-----Original Message----- "Mark" wrote
>Let's face it...KR builders are the world's cheapest aircraft builders by definition. >You don't go into the KR business with any hope of making a profit...you do it to >support other builders. -------------------------------------------------------- Yeah, I've just about had enough.... I don't day much on here because A - I don't have time for the BS and B - I don't always have nice things to say. Please do not mistake my "good natured demeanor" as internet courage, I can assure you it is not. If you meet me I am very congenial and play well with others until someone decides to change the rules. Then stand by... I do this mess because I believe in what the design stands for. A dirt simple design that performs well and allows the average joe to build and fly his own plane. The majority of people who select this design isn't because it is necessarily the best plane out there, but it is what we can afford and certainly the best bang for the buck hands down! What people don't realize is the KR business DOES NOT pay for itself! I am out of pocket every month for the size of hangar and expenses it takes to keep this thing going. I am the primary one fabricating or orchestrating the parts for orders since my Nephew/ business partner was stationed elsewhere with the military so things are a bit slowing to be fulfilled than I would like. I am fortunate enough to have Marc Baca to let me abuse him around the hangar for all kinds of tasks that I just can't get to. If you have ordered from our website (which is a little outdated due to time constraints since I have to do that too!) you receive an immediate order confirmation in your email. When the order is being fulfilled or being shipped I have to go into the back office and update the status manually. Sometimes I just don't have time which I will get to shortly. Plans are a whole other dynamic. When I can I take phone calls but mostly I am at work on my real job. People bitch about not being able to contact us but seldom or NEVER leave a message. Emails work better. Sometimes I miss those and it takes me a bit to get through them. I can tell you that a nasty message will get you nowhere fast with me. Those who know me can vouch for my lack of political correctness. My Life - Not a sob story as I have done it mostly to myself. I run 3 companies, 4 if you count nV Aero. I have a construction firm, environmental testing and remediation firm, and commercial/ residential property inspection company. I personally do between 25 - 40 property inspections a month. Environmental inspections and remediation vary, and I currently have 3 sizable construction projects going with three in the wings that would like me to start yesterday. I put on between 100 - 150 miles a day on my truck that gets around 10 - 12 MPG due to the size I need for work. I have taxes, payroll, insurance, writing proposals, invoicing, babysitting employees, and a host of other crap to deal with on a daily basis. And to top it off, for the past several months I'm spending far more time at the VA hospital than I care to. Then we have nV Aero. We started this thing thinking we could actually bring the KR back to life. Our intention was to improve things that needed improvement, add some new products, and generally support the KR builders who needed parts and supplies. We have had our share of road blocks along the way. We were flooded out multiple times losing thousands of dollars in equipment, parts and tooling before moving to Chino. Most would have closed up. I'm either stupid or too stubborn (you decide) to give up so we pushed on. We have a build out only partially completed in our hangar since we spend more time making or fulfilling parts orders when I can be there. We have people offering to provide parts copied from our tooling, assholes selling .pdf plans out of Texas, Canada, and Russia, and people on this net suggesting to people they buy those products. Do you really think this type of crap motivates me to continue providing parts and components for these planes??? Hey, if you want to give me $75k you can have all of it, tooling and all! We still have plans and drawings for a new light sport and single seat experimental of our own design. We are hoping to continue on with it soon. As of the past few months we have been finishing a kit order to Belgium that we are waiting to be picked up and preparing for the Gathering. Hats off to Larry because I have had to take a ton of time off to prepare for this year's event. I personally have designed all artwork, bought and fixed a new gathering website, ordered shirts and hats, spent hours searching for and laying out the awards, orchestrating the banquet food, tables and chairs and other logistical tasks. I have taken this entire week off to ensure we have all materials fabricated and collected for the workshops, hangar cleaned out, and too many other things to mention. So, with my quota for posting to the KR net complete for the next 5 years, this is where I'm at. Get through the KR Gathering, which should be a great time with all we have planned. Then I think I need to take a hard look and see if it is time for me to cut my losses and let the KR community fend for itself. I really could use a real life again and just enjoy flying my KR. Steve Glover
