Restoring a flying machine is soul twisting experience, and Id like to extend applause, my wrung out soul, and weakened encouragement to those who have done this before, along side, and those yet to embark. This is a post as much to myself as it is to those who can commiserate, to keep up the good work, and maintain these machines which still embody the same magic those Wright boys sought out, while our loved ones and friends feign enthusiasm.
If you start, it's difficult to maintain a threshold of how deep you dig, and no matter how deep you think you've gone, there's another layer, and another beyond that. We've managed to contort our bodies, and almost all extremities, into unnatural positions, eyeglasses fogged with sweat, flashlight gripped in worn teeth, only to drop that fastener into the void below, countless times, hours spent retrieving, but the small reward of success is addictive. The threshold of patience, perseverance, continually rises, along with the tolerance of waning funds. After months, years, nothing else out there makes any sense, people surrounding at work or play become alien, no one understands this linear and focused thinking, so why bother engaging, better to slip away into the hangar and anxiously open the latest Spruce delivery in solitude. Im 4 years in on a 170B resto/mod and I'm still mostly pumped, and mostly alone.
Im lucky to have a grown child, a semi-understanding partner, a decent job, and a lack of fiscal responsibility. Anyone who puts themselves through this relies on whatever gifts they have to succeed, there's many paths to the run up and eventual rotation, and I wholeheartedly raise a glass to this community for sharing and keeping our dream and dream machines alive, and to those mentors who dangle the carrot.
And to those of you smart enough to just fly what you got.... you keep us inspired, mostly.

Excellent words, worthy of framing!
I am just passing the four year mark on my C-205 project. I never lost enthusiasm for it, which instead makes me question my sanity. Since the day I embarked on this, I've been mostly about nothing else. I have watched my addiction strain my relationships, business, hobbies, and every other thing that is important to me in my life. My partner is continually left behind, as in her eyes I slip off to the hanger to give more attention to my metal mistress.
At least there is a reward for this vise, and instead of getting progressively worse it finally peaks at a euphoria that we as airmen and those around us can understand.

Well said. Finishing up a C182 over 2 years. “The project MUST be finished” is my mantra. Once started, abandonment is not an option.

This was posted in one of the aviation related Facebook pages I follow today..



Brian

My hats off to those who can make a straight seam with fabric and hammer quality rivets of the same size. I helped with what IAs gritted their teeth and allowed me to help with, but my seams were crooked and my rivets got bigger and bigger until I occasionally had to use a structural bolt because I had to redrill to too large a hole. I am amazed when I look at repairs that look exactly the same as manufactured work.