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Happiness is...

Jesse

Well Known Member
Now I realize some people reading this know what I truly believe is the source and cause of happiness. That hasn't changed. The title would more appropriately read "Happiness in aviation is...", but that isn't as catchy.

Happiness in aviation is walking out to the car after work and saying, "I think I'll take the -6A up for a spin." 25 minutes later I'm again walking out to the car with the biggest RV Grin. 0.3 hrs on the Hobbs, 1.8 gallons of $3.12 100LL, 2 aileron rolls and a majestic setting sun. Does aviation get any better than that?!

What is your "happiness in aviation is..." moment like?
 
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Right now----hearing or reading that a client has had his first flight. Knowing we had a very small part of the success of the project is very rewarding.

BUT----one day happiness will be having the priveledge of getting in my own plane and experiencing the RV Grin, and breaking the bonds of earth.
Tom
 
Having an airplane in the living room! and the never ending ( you have an AIRPLANE in your LIVINGROOM? ) for the moment anyway......
 
Happiness

Having an airplane in the living room! and the never ending ( you have an AIRPLANE in your LIVINGROOM? ) for the moment anyway......

I agree. Lucy is in the factory and it's so cool to step through the door and see an airplane in production. I always say "Hi Lucy!"
It's also cool when we see friends or neighbors and they introduce us and say, "He's building an airplane in his garage."
Someday I'm sure flying will be the Happiness but for now, building is pretty sweet.
 
... on the way home from work realized that the fridge is empty. Stopped by the airport it's on the way. 10 min flight to an airpark with a supermarket across the street usually no lines. 13 minutes later full of groceries airborne again. The sun is setting 40 minutes logged.Very excited I found my brand of beer as well. Now reading Jesse's thread couldn't be happier :D
 
Getting a call from a friend who is having an issue putting the pins in his flap hinges. He is so close to being done with this one...
I go to the airport, he is at work. In less than an hour I call him.
"Pins are in the flaps. Safety wires are ready to install, holes drilled."

How'd you do that,,, he ask there was no way, I tried all night..

Practice.........


Smilin' Jack
 
Along the way to your Happiness, Jesse, holding a signed pink slip will be mine. Then it will advance.
 
Happiness

Relaxing in the FBO lounge at the airport of your first cross-country, and looking out at YOUR airplane on the ramp......... Priceless:D
 
Aviation happiness is:

Flying home after getting my instrument ticket. Followed very closely by flying my bird to OSH for the first time....41 years after attending as a kid.
 
Relaxing in the FBO lounge at the airport of your first cross-country, and looking out at YOUR airplane on the ramp......... Priceless:D

Aside from that great feeling my happiness moment is knowing when I walk out my door, my hangar is 40' from my house.
 
Happiness in aviation..

..for me, is seeing that spark in someone else's eyes, when they realize that something they previously thought was impossible, is possible. ?ven if they don't go learn to build or fly an airplane... It's an instant, momentary change their outlook, filling them once again with the magic of childhood dreams and hope.
 
Happiness is. . . .

the sound of my IO-360 starting. Only means one thing. . . I will be airborn in 5 minutes.
 
My enjoyment

Wake up for work on a weekday, check schedule......need to be on a job 150 miles south of here.

Walk all of about 300 ft to the hangar, normal preflight and weather briefing shows weather 600-2 at destination forecasted to improve. File the plan. Call ATC and wait for what seems like forever to get a clearance out of my back yard.

With the clearance launch into the soup around 1200 ft and break out into a beautiful view on top Riding the bus. Played with a pair of sunglasses to see the filtering effects of the prop arc in a video.

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Broke out at destination with runway in view. Work for the day, load back up and fly home by 5pm local.

While taxiing up to the hangar a press of the up button on the remote starts the hydronic pump and the door raises to the up position for taxi-coasting into parking.
 
There are different types of aviation happiness for me--the kind that affects others and the kind that benefits me.

