From the time I was in High School I have wanted to be a pilot. In Junior College I took all of the ground school classes, but when it came time to continue learning in an airplane I took a long look into a rather empty wallet and decided to become a teacher instead. I got a federally insured student load to attend Pomona College and spent two enjoyable years competing in Track and Field, rebuilding a motorcycle, and going to classes every once in a while. The teaching goal gave way to the study of psychology and a job as a group home parent caring for 5 emotionally disturbed kids. What do I do now for a living? I'm a diagnostic engineer for a company that produces stereo vision equipment (www.tyzx.com). Go figure.
So, what happened to flying? Early in my career I put in a lot of overtime. One summer found me with some disposable income, so I learned to fly in a 150 out of Reid Hillview airport in San Jose, CA. The idea of building my own aircraft has intrigued me for almost 30 years. My early choice was one of Burt Rutan's designs, either a Long Eze or a Q2. More recently I had the opportunity to ride in the back of a Van's Aircraft RV-4. To say that the hook was well and truly set would be just a tad bit of an understatement. These pages show the current state of my RV-8 project. Or, will it be a nosewheel RV-8A? Haven't decided that yet ...
Update on Oct. 20, 2001: it's an RV-8A! See The Choice on Stories page.
Start Date: November 19, 1997
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