Grasshopper22
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2009
- Messages
- 206
- Reaction score
- 5
Hello everyone,
I joined this forum a few months ago when my dad pointed it out to me. I am a 23yr old A&P, private pilot. My family owns a few airplanes to say the least. My experiences started when I was around 12 and I began building and flying rc airplanes... one thing lead to another and soon enough my father blessed me with the gift of a1980 Super Decathlon project when I was 17.
I learned a great many things from that plane, under the watchful eyes of my grandfather (A&P/IA) and a local airplane restorer.Icompleted a variety of tasks by myself and then final inspection was up to one of my mentors.Frommilling the spars, sandblasting the airframe, rewiring the whole mess, and covering the fuselage and tailfeathers using Polyfiber I tried toearn my keep.When we had to sell it as a "much more complete" project that was near paint stages, I felt almost sick.
All ofthat was during my time at A&P school at Vincennes University. I graduated with an A&Pand transfered to Purdue University to get a bachelors in Aeronautical Engineering Technology.
While at Purdue I learned a fair amount more than could be taught in the basic18 month A&P course, but nothing in comparison to the experienceI gained at my uncle's hanger where all the family planes are kept.It was in this nice large hangerwhereI learned to fly,fabric cover, TIG weld, and perform "real world maintenance" onthe family planes. So far there has been no greater honor than to have been given the privilage to recover my dad's Pitts S-2B which he babied so dearly. I had less than a years time on that A&P certificate when he allowed me to personally head up the restoration with "minimal" oversight by local professionals.
Seasons change and school is out for now... I have moved to CT to work for Sikorsky helicopters. I left the Pitts completely covered, partially primed, and nowhere near done. Some call it the 90% done, 90% to go area... I have restored airplanes for 5 years already and never completed a single one. It seems apparent that we will have to sell the Pitts at a loss and get something flying before competition aerobatics fade frommydad'sdream forever.
Homebuilding and restoring airplanes remain buried in my heart, and ever-present in my mind, as we still have a crashed Pitts S-2C and a clipped wing taylorcraft project to finish... I just need to find the time.
I love checking this forum, and I will post where I either have questions (endless) or tips and hints (few and already well-known).
I have dreams of multiple projects, but I must say I have been bitten by thePitts bug, and need one or two...heck why not jig it all out real well and build 2 at a time
I joined this forum a few months ago when my dad pointed it out to me. I am a 23yr old A&P, private pilot. My family owns a few airplanes to say the least. My experiences started when I was around 12 and I began building and flying rc airplanes... one thing lead to another and soon enough my father blessed me with the gift of a1980 Super Decathlon project when I was 17.
I learned a great many things from that plane, under the watchful eyes of my grandfather (A&P/IA) and a local airplane restorer.Icompleted a variety of tasks by myself and then final inspection was up to one of my mentors.Frommilling the spars, sandblasting the airframe, rewiring the whole mess, and covering the fuselage and tailfeathers using Polyfiber I tried toearn my keep.When we had to sell it as a "much more complete" project that was near paint stages, I felt almost sick.
All ofthat was during my time at A&P school at Vincennes University. I graduated with an A&Pand transfered to Purdue University to get a bachelors in Aeronautical Engineering Technology.
While at Purdue I learned a fair amount more than could be taught in the basic18 month A&P course, but nothing in comparison to the experienceI gained at my uncle's hanger where all the family planes are kept.It was in this nice large hangerwhereI learned to fly,fabric cover, TIG weld, and perform "real world maintenance" onthe family planes. So far there has been no greater honor than to have been given the privilage to recover my dad's Pitts S-2B which he babied so dearly. I had less than a years time on that A&P certificate when he allowed me to personally head up the restoration with "minimal" oversight by local professionals.
Seasons change and school is out for now... I have moved to CT to work for Sikorsky helicopters. I left the Pitts completely covered, partially primed, and nowhere near done. Some call it the 90% done, 90% to go area... I have restored airplanes for 5 years already and never completed a single one. It seems apparent that we will have to sell the Pitts at a loss and get something flying before competition aerobatics fade frommydad'sdream forever.
Homebuilding and restoring airplanes remain buried in my heart, and ever-present in my mind, as we still have a crashed Pitts S-2C and a clipped wing taylorcraft project to finish... I just need to find the time.
I love checking this forum, and I will post where I either have questions (endless) or tips and hints (few and already well-known).
I have dreams of multiple projects, but I must say I have been bitten by thePitts bug, and need one or two...heck why not jig it all out real well and build 2 at a time
