One thing that keeps me headed down this path: in the year 2017 am I, then a man of 63, going to think "I wish I had built an airplane like I wanted to" or am I going to think "I'm going to fly up to Columbia for lunch with my wife on this beautiful morning."? I shall look ahead and decide now. No guarantees, of course, as we don't know the number of our days nor the circumstances of our future. But I shall look to the future with what I know today, in 2009.

So, what is there to getting started in the building an airplane business? Well, the biggest part is deciding if you want to commit the time and dollars to creating an airplane. It's not for everyone, obviously, and it partly comes down to whether you want an airplane or whether you want to build an airplane and then have that airplane to fly. Big difference. I also like building things. Poring over detailed plans and schematics and instructions does not intimidate me; I see it as a challenge and opportunity to learn new things and skills. And, I get to buy really neat tools! Big bonus.

For me, I want an airplane to call my own someday, years from now when I don't get a serious Learjet fix every week or so. Pride of ownership, availability, something to enjoy on an early summer morning. I mean, there are few things better in life than a well-executed base to final turn to a mountain runway in a great airplane on a cool clear calm morning with a touch of mist in the nearby valleys. Don't get me wrong; there are better things, but not too many. If this makes sense to you, enough said; if not, I can't say enough.

When I was a kid, I promised that someday I would own and fly a four-engine B-17 bomber.

As I matured and saw how life works, I realized that just wasn't very practical or likely. Okay, I would have a Curtiss P-40 fighter.

Then that became less likely so I got realistic and decided a T-6 Texan would be just the ticket.

Back when that dream was in vogue a T-6 could still be had for $15,000 or $20,000. Soon that dream hit the reality wall.

Realism won out, with a short detour during the Beech 18 phase, which wasn't really all that long ago. I had the airframe all picked out and could almost afford to buy the hulk that would start my airplane project. I have a good guy buddy who is in the business of restoring Twin Beeches.

But really now? Two big radial engines and avgas over $3.00 (that was then; over $5.00 is now), plus the realities of trying to restore such an airplane pushed it beyond my reach. Well, it actually was always beyond my reach but that realism thing, you know... My very understanding wife continues to be very understanding with my little diversions from reality.

I also dabbled with thoughts of doing a Navion restoration.

You can see I tend toward old airplanes. Navion: cool airplane, but I had to again think about reality. Big, thirsty, complicated airplane, retractable landing gear, expensive parts, old parts, hard-to-find parts. Airworthiness directives, relatively slow for the engine size but it would carry four or five in relative comfort. Actually, still not a bad idea but probably not for me.

I hadn't really considered a homebuilt. Pretty small, can't carry too much; can't go too far. No radial engine either. What's the point if you don't have a least a 450 horse Pratt & Whitney smokin' nine-banger radial hanging on the front? Well, back to reality, and the experimental homebuilt airplane becomes a bit more attractive. The thought of building an airplane was intriguing; I wasn't concerned so much about whether I had the skill to do it, nor did I have any safety concerns about flying an airplane I built, so that didn't enter into the equation.

Actually, it was the look of the Van's RV-8 that got me thinking seriously first, then I started to see the advantages of a homebuilt. But what a cool looking airplane: tandem seating, blown canopy ala P-51 Mustang, had to be a taildragger (what's the point of a nosewheel on a sport airplane?), and it just is a movin' little machine. And, if you squint a bit it looks like a P-40. If you really, really squint, it looks like a B-17.

First, I had to look at what I wanted an airplane for. Pretty much for me to fly around and have fun with. Transportation was not a big item, nor was heavy IFR flying. Carrying passengers, yes, if they wanted to come with me for some fun flying. If they don't want to squeeze into a "little" airplane they probably should stick with the aluminum tube Boeing 757s and peanuts, if lucky. Speaking of squeezing in, my height and, ahem, added weight slotted to the RV-8 also, though in the last regard I am committed to slide down the weight scale as the weight of the RV parts is sliding up the scale. After all, what do I save if I squeeze a pound or two out of the empty weight of the airplane if I can reduce the load by 70 pounds by getting to my right weight. Enough said, but please pass the celery.

There really wasn't any question in my mind: if I was going to build an airplane it was going to be an RV-8. Made sense, many RV-8s out there; many under construction; many resources; relatively easy to build from a well-designed kit. Carried two people at an honest pushing-200 mph speed for under ten gallons per hour with a safe and dependable engine and propeller.

But the decision was a long time in coming. My three sons were enthusiastic from the beginning...just what old Dad needed. My wife, always understanding but worries about airplanes and what they could do to her babies, well, not so much. But she knows me and dreams and she tacitly signed on as a reluctant supporter. Probably figures it will keep me away from Beech 18s.

But to get an idea of what I was getting myself into, I took the EAA Sport Air class at Watsonville, California, in November 2007. Taught by RV star Dan Checkoway; good guy, great teacher, excellent resource, outstanding experience; well worth it. Came back fired up and ready to order the airplane in the spring of 2008. Then along came an "offer I couldn't refuse" in doing the third edition of Final Cut, so that tied up a pile of money. Finally, on December 30, 2008 (to beat a modest price increase), I placed the order for "my" RV-8 empennage kit, the first of four kits it takes to build an RV-8. I'm on my way and with the anticipated help of my three fine sons and my wife (yes, she will drive a few rivets before I'm done, though she denies it) and a slew of other people many of whom, even right now, don't even know I exist, I will someday have an RV-8 parked in a hangar at the Lincoln Airport (or maybe the Auburn Airport).

So, how long will it take me to build this airplane? Who knows? Who cares? Many years of patience and toiling to make it right and pinching pennies to make it real. But it will fly with me at the controls. I'll let you know.