I would like a plane...

[Andrew G]

I am (soon to be re-certified) a private pilot with a "passed" medical. Not seeking LSA status.

Want a Series 7 with a Rotax 912S. Mission: 1) Fun with my 2 boys (wife likes tea and a pillow when flying... she has no interest sadly, but glad I am interested in something other than work), 2) Take a 500 mile trip once in a while and an occasional Oshkosh, 3) commute to northern Vermont during the weekends in the summer months (250 mile trip each way)...

Challenge: I have the energy for family and business, but I can't spend 1,500 hours building a plane. I built a boat and I am so type-A that I would spend all night sessions and ignored everything else and that project darned near killed me (700 hours)... Building a plane is not something I can put aside for a season or a year, I'd be thinking about the project day and night... Excellent fit and finish are important to me, no such thing as "good-nuff".

So, instead of buying an LSA craft and living with 1,320 lbs limitations and no (occasional) night flying, I guess I have to "build" one to achieve 1,550 lbs gross-- which is hugely important to me... but what does "build" mean specifically? That's my question please...

1) Do I have to solely build it (i.e. I actually, by myself, perform more than 51% of the $ value? the project time?)? Or, can I hire folks to build most of it and therefore I would be "contracting" it? Preserving the ability to perform future maintenance myself is not a big issue for me. I'd like to perform the maintenance for cost savings and flexibility, but it's not a deal-breaker.

2) The LSA / non-LSA rules are extremely confusing... I have researched the subject and I read about FAA build approvals providing experimental privileges, but "but cannot fly at night"... I'm stuck on the facts.

Finally, when I pull the trigger, as many of you folks have, it'll probably be after I find a house and figure out how to finance it... we are moving soon.

Thank you all fellow T'Kitfoxers for any advice for a guy with a severe case of "plane on the brain..."