Kerry Fores
Kerry Fores was born and raised in Oshkosh, WI and was interested in homebuilding by age 12. Between 1998 and 2003 he scratchbuilt and polished a Sonex, which he named Metal Illness. Kerry logged nearly 500 hours in Metal Illness and was awarded Plans Built Champion at AirVenture 2006. Kerry is retired from a 21-year career at Sonex Aircraft, most of it dedicated to supporting builders.
Know (You May Be) the Limit
I was in a bad place. I knew the flight might not end well before I took off from the taxiway of an Air...
Help! You Need Somebody
This topic came to me in a dream, probably triggered by a New Year’s Eve chili-and-pumpkin pie-eating binge. Still, it’s rooted in reality, and...
Kit Confidential—Hardware Kits
I may be guilty of sitting on this story too long. In 2003, on the eve of my employment in the kit-aircraft industry, an...
Shenanigans
”Experimental Two Sierra X-Ray, Oshkosh Tower, you are clear for touch-and-goes on any runway. Enjoy.”
That is one of a handful of ATC communications that...
A Brief, Un-Researched History of Cockpit Noise Solutions
There are things from our collective past that leave me gob-smacked. Homes were painted (and tainted) with lead paint. Cigarettes were promoted for their...
Tunnel Vision and Troubleshooting
Confronted with a large task, we often see the whole of it and can’t get started. Cleaning a garage comes to mind. The door...
Let the Ink Dry
For as long as I can remember, and thankfully that is more than five decades, I’ve read of builders performing an aircraft’s first flight...
Booster or Bravado?
A few years back, during AirVenture, a person asked me what vibration testing had been performed on the tail of the Sonex. His jargon-filled...
In Case You Missed It
Build It Better: Hope Is Not a Plan
There are always unknowns in any human endeavor, but in aviation, we must think about the ways we can minimize them.
Which Fabric Are You Going To Use?
If you are building a fabric-covered aircraft, you have multiple fabrics to choose from:...