A good friend gave me some things to think about recently.  About why I’m building this plane.  He challenged me with the following proposal; if I am building this plane to help teach my son some skills, then when I am done why don’t I just sell it and use part of the money to do something nice for my family?  I know all my airplane buddies out there will ask if I am nuts.  I probably am a bit nuts yes.  

There are reasons that I won’t go into right now that do put this project right on the ragged edge of iffy-ness.  If all continues to go well then we should be fine.  However, I am in ministry in my church.  I’m not a pastor but I have a practical ministry nonetheless.  With so many people in hard times, and with certain other considerations in my personal life, is it really a responsible use of that money to build an airplane right now?  If it’s to teach my son then yes.  But if it *is* to teach my son then I should also teach him about sacrifice and letting go.

So I have therefore decided to build this airplane with my son with the intention of selling it.  We’re going to look at this as a family business of sorts.  Now this does somewhat tread into the grey areas of the FAA’s amateur homebuilt intent but I do intend to fly the plane for a bit.  So really it does meet the “for education and recreation” intent of the FAA’s amateur-built experimental aircraft rules.  If after I have sold the plane the economy has turned around and I am in a good financial position, then I will simple build another aircraft  — this one to keep for myself.

Carl, this is my answer.  Thanks for the challenge bro and for your ongoing sacrifices!