#1346) which is now 40 members strong.
   Retired two years ago, started to build our RV-7A s/n 70434 shortly after. My wife Galy, real-time software specialist and my son Yochay, medical student are my partners at work on the project and are supplying two thirds of the enthusiasm.
   For a place to build we rented an ex-grocery store close enough to home, and made it into a miniature Aircraft Factory. I spend there a full-time-job type of schedule and my visitors there are treated to the best coffee, the best background music and the best aircraft being built right before their eyes.
   After a slow start, work is picking up and we intend to the 4X-ORV (res) fly in two years from now.

Profile #66

Name: Matthew & Sandi Brandes
Location: Stilwell, KS
Occupation: IT Manager, Office Manager
Age: 33, 35
Aircraft: RV-9Axr
Website: www.n523rv.com
Email: matthew at n523rv.com
   I started my RV-9A in July of 2002 about 10 months after I started working on my PPL. I've always enjoyed flying and have always wanted to be a pilot. After starting my PPL, I started looking at planes to buy only to discover that they were old, somewhat expensive and really didn't go very fast. I don't actually recall how I ended up looking at kit-builts but after months of research I decided on the Van's RV-9A.
   Initially my wife Sandi wasn't thrilled with the idea of building our own airplane but it didn't take long to convince her and now she is a huge supporter of the project. As of October 2003, I'm working on my wings and have the fuselage on order. Our target completion date is Summer 2005... about a 3-year build time. My only planned deviation is the construction of extended range fuel tanks to bring total capacity to 54 gallons. I have totally immersed myself in the RV home-built club.
   I look forward to the day that Sandi and I can travel the world visiting and supporting other RV builders!
Matthew Brandes
RV-9A (Wings-Fuel Tanks)
#90569
www.n523rv.com

Profile #65

Name: Graham Lowe
Age: 39
Location: Wee Waa, New South Wales, Australia
Family: Kerry (wife), twin girls Hayley & Hannah (10 mths)
Occupation: Agricultural Pilot (Chief Pilot - Cropjet Aviation)
Ratings: Ag, Ag night, MECIR
Project: RV6
Email: graylowe at northnet.com.au
   I first got interested in RV's when a guy flew into our work strip one day in an RV4 looking for a job flying with our company. He didn't get a job but he sure did get a lot of questions about his RV!! I managed to con a fly of his bird and have been hooked on RV's ever since. We were so taken with it that the company actually bought that very aircraft shortly after, but that's another story.
   I ordered my own kit within two weeks, but that was 10 years ago!! In that period there has been a lot of on and off building between getting married and the birth of our twin daughters, but I am finally in the finishing stages and am ready to move it to the local paint shop. One of the most time consuming jobs on the aircraft was the fitting of an 0320H2AD engine which required totally different baffles, alternator brackets, modified engine mount, modified top engine cowling etc. The only other modification from standard was the fitting of a metal windscreen fairing which I think looks great!
   The project should be ready for final assembly and first test flight in a couple of months, hallelujah !!
   The picture is of me peering at the engine instruments during the first test run in our back yard, which sure did bring the neighbours running!!

#64

Name: Ron Calhoun
Age: 60
Location: Palestine, Texas
Occupation: Retired Personnel Manager
Aircraft: RV4
Email: roncal_at_earthlink.net
Serial Number 996 and 18 years later, my little project is almost ready to fly. I promised myself I would never make it a job building this kit and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Along the way, I raised a family, completed a career, met lots of nice people with the same passion, and seen lots of beautiful airplanes. I have flown to Oskosh and Sun N Fun in my friends RV’s and built an airstrip next to my house. Yes, things are working out pretty good. Now watch your six, as 996NC is nearing first flight.
Lycoming O320 E2D
Sensenich Prop
Angle of Attack
Garmin GPS Pilot
Fuel Chek

Profile #63

sent to me by Vern Darley
Dave Hamilton (top pic at right) Peachtree City, Georgia RV-8 builder of RV-8 kit number one is welcomed to the Falcon RV Squadron Hanger by RV-6 builder Ed Martin (left). Dave has equipped his RV with a Garmin 430 stack and a three axis autopilot. He has a three blade custom prop, round cowl inlets, and a plenum cowl, in addition to the custom gear legs. Dave's RV-8 joins the Squadron's RV-4, RV-6, RV-6A, RV-7A, an RV-8 with Subie, and an RV-8 with FADEC.

