I came in from the shop for lunch the other day, and what did I find sitting on the front step of the house? A large box from Iowa – and that could only mean that my F1 Rocket seats had arrived! Carefully crafted by DJ Lauritsen, the seats are made from the best comfort-foam and real sheepskin (cool in summer, warm in winter) that I have learned to like so much in my other airplanes.
DJ has built interiors for several of my planes in the past, and when I found out at AirVenture last summer that she was planning on retiring at the end of the year, I asked if she might indulge me for one last job. She agreed, and we began exchanging notes with measurements to make sure that what she was doing would fit my cockpit. I wanted heated seats for this high-altitude cruiser, so I ordered heating elements kits from Blake at Flyboy Accessories, and had them drop-shipped directly to DJ.
I excitedly opened the package as soon as it arrived, and tried the seats on for size – a perfect fit!
Why get seats when the airplane is far from finished? Well the fact that DJ was retiring weighed in, but it also helps in many aspects of cockpit refinement and fitting to have the actual seats in place. And of course, they will remain wrapped in their protective plastic until just before inspection day (whenever that might be).
