Hey all,

My name is Matt Staley, I'm in southwest Ohio (Xenia) and recently began my venture to obtaining my PPL. I'm still in the early phases of working on my license however owning my own plane has already been on my mind! I'll be honest in saying that Kitfox was brought to my attention by watching some of Trent Palmer's videos, which I think are excellent in marketing the capability of the Kitfox. I had also looked at the Rans S20 Raven and S21 Outbound before landing here.

At this point I'm just looking for some experience from members on a realistic and cost effective approach to owning my own aircraft. I've looked on Barnstormers and similar online classifieds for Kitfox IV - V's and the inventory is extremely low, if not absent. The idea of building is appealing to me but the cost seems very hazy. I know that the kit costs are clearly laid out online, but what does a "real" build number look like by time you hit the runway for the first time? I had been looking at the 7 STI to have similar capabilities to Trent's Freedom Fox with a Rotax 912. Just looking for any input on building vs. buying, and the realistic cost of both! Thanks!