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Q-talk 20 - Mar/Apr 1990 - index

MAR/APR 1990
ISSUE NUMBER 20

QUICKIE BUILDERS ASSOCIATION

A MESSAGE OF HOPE

by Jim Masal

 

I have always prodded all of you to write SOMEthing about your project progress (or lack thereof) at least once each year. In fact, I even deliberately "lost" 200 members a few years back because they weren't contributing anything but dues. Now that's a damn fool thing to do isn't it? Maybe.

Why is hearing from you so important to me? If I don't have at least a general idea where all of you are at, I can't possibly do all I can do to help you into the air. That's what I'm trying to do here.

There is a slightly increasing number of you out there who are getting lazy about helping me out. So lazy in fact that your wife writes the check, and maybe the note too. Don't tempt me to think up some creative guerilla warfare. I'll be the only guy happy. Even a "no progress" is helpful.

In fact, several of you guys were disappointed to report no work at all on your projects. Don't worry about it. You started me thinking.

A couple years ago I was steadily working with a friend on his Glassair RG. For over a year now NOTHING has been done on that airplane. For a while, I was working on it alone while my friend's business got busy and then I stopped. Why? Your letters got me thinking. First, it wasn't my airplane and I was not interested in being a project manager, only a helper. Second, I finally realized, my friend's company was really enjoyable in this endeavor. It was like a Saturday men's club meeting where we'd socialize while working and occasionally take a break for advice or a look-see from someone working in a close by hangar at the airport. It was fun, and progress was happening...at least until I felt stuck out there alone.

Let me bounce a couple thought off you guys with stalled projects. First, take hope, because I continue to hear from projects that get a restart and go to completion after a year or more of nothing. The odds aren't the best, but they don't seem to be slim either. If you still have the desire, if it's not just wishful thinking, or the inability to accept the financial loss, YOU CAN DO IT.

My second thought was inspired by an episode with my hangar mate Tom Gordy, Q-2 builder. We don't talk frequently, but when I called him a couple weeks ago he had just gotten back from an infrequent day of working on his plane. He was down in the dirt. Of three areas he tried to make progress in, not one was successful. He hit 3 logjams. I told him I'd meet him the next week to take a look. That next weekend, between working on my plane and assisting/advising/cussing with Tom, he broke through all three problems and is on the trail again. I did not do anything magic...two heads were just better than one.

Those of you with long-stalled projects, have you even considered offering some percentage of your finished airplane to a compatible partner? Maybe a little social interplay could make it fun again. Maybe this kind of compromise with your dream might make the difference between dust collecting on fiberglass and a wonderful experience. Just maybe, a little creative dealing could get you into the air.

 

Other Articles In This Issue

LETTERS - Q-TIPS - by Jim Masal
ODDS and ENDS - by Jim Masal
CLASSIFIEDS - by Jim Masal
QUICKSHOTS - by Jim Masal
SUN 'N FUN - by Jim Masal
QUICKPIX - SUN 'N FUN - by Jim Masal

 


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