Dave sold his airplane.
Dave’s VariEze affair lasted about 25 years.
Over the last 6 years he put about 25 hours a year on the plane.
So, about 150 hours.
Somewhere over 200 landings.
Maybe 750 gallons of Avgas.
A couple dozen gallons of epoxy, or so.
A couple hundred yards of glass cloth, or so.
A couple hundred hours of sanding, and two and a half decades complaining about it.
12 years ago our eze paths crossed and since then we have been hangar mates and best buds. I put 10 solid, uneventful hours on his plane.
…Putting numbers to the bottom line here does tell one part of the story, but kinda misses what really happened along the way.
For example, every Saturday, since the first day he walked into the hangar, Dave has told me at least one new joke. Well, mostly new. He did start on the second go-round a few years ago. It’s the thought that counts.
Like all homebuilders, we kept an eye out for special components and equipment. Dave has an especially fine tuned appreciation for glitzy gadgets. Every shiny, humming gizmo that JC Whitney ever carried was given appreciative perusal and appropriate deliberation. The devices that passed the rigors of his scrutiny got a little time in his panel.
Dave has the ability to stir up a good mental and sometimes arm waving physical jousting session. We are on the same page on basic issues. But for fun, on the more esoteric concepts, being on opposite East-West sides of the hangar positioned us well for boisterous echoing 50 foot debates over his concern de jour. Many significant world issues developed during our decade and we humbly take due credit for those that were successfully resolved during our watch.
Dave has several Best Buds. Being a friend provided me entrance to an elite group that started as his 1970s B-52 crew. They have been attending Oshkosh together for many years now and have several traditions. The highlight for everyone is the time honored gathering together on a special evening for the epic evoking of Dave’s Russian Joke.
Being Dave’s hangar mate was fortuitous for me indeed, as I also got to hear the boisterous echoing rendering of the fabled joke almost every time a new visitor came in the 100×400 hangar. By popular demand it was the highlight of Dave’s retirement party last year.
At Oshkosh several years ago I took Dave to the Pushy Galore tent to say hi to Gary Hunter, I introduced them, mentioning that Dave was building a VariEze and was close to first flight. Dave mentioned that he had been working on the plane for twenty years. Without missing a beat Gary said “No you haven’t.” Dave allowed that in fact there had been that 5 years off…
Dave and I know a lot about each other, more than most people would be comfortable with. I know that he is honest to a fault. He is spiritually sound. He will enthusiastically do anything for you, and give you anything that you need, or that he thinks that you might enjoy in the least. He is a committed father and husband. His structural work on the plane was sound. And on his jet ski he can holler yippee for miles and miles down a winding river.
He is the best friend a guy could have.
The first time I met Dave I had just moved my plane to the airport. He heard about a new plane and came out to see the hatching VariEze. Things have never been the same since.
After looking at my plane we went to his house to see his project. He threw open the garage door and said “There she is, Ole Blue Belly!” Starting the grand tour he asked me “How many antennas do you have? I have eleven!” He flicked on the battery and the interior lit up like Christmas.
When I got back out to the airport a hangar friend Jack asked who that guy was. With my usual accuracy I said that Dave had lots of stuff in the plane he was building. I described the IFR equipment, dual NavComs, dual ILS, two starters, two alternators, dual galleys, dual half baths and so on, saying that Dave had two of everything – including every item from JC Whitney. I didn’t think it was really that much of an exaggeration.
A couple of days later I was on the ramp by my plane. Jack taxied up in his Cherokee. Dave was with him. Evidently while they were flying Jack told Dave what I said. Dave bounded out and came hustling over to me in a huff and said, “I do not have two of everything!”
Dave was not at all happy, staying with me as I moved around the plane, intent on getting this “two-of-everything” matter settled. Another hangar member walked up and I said “Jeff, meet Dave, he’s building a VariEze. It has two of everything. Dual NavCom, dual ILS, dual batteries, dual canopies…”
As everyone arrived the momentum grew as Dave was re-introduced to each new friend as the guy with the plane with two of everything. If the conversation lulled I could get things going again by pointing out that he would find a way to put anything on his plane if it shined and hummed. A couple of weeks later Dave had moved into the hangar. I heard a new visitor ask about the plane with two of everything. Dave patted his plane and said “That would be mine, right here!”
When doing mods we had a highly efficient communication sequence down pat.
Dave shows me what he has done and says “So what do you think?”
I say, “Why did you do it like that?”
He says “That’s how you said to do it.”
I say “No it isn’t.”
Dave says – “It isn’t? So how do you make it work now?”
I wonder at how we came to that fork in the road and took it, becoming more along the way. Dave’s ability, or choice, of putting up with me is commendable.
So things have changed. Dave’s plane is gone. We do make it a point to check in with each other regularly. We haven’t had a good argument or challenged the Saturday Tai Pan Buffet for some time now. I’m in a new hangar and am considering hanging up something “appropriate” on the wall in commemoration of Dave, but I don’t have to. Because I can still hear the echos of his Russian joke reverberating around from the old hangar. And remembering all the things I didn’t bring to light here is continually entertaining.
Even now when Dave sees something he likes at Harbor Freight or the gun show he buys one for each of us. The other day he came by to give me his latest find. A gigantic shiny silver survival knife. I waited, knowing what was coming. With appropriate fanfare Dave twisted the handle. You got it- a compass on the grip lit up. “Just like mine” he said.
Recently Dave read ‘Providence’ on the new EZ Chronicles site and said that for the first time he really understood me. Also recently, I understand why having two of everything is so fitting of Dave. The first one is for his Best Bud.
For a few months now I have been trying to somehow capture or put the lid on the Dancin Dave experience. Finally I’m realizing why I cant. He’s coming over Saturday.
It’s not over.
Thank you Paul and Tom Poberezney. By the way, have you heard Dave’s Russian Joke?
Dancin’ Dave
Pilot / Builder / Best Bud
Extraordinaire
Bill James, Fort Worth VariEze