By Keith Readner, EAA 1310139
This piece originally ran in the February 2026 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
I developed an interest in building an airplane in 2019 and ended up choosing the RV-10. We thought having four seats, an IO-540 for power, and an airplane that does 175 knots would be perfect for us. We sold our Cherokee and headed into the unknown!
I sought out some experts at Vernon Regional Airport (CYVK). The first was Rick Thorburn who was a guru of RV building. Rick gave me all kinds of advice. I next went to visit Steve Foord, EAA 1311765, who happened to be building an RV-10 as well. Steve spent a good amount of time showing me the plans, the specialized tools, and his project. He is a wealth of knowledge. This was enough to push me over the edge. My wife, Polly, EAA 1310140, and I discussed the idea and then pulled the trigger on the RV-10 empennage kit.
What no one told me was that I signed up to be not only the builder but shipper, receiver, logistics, quality control, accounts payable, warehouse man, researcher, and a whole host of other tasks lumped together. It was overwhelming. Once I received my first kit in mid-October 2020, it was time to get to work. Having been raised on a farm and having a background in electrical skills certainly helped prepare me for some of this, but I had no idea what I was getting into. My first driven rivets looked horrible. I could do a decent job with the rivet squeezer, but that pesky rivet gun left smileys on most of my universal rivet heads. I was devastated. After a consultation with Steve, I learned that air pressure and technique will go a long way. Now I was ready to tackle the vertical stabilizer.
Well, it wasn’t too long when putting dimples into the prepunched skin holes that I proceeded to add an extra dimpled hole. I was devastated again! I needed therapy and fast! I consulted another builder who was building his third RV-10 at Springbank Airport (CYBW), Les Kearney, EAA 1357673. His words of wisdom were: “You will make mistakes; it’s how you fix them that counts!”
I got back into the shop and kept going. Weeks went by, and before long I had a vertical stabilizer, rudder, horizontal stabilizer, elevators, and even trim tabs constructed.
In April 2021 the fuselage kit arrived. By now it was clear that airplane building is a two-person sport, especially when your arms aren’t long enough to hold both a bucking bar and a rivet gun. After a few practice lessons with Polly, she started on the rivet gun. This can be a test of any husband-and-wife relationship, and after we got our communication clearly defined, we were good to go.
Once the wings arrived and the finishing kit, it was clear that this was a huge undertaking to build a fully functioning airplane. There were several bumps in the road. I had chosen the quick-build wings from Van’s, but they had issues with corrosion. This set me back several months, but fortunately I had things I could keep building. Then the laser cut parts (LCP) issue hit the scene. Fortunately, all my parts were pre-LCP, so that was a huge relief.
Of course, an airplane without an engine is kind of useless, so I had the foresight to preorder my engine in 2021 from Aero Sport Power in Kamloops. Aero Sport once again was offering its build school where customers can go to its shop, and with the help of an experienced technician, they build their own engine. You arrive on Day 1, and on Day 3 the engine that you helped to build is mounted on a test truck and fired up for the first time. What a great sight to see that first puff of exhaust smoke and see 265 hp come to life.
By the summer of 2024 it was clear that we were getting close to the finish line. The upholstery was done, the avionics and electrical were installed, and the rough fiberglass work completed, and by late August we began the laborious task of painting. I never thought it would be so much work. The scuffing, filling pinholes, sanding, laying out the design — it seemed to never end. We were able to secure a heated hangar to assemble and store the airplane for the winter. The finish line was near. On November 26, 2024, the inspector from the MD-RA spent three hours going through the airplane and paperwork. December 12, 2024, I was issued a special certificate of airworthiness by Transport Canada. We made it!
After checking everything twice, we fired up the Lycoming and taxied for the run-up. Not being used to a castering nose wheel, I probably looked like a drunken pilot on Taxiway Delta. Differential braking for steering is definitely an art.
After lining up for Runway 23, I gently eased the throttle forward. At this point we had no idea if the engine would make full power or if the low-pitch stops were set for the correct prop rpm. Once we got to 65 knots I rotated, and C-GMMD (aka Ms. Destini) defied gravity and Bernoulli’s law took effect. We were airborne! Four years and two months (3,491 hours) of persistence and hard work paid off. I had the RV grin. After about 30 minutes of making high-speed laps around Vernon airport and a short journey out to Swan Lake, we were confident that it would land uneventfully. We lined up for Runway 23 and landed safely, although a bit squirrelly with the toe brakes. What an amazing flying machine.
This has been an incredible journey. There were some days I was so discouraged it was hard to keep going, but in the end persistence and determination paid off. We have met so many great people who are fellow builders and aviators who have offered support and advice along the way.
Many have asked what I am building next. The answer is memories. This airplane was meant for travel, and Oshkosh is on the list … and then the sky is the limit.
Attention — Aircraft Builders and Restorers
We would love to share your story with your fellow EAA members in the pages of EAA Sport Aviation magazine, even if it’s a project that’s been completed for a while. Readers consistently rate the “What Our Members are Building/Restoring” section of the magazine as one of their favorites, so don’t miss the chance to show off your handiwork and inspire your peers to start or complete projects of their own. Learn more ->