As we prepare for Airventure 2016, we do so with a heavy heart. We’re starting to close the book on the journey we started 15 years ago. It’s been a good run, but we’re listing our beloved 44 Victor Fox for sale.

We have struggled with this choice for months, and I’ll try to explain our choice below, but at a high level we’re not flying the airplane and have decided to take it to Oshkosh once more to offer it to a new, loving home. So, if you’re in the market, look for us parked near EZ street in the Velocity area. Also, the factory has agreed to hand out flyers for us, so you can get some details there as well. They’re familiar with the plane, and we have this video where Scott Swing flew her with Elizabeth. Here is the sale page and PDF flyer.

So why are we selling? Because we’re not flying. But why not? Several reasons, to be honest – both of us are more busy at work than we had been, so there are more pressures on our time. But if I’m fair the biggest reason is Elizabeth. Ever since our incident she has struggled with post-traumatic stress. It has been variously better and worse, and she has sought treatment (with some affect), but mostly she doesn’t really enjoy being in the airplane any more. Nor, truth be told, does she like me to be in it. It is a hard thing for her to talk about, partly because she feels like it reflects on me, like she doesn’t trust me, and partly because she knows that it is an irrational fear. She knows that the airplane is well built, but she can’t help reliving our engine-out off-field landing, and worries that I will have an problem when I go without her. My buddy Andy is fond of saying flying should be fun, and to stop when it isn’t. He’s talking about weather, but it’s good advice.

So, she doesn’t enjoy flying anymore. What about me? I do occasionally fly by myself, but I don’t really care for it. I like flying, and more importantly, going places with Elizabeth (and occasionally others). I wouldn’t have built the plane by myself, for myself. It’s just my personality. And I don’t like going when I know it’s causing her to worry either. Again it comes back to the fun factor.

Finally the VFR factor. The more we would travel the more I realized that I really don’t like traveling VFR. Going flying on a beautiful day is awesome. But on those days you can get a forecast for the entire trip time and go with some confidence. I hate, hate, hate the idea of getting trapped VFR on top, and I don’t like to scud run. That means when we go somewhere any distance away, or for any length of time, I’m stressed about the return trip, or stressed about the clouds thickening. Again, not fun.

I’d been starting my IFR training. While doing so I realized I wanted (needed?) the autopilot to do it well. That required me to work on the airplane, and preferably have a copilot while I tinkered with it. Elizabeth struggled to give me that support, which made me question the wisdom of investing the time, money, and energy into becoming IFR capable with no partner to enjoy the trip with. It just didn’t make sense.

All of these forces have gradually pushed us to make the choice to offer our baby to new parents. I’m bummed, but not sad. I will miss her, no doubt, I’ve spent fully a third of my life bringing her into the world. But I have enjoyed the experience. I have learned a lot, both about myself and what I’m capable of, and real world skills – both building and flying. I have made some magnificent friends, the kind you only get through shared experiences. Those are harder to make the older you get. And we’ve made some great memories. I cherish them all. Here’s a quick history of the “Fox”.

September 1999
Texas Air Aces – my first flight experience

October 2000 – Elizabeth and I meet

July 2001 – My first flight lesson

October 2001 – My First Solo!

July 2002 – Elizabeth Delivers our kit