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.
Friday is the New Saturday
It's a natural evolutionary process—when an event gets big enough, the opening day becomes crowded. So those that don’t like the crowds start coming...
Just a Little Old Wisconsin Fly-In
While the Mega-Aviation event known as AirVenture is still officially a few days away, the gathering has begun!
Many EAA old-timers sit around bemoaning the...
Out of Practice?
It is traditional for aviation bloggers and journalists to remind folks - in the weeks leading up to Oshkosh - to review the NOTAM...
The Valkyrie’s Song
Two thousand hours is just a round number really—it has no intrinsic mechanical meaning. But it's a milestone.
The Test Pilot’s Role
I was reading a discussion on an internet forum dedicated to experimental aviation the other day, and the topic was gross weight. Someone was...
Positive Capture
Aircraft fasteners that are critical almost always have a positive capture design or mechanism.
In Case You Missed It
The Fly As You Go Plan
Learned colleague Paul Dye recently wrote about the time-limited nature of aviation hardware. That...
Design Process: Planform Effects on Structure and Weight
Last month we took a look at how the planform of the wing affects...
