Original Posted By: "Ryan Mueller"
I know=2C it's been a topic here before=2C but I wanted to share a dilemma I'm facing currently and get others opinions. First off=2C I'm a private=2C instrument rated pilot with about 350 hours. In recent years=2C I've really had to cut my flying back to probably less than 20 hours/year=2C mostly due to finances. I'm beginning to question whether this is enough to stay safe=2C especially in the IFR environment. I don't have a lot of cloud time=2C in fact it was only a year ago that I got the IFR rating. Trouble is=2C I don't really go anywhere - how can I when I only fly an hour or so a month? For similar reasons (finance and time) I've let my Pietenpol project sit for about 2-3 years without touching it. I've got the fuselage about 2/3 complete=2C wing ribs done=2C tail section is 90% complete and I've gathered most of the components for the corvair engine conversion. I really want to work on it=2C but I can't really afford to do much each month with regards to finances and mostly lack of time (I have a 2 year old). I'm considering stopping flying altogether so that the money I am investing in flying is being invested into my Pietenpol. My fear is=2C that if I do stop flying=2C that I may never get back into it=2C and if I do=2C I would never feel confortable flying IFR again with such a "break". My 2 year old is real smart but very impatient=2C so I'm not sure if he's ready to start hanging around in the shop with me=2C unless I'm doing real basic stuff. Not that I'm afraid to run saw around him=2C just that he'd pick up two newly glued pieces of wood=2C right out of a jig and run around with it like a toy - oh to be young...The best rough guess I have to finish my Piet is about $5000-$7000=2C which would take a few years (at the rate I've been flying) to come up with. At this rate=2C I probably spend about $2500/year on flying.Other than the obvious motivations for completing the Piet is some of my families health. I really want to complete it and have them see if fly before they "go" and they want that too. Obviously=2C we never know if we'll see tomorrow so it may be a worthless goal to chase after but it is what it is.Anyway=2C thanks for listening to me rant. I would appreciate any opinions / recommendations of people who've faced similar situations.Tom B.________________________________________________________________________________Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2008 00:04:43 -0600
Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: RAMPEYBOY(at)aol.com
I know, it's been a topic here before, but I wanted to share a dilemmaI'm facing currently and get others opinions. First off, I'm a private,instrument rated pilot with about 350 hours. In recent years, I'vereally had to cut my flying back to probably less than 20 hours/year,mostly due to finances. I'm beginning to question whether this isenough to stay safe, especially in the IFR environment. I don't have alot of cloud time, in fact it was only a year ago that I got the IFRrating. Trouble is, I don't really go anywhere - how can I when I onlyfly an hour or so a month? For similar reasons (finance and time) I've let my Pietenpol project sitfor about 2-3 years without touching it. I've got the fuselage about2/3 complete, wing ribs done, tail section is 90% complete and I'vegathered most of the components for the corvair engine conversion. Ireally want to work on it, but I can't really afford to do much eachmonth with regards to finances and mostly lack of time (I have a 2 yearold). I'm considering stopping flying altogether so that the money I aminvesting in flying is being invested into my Pietenpol. My fear is,that if I do stop flying, that I may never get back into it, and if Ido, I would never feel confortable flying IFR again with such a "break".My 2 year old is real smart but very impatient, so I'm not sure if he'sready to start hanging around in the shop with me, unless I'm doing realbasic stuff. Not that I'm afraid to run saw around him, just that he'dpick up two newly glued pieces of wood, right out of a jig and runaround with it like a toy - oh to be young...The best rough guess I have to finish my Piet is about $5000-$7000,which would take a few years (at the rate I've been flying) to come upwith. At this rate, I probably spend about $2500/year on flying.Other than the obvious motivations for completing the Piet is some of myfamilies health. I really want to complete it and have them see if flybefore they "go" and they want that too. Obviously, we never know ifwe'll see tomorrow so it may be a worthless goal to chase after but itis what it is.Anyway, thanks for listening to me rant. I would appreciate anyopinions / recommendations of people who've faced similar situations.Tom B.ww.matronics.com/contributionst">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Piet ... ronics.com _____ _________________________________________________This message is for the designated recipient only and may contain privileged, proprietaryor otherwise private information. If you have received it in error, please notify the senderimmediately and delete the original. Any other use of the email by you is prohibited.Dansk - Deutsch - Espanol - Francais - Italiano - Japanese - Nederlands - Norsk - Portuguese________________________________________________________________________________
I know, it's been a topic here before, but I wanted to share a dilemmaI'm facing currently and get others opinions. First off, I'm a private,instrument rated pilot with about 350 hours. In recent years, I'vereally had to cut my flying back to probably less than 20 hours/year,mostly due to finances. I'm beginning to question whether this isenough to stay safe, especially in the IFR environment. I don't have alot of cloud time, in fact it was only a year ago that I got the IFRrating. Trouble is, I don't really go anywhere - how can I when I onlyfly an hour or so a month? For similar reasons (finance and time) I've let my Pietenpol project sitfor about 2-3 years without touching it. I've got the fuselage about2/3 complete, wing ribs done, tail section is 90% complete and I'vegathered most of the components for the corvair engine conversion. Ireally want to work on it, but I can't really afford to do much eachmonth with regards to finances and mostly lack of time (I have a 2 yearold). I'm considering stopping flying altogether so that the money I aminvesting in flying is being invested into my Pietenpol. My fear is,that if I do stop flying, that I may never get back into it, and if Ido, I would never feel confortable flying IFR again with such a "break".My 2 year old is real smart but very impatient, so I'm not sure if he'sready to start hanging around in the shop with me, unless I'm doing realbasic stuff. Not that I'm afraid to run saw around him, just that he'dpick up two newly glued pieces of wood, right out of a jig and runaround with it like a toy - oh to be young...The best rough guess I have to finish my Piet is about $5000-$7000,which would take a few years (at the rate I've been flying) to come upwith. At this rate, I probably spend about $2500/year on flying.Other than the obvious motivations for completing the Piet is some of myfamilies health. I really want to complete it and have them see if flybefore they "go" and they want that too. Obviously, we never know ifwe'll see tomorrow so it may be a worthless goal to chase after but itis what it is.Anyway, thanks for listening to me rant. I would appreciate anyopinions / recommendations of people who've faced similar situations.Tom B.ww.matronics.com/contributionst">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Piet ... ronics.com _____ _________________________________________________This message is for the designated recipient only and may contain privileged, proprietaryor otherwise private information. If you have received it in error, please notify the senderimmediately and delete the original. Any other use of the email by you is prohibited.Dansk - Deutsch - Espanol - Francais - Italiano - Japanese - Nederlands - Norsk - Portuguese________________________________________________________________________________
Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: shad bell
