Why I sold my
airplane.
If you are in the “I am building”
or “going to build” an RV-10 camp then please feel free to skip this entire
post and enjoy the many years of posts, pictures, and hopefully helpful
insights and building hints on this blog. But, before you go I will answer a
few up-front questions:
If I
could go back in time, would I do it again?
Yes, building my own airplane has
become, is, and always will be part of my identity. It is something that
defines me and I have an immense amount of pride in what I did. I have
absolutely no regrets in this entire process. The day I left the ground in
something I built in my backyard workshop is a memory I will never forget.
Including the following 40hrs of flight where, technically, I was a the test pilot.
I have stories of building and flying this thing that most people will never be
able to experience. The friends I have met because of doing this are priceless.
The knowledge, skills, and confidence of the entire process is equally
priceless.
“Hey,
if I can build an airplane I can …”
What will I miss?
There are few things that come
front and center with this question. First, the kick-in-pants-rip-roaring take-offs
out of the airport. The smooth responsive controls during turns and the slight
pull into the seat that you can only get in flight. Second, the compliments
from strangers or, better yet, compliments from the tower. Third, just the
pride of owning an airplane, especially a beautiful airplane that I built.
What will I not miss?
The annual condition
inspection. Something about having to tear apart what you have built every
year, well it’s not fun. Actually, just the thought of having to deal with
something breaking or any damage to the aircraft was a source of anxiety. The
50kt headwinds we seem to get every time we fly home from Christmas. The
massive mountain turbulence that treats you like you’re in a shaker when James
Bond orders a martini. Or the very unnerving mountain wave phenomenon. We had a
terrifying encounter with this on a night flight home from Sante Fe.
Now on to the rest of the post.
Grab a beer, this is going to be a post that needs it.
Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Good. Take a few swigs, sips, or swallows, however it is you
drink a beer, and let’s get started.
How did I get to this
decision?
This was not an easy decision.
I will probably be
scoffed at, questioned, or disowned for this decision, but I want to illustrate
how hard this actually was. My entire history and life choices have been around
aviation. I was that little boy staring at the sky any time an airplane flew over
(still guilty of this). I had an airplane blanket throughout my childhood (and
it may have come with me when I moved out). My university degree decision was
fully based on getting into the aviation industry. I swept hangar floors and
washed and fueled helicopters as my first aviation job. Airplanes, airplanes,
airplanes. Childhood dream. I got my pilot’s license as soon as I could afford
to do so and quickly moved on to my instrument rating. I flew a lot,
renting a 172 to get back home for the holidays or out for a long weekend.
Moving up into building my own airplane was almost a natural progression. After
building, those flights home and elsewhere were happening in style and speed.
And it was me, us, we were a family with an airplane that we built. So,
needless to say this decision was not taken lightly. In fact, selling the
airplane has been a topic of discussion for about the past year now. This topic
had kept us company on many late nights and long walks.
But then I realized I am still a pilot and I still built my own
airplane and that doesn’t change.
So, what happened?
We weren’t happy
We got this bug, this itch, to leave our current life, home,
and area of the country. We weren’t happy with where we were living and the
lifestyle we had. So, we decided to renovate our life. We sold our house, the
workshop I built went with it of course, and about half our stuff. We paid down
all of our debt rather quickly after no longer funding an airplane build. Then we
started searching for a new beginning. I even looked for a new career out of
aviation just for a new flavor of the day to day grind. We decided to aim West.
I had amazing adventures as a young adult there visiting my Dad. So, we moved
West searching for this new beginning. Now, don’t get me wrong we love it out
here. But there is still one problem, TIME, or the lack there of. More on that
in a bit.
I often wonder if I burnt myself out. I consumed aviation
and then climbed its Everest (building my own airplane). Working in the
industry and then building this beautiful machine caused a great deal of
realizations about myself and my industry. Then, I began to question many more
decisions in my life. I found I never had the time to do any of the things I really
wanted to do. The standard 2 weeks off leaves a lot to be desired. The irony of
the situation is that I built a machine to travel and see places but owning it
keeps me tied to a desk and prevents the exact thing it was built for. I am an
engineer and a builder, I am going to design a way out of this situation! And
it needs to be a permanent solution not a duct tape fix (ie: take a few months
off, or a gap year), I mean, come on, I’m a builder, a craftsman. I don’t do
temporary fix.
As I grow older I am learning that I think I would like to
live my life in a series of big picture adventures. Chapters. Passions. I have
so many things I want to try, do, build, see that I cannot continue with my
past adventures as well, it’s simply a time problem. What good is owning
something if you don’t even have the time to use it.
This is a real life, hard
knocks, lesson in opportunity cost
When I say “opportunity cost” I want to use both sides of
this, time and money. Most of us has had Econ 101, but for a recap here is an
example of a time opportunity cost: constant maintenance and use on an airplane
comes at the cost of not spending time with your family. Or a monetary
opportunity cost example: owning an airplane comes at the cost of your equity
being tied in an asset when it could be used to do something else.
I have one child to be a father to and one
life to live. My daughter gets older by the day and one of these days she will
no longer need or desire my time like she does now. I would like to maximize
this time now as much as possible. Also, we all have an expiration date and I
have too many things left to do. If I can use a monetary asset I have to create
more time for all three of the categories listed above then I believe that this
is the best opportunity cost exchange I could have created.
So, what now?
I build things. I am a builder
This is the best summed-up, single word, definition for me.
One of things that I have on my long list of things I’d like to do is build a
house in the mountains. We moved West, there are mountains, we need a house,
houses are expensive here, I build things…it’s time for this adventure to
start. But, we didn’t just go out and buy an airplane so why would we just go
out and buy a house. We didn’t pay someone to build our airplane so why would I
pay a crew to have all the fun of building my house. No, this is MY dream. I am
the architect, drafter, engineer, and carpenter. Because I go “extreme” and
deep dive into projects. We will be living on site “tiny house” style and
building our real house one day at a time. I am truly loving designing the house and
knowing that I loved the experience of building my old workshop, I am confident
that I will love building the house as well. And then? Were going to stop
watching it all literally fly by and travel slower, less planned and more in
the moment.
On to the next adventure!
