This has been an awfully long journey. Since about the mid 1980's I've wanted to learn how to fly-and almost for that long I've wanted to build a kit aircraft. So with those thoughts as my guide, I set about accomplishing some of those goals. In the late 80's I took some time off of work and got my private pilot single engine land license, and I also got my instrument rating. I flew fairly regularly in the 90's when I owned a Cessna 182Q along with two other partners. And then the "real" world came along. I had two young kids who I needed to put through college-so my discretionary income went to things other than flying. Fast forward to 2007 I have built a new house on some acreage that will allow me to build a private 1500' landing strip and I began to get my flying urges back. In late 2009 I began to get current on my VFR rating and began to seriously consider aircraft that I could get in and out of my short grass strip. At first I was looking at the Zenith line of STOL aircraft, but I wanted something that had a better cruising speed, which ultimately led me to the Glasair Sportsman. The other consideration I had was that I wasn't sure that I had the discipline to work on a plane for a number of years, I wanted an option that would get it done sooner, and the Glasair folks had the "Two Weeks to Taxi" option to build their plane. Needless to say I was very interested. In the summer of 2010 my wife and I went up to the EAA fly-in at Oshkosh and I was able to look over the Sportsman up close and personal. After the fly-in the Glasair folks flew the aircraft down to Adrian for me to fly it, and I was sold. I put my order in at the end of August 2010, and I made my last payment to the escrow account on the aircraft in early March 2011. I get out of school for summer vacation on June 17th, and I'm scheduled to start the build on N449MF on June 20th! Lets get it started!
