At the SportAir Workshop I attended in January, I got contact info for a few locals with completed RVs; Bob Calo finished his in 2012 and was brave enough to invite us down for show & tell.
Weather & schedules finally cooperated today and the fam & I made the trip to Frederick, MD.
Everyone got a chance to try it on for size (on the ground) after Bob's preflight & safety briefing.
Bob fired up the 180 horses and we were off into a fairly stiff wind. His plane handled it beautifully, climbed like a kicked cheetah (we had to hold on the runway for a Cessna Cardinal to climb out), and he let me have a little stick time in the practice area.
This was my first time up in an RV, and it did not disappoint! The visibility was incredible, maneuvering required simple pressure on the stick, and she was eager as a puppy when Bob stood her on end for a wing-over.
Not having been in a flying RV before, I was anxious about whether it would be a comfortable fit; it would be nice to have a few more inches of legroom, but headroom was fine, and shoulder-width was tight but manageable. All in all, I think it will work fine; it's snug but fits (& acts) like a sportscar.
Bob has a beautiful bird, and I'm extremely grateful for his time. Motivation meter is full - time to get back in the shop!
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