Reasons to not build or work on an airplane

[dust]

This thread is to give all those who are contemplating building an airplane a reason to not go ahead with the project and for all of those who are building an airplane a reason to not go into the shop again.

 

THE MOST IMPORTANT

 

It's too hard, i won't be able to do the work.

 

You are right, just because thousands have gone before you, with no special training or skills definatly confirm that you won't be able to build an airplane, you are a moron and are incapable of learning.

 

Mike

[John Slade]

Good idea, Mike. This might strike a few chords and get a few people over the hump.

 

How about:

For getting started at all.....

"I need to save up money" OR

"I need to build a shop" OR

"I need to research the aircraft types some more before I can decide" OR

"I need to learn to fly first"

"I don't have enough time - perhaps later when the kids are grown"

 

And for doing the next task.....

"The next task is too big / complex."

"I don't have enough time to get it done before I have to ...." OR

"I dont fully understand the task. I'd better do some more research" OR

"I'd better get some helpers in" OR

"I'll get an early start on it tomorrow" OR

"I need to understand everything before I can do anything" OR

"It's overwhelming. I don't know where to start" (hint - pick something (anything) and do it).

[dust]

john, i was thinking more on the lines of one problem per post and sarcastic/caustic creative support for it.

 

For the money problem I can easily support it, I have to go to the bar and drink with my buddies every week, that thirty dollars a week is very important and i will never get a raise and be able to afford a plane and i don't want a plane with used instruments and a used engine, it has to be new

 

ALL OF IT

 

has to be new and i don't want a partner in the plane, it has to be mine and no one else's, i have to have a plane 52 weeks a year, 26 isn't good enough because if i had a plane i would go somewhere in that plane every night and every weekend.

 

So there

 

 

Mike

[marbleturtle]

It doesn't matter that you only have a swiss army knife and a hair brush... Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

[Wayne Hicks]

Here are some reasons to NOT build the plane:

 

1. I like paying high rental fees. I enjoy donating my money to someone else's equity.

 

2. I like the fact that I can look forward to rental fee increases at least twice a year.

 

3. I actually enjoy the frustration of scheduling a plane, and I enjoy it when my blood pressure goes through the roof every time someone else inadvertently (or purposely) takes my time slot. I like it even better when the plane unexpectedly goes down for maintenance.

 

4. I love playing Russian Roulette by flying IFR in solid IMC with minimal, substandard, 40-year-old instrumentation.

 

5. I like trying to guess at what is making those strange airframe noises I haven't heard before.

 

6. I like the attention that I get from air traffic controllers: "Radio garbled. Not receiving your transponder."

 

7. I love sitting in the previous pilot's sweaty seat. I absolutely love cleaning up the trash he leaves in the airplane too!

 

8. I love it because the airplane mechanic always tells me, "That? Oh it's nothing to worry about. Trust me!"

 

9. I get great satisfaction of blazing through the sky at 105 kts while burning 11 gallons an hour.

 

Wow, I'm sure I can't thnk of 'em all. There's just so much to be thankful about NOT building a plane. But I wonder why it is that the homebuilding crowd is always so enthusiastic about their creations?

 

:-)

 

.....Wayne Hicks

[marbleturtle]

Don't forget about flying commercially when a rental is down for maintenance... but only after getting to the airport 2 hours early so the security personnel can spend the extra time groping your wife while the ugly foreign guy with the turban and long beard who bought a one way ticket with cash breezes through the "random" security check because no-one wants to be accused of racial profiling. *whew* How fast can I build one of these things?

[ekisbey]

As a Soldier, I've got a lot of really good reasons NOT to build, especially considering the trend in current world events.

 

1.) I decide NOT to order materials for the first few chapters and get started with the first layups, so they don't sit safe and unharmed in my garage and gather dust for a year or so when I suddenly get deployed. A year or so later I'll come back with enough money in the bank to pay for the rest of the airframe outright but find another reason not to get started.

 

2.) I decide to put off ordering materials, waiting for the proverbial poop on the fan. Three years from now I'll still be waiting while everyone else is flying their aircraft.

 

3.) I decide that it's too much hassle to worry about moving the project if I get reassigned. Four years from now, when I finally do get reassigned, I'll look back and wish I'd built when I had the chance. Then I'll decide not to build because I might get reassigned again.

