Zenith Aircraft Company is returning to southwestern Texas to host its popular hands-on kit aircraft building workshop. The two-day workshop will be held February 23 & 24, 2024, at Boerne Stage Airfield (5C1), north of San Antonio, Texas.
The hands-on workshop class will start on Friday morning, February 23, inside a large private hangar at Boerne Stage Airfield and will conclude the following day. Also on Saturday morning (February 24), Zenith will host an informal regional fly-in gathering for Zenith aircraft owners, flyers and enthusiasts. “We have an active community of Zenith aircraft builders and pilots spread throughout Texas,” said Sebastien Heintz, Zenith Aircraft’s president. “We look forward to seeing many of them and their flying Zenith projects.” Southern Texas in February is “a perfect time and place” to take the Zenith workshop, states Heintz.
All Zeniths are invited to fly in for the activities, and enthusiasts and current builders are invited to drive in or fly in to attend. Representatives from Viking Aircraft Engines (Honda automotive conversions) plan to participate to share information and details about their engine installations in Zenith kit airplanes, and demonstrator aircraft will be available for demo flights.
Zenith Aircraft’s hands-on workshops are primarily for first-time kit airplane builders and have become popular with sport aviation enthusiasts who are considering building their own aircraft and are unsure if they have the required skills, workspace and tools. During the workshop each participant builds and assembles their own Zenith aircraft rudder tail section from a standard Zenith kit. The two-day workshop concludes once participants have successfully completed assembly of their own rudder tail section of the aircraft.
In the process of building the rudder assembly, participants tackle many activities including learning how to read drawings (blueprints) and work with assembly instructions (manuals) under the expert guidance of factory staff. They learn the procedures for putting together an aircraft assembly, including drilling and blind riveting. In the end, they have an assembled rudder that is ready to install on a Zenith kit airplane.
“The rest of the kit is constructed the same way as the rudder, using the same tools,” said Heintz. “Participants get far more out of the workshop than just a finished aircraft rudder: they go home with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to build their own airplane. Most importantly, they learn that kit building is enjoyable and something that can engage the whole family. Many of our prospective builders bring their spouses or other family member, who often encourage them to move forward with the rest of the kit. With modern technology, such as final hole size CNC match drilled parts, and detailed assembly instructions, aircraft construction has become much easier than most people think.”
The hands-on workshop is an excellent way to learn about building your own kit airplane and about the many advantages of owning and flying an airplane that you’ve built yourself. Zenith Aircraft Company continues to be the number one brand of light sport aircraft in the U.S. (based on actual FAA aircraft registrations).
For many, building an aircraft is a very rewarding experience, and today’s modern kits make it easier and quicker to build than even before. Building an aircraft from a kit (typically in a home garage workshop) is a growing hobby for many aviation enthusiasts, and Zenith kits make it easy and affordable for many to build and fly their own aircraft.
Standard workshop fees are $375.00 (or $425 for the CH 750 Super Duty model) and include the complete rudder kit for a Zenith aircraft. Additional helpers are encouraged to attend. To learn more about the workshop program, visit zenithair.com or call Zenith Aircraft directly: (573) 581-9000 (Mon – Fri, 8 – 5 Central). Space is limited, and prior registration is required for the rudder workshop. Group size is limited. Zenith Aircraft Company also hosts its popular workshop classes monthly at its factory in central Missouri.
