Amy Laboda
Contributing Editor Amy Laboda is a freelance writer and editor of Aviation for Women magazine. She's an ATP-rated pilot and instrument and multi-engine Flight Instructor with a passion for teaching and flying in light aircraft. Her steady rides these days are a 18-year old Kitfox IV and a fresh Van's RV-10.
You CAN Take It With You
"My son designed this," says David Shelton, father of David Shelton, who was convinced that the best way to use his general aviation aircraft would be to take his ground transportation with him. "He saw the roadable aircraft," says Shelton, " and he thought, there has to be a simpler way."…
Amy's RV-10: That Ole Paint
It turns out, ole silverback, as I was beginning to deem 9AB, our newly hatched and DAR-blessed RV-10, was going to get a new...
Designer Spotlight: John Thorp
John W. Thorp has had a profound influence on both homebuilding and on aviation in general. If you've flown Piper Cherokees or know of the all-flying tail, you're familiar with his design principles, and his T-18 is still a favorite worldwide.
Down to Earth
A month after the engine was first started on the RV-10, author Amy Laboda and her husband, Barry Marz, scheduled a visit from DAR Ray Howell, received the airworthiness certificate, and commenced ground runs. It sounds simple, but so much effort went into getting that little piece of paper.
New Product: SVT for G900X Is Like G1000
EFIS in light aircraft is approaching its eight-year anniversary, and all I can say is, you’ve come a long way, baby. Just this past...
Amy's RV-10: ADs Already
The dreaded letter. Every airplane owner (practically) has gotten one at some point. A problem has been detected with a particular part or piece...
Amy's RV-10: Cutting Costs Without Cutting Corners
If there is anything I've learned this year, it is this: The aviation stuff we do can be a little pricey. We've been breaking...
Amy's RV-10: High Flight
Eventually the day comes when your project morphs from a project to a full-fledged airplane. If you built it and got it certified, you...
Down to Earth
When it came to choosing a kit aircraft to build, columnist Amy Laboda and her husband opted for a metal design, in part because it would be resistant to destruction by lightning strike and also because fatigue is easier to detect in metal than it is in a composite plane. However, new nanotube technology, if integrated into composite construction material, could not only help identify wear problems, but also potentially heal them.
Red Bull Air Races: What the Old, New and Experimental Can...
It's race day on San Diego Bay in Southern California. I look around at the more than 70,000 people (120,000 over two days) assembled...
In Case You Missed It
The Dawn Patrol
When the rains came to Oshkosh, it wasn't enough to get the intrepid Dawn Patrol coterie down. Dick Starks says thanks for the memories.
Design Process: Landing Gear, Part 4
Last month we looked at how the static stability of the airplane when it...