Dogs, a pandemic, and building an RV-7

Building an airplane for Dave Stone and his neighbor Abbie Sipos started with dogs.

As neighbors in Fort Myers, Florida, they often saw one another walking their dogs. After the COVID pandemic led to lockdowns, they struck up a conversation.

Dave is a retired commercial pilot who flew for private corporations. He is a CFII, MEI, and jet instructor. Abbie works in accounting.

“Dave offered me a ride in an RV, and it was great,” Abbie said during the 2025 SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo.

That first flight led her to wanting to get her private pilot certificate, she said. And that led her to wanting to build an airplane with her neighbor.

The pair bought a quick-build kit for a Vans RV-7 in May 2020 and finished it in December of that year.

“The best day during the pandemic fell on my birthday when we tested the IO-360 Lycoming engine. It started up flawlessly,” Abbie said.

“Building the airplane took blood, sweat, and tears — really,” she continued. “The blood came from drilling when the drill bit got Dave’s finger. Oh, and the canopy is also really sharp. I stood up under it and that hurts.”

When asked about the costs of building the plane, Dave said, “You start a swear jar at the beginning and it’s paid for by the time you’re done.”

For Abbie, her favorite parts of building the aircraft were riveting and designing the paint scheme.

“I love green, so that’s the dominant color,” she said.

The bright green and blue paint scheme was her idea, with design refinements and painting done by Evoke Aircraft Design in Gadsden, Alabama, at the Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (KGAD).

Classic Aero Designs in Albany, Oregon, installed the green and blue upholstery to match the paint scheme.

“The N-number is 234 because that’s easy to remember, and the AS comes from my initials,” Abbie explained.

The neighbors flew the RV-7 to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2024 and won the Outstanding Workmanship Award.

They flew into this year’s SUN ’n FUN for just a day to submit the RV-7 for judging. This was Abbie’s first visit to SUN ‘n FUN.

Immediately after Abbie finished wiping down the wings in 90° weather, Dave returned with the paperwork to get their plane judged. He slipped the judging form over the prop. Next, Dave and Abbie circled the plane to assess its appearance.

Within minutes, two golf carts filled with judges arrived. The judges swarmed the taildragger RV-7. They asked Dave and Abbie if they added modifications to the aircraft.

Dave said they added two coolers.

“We get temperatures under 300 on climb,” he explained.

Though Abbie spent much of the morning drying and polishing the plane, she said she enjoyed her day at SUN ‘n FUN. After they returned to Fort Myers, Abbie phoned to say, “We won an award for Outstanding Workmanship!”

And while the award-winning airplane is finished, Abbie is continuing to work on her private pilot certificate, with Dave as her instructor. So far, she’s soloed and completed her first solo cross-country.

They keep their RV-7 at Page Field (KFMY) in Fort Myers, Florida.