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Howdy, Y'all

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Steve Davis

Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2019
Messages
13
Hi Y'all,

I'm new around here and looking to learn from you folks. I've got a lot to learn and I'll probably do a lot more reading than writing, but I wanted to at least say "hello" and introduce myself.

I'm currently living in deep south Alabama, almost on the Florida state line. I hold a private pilot certificate (ASEL) with an instrument rating, and a hair more than 250 hours under my belt. Most of my time has been in Skyhawks, with a little time in an Archer and a C152. I also hold an A&P, and previously made a living by turning wrenches on turbine engines. I do something else now that is far less interesting.

I've been enamored by the idea of building an airplane since I was a kid. I considered buying an ultralight several years back, even leaned strongly into the idea of a PPG or a powered hang glider, but college, starting a family, moving a half dozen times and getting my 9-5 career off the ground took center stage for a while. I'm now back into a situation where I have a little more time and a little bit of disposable income and I've decided to revisit the idea.

While I'd love to plop down the cash for a C182 or something that could take the wife and kid for a weekend at the beach, that kind of thing just isn't in the cards right now. I've even considered looking for an old C152 or J-3 to restore, and you never know... I may or may not get around to that at some point in the future. For right now though, I'm leaning heavily toward building something, even if it's only an LSA or a (heavy) Ultralight. Forgive me if my terms are not quite correct yet. Even with quite a bit of training, both in flying and maintaining, it's appalling how little I actually know about the aircraft segment that the FAA seems to want to forget about.

I've always fancied the low and slow enjoyment of an ultralight, and I'm always envious of them when I see these simple little fellas buzzing around the farm or shooting touch-and-go's that could fit in the length of a tennis court. They may not get anywhere fast, and they aren't taking much with them, but I always imagine a grin the size of Texas on the pilot's face.

I've been building and flying model aircraft for 25 years, including some fairly large models and several of my own designs. I also do woodwork as a hobby, so I think I'll be leaning more toward wood and fabric designs rather than welded or riveted, though I'm not afraid to do some metal work when necessary. Wood is just my preferred medium.

Anyway, sorry for being a bit long-winded. I'm excited to get back into aviation and I look forward to learning from this community.
 
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