 

4.) I don't want to take advantage of the tool shops, facilities, and general resources available to military personnel.

 

5.) I'd rather listen to my peers laugh at me for dreaming, rather than repect me for my determination.

 

6.) I don't want to get involved in an expensive project while I have a steady, dependable paycheck in an unsteady, unpredictable economy. I want to wait until I get out of the military and find a job that I might get laid off from, mid-project.

 

7.) My wife and I enjoy being stationed halfway across the country from our families, and would rather drive 36 hours each way to visit and arrive smelly and exhausted.

 

8.) I like spending two or three days off each end of my already short vacation getting there.

 

I think I'd better stop right there, otherwise I might be here all day.

[John Slade]

Well said, Evan.

 

Marbleturtle said "How fast can I build one of these things?"

 

It's been done in 20 months from plans receipt to take-off.

My airframe was complete in 18 months, and that included a 3 month gap to go earn money. With unlimited funds and nothing else to do I'd guess that a newbie with a helper could do it in a year working 60 hrs/week. Estimate 2500 - 3000 hours total if you stick strickly to the plans. I'd bet I could build another one in 12 months.

 

Some guys make it a lifetime hobby building for 15 years or more. Typically these guys do it in a hanger at the field. They go down there on Saterday mornings, BS with other lifetime builders for an hour or so, build for a couple of hours, go for lunch for a couple of hours, BS some more etc. They get say 6 hours building in each week, one third of which is "catch-up" from lost continuity. Some of these people never finish, or worse, loose their medical along the way. Some enjoy a lifetime experience and reap the rewards in retirement. Everyone to their own.

 

Some set off like a rocket and loose steam part way along. It's like a 52 mile marathon race. To get to the finish line you need to pace yourself, juggle all the other things in life (including cash-flow and the spouse) and keep taking steps forward.

 

The reason for this thread is that all builders get the procrastination bug at some point along the road. For many this infection happens prior to getting the plans or the initial materials.

 

unlimited funds and nothing else to do is very rare. Most of us have to fit building in between family, work, mowing the lawn and taking out the garbage. The trick is persistance and doing something on the plane EVERY DAY. Look around you're house - there's always something that needs to be done. Look around MY house - there's a LOT that needs to be done

 

Take a look at my website introduction http://kgarden.com/intro.htm for the opposite of this thread - things to consider if you want to make good progress.

 

Gotta go now. I need to wire-up my transponder. It's a small thing - may only take 30 minutes - but it's my objective for today and I'm damn well going to get it done. TODAY.

 

PS - Something came up, and I never got to the transponder wiring.

[Wayne Hicks]

Hello Evan:

 

You need to speak with Jim Voss. He is a Long EZ pilot. In between all that, he is military (Army), an astronaut, Space Station resident, and one helluva guy. Took him 13 years over a lot of moves to complete his plane, but he did it!

 

I realize carrying a scratch-build project around the country is not ideal, but it's certainly better than moving all the parts received in a fully-kitted project. :-)

 

Wayne Hicks

Cozy IV

[andyr]

I really regret not starting the project earlier. I received the plans, looked for suppliers in my country, read the archives, researched builders excellent web sites and basically umm'ed and ahh'ed for about a year before doing anything about starting to build.

 

By the time I'd applied for permission to the Norwegian FAA to start building (things are a bit stricter here than in the US), I could have been 20% further on in the project!

 

My recommendation is, if you have decided to build a Cozy, jump right in and buy materials for whatever you can afford and start building. You'll soon see that the techniques are easy to understand and learn.

 

By the way, I'm just finishing up Ch. 5, but I'm waiting for a cold spell to end before doing the last layup on the top longeron on the port fuselage side. It's been -10 to -14C here the last few days, and I can't get my workshop up to temperature! Can't wait to get a 3D object to look at in Ch.6!

 

By the way, my workshop is under 7ft by 15ft, so even a small space is not an excuse, at least to begin with!

 

Cheers

 

Andy Richardson

Cozy MkIV Ch.5

Stavanger, Norway

[dust]

Don't go on to chapter 6, then you will be beyond hope, you can then sit on the floor or a board in the plane and make plane noises and that will be a reason to keep building. Stop NOW or you may finish the project.

