Diamond DA-20 out, Extra 300 in...

[Maciej]

So I started flying in August '14 and ended up getting my ticket in Dec '14 in a G1000 Skyhawk, I was hell bent on picking up a Diamond DA20 because at the time my wife said she wanted something fun we can putt around in, and because of the extreme amount of traffic I wanted to throw a G500 setup into it (big mistake, sort of). Ends up she wasn't a fan of flying... or me for that matter lol, so the Diamond was put up for sale after a few months, although I did about 220hrs in it in the span of four months with it, so it definitely was very useful in me building time...

When I was a kid my parents saved up as much money as they could and exposed me to flying when I was young, and I was hell bent on getting back in the air, but I always craved the adrenaline high from my last flight as a kid in a Pitts...

And flash forward to now...

After 17yrs, spending ten years in racing ranging from motorcycles to production race cars to formula cars and some of the rarest cars in the world, I finally was resourceful enough to make a very reckless decision and pick up my own dream plane...

Now that I'm divorced I'm going to have a lot of free time, so I'll be able to get it in the air relatively quick and start practicing to compete.

And for those of you who like videos, here's some of the stuff I've been doing in the L that I've been flying with a friend...

 

[GRG55]

Wow! Congratulations!!!
On the plane, not the divorce

Have to admit, my wife hates flying too. But we stay together for the sake of the airplane.
(I couldn't afford it if I cut my net worth in half)

More pics as you get 'er back together and in the air again please.

 

[Maciej]

Wow! Congratulations!!!
On the plane, not the divorce

Have to admit, my wife hates flying too. But we stay together for the sake of the airplane.
(I couldn't afford it if I cut my net worth in half)

More pics as you get 'her back together and back in the air please.

I can't afford it either... But as they say... #yolo lol

 

[RudyP]

Congrats! That's awesome. I've always enjoyed your photos.

Have a blast in that thing!

 

[Timbeck2]

Hmmmm. Mom's pretty hot.

 

[mscard88]

Hmmmm. Mom's pretty hot.

Air Force guys tend to stick together, so that was my thought as well.

 

[Maciej]

Air Force guys tend to stick together, so that was my thought as well.

lmfao, considering it was seventeen years ago I'll be sure to relay the message

 

[mscard88]

lmfao, considering it was seventeen years ago I'll be sure to relay the message

That'll work, she'll appreciate it I'm sure, plus me and Tim are 17 years older now too!

 

[Maciej]

That'll work, she'll appreciate it I'm sure, plus me and Tim are 17 years older now too!

lolololololol, she appreciated the compliments

 

[mscard88]

lolololololol, she appreciated the compliments

Super!

 

[hindsight2020]

Congrats brother. Don't remarry. You don't need to marry to have meaningful life companionship. If you do, make it damn clear you're not giving up your flying lifestyle for a woman. I'm serious, life's too short to be living in the shadows of your own life with that whole idle threat "cheaper to keep 'er" Stockholm syndrome Beta-male BS. Breathe deep brother, you're Free. #BravoZulu

 

[Maciej]

Congrats brother. Don't remarry. You don't need to marry to have meaningful life companionship. If you do, make it damn clear you're not giving up your flying lifestyle for a woman. I'm serious, life's too short to be living in the shadows of your own life with that whole idle threat "cheaper to keep 'er" Stockholm syndrome Beta-male BS. Breathe deep brother, you're Free. #BravoZulu

Mandatory requirement for the eventual replacement is that she LIKES flying, not just tolerates it. Bonus points for the one that asks me where she can buy her own chute lol

 

[Ravioli]

You don't need to marry to have meaningful life companionship. THAT'S WHAT PLANES ARE FOR!

FTFY

 

[Maciej]

FTFY

Can't argue that, I'm pretty sure that my smile is a permanent condition from now on knowing I have that beautiful white Extra 300. Haven't been able to sleep since I took delivery of it yesterday. Been planning how to redo the panel, going to copy the L that I fly with some minor modifications. Instead I'm going to have a JPI EDM730 and Garmin G5 next to the iPad mount and they'll be centered as a single unit, and I went with the Trig lightweight transponder and comm.

 

[Maciej]

Almost done cleaning it and we're starting assembly shortly...

 

[Maciej]

And here's the final design for the panel layout...

 

[lolachampcar]

Mid-wings are fun and have an unnecessary bad rap.

 

[Maciej]

Just finishing assembling the panel and starting wiring, looks awesome in person; only thing I changed was going from the TL accelerometer to the MGL one.