I know, it's been a topic here before, but I wanted to share a dilemma I'm facing currently and get others opinions. First off, I'm a private, instrument rated pilot with about 350 hours. In recent years, I've really had to cut my flying back to probably less than 20 hours/year, mostly due to finances. I'm beginning to question whether this is enough to stay safe, especially in the IFR environment. I don't have a lot of cloud time, in fact it was only a year ago that I got the IFR rating. Trouble is, I don't really go anywhere - how can I when I only fly an hour or so a month? For similar reasons (finance and time) I've let my Pietenpol project sit for about 2-3 years without touching it. I've got the fuselage about 2/3 complete, wing ribs done, tail section is 90% complete and I've gathered most of the components for the corvair engine conversion. I really want to work on it, but I can't really afford to do much each month with regards to finances and mostly lack of time (I have a 2 year old). I'm considering stopping flying altogether so that the money I am investing in flying is being invested into my Pietenpol. My fear is, that if I do stop flying, that I may never get back into it, and if I do, I would never feel confortable flying IFR again with such a "break". My 2 year old is real smart but very impatient, so I'm not sure if he's ready to start hanging around in the shop with me, unless I'm doing real basic stuff. Not that I'm afraid to run saw around him, just that he'd pick up two newly glued pieces of wood, right out of a jig and run around with it like a toy - oh to be young... The best rough guess I have to finish my Piet is about $5000-$7000, which would take a few years (at the rate I've been flying) to come up with. At this rate, I probably spend about $2500/year on flying. Other than the obvious motivations for completing the Piet is some of my families health. I really want to complete it and have them see if fly before they "go" and they want that too. Obviously, we never know if we'll see tomorrow so it may be a worthless goal to chase after but it is what it is. Anyway, thanks for listening to me rant. I would appreciate any opinions / recommendations of people who've faced similar situations. Tom B.ww.matronics.com/contributionst">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Piet ... ______Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:27:44 -0800 (PST)
I know, it's been a topic here before, but I wanted to share a dilemma I'm facing currently and get others opinions. First off, I'm a private, instrument rated pilot with about 350 hours. In recent years, I've really had to cut my flying back to probably less than 20 hours/year, mostly due to finances. I'm beginning to question whether this is enough to stay safe, especially in the IFR environment. I don't have a lot of cloud time, in fact it was only a year ago that I got the IFR rating. Trouble is, I don't really go anywhere - how can I when I only fly an hour or so a month? For similar reasons (finance and time) I've let my Pietenpol project sit for about 2-3 years without touching it. I've got the fuselage about 2/3 complete, wing ribs done, tail section is 90% complete and I've gathered most of the components for the corvair engine conversion. I really want to work on it, but I can't really afford to do much each month with regards to finances and mostly lack of time (I have a 2 year old). I'm considering stopping flying altogether so that the money I am investing in flying is being invested into my Pietenpol. My fear is, that if I do stop flying, that I may never get back into it, and if I do, I would never feel confortable flying IFR again with such a "break". My 2 year old is real smart but very impatient, so I'm not sure if he's ready to start hanging around in the shop with me, unless I'm doing real basic stuff. Not that I'm afraid to run saw around him, just that he'd pick up two newly glued pieces of wood, right out of a jig and run around with it like a toy - oh to be young... The best rough guess I have to finish my Piet is about $5000-$7000, which would take a few years (at the rate I've been flying) to come up with. At this rate, I probably spend about $2500/year on flying. Other than the obvious motivations for completing the Piet is some of my families health. I really want to complete it and have them see if fly before they "go" and they want that too. Obviously, we never know if we'll see tomorrow so it may be a worthless goal to chase after but it is what it is. Anyway, thanks for listening to me rant. I would appreciate any opinions / recommendations of people who've faced similar situations. Tom B.ww.matronics.com/contributionst">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Piet ... ______Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:27:44 -0800 (PST)
Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: Matt Dralle
Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: Rob Hart
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?I'm in a similar position as you. I have three kids, 4,3, 1 yrs old. I have been building a Mustang II kit since 2004. I'm about 60% done with airframe. I keep thinking if I had it to do over, I'd just buy a 152, and enjoy it while I can. I honestly don't know how many times I will pass the medical, andat the rate I'm going, I may not even get the plane done before my medical is no longer valid. The kids are too young to be of any help. The wife though she said she was all in to begin with, is not really all in. Even though I explained I needed to work on it 10-15 hours per week (which I have yet to do), she had noapparent idea what 10-15 hours per week meant. In fact if I do 8 hours a week,she starts getting grumpy. So, not to rain on your parade, but I think if I were to do it again, I'd buy a flying airplane, and just enjoy it. On the other hand, you are wellalong with the Pietenpol, since you're in this deep, go ahead and finish it. You did mention IFR, you're not of course planning on IFR in the Pietenpol? Good luck with whatever decision you make.Boyce________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?I'm in a similar position as you. I have three kids, 4,3, 1 yrs old. I have been building a Mustang II kit since 2004. I'm about 60% done with airframe. I keep thinking if I had it to do over, I'd just buy a 152, and enjoy it while I can. I honestly don't know how many times I will pass the medical, andat the rate I'm going, I may not even get the plane done before my medical is no longer valid. The kids are too young to be of any help. The wife though she said she was all in to begin with, is not really all in. Even though I explained I needed to work on it 10-15 hours per week (which I have yet to do), she had noapparent idea what 10-15 hours per week meant. In fact if I do 8 hours a week,she starts getting grumpy. So, not to rain on your parade, but I think if I were to do it again, I'd buy a flying airplane, and just enjoy it. On the other hand, you are wellalong with the Pietenpol, since you're in this deep, go ahead and finish it. You did mention IFR, you're not of course planning on IFR in the Pietenpol? Good luck with whatever decision you make.Boyce________________________________________________________________________________
Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: Scott Knowlton
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?Tom,Obviously this like with us all is a personal choice of finish or fly. the economics are to remain current in a IFR certified 172 you're probably lookingat in excess of 100.00 per hour and not going anywhere just punching holes and taking directions form ATC, doesn't sound like too much fun at all. At one point I took my ground school then realized that not having my own IFR certified aircraft means a hefty rental to stay current in something that I really find not nearly as enjoyable as VFR, so I stopped the training. Actually the cash spent on IFR currency applied to the Piet goes further as there are many things you can purchase during the build process for less than 1 hours in the IFR Cessna while advancing the progress on your build.For my purposes I am out of my currency but building like gang busters. I figure to regain my currency while getting my tail wheel endorsement and killing those two birds with one stone. Its not a perfect solution, just my plan, all in all I am loving the build , missing the flying but its gratification and the sooner I finish, the sooner I get back in the air so I get the satisfaction of the build process, the proud of the project and an airplane I can fly all the time at the end of theprocess. Not a bad trade off in my mind.JohnIn a message