Quote:
Originally Posted by Dantilla
I'm currently building an RV-7.
Big advantage of going with an experimental is the ability to maintain it yourself.
With a certified airplane, outside of the very basics like an oil change, all maintenance must be done by a certified mechanic, or at best, a mechanic that will oversee the owner's work enough that he will sign his name in the maintenance logs that the work was performed correctly.
Another advantage is less expensive parts. Such as:
An alternator for a certified airplane MUST come with the proper FAA approval for that particular airplane.
That exact same alternator may be available at the local auto parts store for a fraction of the cost. Legal to use the less expensive one from the auto parts store, yet it is illegal to install it on the certified plane.
Same with avionics. Everybody is going with GPS systems with moving maps. Always expensive to buy the unit that has gone through all the FAA's hoops for approval for installation in a specific certified airplane, whereas the same unit can be had for about half price for the experimental airplanes.
The advantage of owning: Everything in the hangar is just as I left it. The seat adjustment stays where I like it. Nobody has reconfigured the radio stack, or left the tanks empty, or flat-spotted the tires. No candy wrappers behind the seat. Never a scheduling conflict.
And a biggie- When I call for the gas truck to come to my hangar, they know I keep ice cream bars in the freezer. They like me.
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Which Vans did you go for? Are you filming the build at all? Would love to watch your progress.
Re: going experimental. I have read a lot about what you are saying and honestly, the cost is a very attractive part of it. The other BIGGER reason is I have learned to trust my work much more than professionals. I have done most of the work on my houses myself. When I look at my work I am significantly more satisfied with my work quality than any contractor (Plus I know it was done right with no short cuts). I have worked on many cars and pretty much built my porsche (see my link below). I like knowing my cars completed, it brings me great confidence on the road. In terms of planes, I know they are quite different but it isnt anything I cannot learn and like I said I trust myself more than anyone I've ever hired. I only wish I was my own physician, there are a lot of ding bats in that rhelm as well.
BTW, this isnt to say there isn't good contractors, good mechanics and good physicians, I have just seen a lot of very bad ones.
Ideally, I get more acquainted with mechanics at a particular airfield. Maybe volunteer my time helping to restore an old plane. And hopefully those relationships grow and bestow some knowledge too me.
Im excited for your project, good luck