The first time my five-year-old nephew saw my plane he was having a bad day and acting up. He wasn't the best of kids on the ride over. But the look on his face when the hangar door went up and he was standing right in front of a real plane that he was about to ride in was priceless.

The other kind of happiness for me is converting what would be a routine 5 hour one way drive to one of our plants into a 1.5 hour flight. As someone else here has said, flying saves time and money and compresses the boring trips into enjoyable jaunts. Having that extra 3 hours available is a major benefit.
 
There are different types of aviation happiness for me--the kind that affects others and the kind that benefits me.

I have to go along with this one too. There is nothing like seeing the face of a customer who is about to take their new-to-them plane (or their plane with a new panel) flying for the first time. Priceless!
 
Coming home after two weeks of work at my rig. Grab a cup of coffee and walk out to the hanger. When I open the door I see it there, just like I left it...

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I sit and have my coffee. I get up and do a preflight, pull it out, get in, and it fires on the second blade. I taxi down to the strip, run up and as soon as I break ground I'm truly free of all the **** I've been dealing with for the last 14 days! :p
 
Happy?

So grateful to have aviation as a way of life. Very happy.

One thing stands out though.

I am in a position to introduce newbies to our hobby. Often they find me and come in my shop and have questions, or just want to sit in a RV. Showing, sharing our hobby is the most rewarding thing I do.
I never tire of new people coming in, often bringing a wife, her seeing RVs up close and personal. So blessed
 
Happiness in aviation is...

Taking my little girl flying to breakfast on Satuday morning. She doesn't very often get me all to herself.

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Since my -8 isn't finished, I can't yet talk about happiness in a RV, but in my Bonanza, it was an amazing feeling to cruise the southwest and see the setting sun's rays on the walls of the Grand Canyon and just think about the privilege of seeing God's work from that vantage point.
 
Happiness in aviation is ...

having the opportunity to do things like ....

Taking the controls from your student, who just realized ATC is talking to a certain flight demonstration team, in order to roll inverted so that you can look down through a rainbow at the Blue Angels conducting a seven ship overhead into their home field of NAS Pensacola.

From the rear tandem cockpit, I could see my student's beaming smile through the back of her helmet - that is how ecstatic she was.
 
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Happiness in Aviation is..........

1/ Having the best possible base of friends in the world.

2/ Having the best possible retirement job in the world.
Being able to issue Airworthiness Certificates and get new aircraft in the
air on a regular basis.
 
Flying my -9 for almost 10 years has provided me with many really happy moments and memories. The happiest moments are always when I land at my home base airport after a long cross country. It is a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction which never gets old!
Great thread!
 
Much as I love flying, I think I get the most satisfaction out of designing and making things.

 
Much as I love flying, I think I get the most satisfaction out of designing and making things.


..and sharing them with others. Thanks for all the hard work you do to provide the VAF community with advice, even though, sometimes, it's not well appreciated.
 
Happiness is

taxiing out of the arresting gear after your last night trap in the USN.
No wait. It's setting the parking brake after your last flight at a major
US airline. Nope, it is sitting around a table with your formation buddies
debriefing the most recent flight while consuming adult beverages.
It just doesn't get any better than that.
 
Taking my other little girl flying to breakfast. She has been asking, "Papa, how much days until I get to go flying to breakfast with you?" Several times a day for the last week.



 
Happiness in aviation is...

Taking them all up one at a time. Jacob flew it for the first time today. He helped me rebuild it.

 
Wow, Jesse; what a great bunch of kids you have! You are a lucky man (but you know that already) and your kids are lucky to have a dad that shares his love of aviation with them. Warms the heart, it does.
 
Jesse I don't see the piano player flying with you :)

It's not their turn yet. I have one more to go before I start at the top of the order again (the 1-year-old won't be going flying with me for a while yet). The little one this morning got excited every time I did a decent bank because that's the only time she could see the ground except on the Dynon Skyview synthetic vision.

Btw, Vlad, the piano players have greatly improved since you were here. We want another visit from "the crazy Russian!"
 
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