2014 Year In Review

     As expected, it has been a slow year for the project itself, but some more progress has been made in preparation.  In January, I wired a dedicated 110 volt circuit for an air compressor.  In March, I purchased a Husky 30 gallon air compressor from Home Depot.  After breaking it in, I realized it was rather difficult to get to the tank drain, so I built a platform to elevate it.  I also built the enclosure wall for the stairwell leading up to the loft, and insulated and covered the walls and ceiling of the stairwell. I left a gap between the enclosure wall and the stairs, thinking that it would provide ventilation for the compressor, allowing heat to escape up the stairwell and out of the ceiling vent.

                                        

     In May, I had the gas line continued from the stub-in at the exterior wall up to the future heater location, and enclosed all the remaining unfinished wall surfaces.  The detached garage structure is essentially finished off now, with the possible exception of some additional trim work I may or may not choose to do.  I did some additional research on compressed air systems, and figured out what else I would need to complete the system I’ve designed for my shop, including filtration, water/oil separation and plumbing. 
     In June, I took a long road trip that included visits to the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum and the National Museum of the United States Air Force.  And at the end of July, the curse was lifted, and I finally achieved my dream of flying into AirVenture in a warbird.  On Wednesday, July 30, I departed Willow Run in the Yankee Air Museum’s C-47, Yankee Doodle Dandy and flew to OSH for the day.  Since it was only a day trip, I hurried to see as much as I could in the time I had.  I took a lot of photos of some beautiful RV-8s, talked to a few owners, and generally stoked the fire.  It was a long, exhausting and fulfilling day.
                   

                   

     In August, our EAA Chapter 113 hosted the Ford Trimotor’s tour stop at PTK, and I volunteered as part of the ground crew.  I also assisted in one of the chapter’s many Young Eagles flying days.
     Waiting for the building process to begin has begun to feel like a prison sentence to me, so in late August I decided to try to sell my beloved 2008 Mustang GT California Special convertible in order to finance the tooling up and an early start to the project.  But alas, it seems that in Michigan it’s very easy to buy things, and very difficult to sell them.  The only offers I got were about half of what it is realistically worth, and I love the car too much to dump it for a low price.  So the wait continues.  Next spring, I will offer it for sale again, and keep it on the market until it sells.  In the meantime, I will see if I can set aside the funds to get the compressed air system plumbed.  And I’ll keep attending EAA meetings, reading blogs and magazine articles, watching YouTube videos and poring over my preplans again and again, psyching myself up for the day that this project truly begins in earnest.  If anyone out there wants to buy a great Mustang convertible, let me know.