Thomas and Betty Klammer’s RV-10 | Jeffersonville, IN. (KLOU) RV-10 #42353

Thomas Klammer just flew his RV-10 “retirement project” for the first time. Here’s the story:

I am a private-pilot, SEL, with an instrument rating. I earned my PPL about 15 years ago, and have 600 hours, half in C-172s and half in Cirrus SR-22s. All my flight time was in rental aircraft.

After 10 years of flying rented aircraft, I began to tire of the uncertain dispatch, obsolete avionics, worn-out interiors and high hourly cost of rentals, and started to think about ownership. That said, the factory price of a new Cirrus was out of the question, and updating and upgrading a 40-year old used airplane did not appeal to me, either. A 20-year old Cirrus was an option, but after interior, engine and avionics upgrades, that was still pushing $400,000 — more than I wanted to invest. At EAA AirVenture in 2019, the idea hit me like a bolt from the blue: I could build an RV-10, have a new airplane and engine, state-of-the art avionics, plush interior, SR-22-like performance — at a price a lot less than $400,000. I was planning on retiring in 2020, so this would be my retirement project.

And so it became. My Dad was an aircraft mechanic for the old North Central Airlines and so I grew up hanging around hangars, Convair 580s, and DC-9s in the 1960s and 70s, when all of that stuff was still possible for a kid. But I made my living as a CPA, so I cannot say I was gifted with any special mechanical skills. What I think CPAs are gifted with is persistence, attention to detail, and a high tolerance for repetitive tasks.

So it went for 4 1/2 years. What you don’t know when starting to build, you learn and practice. The EAA SportAir workshops helped me tremendously with areas of extreme ignorance, like fiberglass and electrical work. The folks at Van’s were uniformly helpful with answers to questions. And my friends at EAA Chapter 110 kept me between the bright lines during the build, and most importantly, guided me through the last 4 months, from “I turned the last page of the plans” to airworthiness certificate to first flight. Could not have done this safely without their help.

First flight was November 13, 2025. A fellow EAA member accompanied me, a smart decision. We flew circles around KLOU for an hour; a fellow EAA member flew chase. The plane flew great and the engine ran great. No major glitches.

I could not be happier with the plane, the build experience, the friends I made and the flying adventures I am planning. It is a great blessing to live in a country where the government, the industry and organizations like the EAA make this possible.