dated 12/8/2008 1:06:53 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, rmueller23(at)gmail.com writes:Tom,First off, just out of curiosity, is Michelle your better half or your middle name? ;)I'm not speaking from experience on most (if any) of this, but here are my opinions on what you had to say.It seems there are two main issues you are having. One issue is whether or not you will get back to flying if you build the Piet by diverting the available aviation funds towards the Piet. I would think that if you like flyingyou will get back into it when you complete your Piet. Could you imagine spending the time, money, sweat equity, etc on completing your Piet and then saying: "meh, I just don't want to fly"? I would think you would be even more jazzed up to fly after you finish your Piet!As far as the worry about being safe in an IFR environment, that's simple. Before you started flight training/IFR training you probably knew little aboutit. But you learned and mastered the intricacies well enough to earn your rating. As such, becoming current with your IFR rating after a prolonged lackof use should now be even easier that it was to earn it in the first place, because you are just refreshing and not learning from scratch.Finally, you address the fact that there are members of your family that you would like to share the Piet with before they pass on; to me that is an easy one. If it's between attempting to maintain IFR currency (especially if that is not critical to your income), or completing the Pietenpol that both yourself and your aged relatives want to see fly, I'd go with the Piet. We onlyhave one go around on this planet. Personally I would choose to do the thing that I felt would enrich my life and the lives of my loved ones the most. Youmay have many other opportunities to brush up on your ratings, but how many chances will you have to share a Piet with those you care about?Take the above with a grain of salt. I've not learned or experienced anywhere near as much as most on this list; those are just my thoughts based onwhat you had to say. Have a good evening, and good luck with whatever you choose to do!RyanOn Sun, Dec 7, 2008 at 10:55 PM, TOM MICHELLE BRANT wrote:I know, it's been a topic here before, but I wanted to share a dilemma I'm facing currently and get others opinions. First off, I'm a private, instrument rated pilot with about 350 hours. In recent years, I've really hadto cut my flying back to probably less than 20 hours/year, mostly due to finances. I'm beginning to question whether this is enough to stay safe, especially in the IFR environment. I don't have a lot of cloud time, in fact it was only ayear ago that I got the IFR rating. Trouble is, I don't really go anywhere - how can I when I only fly an hour or so a month? For similar reasons (finance and time) I've let my Pietenpol project sit for about 2-3 years without touching it. I've got the fuselage about 2/3 complete, wing ribs done, tail section is 90% complete and I've gathered mostof the components for the corvair engine conversion. I really want to work on it,but I can't really afford to do much each month with regards to finances and mostly lack of time (I have a 2 year old). I'm considering stopping flying altogether so that the money I am investing in flying is being invested into my Pietenpol. My fear is, that if I do stopflying, that I may never get back into it, and if I do, I would never feel confortable flying IFR again with such a "break". My 2 year old is real smartbut very impatient, so I'm not sure if he's ready to start hanging around in the shop with me, unless I'm doing real basic stuff. Not that I'm afraid to run saw around him, just that he'd pick up two newly glued pieces of wood, right out of a jig and run around with it like a toy - oh to be young...The best rough guess I have to finish my Piet is about $5000-$7000, which would take a few years (at the rate I've been flying) to come up with. At thisrate, I probably spend about $2500/year on flying.Other than the obvious motivations for completing the Piet is some of my families health. I really want to complete it and have them see if fly beforethey "go" and they want that too. Obviously, we never know if we'll see tomorrow so it may be a worthless goal to chase after but it is what it is.Anyway, thanks for listening to me rant. I would appreciate any opinions / recommendations of people who've faced similar situations.Tom B.(http://www.matronics.com/contribution) (http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietenpol-List) **************Make your life easier with all your friends, email, and favorite sites in one place. Try it now. ________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?Tom,Obviously this like with us all is a personal choice of finish or fly. the economics are to remain current in a IFR certified 172 you're probably lookingat in excess of 100.00 per hour and not going anywhere just punching holes and taking directions form ATC, doesn't sound like too much fun at all. At one point I took my ground school then realized that not having my own IFR certified aircraft means a hefty rental to stay current in something that I really find not nearly as enjoyable as VFR, so I stopped the training. Actually the cash spent on IFR currency applied to the Piet goes further as there are many things you can purchase during the build process for less than 1 hours in the IFR Cessna while advancing the progress on your build.For my purposes I am out of my currency but building like gang busters. I figure to regain my currency while getting my tail wheel endorsement and killing those two birds with one stone. Its not a perfect solution, just my plan, all in all I am loving the build , missing the flying but its gratification and the sooner I finish, the sooner I get back in the air so I get the satisfaction of the build process, the proud of the project and an airplane I can fly all the time at the end of theprocess. Not a bad trade off in my mind.JohnIn a message dated 12/8/2008 1:06:53 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, rmueller23(at)gmail.com writes:Tom,First off, just out of curiosity, is Michelle your better half or your middle name? ;)I'm not speaking from experience on most (if any) of this, but here are my opinions on what you had to say.It seems there are two main issues you are having. One issue is whether or not you will get back to flying if you build the Piet by diverting the available aviation funds towards the Piet. I would think that if you like flyingyou will get back into it when you complete your Piet. Could you imagine spending the time, money, sweat equity, etc on completing your Piet and then saying: "meh, I just don't want to fly"? I would think you would be even more jazzed up to fly after you finish your Piet!As far as the worry about being safe in an IFR environment, that's simple. Before you started flight training/IFR training you probably knew little aboutit. But you learned and mastered the intricacies well enough to earn your rating. As such, becoming current with your IFR rating after a prolonged lackof use should now be even easier that it was to earn it in the first place, because you are just refreshing and not learning from scratch.Finally, you address the fact that there are members of your family that you would like to share the Piet with before they pass on; to me that is an easy one. If it's between attempting to maintain IFR currency (especially if that is not critical to your income), or completing the Pietenpol that both yourself and your aged relatives want to see fly, I'd go with the Piet. We onlyhave one go around on this planet. Personally I would choose to do the thing that I felt would enrich my life and the lives of my loved ones the most. Youmay have many other opportunities to brush up on your ratings, but how many chances will you have to share a Piet with those you care about?Take the above with a grain of salt. I've not learned or experienced anywhere near as much as most on this list; those are just my thoughts based onwhat you had to say. Have a good evening, and good luck with whatever you choose to do!RyanOn Sun, Dec 7, 2008 at 10:55 PM, TOM MICHELLE BRANT wrote:I know, it's been a topic here before, but I wanted to share a dilemma I'm facing currently and get others opinions. First off, I'm a private, instrument rated pilot with about 350 hours. In recent years, I've really hadto cut my flying back to probably