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Sorry this is long, but something cool happened for me last night and I wanted to share my story. If you have read some of my other posts you will know I recently bought a new house and have been working feverously to get my home in order so I can start building my -8. So far, I haven't really gotten any feedback from my wife or kids about this new project. I figured they were thinking that I was just up to another one of my crazy ideas and it would just fade away.

Well, after making some major progress unpacking household goods, I decided it was time to get my basement workshop in order. I already had some workbenches, but they were taken apart for the move. I grabbed my cordless drill and started driving some screws. My 11 year old son must have heard this and made his way to see what was going on. He said "Wow, you're actually going to do this! Can I help?" Before I knew it, my 8 year old son had joined us and was ratcheting away at the bench leg bolts. They both love using the cordless drill and think it is the coolest thing. I can hardly wait to see their reaction when our pneumatic tools arrive.

I guess you could say I'm a very happy person to know they both want to be involved. I think my kids are more excited about building than I am. The empennage kit and tools should be here this week. I plan on making a website so others can follow our progress. More to come.

That sounds great. Building your RV with your kids, something they will never forget. Just wait for when you are able to take them up for their first ride in the plane they helped Dad build!!

Talk about RV smiles. If you get the RVator, look at the two pictures on the back of the Dec issue. That's two of my step-children with their first RV and small airplane ride. Another of those moments you will never forget.

Good luck and have fun.

Dale

Most Excellent!!

That's cool Bill. In a time when too many parents seem to look for ways to AVOID interacting with their children (DVD players in the minivan, etc.), it's great to see somebody doing something constructive with the offspring. It's time I'm sure none of you will ever regret spending that way.
So, who'll start the flying lessons first, the 8- or the 11-year-old?

Cool, that is the best thing... sharing something like this with your kids!

I look forward to hearing what they did on your kit! Have them sign the completed components with a Sharpie so the work will live in eternity!

CJ

I came home from work tonight hoping to find some packages, but no luck. My 11 year Shane was excited to show me the work he did on the shop. He had put some reinforcement braces on the bench to make it more sturdy. It kind of surprised me and scared me at the same time. They are so excited to get started that they are taking it upon themselves to do work. I told them I was glad they wanted to help me, but they are not to work on the plane unless I am there. My youngest son Shawn said "We know Dad, if we mess something up, it might make the plane crash." I told them that there was nothing we could ruin that we couldn't fix, but the main reason was so we don't have to pay for any replacement parts.

Both my kids have been flying with me since they were very little. They are both Young Eagles and have camped under the wings at Oshkosh. My oldest son is happy to just be along for the ride. My younger son on the hand loves to fly and is a control hog. As a CFI, I have to say he is a great learner. I just hope I can get the -8 done before he is old enough to solo. I will definitely let them autograph some parts. I think that is a cool idea. That way they can show it to their kids someday.

Family support can make or break a project like this. Unless you're single and have no kids of course. It's great that your kids are helping you out. You now have two allies in the house also. Spouses can also make a huge difference. Ever hear of "AIDS?" "Airplane Induced Divorce Syndrome?" On the other extreme-one of my local builder group's spouse is actually more excited about their RV-9 than the "builder" seems to be. That is just too awesome. Unlike that RV-4 flying around with the name "Divorce One" across the nose. If you do build a website make sure to let us know. Can't get enough RV's ya know. Have fun and enjoy the process.

Good post Mikey. That is the thing that has me concerned the most about building. I just can't seem to win my wife's support on this. She would rather buy new furniture for the entire house. I am hoping now that she sees how excited the kids are about building, she will slowly come around.

I put together a small website which is listed in my signature block. It is still in the works so don't expect too much.