 

Review the reasons above, i'm sure you can rely on one to stop you

[dust]

I can't go in the shop today - there is a hockey game on, I can't miss hockey.

 

DAMN, i forgot, I have cable TV in the shop

[dust]

I can't work on the plane today, there is 6 inches of snow outside and there is no way thane and I can drive to dave's house, I even tried and drove to than's house to pick him up. I'll have to cancel plane day this week. Woo Hoo I can do nothing today, what fun.

 

 

OH yea, I have those hidden aileron hinge parts to finish up in the shop and yea, there is the turtle deck form almost complete in the shop, guess I just have to do that as Thane is on his way over to work on them.

 

If the power had just gone out I could have cancelled plane day.

[codensr]

All the reasons mentioned are quit good,I can relate to most. However,I beleive age can be a factor,will be 66 in june. Figure will be 69 years old by time the project is complete. I've flown for many years and currently hold a private license with a instrument rating. However,flying very little now because of cost and dont like renting. Flew a company owned cessna 210 when I was working full time. Helped a friend build a cozy 3 a few years ago and have belong to the local EAA Chapter for many years.

 

I really want to build a cozy 4 but feel my be to old to fly by the time its compled. Perhaps I could build it for a investment to sell if to old to fly. Could lose my medicial easily at that age.I have been procrastinating about this project for a year,need to move on or start it!

Just like to hear some thoughts on starting the project at this age. Thanks in advance for your comments.

[John Slade]

Chuck,

As you may know, the designer of the Cozy, Nat Puffer, is pushing 80. He'll be flying his Cozy to Sun & Fun this year, just like every year since 1903.

 

Working fullll time you can build a Cozy in 2 years. You could have it done by the time you're 68 if you get on with it. Make no modifications whatsoever, buy prebuilt and matched wings, winglets and spar from Dennis Oleson. Don't bother finishing or painting - just prime the sucker and fly. You might make it in 18 months.

 

Another option would be to contact the EZ finder guy and buy a part done project. I heard of one recently that needed engine and avionics only for $10,000. I think Noodles bought it, but I'm not sure. With a head start like this you could be done in 12 months.

I say go for it!

Regards,

John Slade

[dust]

If you build a plane to fly and don't enjoy the build process, a week seems like a year, if you build a plane to enjoy the build, 5 years flys by and all the sudden you can't build anymore you have to fly it. Enjoy each day, if the pleasure and pride of building attracts you, go for it!

[John Slade]

if the pleasure and pride of building attracts you

Trouble is, you don't know if this is true until you experience it.

I certainly didnt. I just wanted a fast X-country plane, and this seemed the best way to get one. It wasnt until I'd been at it a few months that I realized how much fun the journey was.

[dust]

chuck wrote

Helped a friend build a cozy 3 a few years ago and have belong to the local EAA Chapter for many years.

__________________________

 

Well chuck, was it fun or a chore?

[codensr]

Thanks for the input guys. Yes, I did enjoy working on the cozy 3 project. Just about out of excuses to start my project, will let you know when I have a plan number:)

 

Chuck

[CBarber]

Oh Lord, please do not let building or flying ever become a chore......

 

Amen

[marbleturtle]

Heck... I suppose anything can eventually become a chore. I've heard that when you get old enough, people start to think SEX is a chore.

 

Is that true John?

[dust]

YOU WILL FINISH IT

[dust]

I CANCELLED PLANE DAY LAST SATURDAY!!!!!!

 

I found a valid reason and i will always cancel plane day for this reason, gladly.

 

ALL of my kids and 2 of three of my grandchildren and my mother in law and two sister in laws and 3 nephews were at my house from out of town on plane day.

 

Not to worry though, my 2 partners worked hard to make up for my disapearance, OK so they said they got more done without me than with me.

 

 

enjoy the build, they did

 

Mike

[John Slade]

Two new reasons not to build:

 

1. I'm too busy running this damn forum

 

2. I'm watching the rugby

 

Jon - when ARE you going to build those bulkheads?

[dust]

Can't decide on wether to use a pump or a scale

 

enjoy the BUILD

 

Dust