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. Kerry is on the web at thelifeofdanger.com.
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
Archive: March 2009
Just three months into our yearlong 25th Anniversary year, we had a thoroughly reworked...
Poka-Yoke Cable Clamp
From a machinist’s point of view, the clamp couldn’t be simpler: A couple of grooves, some bolt holes and you’re done.
Light Stuff
Another European SLSA reaches American shores in the form of Tecnams high-wing, high-style, partially carbon-fiber Tecnam P2008. By Dave Martin.