SonexBuilders.net

HI all,
I've been building #564 for 10 years. And it's only 10% from being finished. Life keeps getting in the way. But i'm back and ready to get it finished. I have found that when i have to take time off from building, it's hard to get back into it. Well it's time to get rolling again. And i'm tired of the wife nagging me about the airplane we own that doesn't fly.
John Foreman

G'day John,

That's a few years longer than me, I thought I was the only one taking a long time!
Its 7 years since I received the plans, 6 years and 10 months since I received my kit... but whose counting!
The kitchen boss and I agreed I would devote Saturdays and some week nights to the project, rather than all weekend.
Like you life kept getting in the way but I am almost there, was due to move to the hangar this week but we're going to delay it to finish a few more jobs that are better done in the garage.
Keep it up, I managed to do a few small things every other day to keep the project in focus, not so difficult to pick the tools up the next longer session.
Cheers
Tony

Welcome to the forum John! I never get nagged for building too little, so I can't say I feel your pain there!

I didn't have any problems while building at home. Its when I moved it to the airport that the tension started. Being 50 miles away, I'd tend to spend the entire day there. Now that I'm flying, I still find things to do and hang with my friends down there until I get the call to come home.

Welcome to the forum John! I understand your situation completely. When I built my Sonerai, I figured I'd have it finished in two or three years. 11 years later I flew it!! Things do tend to get in the way. Stick with it and you'll make it!

I suspect that there are alot more builders there finishing in 10 years than there are those finishing in 2 or 3. I'm building #554 and it will be 10 years this January since I started. The good news that it is all painted and just has a number of small things to finish up before the DAR inspection.

I agree that when I take time off from working on the plane (even a week or two) it seems much harder to get back at it. Throw in buying fixer-upper house, having a kid, family vacations, work, holidays, etc and it is very easy for a project to stretch out a decade or more. What works for me is to keep telling myself that building is a hobby. I will finish when I finish and will enjoy the time working on the plane rather than trying to rush to the finish line. It is fun to think about the places you can go and the things you can do once the plane is done but it is just as satisfying to look at a carved up piece of aluminum angle that you spent two days working on to get just right.

Keith
#554