Paul Dye
Paul Dye, KITPLANES® Editor at Large, retired as a Lead Flight Director for NASA’s Human Space Flight program, with 50 years of aerospace experience on everything from Cubs to the Space Shuttle. An avid homebuilder, he began flying and working on airplanes as a teen and has experience with a wide range of construction techniques and materials. He flies an RV-8 and SubSonex jet that he built, an RV-3 that he built with his pilot wife, as well as a Dream Tundra and an electric Xenos motorglider they completed. Currently, they are building an F1 Rocket. A commercially licensed pilot, he has logged over 6000 hours in many different types of aircraft and is an A&P, FAA DAR, EAA Tech Counselor and Flight Advisor; he was formerly a member of the Homebuilder’s Council. He consults and collaborates in aerospace operations and flight-testing projects across the country.
The First Liar
Throughout the history of places where pilots gather—be it a hangar, lounge or friendly saloon—one thing has always held true: the old saying that...
Home Away from Home… Thanks Dynon!
One of the hidden treasures in the Reno Air Race pits, tucked in among the Sport Class racers and their pits, is a bite...
Better Safe…
As competitive as he is, Sport Class President Bob Mills is first and foremost a pilot with excellent judgement. So when he taxied out...
Harbingers of Winds to Come
The atmosphere in Reno, Nevada this year gives you two choices - you can have smoke, or you can have wind - which drives...
The Smallest “Sponsor”
When we watched Bob Mills prepping Race 49 (his read Rocket 6) for a heat race on Wednesday, we noticed that his fuel cap...
It’s Not Your Old 1917!
One of the traditions at the Reno Air Races is the Fire Truck ride given to race winners and their crews. Traditionally, the winning...
Racing Tweaks and Tricks
Sport Class racers are an inventive bunch, and they are always tweaking during race week to get the most performance out of their machines....
Learning Glass
Old dog, new tricks. We see the discussion of EFIS digital instruments versus round steam gauges on homebuilders forums every week. There are all...
Same Faces….More Nitrous!
The early part of the week at the Reno Races is mostly spent chatting with old friends as they get their race planes dialed...
In Case You Missed It
Fun With Fly Cutters
Did you ever wonder what kind of tool makes those graceful machine marks on factory-made brackets and manifolds?
Flight Review: Jabiru J230 Light Sport
Marc Cook flies the nimble, LSA-compliant Jabiru J230, and finds the two-seater offers a smooth ride with a decidedly Outback attitude.
Product Review: Lightspeed Headset
With Bose and LightSpeed competing neck and neck (ear to ear?) in the ANR headset arena, author Jack Cowell does a side-by-side comparison to see which model excels.