jkhirsch

Send me a PM with your cell number, I'm local.

Greg: I don't know I guess I just got tired of the general tone as I read on, I think the guy mentioned he was told he "couldn't" learn in that plane. There are little examples across people's posts where they just say something like it's a fact, when it's not. It happens all the time on here and sometimes it bothers me more than others. I try not to make a post without offering more than just a "1-liner" and in spite of that, I'm sure you could go back and find plenty of stupid posts I've made to that tune. Good information can be hard to come by, polluting the good information with the bad is just such a waste of time to sift through. I'm not going to go back here and retrace every single post; that would be even dumber than starting the argument in the first place, but the are examples there. My original point was that if he had his heart set on a Rocket, I'm not going to question it, I'm simply going to lay out what it's going to take to accomplish his goal. He can decide for himself whether or not it's possible for him to achieve his goal after everything is laid out.

If you're so busy then stop wasting your time and everyone else's by contributing pointless 1-liners lacking supporting information. I don't care why you recommend 500 hours, I care that you post it without any supporting information to someone who "knows nothing about aviation." Quite frankly I don't care what anyone's opinion is unless they adequately explain why they have formed that opinion. I don't put "blind faith" in what others say on any topic, and really don't care how anyone feels about it. When someone makes an effort to obtain information from a source they deem as valuable they deserve effort in return in the form of useful information.

1 of a few planes there Saturday.

I'm based at KVDF now. Do you have a list of what's left to be done to your plane?

Work...psht it's for the birds...

Just wanted to throw it out that there is a fly-in at KVDF on Saturday I think they have the hours listed from 11a-1p. They've got burgers and what not listed on their flyer. I am based there and if anyone wants to, or plans to stop by I'd love to meet you. I'll even perform a grand gesture and buy your lunch Although technically I'd say some part of my hangar rent factors into the fly-in so technically it's bought and paid for...in that case everyone come to KVDF Saturday and have lunch on me! Although if you've been reading the Rocket thread you may not want to meet me.....free lunch or not :/

I'm not the least bit emotional, don't project your own sentiments onto me. I have never once said to take it lightly nor have I ever accused anyone of being irrational. Stop mis-forming the contrapositive of what I am saying and keep your own words in your own mouth as well. I have said that I assume people are rational and logical and can make decisions for themselves given a set of inputs and don't need the bias of others affecting their opinions. If you have data to support your position great share it, if not your "bias" is the exact connotation of the word, negatively associated with an unfair opinion of something.

I had zero awareness of the post count, but Seth declared my post in the rocket thread as being the 100,000th Not sure if is an individual post number associated somewhere in the back end or not.

Death isn't an excuse for opinions and bias, no matter how altruistic you think they are. You skin your cat the way you please, but do not go around telling people it's the only way. I had a very high opinion of Houman and hoped to meet him one day. I read through the other topic and apparently Canada does not do a full report as the NTSB would so there will not be an official conclusion to his accident. The available facts that I have read in the topic about his crash seem to indicate pilot error. We do know that he did not do all of his training in his Rocket. It's an absolute fact that if he had done all of his training in his Rocket with a seasoned, or an instructor with Rocket experience, that he would have more experience in the plane. You all seem to believe that more experience is better, I believe that better experience is better. I look at experience as a type of polynomial curve a various spots of experience you may be putting yourself at risk as well. We see anecdotal evidence of high time pilots making mistakes. Would that additional training and time in type have prevented his accident, I have no clue and neither does anyone else. It does, however, speak to the argument that time in type is valuable, if time in type is valuable than I would assert that training in type is valuable because they you are getting time in type plus the benefits of someone more experienced passing along their experience along to you. I would never tell someone, 'aww man you can't get a rocket, you've got to stay in front of that airplane and you cant do that as a low time pilot,' it's a ridiculous assertion. If I was starting from the beginning it would probably look a lot like this, " You've obviously done some research to arrive at a Rocket, I do not know and am not asking you to disclosure your financial situation, but if your finances allow for it, you are committed to flying, and also committed to a Rocket through your decision making process then these are the steps you should take to ensure you are the most prepared to handle the airplane and your mission." Then I would proceed to discuss some specific situations a person could expect to encounter when entering the world of aviation and the world of plane ownership, then I would discuss some of the specifics of Rocket ownership and recommend full familiarizing oneself with the systems of the Rocket to achieve a level of comfort which the maintenance and mechanical aspects of the plane. Somewhere near the beginning would also be, "If you are not committed to a Rocket let's vet some more details about what you are trying to accomplish and let's evaluate what the various ways of accomplishing your goal are." I don't believe in telling, what I will assume to be competent adult individuals that are capable of logical and rational thought, what is "right" and what is "wrong." What I do believe in is helping people build a framework to make their own decisions about what they think is "right" and "wrong" People tend to have trouble decoupling the decision making process from the results of a decision.

