Hey everybody. I’m Brian Davis and life is good.
I’ve been married 25 years to a girl I met in Freshman Civics class. We have two boys ages 20 and 15. Our oldest received his Private Pilot’s License last summer and our youngest (although definitely not the smallest) helps out with our Van’s RV-7 build down at the hangar.
I’m an Air Force brat. Although my dad never flew for the Air Force, the desire to fly ran through my veins from a young age.
After receiving my Private Pilot’s License at 16, I continued to work at the Air Force Base Aero Club.
The extra money helped me get through college earning an Aeronautical Engineering degree from Parks College.
That degree paved our way to THE SOUTH. Sweet tea. Chick-fil-A. No snow shovels. Dawgs. What’s not to like?!
I have been working for a major air carrier here for over 25 years. During that time, I worked in sheet metal, on the line, and as a Lead Mechanic. Currently, I’m a Maintenance Coordinator for the MD88.
Instead of pursuing private aviation, however, I volunteered as a Fire Fighter, EMT, and Paramedic, for over 20 years. I’m glad that I was able to serve and protect those who live in our great city.
In the summer of 2013, I flew with a friend from the fire department in his Van’s RV-6. And that’s all she wrote. I was hooked!
I knew that I wanted to return to flying and build my own plane, but I needed a plan.
Fortunately, we had just sold our 3200 sq ft house (we were the general contractors) and down-sized to a nice house that meets our needs. Our previous house payment just didn’t leave a lot of room financially to pursue other interests.
We had a low monthly mortgage payment, were out of debt otherwise, and had 2 incomes. This seemed like just as good a time as any. So with everyone on board, I ordered the tail kit.
We are very fortunate to call KFFC Peachtree City our home base. There is a large Van’s RV Squadron here with at least 35 flying RVs and several under construction.
So…If you want a ride, someone is usually about to go up. If you need a tool, someone has it and will gladly let you borrow it. If you have a question about something you are working on, someone is able to offer their solution to your problem.
But not always…
When the service bulletin (14-01-31) came out for the horizontal stabilizer, a friend asked if I would help inspect his for cracks. Since he was one of the first in the squadron to make this repair, there wasn’t a lot of prior knowledge from the group on how best to get this done.
After working through his repair, I realized that other builders in the Van’s community might benefit from an instructional how-to video showcasing the tips and tricks that seemed to work best for us.
And that’s how Adventures in Aviation was born.
We can’t wait to share what we have learned about building Van’s Aircraft with you.
Let us know what you are interested in learning about. We would love to help you out along your journey.
Brian Davis
Adventures in Aviation – Where Van’s RVs Take Flight
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