less than 20 hours/year, mostly due to finances. I'm beginning to question whether this is enough to stay safe, especially in the IFR environment. I don't have a lot of cloud time, in fact it was only ayear ago that I got the IFR rating. Trouble is, I don't really go anywhere - how can I when I only fly an hour or so a month? For similar reasons (finance and time) I've let my Pietenpol project sit for about 2-3 years without touching it. I've got the fuselage about 2/3 complete, wing ribs done, tail section is 90% complete and I've gathered mostof the components for the corvair engine conversion. I really want to work on it,but I can't really afford to do much each month with regards to finances and mostly lack of time (I have a 2 year old). I'm considering stopping flying altogether so that the money I am investing in flying is being invested into my Pietenpol. My fear is, that if I do stopflying, that I may never get back into it, and if I do, I would never feel confortable flying IFR again with such a "break". My 2 year old is real smartbut very impatient, so I'm not sure if he's ready to start hanging around in the shop with me, unless I'm doing real basic stuff. Not that I'm afraid to run saw around him, just that he'd pick up two newly glued pieces of wood, right out of a jig and run around with it like a toy - oh to be young...The best rough guess I have to finish my Piet is about $5000-$7000, which would take a few years (at the rate I've been flying) to come up with. At thisrate, I probably spend about $2500/year on flying.Other than the obvious motivations for completing the Piet is some of my families health. I really want to complete it and have them see if fly beforethey "go" and they want that too. Obviously, we never know if we'll see tomorrow so it may be a worthless goal to chase after but it is what it is.Anyway, thanks for listening to me rant. I would appreciate any opinions / recommendations of people who've faced similar situations.Tom B.(http://www.matronics.com/contribution) (http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietenpol-List) **************Make your life easier with all your friends, email, and favorite sites in one place. Try it now. ________________________________________________________________________________
RE: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: owner-pietenpol-list-server(at)matronics.com
Tom,Remember, you're talking to a group of Builders. We're all going to say howmuch fun it is to build. If you were to log on to the IFR Matronics chatgroup (if there were such a thing), they would all say, "What could be morefun and personally satisfying than doing endless math while never being ableto see the ground?"I cannot imagine the amount of concentration that it must take to build witha 2 yr old bumping around in the garage. My 7 yr old grandson pretty muchstops me from doing anything when he's visiting, but I think that's a resultof an aging mind and persona vs. a younger person, such as you.Anyhow, what I really wanted to say is that some of the best memories as ayoung adult that I have are flying with my Dad. He past away last March, andwhen he realized that he wasn't going to see the end of my project (a 35year dream), he said that he wanted a ride.alive or dead.There will be many joys associated with finishing and flying this, but therewill always be that sadness. I applaud you for having the introspect to askthe question. Consider this: Whether it takes 2 years or 10 years tocomplete, your son will always see you as the Man who had a dream and saw itthrough; plus, you will have many years of enjoyable flying with your son,and possibly plant the seed of a dream in him.Don't worry about your currency. That will come back in a hurry. Besides, assomeone else alluded to, the Pietenpol is not a good platform for IFR;unless you need it just to get in and out of your airport.Gary BootheCool, Ca.PietenpolWW Corvair ConversionTail done, working on fuselage (endless metal parts!)(12 ribs down.) _____
Tom,Remember, you're talking to a group of Builders. We're all going to say howmuch fun it is to build. If you were to log on to the IFR Matronics chatgroup (if there were such a thing), they would all say, "What could be morefun and personally satisfying than doing endless math while never being ableto see the ground?"I cannot imagine the amount of concentration that it must take to build witha 2 yr old bumping around in the garage. My 7 yr old grandson pretty muchstops me from doing anything when he's visiting, but I think that's a resultof an aging mind and persona vs. a younger person, such as you.Anyhow, what I really wanted to say is that some of the best memories as ayoung adult that I have are flying with my Dad. He past away last March, andwhen he realized that he wasn't going to see the end of my project (a 35year dream), he said that he wanted a ride.alive or dead.There will be many joys associated with finishing and flying this, but therewill always be that sadness. I applaud you for having the introspect to askthe question. Consider this: Whether it takes 2 years or 10 years tocomplete, your son will always see you as the Man who had a dream and saw itthrough; plus, you will have many years of enjoyable flying with your son,and possibly plant the seed of a dream in him.Don't worry about your currency. That will come back in a hurry. Besides, assomeone else alluded to, the Pietenpol is not a good platform for IFR;unless you need it just to get in and out of your airport.Gary BootheCool, Ca.PietenpolWW Corvair ConversionTail done, working on fuselage (endless metal parts!)(12 ribs down.) _____
Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: "Gene & Tammy"
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?In a message dated 12/8/2008 9:47:08 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, gboothe5(at)comcast.net writes:Whether it takes 2 years or 10 years to complete, your son will always see you as the Man who had a dream and saw it through; plus, you will have many years of enjoyable flying with your son, and possibly plant the seed of a dreamin him. Great point Gary! That's the one thing I hope for. Whether I continue to pass medicals or not, I want my kids to see that if you set your mind to something and stick to it, you can do anything. And, if I can't keep my medical,then hopefully one of my three kids will take up flying, and I can pass the plane off on them!BoyceMustang II________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?In a message dated 12/8/2008 9:47:08 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, gboothe5(at)comcast.net writes:Whether it takes 2 years or 10 years to complete, your son will always see you as the Man who had a dream and saw it through; plus, you will have many years of enjoyable flying with your son, and possibly plant the seed of a dreamin him. Great point Gary! That's the one thing I hope for. Whether I continue to pass medicals or not, I want my kids to see that if you set your mind to something and stick to it, you can do anything. And, if I can't keep my medical,then hopefully one of my three kids will take up flying, and I can pass the plane off on them!BoyceMustang II________________________________________________________________________________
RE: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: "Phillips, Jack"
Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: Jeff Boatright
Tom. Only you can answer your own questions. In my mind these are the questions you need to answer.1. IFR and Pietenpol??? I don't understand. 2. IFR and 20 hrs a year? What a wonderful way to kill yourself and anyone that flys with you.3. To build or fly?? Do you LOVE building or do you LOVE flying? If your building just to have a cheap airplane, your building for the wrong reason.As for me (and only for me) here's what I would do.....First of all my family would come first. Flying would come next (I'd forget about IFR as I can't for the life of me understand why anybody would want to fly in a cloud and not be able to see mother earth). AND, because I do like to build things but don't have the most free time or money, I would continue building as I had the free time and money. So what if I didn't finish the Piet for 10 or 20 years? As for having your family see you fly it before they "go", I'll bet they would much rather see you with a happy family and a smile on your face than a pile of sticks and fabric in the air. Sometimes we just can't have it all.Gene ________________________________________________________________________________Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2008 10:30:17 -0500