Erik, this is the first I have heard about the untimely passing of Houman I just now am reading through the topic on it. I am sickened to hear this, he appeared to have so much spirit and passion for aviation and his son. I don't know if I read it in a post or conjured up in my mind that he was divorced, it's totally irrelevant. I am very sad to hear this and so sorry for the few who were able to spend time with him personally.

There's always "more than one way to skin a cat" and even though you think your way may be the best, someone else will disagree. There, positing your "one way to skin a cat" as the only way to skin a cat is incorrect and a disservice to the original poster. Positing your "one way to skin a cat" as "this is one way to skin a cat, but there are other ways" would be correct and a service to the original poster. Andrew: Yeah let's get our dicks out and swing them around, that's going to accomplish a lot. I never said anyone was wrong, but many statements have been made with implicit assumptions that someone new to aviation may not have any context to interpret. Andrew: Look at you! There was data behind your 500 hours remark all along.....how amazing. You think a guy new to flying has any clue about FARs or does that seem in your original post that you were pulling it from you know where? Implicit assumptions. Enough snarkiness. My point is and has been that in your original post you could have made that reference. I advocate that many, many people here do have a lot of good data, they just for some reason don't share it with someone who is trying to form an opinion about something that they have limited exposure to. I'd also be rich in Philly for a small little thing called tortious behavior. Talk about college...we aren't in a bar, nor your old frat house, don't you know the internet is for grown-ups..... I got my pilot's license in 6 weeks time and have several hundred hours since. If I could have afforded it at the time I would have bought a Mooney or a Debonair and done my training in it. Unfortunately that wasn't the case for me, but I personally think it makes more sense to buy and train in what you plan to fly, if you can afford to do that. Training does not have to be mutually exclusive, he could gain experience in the plane he plans to fly, along the route he plans to fly, all the while developing his minimums and confidence or lack thereof in his abilities during training. Thanks for your post Jerry both of your anecdotes are relevant, your cancellation highlights varying levels of personal comfort that the original poster would develop through his intimate relationship with his flight instructor. Anthony: I could [go back and] write what my response to the first post would be if it provides anymore context, but am assuming where I stand is vaguely clear through what I have said. I just don't like people with little experience in a subject or field not being allowed to make their own determinations and being lead to biases held by people already familiar. I have zero negative things to send your direction, I have no idea how you have the time and the patience to do all of your summary posts, but I generally find them to be valuable if not necessary, many times for the exact reasons that I have brought up here. So whether you agree with my language there is some part of you that philosophically agrees with the argument I have made here, otherwise you would not contribute all of your summary posts.

I don't like nay-saying. Especially when it's not even coupled to actual piece of data that someone can assimilate into their own cognizance.

What makes your judgement worthwhile if you have no data to support your position? Your "gut?" That's so sickening it's not even laughable. He blatantly asked for commentary, maybe to him bemoaning drivel is useful, but if he happens to like actual data or that option to form his own opinion based on fact you are still wasting his time unless you share facts. An opinion based on an opinion is useless. Look around that's most of our society apparently.

Andrew, you are an even worse offender: "500+ hours"...that's a completely arbitrary number, I would like to think that some of you people were joking sometimes. Well thought out writing typically doesn't come in a brief form; effective written communication is complex and can be difficult. If you have a "magical" answer for why "500+ hours" will get him close please delineate, if not stop wasting everyone's time with your unsupported declarative posts.