Profile #62
Name: Tom Reed
Location: Carthage, MO
Occupation: VP, Control Vision ("The AnywhereMap Guys")
Age: 44
Family: Regina (wife), Jason (son - budding airline pilot), Kaycee (daughter)
Email: N91TR@hotmail.com
Ratings: Comm, Inst, CFI
Aircraft: RV9A

This is SUCH a great project. I built a Glasair Super II rudder and a Mustang II flap for trials. The RV goes together so well and really straight. When I finished my horizontal stab and sighted along the trailing edge, it was perfect. This gives me the confidence to know I'm going to build a pretty straight airplane. It definitely takes time and I'm not setting any records. I started the project 2 1/2 years ago and am still working on the wings (emp pieces are done). Fuse kit was delivered last month (it's paid for - might as well ship it) and it'll be a while before the 'canoe' begins to take shape.

None-the-less, I work on it when the home projects and trade shows and other priorities don't intervene. It will get done when it gets done. Until then, there's a little aviation therepy in the garage whenever I get out there. And sometimes I just use that place to read the latest magazine or whatever. And yes, I believe there'll be an AnywhereMap with NEXRAD radar on board. Planning a Digitrak autopilot and IFR panel. Engine? Who knows. Gonna watch the Subaru closely and maybe the little turboprop. You gotta love experimental aircraft - we definitely blaze some trails.

Profile #61

Name: Kurt Klewin
Age: 33
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Occupation: Captain, Continental Express Airlines
Major, US Air Force Reserves (E-3 AWACS)
Family: Wife: Carol, Son: Markus (20 months, Future RV builder)
Email: kklewin@yahoo.com
I grew up in Bozeman, Montana working at the airport for most of my younger years as an contract fueler for two different FBO's and throwing bags for Continental Airlines while going to school at Montana State. Saw the RV's come and go once in a while and there was an RV-4 based at the field for several years. I knew I wanted one of these someday. I finished school, entered the Air Force in 1991, and spent all my extra money on finishing my ratings. My flying in the AWACS was all in the back-end as a weapons controller so it didn't do much for my commercial flying aspirations. I left active duty air force in 1998 with a job in hand flying for Continental Express (EMB-120/EMB-135/145). I loved the job, but still wanted an RV!!! Commuter flying doesn't pay much to start, but with a part time job in the Reserves I ordered an RV6 tail kit in 1999. A year later, and many days working both jobs, the tail kit was done and my reserve buddies helped me unload an RV6A QB fuselage and wings into the garage. It's finally on the gear and just waiting for my Aerosport Engine to arrive!!! Our reserve unit, 970th Airborne Air Control Squadron, has RV-4, RV-6A, RV-9A, and RV-7 builders on the payroll. None are flying yet, but the RV-4 should take to the air this summer. Our unit was called back to active duty on 21 Sept 2001 and have been serving a two year activation since. As good RV builders when we sit alert in our alert facility we drag RV parts, compressors, tools, and in one case a partially complete wing, into the facility to pass the time. Our squadron mates seem to adjust quickly to the riveting. When we deploy overseas I send parts needing finishing to our location, work on them, and ship them back home. Passionate about RVs? Yes. Obsessed? Maybe. I still don't have cable TV, drive my 120K mile 92' Chevy Pickup, and my beer budget is down to Old Mill and PBR, but sacrifices must be made. Hope to be flying by the end of 2003!!

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