Tom. Only you can answer your own questions. In my mind these are the questions you need to answer.1. IFR and Pietenpol??? I don't understand. 2. IFR and 20 hrs a year? What a wonderful way to kill yourself and anyone that flys with you.3. To build or fly?? Do you LOVE building or do you LOVE flying? If your building just to have a cheap airplane, your building for the wrong reason.As for me (and only for me) here's what I would do.....First of all my family would come first. Flying would come next (I'd forget about IFR as I can't for the life of me understand why anybody would want to fly in a cloud and not be able to see mother earth). AND, because I do like to build things but don't have the most free time or money, I would continue building as I had the free time and money. So what if I didn't finish the Piet for 10 or 20 years? As for having your family see you fly it before they "go", I'll bet they would much rather see you with a happy family and a smile on your face than a pile of sticks and fabric in the air. Sometimes we just can't have it all.Gene ________________________________________________________________________________Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2008 10:30:17 -0500
Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: TOM MICHELLE BRANT
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build? Wow, you sure got a lot of great feedback on this question. Isn't this list is great?! But that's now....what about those times when you're all alone, have a half finished project in the shop and the list isn't available to encourage you? I don't know about you but I hate starting projects and "losing interest" and ending up with some half finished project I had to sell or whatever because "life got in the way" or "family got in the way" or some other excuse. Yes, many times life pushes us into some other priority (I know that first hand!) but don't start something you might have to make excuses for later... I obviously have only a tiny idea of your personality so I'll base my answer ONLY on MY personality. If I was asking questions like you just asked, anyone who knows me would tell me to forget about builidng anything and go buy an old 150 and enjoy my love of flying. I've seen a lot of builders spend some time building and a LOT of time selling off their half done project. So for me personally, the decision to build or fly was in my heart long before I even talked to anyone or flew in a Piet or any other type of homebuilt for that matter. I didn't have to ask anyone (well, I had to make sure my wife supported it but by the time we had talked about it I was actually believing it was ME that said it was ok!!). Do you love flying? Then go fly. Are you wondering whether to fly or build? Put that on hold for a while. You already know it's not safe to continue IFR activities on a few hours a year so leave that one. Just go fly and if building is in your heart, you won't have to ask anyone. You'll know. Jim in Pryor OK________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build? Wow, you sure got a lot of great feedback on this question. Isn't this list is great?! But that's now....what about those times when you're all alone, have a half finished project in the shop and the list isn't available to encourage you? I don't know about you but I hate starting projects and "losing interest" and ending up with some half finished project I had to sell or whatever because "life got in the way" or "family got in the way" or some other excuse. Yes, many times life pushes us into some other priority (I know that first hand!) but don't start something you might have to make excuses for later... I obviously have only a tiny idea of your personality so I'll base my answer ONLY on MY personality. If I was asking questions like you just asked, anyone who knows me would tell me to forget about builidng anything and go buy an old 150 and enjoy my love of flying. I've seen a lot of builders spend some time building and a LOT of time selling off their half done project. So for me personally, the decision to build or fly was in my heart long before I even talked to anyone or flew in a Piet or any other type of homebuilt for that matter. I didn't have to ask anyone (well, I had to make sure my wife supported it but by the time we had talked about it I was actually believing it was ME that said it was ok!!). Do you love flying? Then go fly. Are you wondering whether to fly or build? Put that on hold for a while. You already know it's not safe to continue IFR activities on a few hours a year so leave that one. Just go fly and if building is in your heart, you won't have to ask anyone. You'll know. Jim in Pryor OK________________________________________________________________________________
RE: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: tmbrant(at)msn.com
Thanks to everyone who offered their opinions on my soul searching questions.For those of you who commented on IFR in a Piet=2C no worries=2C that was never my intent. It's just something that I fought real hard to get (IFR rating) and someday would like to pick back up.I think I've answered my own question=2C and most of you confirmed it. I do love to fly both VFR and IFR. I also love to build and I've been missing it dearly. What I didn't say is that I've already had somewhat of a hiatus from flying because our hangar burnt down and we were without a plane for quite a while. When we finally got another plane=2C I was excited to go out and fly it and get my IPC and keep flying my 10-20 hours a year=2C but as some of you said=2C the IFR rating becomes a burden - something you're always having to work on if you're not using it regularly. So I found myself just going out and doing local approaches under the hood with safety pilots - it got boring. So=2C I've been posing this question of hanging it up (temporarily hopefully) for quite a while now internally. I guess I just needed to hear it from other people=2C I don't know why.I'm also not putting some unrealistic deadline on building but I do have a goal in mind. April. Not sure what year but some year=2C it will be done in April =3B )I hope all of you know the consequences of encouraging me to continue to build - it means I'll be on here asking all sorts of funny questions. For a while now=2C I've really wanted to get the materials to build the spars=2C but as my original post says=2C I kept flying and the money has always held me up. So I think I'll make the call to drop flying for now and start building again. Thanks again guys (and gals if there are any).Tom B.
Thanks to everyone who offered their opinions on my soul searching questions.For those of you who commented on IFR in a Piet=2C no worries=2C that was never my intent. It's just something that I fought real hard to get (IFR rating) and someday would like to pick back up.I think I've answered my own question=2C and most of you confirmed it. I do love to fly both VFR and IFR. I also love to build and I've been missing it dearly. What I didn't say is that I've already had somewhat of a hiatus from flying because our hangar burnt down and we were without a plane for quite a while. When we finally got another plane=2C I was excited to go out and fly it and get my IPC and keep flying my 10-20 hours a year=2C but as some of you said=2C the IFR rating becomes a burden - something you're always having to work on if you're not using it regularly. So I found myself just going out and doing local approaches under the hood with safety pilots - it got boring. So=2C I've been posing this question of hanging it up (temporarily hopefully) for quite a while now internally. I guess I just needed to hear it from other people=2C I don't know why.I'm also not putting some unrealistic deadline on building but I do have a goal in mind. April. Not sure what year but some year=2C it will be done in April =3B )I hope all of you know the consequences of encouraging me to continue to build - it means I'll be on here asking all sorts of funny questions. For a while now=2C I've really wanted to get the materials to build the spars=2C but as my original post says=2C I kept flying and the money has always held me up. So I think I'll make the call to drop flying for now and start building again. Thanks again guys (and gals if there are any).Tom B.