So you're telling me that he physically cannot buy a FIKI Mooney and do his training in it up through his IFR ticket? Again you manage to presuppose your own beliefs into the situation. My soup is too hot, but it's not hot enough for you. Present some objective information then your post is worthwhile. Don't tell me "piston singles" have to cancel many flights in the NE during wintry soup without presenting some data to support your position. He can read, again my assumption is that people are capable of taking information and forming their own opinion. Also hmm, interestingly enough I seem to recall that part of pilot training is teaching you how to think. What a concept...... Do you really think he and his instructor won't be discussing the limitations of SEL FIKI during his training? Again before any of that is relevant is the financial situation. Someone who posts, 'aww man, you could never do that,' is wasting everyone's time. Someone who posts, 'you are looking at a challenging but possible situation that's going to require compromises and flexibility." Unless you're signing his logbook he doesn't need your advice on how to fly, or what you think is possible or safe for him. You can argue with me all day but you are simply wrong and already trying to derail the actual point of what I said, because I'm not arguing about whether his situation is "practical" or not, I'm pointing out the flaws in the information provided--that it is unsubstantiated by actual data. I'm simply pointing out that it never fails to shock me when people post their opinions without any relevant facts. Which in and of itself is an interesting discussion, why do people like to force their own unsubstantiated opinions on others? Are people not secure enough in their own existence that they want to think everyone experiences the world exactly how they do?

I am always astounded by how much advice is based on everyone's assumptions of the financial situation. That's the first question in almost every binary tree, and continues to iterate throughout as more information is revealed. There's no reason that he cannot buy a FIKI Mooney and do his training in it, including cross countries along his prescribed commute and alternates. At that point the only limit on his ability to start making the commute is his personal time, and his ability to learn and fly the airplane. I guess I am guilty of assuming that people can make rational decisions based on a given set of objective inputs--without others hedging their personal beliefs on them.

Alex, I wish I would have read through this earlier, I had my plane up at Gainesville and another buddy actually staying in Lake City for work the last 2 weeks and I would have made some arrangements to get up with you. I've read everything in this thread and empathize with you completely as a young owner. I have run into instances of "jealousy" or just basically "ageism" because, 'why or how should someone that young be able to have a plane.' It matters not if you built it for free from scratch with parts you found washed up on the beach, all that matters is you have it, and 'they don't' or 'didn't when they were that age.' It also leaves the door opens for a lot of assumptions about, 'well if he has a plane then he can afford it.' Doesn't matter what other sacrifices you have made for it. That's not what aviation is about. Aviation is about camaraderie and there are plenty older guys who love to see the young guys passionate about it and not worried about the "Jones's." Which is why I'll stop and listen to what anyone has to say. Keep it all in perspective and keep trudging. On topic: Do you have a list readily available of what tasks are remaining?

I remember a strikingly similar issue from a couple years ago Best of luck! Watch out for leering inspector eyes...

Sarcasm doesn't work very well in non-verbal environments. The paint looks good on your plane!

This has been delayed for a few days.

Great post.....you notice I said some free gas. Pro-rata sharing is clearly allowed. If the 1 way part confused you, that's for clarification that someone wouldn't have to pick me up drop me off and then return me. I am in fact flying myself up there and back, I need a ride to pick up a vehicle.

I will likely be in need of a 1 way ride from KVDF to KEVB in the next couple of days. Anyone interested in getting some free gas?

I didn't see anyone mention it so I will. The split seats are so the two rear passengers can independently recline. This is specifically addressed in the brochure for the Executive 21: (here's a link from the forums https://www.dropbox.com/sh/23ji46lpzilo0xc/AAC6NXAj4hGoLpW4r6mufIDra/Executive 21 Brochure.pdf?dl=0) It's mentioned on the second page so you know it was a big deal to them at the time. "executive comfort of reclining seats Four individually reclining seats add to the personal comfort of passengers. New seating design holds you restfully --- you sit "in" the seat not on it! This is lean back, lounging comfort that lets passengers reach their destination rested, relaxed and ready for fun or at their best for business appointments."

So aggravated that I missed out on Saturday, I was literally doing nothing! Walking around Best Buy looking at a SurfaceBook and the latest Bose tech....I completely forgot to look Friday night and check because I was really thinking this was on the 18th for some reason! I relocated to Florida in March and relocated the plane to KVDF in April.