We bought a Kitfox airplane (and trailered it home)!

Tuesday was one of those days that we’ll never forget.  After a year-long, exhaustive search for an airplane that would fit our budget, our lifestyle and would perform well in the mountains…we finally found it.  And in the most unexpected way.

Through the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association), Mark found two people in our county that own Kitfox airplanes.  Two weeks ago he reached out to them to see how they liked their aircraft.  One wrote back “would you like to buy mine?”.  Mark and I both about fell on the floor.  We had been looking for a Kitfox for sale anywhere in the country and had accepted the fact that we’d most likely be traveling at least two states away to buy one.  Most that came up for sale were in Washington, Texas, New York and Florida.  It’s seemed too good to be true that there was possibly an airplane for us just 30 miles away.

We took a look at it on a Thursday and after hours and hours of research, discussion and soul-searching, we decided this was the one.  It was within our budget and the build work was done beautifully.  The one caveat being that the motor is not currently operational.  Not knowing with 100% certainty how much money it would take to get the motor running made this purchase a risk for us but we very thoughtfully weighed the pros and cons, discussed the best and worst possible outcomes and decided it was a risk we were willing to take.

We’re not afraid of taking risks…calculated risks.  We’re not afraid of failure.  Not trying…not doing anything at all is what scares us more than anything.

So on Tuesday, what has been a dream of ours for longer than I can remember became a reality.  We picked up our airplane (that luckily has folding wings) and trailered it back to our home airport.  There’s nothing quite like the reality of your dreams being met with an uncertain future to make you feel like you want to cry tears of joy and throw up all at the same time.  At least that’s how I felt as I followed Mark down the highway, keeping a close eye on the airplane in hopes that it made the journey home in one piece.

Now the work begins.  We are determined to see this bird fly.  This project has lit a fire under us like never before and we are so excited to see where it takes us.  We always say “invest in experience” and no matter what happens we know this will be an experience we’ll never forget.

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10 Comments

Leave a Reply to JimCancel reply

  • WOW I am impressed. I am sure many of us will be with you in spirit for sure. Really hope the motor comes safely to life for you. Its sort of major important part. Best to you both.
    Jim

    • Thanks Jim! Yes, a working motor is kind of a critical part : ) We’ll be sure to write more about how it goes bringing it back to life!

  • Put up some tech details.. I think it is a Kitfox II.. with an 80 hp Rotax.. pretty sweet.
    No further posts about it.. so ??

    have you made the transition from weight shift to 3 axis and real airplane flying.. or isn’t it new.

    • Hi Larry, sorry we haven’t gotten around to writing more about the Kitfox. Mark has been flying 3 axis airplanes for about five years but had been renting up until buying the Kitfox last year. It’s a series 6, 914, 115 hp Rotax. Great little plane that we look forward to spending many hours in once we thaw out of winter here in the Rocky Mountains.

  • Hey guys, DB & L here, Watched your u tube last year and glad to see you are making progress … we do not fly (yet) and are intrigued w/ the Kitfox. You wrote that you found your plane through EAA and I am wondering if you were required to gain membership to access the info that you found about owners in your area? Anyway we will watch your current vid in the morning, all the best, DB&L

    • Hi there! I believe it depends on each individual EAA chapter if they’ll release that info or not.

  • Awesome story guys! I saw your YouTube video after getting your engine running. I know how exciting it can be to buy an airplane, do some work on it and then appreciate the rewards of your labor. Congrats and happy flying!

By michele

About

Hi!  We’re Mark & Michele, a couple of modern-day nomads perfecting the art of slow, perpetual travel.  Our tiny home on wheels and slow-paced travel style allows us maximum freedom at minimal expense.  This blog is where we share our travels as well as our insights in to this lifestyle that we absolutely love.  Thanks so much for being here.

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