@europaxs although I just moved closer to the border, I will proceed with cycloon towards the PH registry, as you recommended. It’ll take some time though.
At the moment I am researching possibilities of an electronic ignition, you have to remove the engine to adjust the magnetos:
I took some lessons in another nice french lady inbetween:
My RV12 is finally painted and I managed to get to the LAA rally the day after it emerged from the paint shop.
Congratulations a nice looking aircraft! Looks like a factory finish.
Congratulations wigglyamp !
Can you give us some details about your RV ? Engine, avionics, speeds, fuel burn, distances etc…
Thanks !
G-DOUZ…
I see what you did there 
Jujupilote wrote:
Can you give us some details about your RV ? Engine, avionics, speeds, fuel burn, distances etc…
Engine is the Rotax 912ULS, 100HP with ground-adjustable propellor
Avionics – Dual Garmin G3X Touch 10.6" displays with 2-axis autopilot (essentially the GFC500)
ADS-B OUT via a Garmin GTX35R transponder/GPS20A remote GPS receiver.
ADS-B IN from a Garmin GDL50R.
GNC255A Nav/Com
PS Engineering PM3000 intercom.
Cruise at 5000 RPM – 108 kts.
Fuel burn – 18LPH
Range – Comfortably 350NM with a bit of reserve.
It’s a bit on the heavy side as I have all available extras but can still take 2 168lb pax, full fuel (75L) and full baggage (50lbs) so I’m very satisfied with that.
At 4 years on, jwoolard’s RV14 is coming along
In the meantime he is on his 3rd functioning plane – a Zenair 
I guess this is the reality for the average builder. It’s not a quick project.
My birthday present (took 2+ months to come from the US)
Embroidered by the wife of Mike Seager, the most senior RV CFI and Vans factory pilot. Looks like a go ahead for me
some fascinating aircraft and stories in this thread 👍🏻
Since I’m pretty new on this forum, I will take the opportunity for a “short” introduction…
My initials are DC… but my friends call me Dan 😉, here goes:
Born too many years ago, bitten early by the bacillus aviaticus. Don’t remember a thing about my 1st solo, but sure recall every detail of my very first flight, in an aircraft that is. Aged 11, as a birthday present, we set off out of LSGL in a 1943 Piper Cub for a 20 minute flight that had me marvel but also gave me quite a scare as the pilot set us in a max sideslip for the descent/landing (no headset or electrics in those days…). I was definitely fixed.
Few years later started flying on that very same Piper, and got my PPL. Went to get the aerobatic extension (mandatory for aeros here). At the same time I started working as an aircraft mechanic for the now defunct national airline. After a couple of years, I qualified for a technical school leading to a certified maintenance engineer licence. The company sent me first to LHR for almost 7 years, then another 3 years to FRA, as a line maintenance engineer.
Returning to Switzerland, I was offered a job as an accompanying engineer, well the official title was Flying Station Engineer. Flew along, mainly on the A310 and MD-11, for 8 years and some 6’600 hours… during this time I kept flying private, mostly in the US, where I crisscrossed most of it. Going there once or even twice a year, the strategy was as follows: find a girlfriend, or a friend, or a wife (…) to come along and share the costs 😅 Rentals were from Long Island, Memphis, Miami, LA, etc, usually for 1-2 weeks. Some of these trips were quite interesting, like flying from Tamiami to Haiti, or from LA to Anchorage. Anyone bored yet?
Back at home I became, flyingwise, kinda bored… flew aeros for 3-4 years, mainly on Cap-10B. Then passed the IFR written.
Watching the golden boys fly the heavy stuff, it finally dawned on me that what they were doing was no black magic nor rocket science, and that they were getting a very good ROI out of the dough/work ratio 🤓
By then aged 40, I finished my IFR/commercial rating and took the ATPL. Too old to apply for that national airline, I went to work for their regional slavery branch. Another moment I will never forget: sitting as 2 stripe F/O in that RJ100 for my first flight 😉
I’ll skip the professional career for the details, suffice to say that I retired 3 1/2 years ago as A320 series captain for a certain lowcost (orange/white livery) airline flying outta BSL, collecting a few thousand hours managing different jets and watching the AP work…
On the civilian side, renting aircraft just didn’t fit the bill anymore. Annoying stuff like most of you know of, such as minimum rental, difficult booking, cancelled reservation etc. So I bought a 1/4 share in SIPA903, HB-SPT. These are kinda cute and very nice to fly. Gotta watch out in any kind of crosswind though. Took it to the Northcape, Sardegna, etc. One of the partners, my flying buddy Jack died of leukaemia, and I ended up buying the other shares…
Thing is, I was dreaming of a Falco. Had never seen one in flesh, but since reading a flight test in UK Pilot magazine, was just mesmerised. The sexiest aircraft alive 🥰 A trip to Oshkosh gave me the ice bucket, just could not afford the kit, nor the very long construction time. Luckily I became aware of the emerging Van’s Aircraft. Seeing the performance and a couple of demo flights later, out of Oshkosh and Fond-du-Lac, gave me The Grin. Started building an RV-4 in 1989, whilst stationed in Germany. Moving the project 3 times, a divorce, my professional career, and other interests wore me down, and I sold it before completion 12 years later. The airframe was complete, including canopy fitting, and I was working on the electrics and engine installation when sold. It became a very nice machine and flies nowadays und the callsign HB-YVZ.
