gapilot vans RV7 quick build kit
My Flying 2007.
This is the year of the RV. My RV flying gets off to a good start with a nice Easter, but then all the rain (and flooding) starts. I miss my original slot with the painter Mick Allen at the beginning of May. I am finally able to get the RV to Mick in June. Painting takes while but this is not a problem as I am away in Phoenix buying my next project a Great Lakes bi-plane, and later holidaying in Spain. However the weather is terrible so I would not have been able to fly.

Bob has just completed the first flight
First Solo in my RV7.
11th March and I take my RV out for my first solo flight. I am so behind this aircraft!! I climb out of Thruxton, and are at 1'500ft by the end of the runway and my brain is still on the ground. I land back at Thruxton after one hour get out walk around the RV. Check the oil and get back in for some circuits. After a few more flights I start getting use to the RV. Jo comes down and I take her for a flight - she is my first RV passenger. Instead of my plan for a quick trip around the Isle of Wight I elect to stay local as I am also finding navigation at the speed different - especially copeing with this complex type and keeping an eye on a new homebuilt aircraft. Jo is quite imotional at flying around in something I built in the garage - she loves the RV.
3/4-Mar-07 John Visits
My good friend John who has helped out with shipping parts from America came over to visit and see the RV. Unfortunatly the weather was not suitable to go for a flight.
Perranporth Airfield
Easter Bank Holiday Weekend.
The weather the following weeks is not great for me in a new type - windy. However Easter comes and I take Thursday off to make it a longer weekend. I take off from Thruxton and I am with the RV, it all comes together and I feel at home in the RV. Navigation falls into place and I take a trip down to and around the IOW. On the way home I land at Popham for the RV's first land away. The RV feels great. I depart Popham for Thruxton and soon discover the speed as I hardley spend any time in the air!
Friday, and Jo comes for a ride to Turweston we are planning the external paintwork and see Mick Allen. From Turweston we go to Bembridge. This is a fast aircraft! Back to Thruxton.
All is going well so on Saturday Jo and I go from Thruxton to Perranporth. When we get there Jo leaps out chearing, very excited. She points out to me we have just done the trip wheels up to wheels down in exactly one hour. We had driven almost exactly the same trip in October (not a Bank Holiday weekend) and it had taken five and a half hours by car! We stayed over in Perranporth returning again in one hour on Sunday.
I still had Monday, so I headed to Thruxton and did Wycombe (not the best landing on their grass runway). After a buzz around I went to Blackbushe, to Popham and finally back to Thruxton.
Over the Bank Holiday weekend I have done seven hours in the RV. What I especially love is the range the RV has - the distance I can cover between filling. I have a fuel flow meter and can see what fuel I have used, this is proving very acurate.
Aleix, his first flight
Friends.
Now I have the RV flying the queue of people wanting a ride stretches to Scotland! My first victim is David, he is building a Van RV8 and has been following my build website. The next day Robert comes down for a flight - he took me out in his RV6 and that's what made me build my RV - we went to Glostershire and Turweston. .
Me checking out the Beach TravellAir
I have found a new project - a Great Lakes bi-plane - in Phoenix Arizona (USA), so I ask my brother Andy if he would like to take a trip to Pheonix to help me pack it into a container to ship back to the UK. While we are there wo go for a flight over the Grand Cannion in a Beach Travellair.
Me going for a flight in a Great Lakes at Chandler
10 YEARS !!! Great Lakes Chandler Arizona
Before I departed for Phoenix to get my Great Lakes I discovered I could rent a Great Lakes locally, at Chandler Aviation (they have three) So I booked some time with them. However with my Great Lakes we have really big problems with the shipping and leave Phoenix without it packed - see my new Great lakes Project site GreatLakes2T.co.uk for the full story.
I have sold my Cessna 150
Cessna FRA150L - August 2000 to July 2007.
I have sold my Cessna FRA150L. Now I have my Vans RV7 flying my Cessna will not get the use it needs so I have decided to sell it. The Cessna was my first aircraft and I have loved flying her. I still enjoy flying her but it will not do her any good at all standing with little use. Evy has been purchased by Brian Doyle and relocated to Shannon Ireland. I will be visiting to ensure she is kept clean and shinny!
Vans RV7 G-OVII
30-Jul-07 RV7 Back from the painter - Mick Allen

I decided to test fly and shake down my RV before have the external paint done. I had it done by a professional aircraft painter - Mick Allen at Turweston - as I wanted it to look good!

More pictures of painting on go-7 site.

Flying my RV7
The weather is on and off towards the end of the year and I have been able to amass 40 hrs on my RV7. Here is my first video clip of me in my RV7.
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