Original Posted By: "Bill Church"
I tried using a variety of hand planes and couldn't get something consistent enoughto be able to attach plywood the full length of it and have it smooth enoughfor a leading edge. Ended up getting a custom molding shop to make a cutter to do the work. Then hadtwo perfect pieces made. Cost about $240, but its exactly right. (I am buildinga biplane variant of the piet, and it was for the lower wing's leading edges,so the size is a bit smaller, else I would point to the shop that did it forme, as most the cost was the custom cutter.)Have Okume plywood from Boulter's ($23 a sheet) to cover it, and hope to get thatdone soon as part of my Christmas break. JimDRead this topic online here:http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.p ... __________
I tried using a variety of hand planes and couldn't get something consistent enoughto be able to attach plywood the full length of it and have it smooth enoughfor a leading edge. Ended up getting a custom molding shop to make a cutter to do the work. Then hadtwo perfect pieces made. Cost about $240, but its exactly right. (I am buildinga biplane variant of the piet, and it was for the lower wing's leading edges,so the size is a bit smaller, else I would point to the shop that did it forme, as most the cost was the custom cutter.)Have Okume plywood from Boulter's ($23 a sheet) to cover it, and hope to get thatdone soon as part of my Christmas break. JimDRead this topic online here:http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.p ... __________
Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: Ben Charvet
Re: Pietenpol-List: Dacron fabric, 1.8 oz
Original Posted By: Michael Perez
Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: _RAMPEYBOY(at)aol.com_ (mailto:RAMPEYBOY(at)aol.com)
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?Thanks Walt! I guess that's why after 4 yrs of building from a kit I'm only 60% done with the airframe. I try to put everything else first, as frustrating as that feels now, later on I'll be glad I did. I average about 15 hours per month of airplane work. I may go three weeks without touching it, then put in a couple long days in the shop. Definitely not the best way of getting it built, but it is the best I can do for now. And, I will say I enjoy the work.But, if I were to do it over, I'd probably buy a flying plane so that I couldenjoy it now. Being as far into the project as I am, I will see it through. Anyone else have stories of there builds and the obstacles they ran into? BoyceIn a message dated 12/8/2008 5:54:13 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, waltdak(at)verizon.net writes:Boyce,I'm only responding to your email cause I saw yours first.I've been a PPSEL since 1966.Didn't get into the building thing till my kids were grown.And I have 3 of the greatest kids in the world.Now I have a beautiful Pietenpol in the hanger that I can fly anytimeI'm divorced, and my Ex left, so I raised my kids from young, and with all the housework and grocerys, and overtime, I missed the time I should have hadwith my kids.Now that I have 4 going on 5 Grandchildren. I cherish my time with my grandkids.Guess my point is,,,there's plenty of time to build when the kids are grown.Don't Plan time away to build,,,,Only build when there is nothing else to do, or the kids are asleep and the wife is shopping.POINT...You can never relive time with your kids!If I came off like a nut,,sorry.I'm done with my soapbox.....:^)walt evansNX140DL----- Original Message -----
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?Thanks Walt! I guess that's why after 4 yrs of building from a kit I'm only 60% done with the airframe. I try to put everything else first, as frustrating as that feels now, later on I'll be glad I did. I average about 15 hours per month of airplane work. I may go three weeks without touching it, then put in a couple long days in the shop. Definitely not the best way of getting it built, but it is the best I can do for now. And, I will say I enjoy the work.But, if I were to do it over, I'd probably buy a flying plane so that I couldenjoy it now. Being as far into the project as I am, I will see it through. Anyone else have stories of there builds and the obstacles they ran into? BoyceIn a message dated 12/8/2008 5:54:13 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, waltdak(at)verizon.net writes:Boyce,I'm only responding to your email cause I saw yours first.I've been a PPSEL since 1966.Didn't get into the building thing till my kids were grown.And I have 3 of the greatest kids in the world.Now I have a beautiful Pietenpol in the hanger that I can fly anytimeI'm divorced, and my Ex left, so I raised my kids from young, and with all the housework and grocerys, and overtime, I missed the time I should have hadwith my kids.Now that I have 4 going on 5 Grandchildren. I cherish my time with my grandkids.Guess my point is,,,there's plenty of time to build when the kids are grown.Don't Plan time away to build,,,,Only build when there is nothing else to do, or the kids are asleep and the wife is shopping.POINT...You can never relive time with your kids!If I came off like a nut,,sorry.I'm done with my soapbox.....:^)walt evansNX140DL----- Original Message -----
Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: AMsafetyC(at)aol.com
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?I think we all have obstacles to deal with or overcome from family and social obligation discouraging and un encouraging significant others, Yard work,home maintenance, work and travel schedules and the ever popular financial dilemma, changing medical conditions and a host of other things. I think if youcan name I am certain someone has experienced it, even my favorite Builders block.I stay on the project by and through contact with friends I have made on the board, along with the inspirational pictures I have hanging in my shop and the time I get to visit other builders at Brodhead and on business trips.Most inspiring is my grandson of 4 years old who has claimed the front pit as his seat and knowing the back seat belongs to his poppop and that one day he and I will fly our completed project together!Just something about that is enough to keep me going, building against all the obstacles life continues to throw at me. And when its all said and done I still get the joy of the build experience and a great hand made airplane which beats the hell out of anything else I can imagine.John**************Make your life easier with all your friends, email, and favorite sites in one place. Try it now. ________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?I think we all have obstacles to deal with or overcome from family and social obligation discouraging and un encouraging significant others, Yard work,home maintenance, work and travel schedules and the ever popular financial dilemma, changing medical conditions and a host of other things. I think if youcan name I am certain someone has experienced it, even my favorite Builders block.I stay on the project by and through contact with friends I have made on the board, along with the inspirational pictures I have hanging in my shop and the time I get to visit other builders at Brodhead and on business trips.Most inspiring is my grandson of 4 years old who has claimed the front pit as his seat and knowing the back seat belongs to his poppop and that one day he and I will fly our completed project together!Just something about that is enough to keep me going, building against all the obstacles life continues to throw at me. And when its all said and done I still get the joy of the build experience and a great hand made airplane which beats the hell out of anything else I can imagine.John**************Make your life easier with all your friends, email, and favorite sites in one place. Try it now. ________________________________________________________________________________
Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: "Jack Phillips"
No discussion as far as I'm concerned; if it comes to a choice betweengetting a dozen hours of dual instrument time or continuing a Piet project buildin your annual budget, build wins hands-down. You can always go back and brushupon IFR skills but building and flying something like a Piet is something that youmay never do again in your life but will always value and remember as long asyou live. And sometimes you will even be introduced (by your son, daughter, orgrandchild) as someone who built and flies his own airplane. Talk about anice-breaker at parties!Not to sound like a "top gun" or anything, but earlier this year I was veryfortunate to get time in a EA-6B Prowler simulator at NAS Whidbey Island. I hadnotflown anything with that many instruments or controls in many years, and yet it'snotabout the knobs and dials; it's about your confidence in command of the aircraft.Did I goof up? Sure; and I was overwhelmed by all the gadgets and procedures,butI had stick, rudder, and throttle and all the rest was just gravy. With thosethreecontrols in VERY familiar places, I was able to fly some pretty decent maneuvers.I flew simulated instrument approaches, approaches to an aircraft carrier deck,andjust plain old maneuvers... in an airplane that was about as different from a Pietas you can get.There is nothing more valuable than basic, honest flying skills and judgement...andthe Pietenpol can teach and maintain those skills every minute that you are atthe controls. At 4 gal./hr. fuel consumption and do-it-yourself service, thereissimply nothing as affordable to own or fly than one of these basic experimentals.Go hop in a 172 or an Arrow or a Diamond after flying a Piet for a while and itwillfeel like you're flying a leather couch on rails by comparison. And you even getcabin heat at the pull of a knob, something that Piet pilots wish they had butcan't buy at any price ;o)Oscar ZunigaAir Camper NX41CCSan Antonio, TXmailto: taildrags(at)hotmail.comwebsite at http://www.flysquirrel.net________________________________________________________________________________
No discussion as far as I'm concerned; if it comes to a choice betweengetting a dozen hours of dual instrument time or continuing a Piet project buildin your annual budget, build wins hands-down. You can always go back and brushupon IFR skills but building and flying something like a Piet is something that youmay never do again in your life but will always value and remember as long asyou live. And sometimes you will even be introduced (by your son, daughter, orgrandchild) as someone who built and flies his own airplane. Talk about anice-breaker at parties!Not to sound like a "top gun" or anything, but earlier this year I was veryfortunate to get time in a EA-6B Prowler simulator at NAS Whidbey Island. I hadnotflown anything with that many instruments or controls in many years, and yet it'snotabout the knobs and dials; it's about your confidence in command of the aircraft.Did I goof up? Sure; and I was overwhelmed by all the gadgets and procedures,butI had stick, rudder, and throttle and all the rest was just gravy. With thosethreecontrols in VERY familiar places, I was able to fly some pretty decent maneuvers.I flew simulated instrument approaches, approaches to an aircraft carrier deck,andjust plain old maneuvers... in an airplane that was about as different from a Pietas you can get.There is nothing more valuable than basic, honest flying skills and judgement...andthe Pietenpol can teach and maintain those skills every minute that you are atthe controls. At 4 gal./hr. fuel consumption and do-it-yourself service, thereissimply nothing as affordable to own or fly than one of these basic experimentals.Go hop in a 172 or an Arrow or a Diamond after flying a Piet for a while and itwillfeel like you're flying a leather couch on rails by comparison. And you even getcabin heat at the pull of a knob, something that Piet pilots wish they had butcan't buy at any price ;o)Oscar ZunigaAir Camper NX41CCSan Antonio, TXmailto: taildrags(at)hotmail.comwebsite at http://www.flysquirrel.net________________________________________________________________________________
Pietenpol-List: Re: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: Jeff Boatright
Re: Pietenpol-List: More leading edge questions/ideas
Original Posted By: Michael Perez
I know what you mean but I would think that to properly utilizeply only, you would need to cover from just above the spar ontop to the spar again on the bottom to get a dependable curve.If you made a jig and steamed( or wet) the ply and formed itover that then applied it to the plane after it dries in shape You might not have to go so far back on the bottom. And being preformed it would be significantly easier to apply.In the traditional way you have a small amount of ply and astick. The stick can be any light wood except maybe balsa.This narrow piece of ply would be easy to glue down andshaping the nose is really not that hard. Think about thethings you've already done. Was shaping the leading and trailing edges of the tail an onerous task ??To use the ply requires a lot more ply without the stick so Idon't see any worthwhile weight saving. I think you'll findthat the work load, although different, isn't going to be anyless than sticking to the plans.In the end it boils down to what you're either morecomfortable doing or appeals to your nature.Clif ----- Original Message -----
I know what you mean but I would think that to properly utilizeply only, you would need to cover from just above the spar ontop to the spar again on the bottom to get a dependable curve.If you made a jig and steamed( or wet) the ply and formed itover that then applied it to the plane after it dries in shape You might not have to go so far back on the bottom. And being preformed it would be significantly easier to apply.In the traditional way you have a small amount of ply and astick. The stick can be any light wood except maybe balsa.This narrow piece of ply would be easy to glue down andshaping the nose is really not that hard. Think about thethings you've already done. Was shaping the leading and trailing edges of the tail an onerous task ??To use the ply requires a lot more ply without the stick so Idon't see any worthwhile weight saving. I think you'll findthat the work load, although different, isn't going to be anyless than sticking to the plans.In the end it boils down to what you're either morecomfortable doing or appeals to your nature.Clif ----- Original Message -----
Re: Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: Scott Knowlton
Scott,Where are you building? In NJ?walt evansNX140DL ----- Original Message -----
Scott,Where are you building? In NJ?walt evansNX140DL ----- Original Message -----
Pietenpol-List: to fly or build?
