Poplar Grove Museum Baby Ace
Well. I guess I’m not sure where to start explaining this but I’m at the crossroads of making some decisions.
Making emotional decisions
Back when I was losing everything emotions were running high. It’s the kind of thing where you look around at your life and you can’t make sense of anything. It was a confusing and desperate time.
When you plead with the bank and ask them if they could just give you 6 more months and they say NO – it really does a number on your head. I mean, after a lifetime of perfect credit and early payments I was pretty shocked they wouldn’t work with me. That’s changed now with the new consumer laws but when this was happening to me I was one of the first after the now famous ‘construction and banking collapse’.
Anyhow, I walked out of the bank depressed. From that point on I found myself sick and tired of every non-essential item I owned. Basically, I started throwing things away out of frustration. Call it “emotions running wild”.
Everything must go
The airplane was one of those items where I started throwing stuff away. Some of you remember the “Speedwing” I was designing and the amount of time I put into it. Well, I threw it all away out of frustration. I even threw the jig away.
Every wing bracket I made, and I made them all, were tossed out in the garbage. It might seem stupid but imagine looking at your wife and kids each night with the feeling you let them down and it’s haunting you to the point where you can’t sleep.
I do have some good news though!!!
The funny part of this story comes from an EAA member and friend. He is a home builder himself and is currently finishing his Hatz biplane.
He knew what I was going through and one day stopped over. He said “Let me take the fuselage and hang it up in my hangar”
So that’s what he did. He came over one day with his brother and a flatbed trailer and hauled it away. He still has it. I need to pick it up.
So now what?
I am at a crossroads because I’m not sure if I want to build the custom wing. It took a long time and it wasn’t fun.I threw out all the paperwork, notes, and drawings.
I feel like building the plans version because it’s quick and easy. I don’t know what to do here.
Bonus parts (More good news!)
It gets better though. Lately I have had some really nice airplane people give me some extra parts laying around. I will take some photos and start listing them for all to see. I’m really excited I don’t have to build the fuselage again because that really makes life easy.
Until next time…..
Mike
Mike's Homebuilt Baby Ace airplane 