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.
This is How I Spent My SnF
The only Sun ’n Fun I have missed since I have been working with Kitplanes has been the ones affected by COVID—but this year,...
What’s It Like to Fly With Angle of Attack?
KITPLANES editor at large Paul Dye takes you on a flight in his wife's Van's RV-6 to show what it's like to fly primarily...
Almost an Airplane!
After almost eight and a half years of on-again, off-again building (other airplanes and projects seem to keep getting in the way), we finally...
How Many? This Many!
All that’s left before the eXenos takes to the air is the FAA to come out and give us an Airworthiness Certificate, so I...
Tipping Point
Sunrise on the Gulf Coast. No matter the time of year, the critical hour as the sun breaks the horizon is always interesting. In...
The Big Empty
If you’ve followed any of our shop videos or seen pictures of what we’re working on here at Kitplanes any time in the past...
In Case You Missed It
Aero ‘lectrics
This month, author Jim Weir lays the groundwork for a solar battery charger, complete with preliminary circuit board considerations drawn from a rats nest and details about how to order a pre-fabricated board.
Build it Better
Paul Dye has used his engineering discipline to jot down his thoughts on the many lessons learned as we gain experience as pilots and builders. His goal, and ours, is to leverage the tribal knowledge of longtime builders such as Dye to get you thinking about Experimental aircraft on a higher level. Not simply nuts and bolts, but larger concepts centering on safety and self-discipline. We hope you enjoy this series.