Original Posted By: Oscar Zuniga
Tom=3BI have been an instrument student for almost as long asI've been a pilot... over 30 years. I've taken=2C and passedwith an 85 the first time and a 90 the next=2C the instrumentwritten. I have hood time and actual time=2C not a lot but insingles and in twins=2C and I love instrument flying andprocedures. However=2C I will never get my instrument ticketand I'll be perfectly happy not to because I'd never be ableto stay current. Both literally (by the book) and mentally(proficiency).However=2C I have learned more about actual flying of aircraftfrom my Pietenpol than I ever have in 30 years of instrumentinstruction=2C reading=2C flying=2C testing=2C or any of the rest of it.When it comes crunch time=2C like in a ditch situation=2C I'll takePiet flying skills over instrument skills any day. And I can flythe Piet for an hour for less than $20. There is no instrumentcapable aircraft in my vicinity that I could rent for an hour forless than 3 or 4 times that=2C and I'd also need an in$tructor.By the way=2C flying is like riding a bike. Once you learn=2C you'llnever forget. You can get your basic skills back in a few hoursof dual time=2C maybe less. So raise your 2-year-old. I raised fiveof them and got them all past middle school before I startedbuilding an airplane and I didn't get into my Piet until ouryoungest was already in college. The Piet is 80 years old thisyear=3B it will be just as good in 10 years when you're ready to getback to building =3Bo)Oscar ZunigaAir Camper NX41CCSan Antonio=2C TXmailto: taildrags(at)hotmail.comwebsite at http://www.flysquirrel.net________________________________________________________________________________
Tom=3BI have been an instrument student for almost as long asI've been a pilot... over 30 years. I've taken=2C and passedwith an 85 the first time and a 90 the next=2C the instrumentwritten. I have hood time and actual time=2C not a lot but insingles and in twins=2C and I love instrument flying andprocedures. However=2C I will never get my instrument ticketand I'll be perfectly happy not to because I'd never be ableto stay current. Both literally (by the book) and mentally(proficiency).However=2C I have learned more about actual flying of aircraftfrom my Pietenpol than I ever have in 30 years of instrumentinstruction=2C reading=2C flying=2C testing=2C or any of the rest of it.When it comes crunch time=2C like in a ditch situation=2C I'll takePiet flying skills over instrument skills any day. And I can flythe Piet for an hour for less than $20. There is no instrumentcapable aircraft in my vicinity that I could rent for an hour forless than 3 or 4 times that=2C and I'd also need an in$tructor.By the way=2C flying is like riding a bike. Once you learn=2C you'llnever forget. You can get your basic skills back in a few hoursof dual time=2C maybe less. So raise your 2-year-old. I raised fiveof them and got them all past middle school before I startedbuilding an airplane and I didn't get into my Piet until ouryoungest was already in college. The Piet is 80 years old thisyear=3B it will be just as good in 10 years when you're ready to getback to building =3Bo)Oscar ZunigaAir Camper NX41CCSan Antonio=2C TXmailto: taildrags(at)hotmail.comwebsite at http://www.flysquirrel.net________________________________________________________________________________
Pietenpol-List: Re: Leading edge material
Original Posted By: "jimd"
I know=2C it's been a topic here before=2C but I wanted to share a dilemma I'm facing currently and get others opinions. First off=2C I'm a private=2C instrument rated pilot with about 350 hours. In recent years=2C I've really had to cut my flying back to probably less than 20 hours/year=2C mostly due to finances. I'm beginning to question whether this is enough to stay safe=2C especially in the IFR environment. I don't have a lot of cloud time=2C in fact it was only a year ago that I got the IFR rating. Trouble is=2C I don't really go anywhere - how can I when I only fly an hour or so a month? For similar reasons (finance and time) I've let my Pietenpol project sit for about 2-3 years without touching it. I've got the fuselage about 2/3 complete=2C wing ribs done=2C tail section is 90% complete and I've gathered most of the components for the corvair engine conversion. I really want to work on it=2C but I can't really afford to do much each month with regards to finances and mostly lack of time (I have a 2 year old). I'm considering stopping flying altogether so that the money I am investing in flying is being invested into my Pietenpol. My fear is=2C that if I do stop flying=2C that I may never get back into it=2C and if I do=2C I would never feel confortable flying IFR again with such a "break". My 2 year old is real smart but very impatient=2C so I'm not sure if he's ready to start hanging around in the shop with me=2C unless I'm doing real basic stuff. Not that I'm afraid to run saw around him=2C just that he'd pick up two newly glued pieces of wood=2C right out of a jig and run around with it like a toy - oh to be young...The best rough guess I have to finish my Piet is about $5000-$7000=2C which would take a few years (at the rate I've been flying) to come up with. At this rate=2C I probably spend about $2500/year on flying.Other than the obvious motivations for completing the Piet is some of my families health. I really want to complete it and have them see if fly before they "go" and they want that too. Obviously=2C we never know if we'll see tomorrow so it may be a worthless goal to chase after but it is what it is.Anyway=2C thanks for listening to me rant. I would appreciate any opinions / recommendations of people who've faced similar situations.Tom B.________________________________________________________________________________Subject: Pietenpol-List: Re: Leading edge material
I know=2C it's been a topic here before=2C but I wanted to share a dilemma I'm facing currently and get others opinions. First off=2C I'm a private=2C instrument rated pilot with about 350 hours. In recent years=2C I've really had to cut my flying back to probably less than 20 hours/year=2C mostly due to finances. I'm beginning to question whether this is enough to stay safe=2C especially in the IFR environment. I don't have a lot of cloud time=2C in fact it was only a year ago that I got the IFR rating. Trouble is=2C I don't really go anywhere - how can I when I only fly an hour or so a month? For similar reasons (finance and time) I've let my Pietenpol project sit for about 2-3 years without touching it. I've got the fuselage about 2/3 complete=2C wing ribs done=2C tail section is 90% complete and I've gathered most of the components for the corvair engine conversion. I really want to work on it=2C but I can't really afford to do much each month with regards to finances and mostly lack of time (I have a 2 year old). I'm considering stopping flying altogether so that the money I am investing in flying is being invested into my Pietenpol. My fear is=2C that if I do stop flying=2C that I may never get back into it=2C and if I do=2C I would never feel confortable flying IFR again with such a "break". My 2 year old is real smart but very impatient=2C so I'm not sure if he's ready to start hanging around in the shop with me=2C unless I'm doing real basic stuff. Not that I'm afraid to run saw around him=2C just that he'd pick up two newly glued pieces of wood=2C right out of a jig and run around with it like a toy - oh to be young...The best rough guess I have to finish my Piet is about $5000-$7000=2C which would take a few years (at the rate I've been flying) to come up with. At this rate=2C I probably spend about $2500/year on flying.Other than the obvious motivations for completing the Piet is some of my families health. I really want to complete it and have them see if fly before they "go" and they want that too. Obviously=2C we never know if we'll see tomorrow so it may be a worthless goal to chase after but it is what it is.Anyway=2C thanks for listening to me rant. I would appreciate any opinions / recommendations of people who've faced similar situations.Tom B.________________________________________________________________________________Subject: Pietenpol-List: Re: Leading edge material