Now, what about that Falco love you ask? Well, the lust came back and I finally found and bought one… D-ENIB, a type III. Bought in Germany, imported in Switzerland. Unfortunately my 14th landing on this airplane was fatal to the right wing leading edge (marker poles), the prop, and the landing (and take-off) gear… January 3rd, 2008, funny how some dates can be remembered 🤨 After take off from my homefield, the prop RPM started changing on their own. Moving the blue lever brought things back to were they ought to be… until following a sinister bang, the prop went into windmilling mode, engine oil covered the windshield, and we headed back to the planet. My guardian angels worked overdrive in helping me position for an emergency gear up landing on a pretty short stretch of vacant road on the Jura mountain.
I was able to sell the wreckage for a fair price, since I did not want to perform the repairs myself for a number of reasons, wood dust allergy being the first one.
The other Falco: Right after the incident related above, I noticed another Falco, magnificent, freshly overhauled, type IV, that was being assembled on my field. It took me 6 months of persuasive work, and I was finally able to buy HB-UOD… I finally had my Falco 😋
Owned it for 7 years, flew it for 650 hours. Many trips to Norway (twice to the Northcape) and Sweden, Malta, Corsica, racing with the Falco and Siai-Marchetti boys in Italy, fly-ins, lots of pleasant experiences flying that best mannered craft. Then the crisis hit: too much aviation, professional, private, model flying 😕 And mid-life crisis? Another factor was the NAA… the Falco was considered as what was called Annex II, but wanting to replace the RPM and Fuel Pressure instrument with digital ones proved impossible. Well, unless a full dual electrical system would be installed… other problems were surfacing, so, the Falco was sold 😢
When told, my friend’s wife Caroline just laughed at me and said: “you will not be without flying for long”. Well, she was pretty right, 6 months later I had the urge again, and the same friend (Daniel) offered me to fly his Jodel D11. Now the Jodel is an old design, but, and hopefully not too many of you will take offence, flies like an old design, e.g. poor performance and hard aileron forces for a starter.
Another friend (yes, having many friends or even “friends” is nice 😉) offered me to fly a VariEze. In another turn of circumstances, I bought the aircraft 1 year later, HB-YDL, flew it for another year, then sold it… why? Well, I don’t know much about other canards types, but the VariEze has more than 1 quirk, amongst others a highly sensitive pitch control, rain or even humidity affected the canard performance (full rear trim for level flight), and a loss of aileron authority at < 90 MPH. The last one was only partly remedied by the fitting of fences. Also, the almost necessity for hard surface and the tandem seating. Took my wife once for the famous 300€ pizza South of the Alps, her comments: “well, it looks ugly, is uncomfortable, you don’t see anything of the outside world. And it is loud.” It was her only flight in that machine…
Once more, comes another friend: “hey Dan, interested in going for a flight with my RV-4?”. Difficult to refuse when somebody hands you the keys of his beloved -4 and tells you off you go and enjoy yourself. Enjoy I did, returned from that flight wearing another of those RV Grins 😆
So, the hunt was on… the search was for either a RV-7 or -6, taildragger as a must, wanna go short grass strip hopping. Heard of exactly such a machine, Swiss registered to top it, and bought it. Perfectly built by airline A&P Fritz, she sports a 3 bladed MT followed by a O-360, and is a taildragger. HB-YLL tops 172 KTAS, stalls at 50ish, flies aeros, and is best handled with only the forefinger and the thumb on the stick. Minimum runway length 200m solo. She is what I call an RV-6.9 since she was built with pre-punched wings and tail, RV-8 tail, RV-7 engine mount, cowling, and canopy. Spent quite a few hours updating the panel to my liking, now sporting dual G5s with battery back-up, and a GNX375. Almost 700h on her to date, and no, she ain’t for sale 😜
I’ve been very lucky in my life, flew a lot of interesting aircraft, my logbook counting 57 different types, from the Fox C-22 UL to the A320, with some SV4C/T303/FW-44J/etc time in between.
In closing I’d like to apologise for the length of this post, I tried to keep it short and readable, more stories upon request 👋🏻
PS
For anyone with further interest, some pictures relating to the above on my site www.aerofun.ch
Airborne picture courtesy of Björn Engelke, his site http://cr-photos.com/
