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From: btilley@mchsi.com
To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] New to the list
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:16:01 +0000
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Ryan'

Welcome to the flyrotary list!?  You didn't mention your engine choice so I=
 have to "assume" it's a rotary. Are you here to choose which rotary will b=
est fit your needs?  You have a couple years to decide if you are going to =
be building an XL5. That seems like a good fit for your needs. Here (Rotary=
 list) you will probably need a 3 rotor or a 2 rotor that is pushed near it=
's limits. But since you have a couple years you could wait for the new 16X=
 engine that Mazda is supposed to be bringing out.

Now to the XL5, You should join the Canard Aviators list along with the man=
y Velocity lists. You will find a lot of good info there. You also sound li=
ke you want to "get her done" sooner than I think what will be possible.  Y=
ou should seriously consider buying a partially completed project.  If I we=
re starting with the info I have now I would probably go that route. Hope t=
his helps!

Bob Tilley
Cozy MKIV
Albany, Ga

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Ryan Wilkins <ryan@deadfrog.net>
>
> Hello All.
>=20
> I'm new to this list and wanted to take a (hopefully) brief moment to=20=
=20
> introduce myself.  I'm Ryan Wilkins and I presently live in the burbs=20=
=20
> of Chicago (near Schaumburg) with my wife and two young kids.  Flying=20=
=20
> has always been an interest of mine since very early in life.  My=20=20
> father flew Lear Jets, my mother obtained her private, and my step-=20
> father is currently a Captain on the 757 / 767 for Continental=20=20
> Airlines.  I followed in the family foot steps by starting my flight=20=
=20
> training in 1999 and working gradually through my Commercial Single.=20=
=20=20
> I came within a hair of getting my Multi but the airplane broke on my=20=
=20
> last ride before the check ride, and it broke hard.  I ended up moving=20=
=20
> to Chicago from the West side of Cleveland, OH before the airplane=20=20
> came back online and haven't flown since.  That was almost 3 years=20=20
> ago.  A flying career was my goal but gradually fell out of love with=20=
=20
> that line of work.  How someone can start at the bottom of the pilot=20=
=20
> seniority list and expect to be able to live is beyond me.
>=20
> What brings me to the homebuilt aircraft industry are my parent's and=20=
=20
> my wife's parent's plans to move away from the Cleveland area and my=20=
=20
> desire to get back into flying.  Somehow I have this delusion that=20=20
> flying SouthWest will be really expensive for all of us to go visit=20=20
> relatives and that it'd be better to fly ourselves.  I was also=20=20
> intrigued by the ability to build an airplane the way I want it and=20=20
> with what I want in it without incurring a prohibitive cost.  Being a=20=
=20
> reasonably mechanically inclined person, I also really like the idea=20=
=20
> of being able to work on my own airplane without investing in an A&P=20=
=20
> license.  I feel that building and flying my own plane opens unique=20=20
> opportunities to me and my family that the majority of the public do=20=
=20
> not have available to them.  In addition, I'm always yearning to learn=20=
=20
> something new and I feel that undertaking a large project like this=20=20
> will afford me knowledge and experience that I otherwise would not=20=20
> attain.  Of course, the sense of accomplishment and personal=20=20
> satisfaction that will come once the kit flies can't go without mention.
>=20
> The criteria that I used to find a kit started with cruise around 200=20=
=20
> MPH (I've had enough of flying a 172 around the pattern.. not a bad=20=20
> airplane.. just want to go somewhere else and faster. <g> ), ability=20=
=20
> to take 5 people (2 adults + 3 kids), ~1000 mi range (the kids will=20=20
> never last that long), total cost around or under $100k excluding=20=20
> labor, and the ability to certify for IFR flight (mainly looking to=20=20
> punch through low cloud decks and not kill a day at an airport waiting=20=
=20
> for clouds to open up).  The 5 seats seemed to really limit my=20=20
> search.  After finding a number of airplanes, I've settled on the=20=20
> Velocity XL5.  Will probably do the fixed gear model because of=20=20
> insurance reasons.  Also interested in not spending all of my budget=20=
=20
> on an engine so that's why I'm here.  As it turns out, I've got a=20=20
> business meeting in Orlando on 4-Nov so it offered the perfect=20=20
> opportunity for me to hit the AOPA Aviation Summit in Tampa and also=20=
=20
> take a demo flight and tour the factory at Velocity in Sebastian, FL.=20=
=20=20
> Having spent a lot of time researching the Velocity, it seems that a=20=
=20
> lot of people are happy with the plane.  My guess is that's what I'll=20=
=20
> end up buying and building.  I'm also in the unique position to have=20=
=20
> an office located on DuPage County Airport Property (KDPA) at a former=20=
=20
> heliport.  The previous tenants operated an air ambulance service and=20=
=20
> did some or all of their maintenance at the facility.  While we don't=20=
=20
> have direct runway access, the building has an abundance of climate=20=20
> controlled space where I can build the airplane and not get in the way=20=
=20
> of other work related projects.  I've read from numerous people that=20=
=20
> just the travel time between home, work, and building area if not at=20=
=20
> home or work takes a big toll on the project.
>=20
> Well anyway this has turned out to be longer than I really want it to=20=
=20
> be so I apologize for monopolizing your time.  I look forward to=20=20
> interacting with all of you on the list.
>=20
> Cheers,
>=20
> Ryan Wilkins
>=20
>=20
> --
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