IT WASN'T MY TIME

摘要

A friend who recently launched into an RV-8 project sent me the video of an aerobatic performance by local RV guru Jon Thocker. Jon's routine was graceful, precise and beautifully filmed, so it was no surprise when my friend announced he "couldn't wait to get into that." Now, my friend Roy Schalk hasn't been flying all that long, and he's even newer to this airplane-building business, but I'm pretty sure his RV will be a masterpiece, and when he gets into it, he'll be an exceptional aerobatic pilot. Soon after Roy was badly bitten with the flying bug and licensed, he and his wife, Missy, bought a half share in a Cessna 182. They ride a massive, customized Harley around the country, scuba dive, farm a large property, and put up the fruits and vegetables they harvest. Roy is a Civil War expert and collector, and a master carpenter, builder and contractor; he keeps horses, raises and processes his own beef, hunts, is a sharpshooter, and makes an awesome elixir from the grapes he grows. But, at least at this point, I still know more about flying, so my unsolicited, but expert, professional, experienced and highly technical, advice was that if he plans to turn that airplane upside down, he should make sure the wings and tail are screwed on tight.