Matt Ewoldt’s RV-7A | San Antonio, TX RV-7A #70900

Congratulations to Matt on the first flight of his RV-7A! Check out his wonderful first flight story:

FF was amazing! A few squawks, all minor…one hour and 177 miles later (all over KCVB…my ball of yarn track), she landed perfectly. New YIO-360-EXP / Hartzell CS two blade / Dynon HDX / Avidyne IFD 440 / GRT Mini AP backup EFIS…I love this airplane. Still have some additional work and paint to go, but being back to logging time again is SUHWHEAT!!!!

Background:
I received my PPL in May of 1987 and then didn’t fly again for almost 27 years (military, family, life…). Then my amazing wife urged me to get back into the game. So, with a friends (CFII) help, I got my BFR and tailwheel endorsement, then my instrument rating. Never thought I could own an airplane, but shazam, 1967 Mooney M20F became my first in 2018. Kids out of the house and friends with RV-7’s, I started my search. I missed out on a 7A already built and was ready to simply stick with the Moonship…and then Jim Lewis’s family listed a partially built 7A in late Jan 2022.

Showed the ad to my wife and her first response was…”Let’s buy it!” I actually never thought of building, but my buddy had all the tools from his full build. My other buddy (also a 7 owner) was raring to go, so we called…and, less than a week later, three dudes, a truck and a friend’s covered trailer made a 40 hour trip from San Antonio, Tx to Tampa Bay FL to meet Mr. Lewis and his kids, and to take his bird to a new home: my garage.

Jim dreamed of building and flying an RV-7A, but life happens and he was getting up there in age; it simply wasn’t going to happen. His superb craftsmanship made the purchase decision very easy. Flash forward one and a half years from when I took Jims plane and bada-boom, bada-bing…first flight.

I’m sure when I told them I’d do my darnedest to get through Phase 1 so as to fly back and take Jim up, they politely nodded their heads collectively, but thought “Yeah, right.” Well, I’m officially in Phase 1 and hoping to make a trip to Tampa in mid-September to early October to take him flying in ‘his’ plane.