Our American Angel

Our partially completed Vans RV-8 kit was acquired in 2007. In between client projects, it took 5 years to finish building this fast and fun experimental aircraft. A complex project, sometimes it sat for months with almost nothing happening while other times it was all consuming. Tom Elliott was instrumental in helping to get the parts and pieces of the panel in place and working in concert. Bob, Steve, Phil, Mike, Brandon and Wally provided answers and infinite wisdom during the build process, as did many of John’s clients who came to him for design and paint after completing their own kits, but flew back home as friends. The aviation community is like that. Angels were John’s inspiration for the design and paint work, hence the name. Each one has a different meaning, and they are rendered on each side of the tail, above and below the wings, on the wheel pants and even on the inside of the front cargo hatch! Before she flew, the American Angel debuted as a flying hot rod at both the Portland and Eugene (Oregon) Roadster Shows during the spring of 2011. Four months after her first flight in March 2012, we headed east as one of a flight of 3 to Airventure in Oshkosh, WI. Since then, we fly whenever and wherever we can, so I guess you can say we work for av gas! :-)