Mike Hilger

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=120 BGCOLOR="#0000FF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="310a3640.gif" border=0 width="163" height="100" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></B></I><FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Britannic Bold" ><I><B>Van's Air Force - Minnesota Wing</B></I></FONT></div> <div> <I><B>The Twin Cities RV Builder's Group</B></I></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=20% BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>*  *  *  *  *</B></div> <div> <A HREF="default.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U><B>Home Page</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="About.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B>About Us</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B>Events</B></U></A><B> </B><A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="1641f0c0.gif" border=0 width="31" height="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="RVator.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="RVator Log"><U><B>The "RVator's Log"</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="MList.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Member List"><U><B>Member List</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Member Project"><U><B>Member Projects</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Completed aircraft"><U><B>Completed Aircraft</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="First flights"><U><B>1st</B></U></A><A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="First flights"><U><B> Flights</B></U></A><A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="1641f0c0.gif" border=0 width="31" height="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Techs.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tech counselors"><U><B>Tech Counselors and DARs</B></U></A><B> </B><A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="1641f0c0.gif" border=0 width="31" height="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Trans.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Transition training"><U><B>Transition Training</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Tips.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Builder Tips"><U><B>Building Tips</B></U></A><B> </B></div> <div> <A HREF="ForSale.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For Sale"><U><B>For Sale</B></U></A><B> </B><A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><I><B><IMG SRC="1641f0c0.gif" border=0 width="31" height="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rec Links"><U><B>Recommended Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Vendors.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rec Vendors"><U><B>Recommended Vendors</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Join.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Join Wing"><U><B>Join the MN Wing</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="JoinEmail.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Group"><U><B>Join MN Wing Email Group </B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Contact.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>*  *  *  *  *</B></div> <div> <A HREF="Homecoming.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vans Homecoming"><U><B>2003 Van's Homecoming</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="VansTrip.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Trip to Vans"><U><I><B>A Trip to Van's </B></I></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=360 BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Mike Hilger, Inver Grove Hts, MN</B></div> <bR> <div> First flight December 20, 2000</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0e4135c0.jpg" border=0 width="531" height="348" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> "FAA inspector John Roscoe looked my RV-6 over on Dec 21 and issued the all-important airworthiness certificate. He told me it was one of the nicer ones he's seen and said he didn't have any gigs to write up. He also told me he was assigning the test area I asked for (even though it was larger than the Feds would like) owing to the capabilities of the aircraft. I can fly between So.St. Paul, Winona, and Faribault, including those airports.</div> <bR> <div> Dec 22 was cold (02F!) but clear and calm. I had done all my testing with the airplane ready to fly. As a matter of fact, the small amount of high speed taxi I did while belted in, just in case. The airplane was ready and so was I (thanks to a Mike Seager checkout).</div> <bR> <div> Soooo..., I flew! About .6 hr and it went just fine. I've put 20 hrs or so on N207AM and the easiest way to put it is that it does EVERYTHING Van's said it would and it handles just as advertised.</div> <bR> <div> All the fairings are on except the wheel pants and it is painted. I have been pulling a lot of power to keep the break-in process going (chrome cyls), but it looks as though 2400 rpm is giving 185-187 mph at most altitudes. The pants should give me a few more mph. I have the fixed pitch Sensenich prop and an O-360-A1A. At this point I am glad I didn't spend the extra money on the Hartzell, but it's still early."</div> <bR> <div> Note:  Since Mike's first flight, he had the unfortunate luck to hit a bird!  The vertical stab was damaged but after repairs, Mike is airborne again!</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>   *  *  *  *</div> <bR> <div> <B>Here's an update as of April 2004:</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> "N207AM first flew in December, 2000 after 7 years of building. The engine is a Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 hp, with a Sensenich fixed pitch prop. It has a gyro panel with a KY-97 comm, KT-76 transponder and a Garmin 196 GPS. Seats are by "DJ". As of April 2004, we have flown 550 nearly trouble-free hours. I am very pleased with my RV-6, and, as many other builders have said, it does everything Van said it would. If you are a builder, keep pounding those rivets. It's well worth it!"</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="321e0680.jpg" border=0 width="480" height="360" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="322e0680.jpg" border=0 width="480" height="360" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="323e0680.jpg" border=0 width="480" height="360" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>