A Collection of Engines
Poring over press releases from all "Big Three" piston aircraft engine manufacturers got me thinking about the engines I have out in my own hangar, hanging off our stable of airplanes.
The ATC Privatization Proposal – A Bad Idea for General Aviation
President Trump's characterization of the United States Air Traffic Control system was a statement, unsupported by evidence, that listeners are supposed to believe...
Field Fixin'
We had everything but a jack- all the tools we needed to change a tail wheel on our Tundra were a set of pliers,...
Back Country!
Ahhhh... this is what utility planes are for! They're not about getting halfway across the country in a day, not about aerobatics, and not...
A Secure Feeling
I like harnesses - especially ones that make me feel secure. Our Tundra came with standard lap and shoulder belts that used the age-old...
Yup, its an Oshkosh Plane
How can you tell this plane has been to Oshkosh (or, to be fair, maybe Sun 'n Fun)? By looking in the passenger side...
Simple Days
Whenever I get a chance to wander through the EAA Museum in Oshkosh, as I did last week, I like to stop and pay tribute to the older, early planes that represent the roots of homebuilding. Sure, there are all sorts of neat high performance and record setting airplanes - but these simple planes that harken back to an earlier era are what got this whole "experimental aviation" thing going for us.
Extreme Fun
To some, extreme sports are jumping off mountains with a wing suit, snowboarding off cliffs, or mountain biking on a razor's edge ridge in...
Care and Feeding
One thing about having multiple airplanes around - it takes a considerable amount of time to keep them all happy and healthy. (Hint -...
Eating the Elephant
Everyone has heard it before, expressed in various ways - you build an airplane the way you eat an elephant, one bite at a...
In Case You Missed It
Fleeting Thoughts
When we talk about Experimental/Amateur-Built aircraft with “regular” pilots, it’s common for the conversation...
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.