What is this website about?
This blog records the construction of a Van's RV-8 aircraft from kit parts, somewhere in the Midlands, United Kingdom. The kit is produced by Van’s Aircraft headquartered in Oregon, USA.
The ambition is for me to use this website as a technical log and journal throughout the entire build process. It will include high quality pictures, technical notes, my inevitable peregrinations, and, maybe, some videos. Although I am putting together this website primarily for myself as a way to organize my journey and thoughts, I hold this faint hope that someone, somewhere, might actually find it useful as they go through their own aircraft building adventures.
Who are we?
We are Mist, a yet-to-be assembled Van's RV-8 aircraft, and Patrick, a Farer!
I am a Frenchman living in the United Kingdom. One of my earliest aviation memories, when I was about 3 years old, was to sit in the pilot seat of a Robin DR400. Ever since, aircraft have haunted me. As I was building miniature models, fiddling with radio-controlled aeroplanes and scouring airshows, that passion never left me. Since as early as I can remember, I have always been attracted to planes. Growing up, my dreams were to become a professional pilot, get into aerospace engineering, own a Cap 232, become the Catherine Maunoury of my generation, design and build my very own aircraft... Many of these childhood dreams were obviously not meant to be. I am no professional pilot, no rocket scientist, nor aerospace engineer. My health and academic achievements (or lack thereof!) took me in a different direction.
Nonetheless, in my twenties, I saved enough money to take my first flying lessons on a Buse'Air 150, a three axis, two-seater microlight akin to Cessna 150s. From there, I moved on to flying the typical PA28s, Cessna 152s and Cessna 172s as an amateur pilot. Whilst these airframes are far removed from Rafales, Mirage 2000s, and other high performance jets that inhabited the dreams of my youth, the Aviation Community and kit providers such as Van's Aircraft make it possible for quidams like myself to make some of my dreams come true.
I can only hope that one day, before the fat lady sings, Mist will take me and my family across Europe. Together, we will capture breath-taking videos of landscapes from above, and give something back to the Aviation Community. General aviation is, if not in decline, at risk. Somehow, I wish to share my passion, help others who are on a similar journey, and ultimately do my part to ensure aviation becomes more and more accessible. One can dream, right?
