About a month ago, I happened to be on the West Coast so I decided to make a visit to the Van’s Aircraft factory in Aurora, OR.  I guess you could say I was still trying to decide what to do but I have to admit my mind was already made up.  Nevertheless, it was fun to see the place where are the parts are stamped, formed and packaged.  I was mostly struck by how low key everything seemed.  It was certainly a place where a lot of dreams are being made.

The ride in the RV-14A was a bit mind blowing.  What struck me first was the incredibly visibility through the bubble canopy.  There is nothing between you and the sky.  It felt like I was sitting out on the wing.

The airplane flew beautifully.  It was extremely light on the controls and very responsive.   The takeoff distance was 500-600 feet, and it climbed like an elevator.

I was able to fly it for most of the short flight with the demo pilot taking the controls during takeoff and landing.

Needless to say, I completed an order form before I left, and it seems that I am now committed to building this thing.

Following the visit to Aurora, I flew to the SF Bay area to take an EAA Sportair Class on sheetmetal.  Having never driven a rivet previously, I came out of the class with much more confidence for what I am about to do.  During the class, we assembled two projects – one of which was a small wing section.  The class was very much worthwhile.

Next: empennage arrival is scheduled for April 19.