These panel labels are driving me nuts. I really want to avoid stick-on labels, because even the clear ones look like stick-on labels. I want labels that look "professional", not "home-made". I've given up on reverse-transfer labels. They don't stick well to my panel's finish, and they don't seem durable enough, unless I spray some sort of clear-coat on top, and that would likely yellow eventually.

Another builder suggested a local sign place that he had used for some other work. I called them today, and they only do vinyl. I searched the yellow pages, and found another local place that does silk screening. I phoned them and they said they had done instrument panels before. I'm going to try to get to their place on Monday to show them my panel, give them some graphics files and get a quote.

Meanwhile, I've been reworking my original planned label layout. I realized that I should move the labels on the right side console from in front of the switches to behind them. And I messed up when I cut the right fixed part of the instrument panel. I put the trim indicators lower than I intended, and the lower one impinges on where I had planned to put a label on a row of switches. I'm not going to redo the fixed panel, so I had to spend a bunch of time fiddling around with my CAD program looking at different label options. I finally printed out a sheet of paper full-size, cut the switch holes, and mounted a couple of switches to see how it looks. I've got to fine tune the spacing between the lines and some of the lettering, but I'm getting close.

I picked up a Palm Tungsten E PDA on E-Bay, and it arrived this week, so I've spent way too much time figuring out how to use it. Maybe I'll be able to keep my To-Do list sorted out now. I found a very neat free flight planning program called CoPilot. The author seems to live in Ottawa, as the sample database has his aircraft based at Rockcliffe, a small airport near down-town Ottawa. It is such a nice program that I will send him a donation, once I get flying and start using it for real. I threw together a quick-and-dirty RV-8 performance database, and I've looked at various trips that I hope to fly regularly. I finally had to put the thing aside or I would never get anything else done.

I finally managed to meet up with a coworker in Smith's Falls today. He has a large hangar with only one aircraft, and he offered to rent me some space. I like Smith's Falls better than Carp, which is where I have a hangar rented now (fortunately I have sublet it to another RV-ator, so it isn't costing me any money for now). And the space in Smith's Falls would be 25% the cost of my hangar in Carp. The only downside is that I would have to pull his Mooney out to get at my aircraft.I pulled it out today, and it is workable. I'm very tempted.