Intro
So who am I? I think if you ask 100 pilots when their interest in aviation started, all 100 would tell you it’s been there since childhood. I’m no different. It started with just thinking airplanes were “neat”. Then as I got older, and more nerdy, they physics of flight fascinated me. But like most pilots who didn’t choose aviation as a career, I didn’t start actually flying until much later. My first logbook entry is dated 4 days after my 35th birthday – March 21, 2018 in N2438E, a Cessna 172R for a whopping 1 hour. That same day, I bought all the course material (including the log book) and signed up for flight lessons.
It didn’t take long for me to realize I wanted my own airplane. I started surfing the web trying to figure out what it would take to buy a plane. I hit the usual places, barnstormers, controller, trade-a-plane, etc looking for unicorn – the airplane that fit my mission, with modern avionics, in great condition, that didn’t cost a fortune. I quickly found out that like unicorns, such a plane didn’t exist.
Experimental – Am I crazy
About the time I was about to give up and just accept the fact that I would be an airplane renter, not an airplane owner, I started to hear about experimental airplanes. I gently floated the idea by Kristyn and was met with a resounding “NO!” She thought I was crazy. Admittedly everybody I’ve talked to since has looked at me kinda funny, so maybe building an airplane in my garage is crazy. But if thousands of other average Joe’s can do it, so can I. Over the next several months I kept gently approaching the subject from any angle I could think of. I don’t know if I finally talked her into it or if she was just tired of hearing me talk about it, but I remember the exact moment she agreed. We were walking into a restaurant for dinner and I was bringing up the subject for the one millionth time when she finally said, “ok let’s do it.”
So I went out that next day and bought the kit right? NOPE! I sat for months, talking about it. I already knew which plane I wanted, what the mission was, what I was willing to spend, etc. etc. But I still annoyed my poor wife for months talking about it and not doing it.
So the real question though – Am I crazy? The question of experimental vs. certified aircraft in terms of safety is highly debated. On one hand, you have an airplane built by an amateur who is learning to drive rivets, fabricate aluminum parts, and install an engine and avionics as he goes. On the other hand, you have new parts and the latest technology for a fraction of the cost of installing the same equipment (aside from an expensive stamp from the FAA saying it works) in a certified aircraft. The difference in cost means you can afford that gizmo that improves situational awareness and helps keep you safe.
The real difference in my mind is the time, dedication, and attention to detail the builder is willing to put into making an exceptional experimental airplane. If you don’t deviate too far from the standard kit plans, including the powerplant the kit was designed around, and learn from the experience of the builders that came before you, experimental aircraft can be just as safe or safer than a comparable certified airplane at a significantly lower price.
Why the RV-10
I mentioned earlier, I started with the mission I wanted to accomplish with my airplane. I wanted an IFR capable aircraft that could carry 4 real adults with luggage for around 1000 miles on a full tank of gas. I wanted a relatively fast airplane with modern avionics. To me a good autopilot was non-negotiable for those long IFR cross countries. Naturally I started looking at Cirrus SR22, Cessna 210, and similar planes. The acquisition cost and cost of maintaining the SR22 ruled that out. I want an airplane I can afford to fly after all. The 210 is a really compelling airplane, but finding one in good condition with modern avionics was really tough. It also felt like driving a bus.
When I turned to experimental, I quickly found and fell in love with the Vans RV-10. It’s an awesome looking plane and at least on paper it out performs the SR22 in basically every category. I also looked really closely at the Sling4 (the Sling TSI didn’t exist at the time). It really came down to those two aircraft. In the end, it was the builder community and long term reputation of Vans Aircraft that sold me. Vans being an American company and only a few short hours drive from my home also didn’t hurt.