Successful Homebuilts Foster Community Atmosphere
by ANN Correspondent Matt Russell
The AirVenture experience is already one where strong bonds are
formed between complete strangers. (As ANN Managing Editor Rob
Finfrock put it, "[At AirVenture] you’re hanging out with
600,000 of your best friends.")
True to the original purpose of EAA, more networking and even
tighter bonds may be formed through owner groups and common parking
areas for like-types at AirVenture. EAA has identified and
accommodated this need and designated adequate parking areas for
each type of "high-volume" homebuilt, and the Vans RV-models are
perhaps the best example of such a community on the grounds of
Wittman Field.
When strolling up to the RV parking area, just west of
AirVenture’s Forum Plaza, it is hard to grasp just how many
RVs must be present. "Several hundred is an easy guess," says Dave
Pohl, an RV-7A owner who flew in from Pontiac, MI.
"There are all types of RVs here," Pohl says, standing next to
his spotless N442DP (above). "New ones, old ones, F1 Rocket
conversions, you name it!" As he points them out, a formation of
almost ten additional RVs flies past behind him, trailing show
smoke as part of the afternoon air show. Pohl points to a shining
green example a few rows away. "See that one over there? It has
around 2000 hours on it," he exclaims.
Pohl flew to AirVenture from Michigan in a flight of two with
his friend, Ted Gauthier, who he met through the RV community.
Gauthier and Pohl told about the time their weekly Saturday-morning
breakfast with other RV builders created a brush with EAA
celebrity. "Paul Poberezny was in the Detroit area on business, and
we happened to see him and recognize him," recalls Pohl. Gauthier
adds, "We invited him to come to the RV breakfast the next morning,
and didn’t really expect him to show… but he came to
the breakfast and brought his wife along!"
Gauthier (above) is a Designated Airworthiness Representative
(DAR) who specializes in new RV builds. After consulting with a
technical specialist on their craftwork, RV builders pay Gauthier a
fee to inspect their new RV and issue the airworthiness certificate
on behalf of the FAA. Gauthier marvels at the number of
certificates he has been fortunate to issue... "I’m doing
about one or two per week," he says. The oldest new RV owner he has
certified so far, Gauthier says, was 85.
Pohl proudly reflects on the camaraderie he discovered during
his RV build. "I’ve met so many people since I started this
project… people from all over the world; people from
different parts of the industry, airline pilots, test
pilots… there is a guy right now who used to fly P-3s for
the Navy, and he’s building an RV-7." According to Gauthier
and Pohl, even one of the Airbus A380 test pilots is an RV owner
and test pilot.
As Gauthier and Pohl remove the cover from Gauthier’s
gleaming red taildragger, N16TG, Pohl remarks about how each RV
owner customizes his or her own plane. "Aside from the paint
scheme, the instrument panel is where most of the owner’s
tastes can be seen. Sometimes people will advise you to change
things on your panel, but as the builder you decide what works for
the best," he says.
Pohl explains each RV owner must complete his or her own build
to fully appreciate the experience. "We support other builders, but
you don’t give them the answers, you let them make their own
decisions and you point out the opportunity to them. You
don’t want to take the experience from them," he said.
"That’s important." Pohl went on to explain how each RV owner
has had "that moment" when they align the tail and wings during
assembly. "You realize this is going to affect how the plane flies
for the rest of its life. That is some real stress, and we’ve
all been through it," he says. "It’s really nice to have
someone who’s been there to look over your job before you
make it permanent."
Perhaps Gauthier sums it up best when he explains the single
thing holding such a diverse group together. "We took off in
Pontiac [Michigan] and arrived in Oshkosh after a 168-knot cruise
for two hours. We burned about 10.5 gallons-per-hour, and did it
all using planes we built in our basements!"