What hath Van wroght?

svanarts · Post by **svanarts** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 9:45 pm

I was just talking to my wife last night about the new RV-7 I'm building. I was discussing how successful the RV series is. I told her the planes really are stunning aircraft and fly well but that isn't the key to the wild success of this series of aircraft. I don't think Van truly appreciates the driving force of his company's success. He certainly doesn't show any appreciation for it.

What is it? It is us. The community of builders out here on the Internet. I joined the RV-List email list on Matronics back in 1997 or so. And in that time I've been on several RV-related email lists and bulletin boards. Some of them are no longer around but more have come along and filled in. You can see many of the same names on the various boards. Like family we can fight like cats and dogs sometimes but also like family we are united in a common love of aviation and our RV aircraft.

I've had RV builders that I've never even met be more friendly and helpful than many of the people I attend church with. Here's a short list of the help I've received:
- bucking rivets in the tail cone of my RV-4 (which is smaller than a coffin)
- low-boy semi to haul my fuselage to the airport
- driven into town to buy parts to fix my brake lines
- given inspirational rides in RV-4 and RV-6 (by strangers)
- have been loaned countless tools
- given countless parts (nuts, bolts, washers, rivets)

All things that would never have occured if I were building this plane without anyone else to turn to.

And then there's Spike's Place aka RivetBangers.com which is about the nicest slice of the Internet you're ever going to find. So what's the point? Heck if I know. I guess that I'm the type to count blessings at the New Year rather than make resolutions. There are a bunch of blessings out there, and they're all building an RV just like I am.

Oh, and one Bear Hawk.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 10:08 pm

Well said!

CJ

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 11:18 pm

Great post Scott! Here here to a great 2006, and looking forward to a wonderful 2007 chocked full of great support and even better RV (and one Bear Hawk) friends!!

papakeith · Post by **papakeith** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 12:12 am

awww heck I'm getting all misty over here

This past year has been a whirlwind for me. Nothing tragic, far from it. It has been the beginning of a journey and the start of friendships that I believe will last me a lifetime.

Since just after SNF last year the whirlwind has been my immersion into the home built community. If you had told me 365 days ago that I would be scratch building an airplane, I would have laughed. Still I don't think I really fully realize what I've gotten myself into. But I'm enjoying the trip so far.

Scott nailed it. It is the builder community out there, on the internet, and locally, that has made it happen for me. It's certainly what brought me into this world. At any time day or night I can reach out at the speed of light across the globe and ask a question, any question. Chances are that within 12 hrs (usually much, much less) I will have a variety of answers or opinions from builders.

I could ramble on for another page or two thanking everyone that helped me out at one time or another in the past year alone. Don't worry, I won't:P

What it comes down to is that I want to give a hearty thank you to all RBers for a great year. I certainly wouldn't be doing what I'm doing if I hadn't had your support along the way.

JohnR · Post by **JohnR** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 8:59 am

Scott, I agree with you. The builder community is a wonderful resource. It played a large roll in the decision to build the RV. Other kits have builder communities also, but none I have seen are as robust as the RV community.

The highlight of my OshKosh trip this year was meeting the RivetBanger group for dinner at the Black Otter. I am looking forward to another outing with the group in 2007. Hopefully I'll have a chance to shake the hand of some more of those friends I have made that I have yet to meet in person.

Thanks to everyone for the help and support over the last year. I wish you all a happy and prosperous year in 2007.

spikescopilot · Post by **spikescopilot** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:16 am

And a big "thank you" to you guys as well -- Rivetbangers wouldn't be the "nicest slice of the internet" without all of it's wonderful members (and yes, even the anonymous guests who come for answers to their building questions). Your interactions with each other are what set the tone of the site (although we do play nanny a bit... LOL).

I set up the board and created "admin" (the missing UID=1 account) on the evening of October 14, 2004. Spike didn't want a generic admin, so I created Spike and deleted admin once the board was functional. I can still remember the pure joy he felt when we saw the first users sign up. "Frank" signed up the next morning, and a couple of people signed up on the 16th and 17th. "rvator" was user number 100.

Three months later, VansAirforce set up their own board. Spike felt a bit of despair. He was certain that the VAF board would put us into the ground, especially since he couldn't "advertise" on any of the email lists -- his emails kept getting deleted. Somehow through it all, we suddenly had 500 users (TomNativeNewYorker), and today we have just over 700.

Still very active, still very friendly, and still a great resource for RV and Bearhawk and any other builders out there.

Thanks for your support everyone, I hope you are all truly blessed in 2007.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:46 am

The people, INDEED! I was one of the early posters. I wanted to write SOMETHING each day, no matter how stupid it was. If not, this board would have gone the way of the other (rvaero.com?) and the smaller village appreals to me. Great job, Spike and Patti!

The plane. It is the "other" thing of importance here.

I, like John R. said... may not have chosen to build if not for the "community"! I consider this board a HUGE resource and even if for only a sounding board sometimes, it is TREMENDOUS! Thermos calls it, "calibrating his mind." I agree. Sometimes we can get so involved in our own ideas we beging re-inventing the wheel or off on some wild tangient going the long way around.

The plane is essentially certificated quality parts now, available for us to buy, install and maintain at a fraction of the cost of a spam can! That is hard to beat! The act of building garners the knowledge required to maintain the plane through the sands of time.

This is a long, exciting, educational, FUN and social journey! Enjoy it! I am!

CJ

Post by **Spike** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 11:02 am

captain_john wrote: This is a long, exciting, educational, FUN and social journey! Enjoy it! I am!

Don't forget addictive !!

ptrotter · Post by **ptrotter** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:28 pm

Scott put it very well. My girlfriend tells me I'm not a social person. I tell her she has to be kidding, I have hundreds of friends I've never even met. And when I do meet them, it's like Ive known them for a long time. One of the best things about building RVs is the community that comes with it.

4kilo · Post by **4kilo** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:31 pm

You know Paul, when I see your N number, I even feel like family!

Pat

spikescopilot · Post by **spikescopilot** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 3:01 am

Thermos · Post by **Thermos** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 7:17 am

captain_john wrote:Thermos calls it, "calibrating his mind."

I just wish those test meter probes didn't hurt so much when I stick them in my ears...

Dave

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 4:02 pm

Good thing it is your mind you are calibrating!

Otherwise, I wouldn't TOUCH THE PROBES!

CJ