The Spirit of Aviation | www.eaa.org Vol.62 No.

6 | June 2013

+
From Russia With Love
A P-40 survives a long wartime journey

Stabilized Approach Safety

What we can learn from heavy airplane ops

60 Years of Tailwinds
The rst passenger-carrying homebuilt

Twice
as good AWednesday
second night air show
at Oshkosh
 JACK J. PELTON
COMMENTARY / tower frequency

Coffee and Doughnuts With Your Directors

Every summer at Oshkosh we host The Worlds Greatest Aviation
Celebration. Our AirVenture Oshkosh has grown beyond the wildest
dream any EAAer could have had 60 years ago. But our big aviation
festival is still the annual convention for EAA, and a key element of
the convention is the annual meeting of the membership.
However, Im willing to wager that you have never been to the
annual meeting of the EAA membership, because very few have. The
meeting has been, well, pretty dry and boring. It has been held on
Saturday morning the past many years and has been perfunctory.
There were brief reports on the associations financial status, the
names of directors elected were announced, and changes or adjust-
ments to the bylaws were approved. Routine is a word that comes to
mind to describe what happened at the membership meeting.
Last year was a little different. A few hundred people, instead of a
few dozen, attended, and several members addressed the leadership
with comments and complaints. Chalet tents that were new to the
flightline generated the most comments, and they were uniformly
negative. And your directors listened. The chalets are gone.
Though none of us on the board of directors relishes listening to
unhappy members, last years meeting was an eye-opener. The com-
ments from those who spoke at the meeting made it clear we have along with igniting
not done a good enough job communicating with members.
The annual meeting the enthusiasm we
So this year the annual meeting of the membership will be held
on Wednesday morning at 8:30 at the Theater in the Woods. We
can and must be a all have for all things
aviation with the
directors believe holding the meeting midweek will provide the
greatest opportunity for members to attend, because by Saturday
two-way exchange next generation.
These and other
many of you who came early for the start of Oshkosh, or even before of information topics are what my
the opening weekend, are heading home. fellow directors and
We on the board also learned last year that the annual meeting and ideas. EAA leaders and I
can and must be a two-way exchange of information and ideas. Of want to talk to you
course, we still need to handle the procedural matters of electing about at the annual
directors, accepting minutes of the last meeting, presenting the membership meeting. There wont be time to hear
financial report, and so on. But the other directors and I will make from everyone, but there will be a dialogue between
less formal presentations to bring you up to date on what your asso- members and the leadership. And, just like last years
ciation is doing, what our goals are, and frankly, what really big complaints about the flightline chalets, your board will
challenges we face. listen. We will also have the annual financial report in
EAA is progressing through a time of transition. Our founder Paul the August issue of Sport Aviation (available on the
Poberezny and his son Tom served EAA tirelessly for decades, and AirVenture grounds) so you will have a chance to
we all thank them for their vision and hard work. EAA and review the numbers before the meeting.
AirVenture reflect the thumbprint of their legacy. So please come by the Theater in the Woods on
The other important transition is building an association that is Wednesday, July 31, at 8:30 a.m. Ill make sure we have
responsive to members needs and addressing the critical issues the coffeepot on, and if you get there early enough, there
that personal aviation faces today. It is imperative that EAAers and will probably be a doughnut left.
all who love the freedom and challenge that can only be found in See you in Oshkosh soon, and dont miss the annual
personal aviation work to find ways to protect our freedom of flight meeting. I promise it will be worth your time. EAA

PHOTOGRAPHY by JASON TONEY www.eaa.org1

 A PUBLICATION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

Contents
Vol.62 No.6 | June 2013

F E AT U R E S D E PA R T M E N T S BETTER PILOT

50
Wittmans Legacy
COMMENTARY

01 Tower FrequencyJack J. Pelton

80

84
Stick & RudderCollision Course

What Went WrongBird Problems for an RV-6A

60th anniversary of the Tailwind
By Jim Stanton 06 Letters to the Editor 88 Ill Never Do That AgainAccidental First Flight

56
Tomahawk Treasure
16

22
Left SeatJ. Mac McClellan

Flying LessonsLane Wallace

HANDS ON

92 What Our Members Are Building/Restoring

The travels and tribulations of
Rod Lewis P-40B/C 26 Savvy AviatorMike Busch 96 Innovation on the FlyTechnology Meets
By Jim Busha Real World
32 Light FlightDave Matheny

64
Second Shift
36 Dream Build FlyBrady Lane
100 Hints for HomebuildersHomebuilt LED Dimmer,
Hand Sanding Tips

Two night air shows 40 Plane TalkLauran Paine Jr. 104 Shop TalkLearning to Speak
illuminate AirVenture English (Wheel)
By Mark Phelps 46 ContrailsJe Skiles
MEMBER CENTRAL

74
Stabilized Approaches
NEWS & INFO

10 Advocacy & Safety

111
112
Member Central
Pilot Caves
124 Members and
Chapters in Action
Can Improve Safety Governmental Issues 114 News From HQ 130 Partner Insider
Learning to avoid loss of control in 118 Board of Directors 132 FlyMart
the airport environment 14 FlightlineIndustry News Nominees 134 Classied Ads
By J. Mac McClellan 123 Gone West 136 EAAs Logbook

ON THE COVER: Andrew Zaback photographed the spectacular reworks that are the brilliant and thunderous exclamation point to the For more on many of the topics in this issue, visit www.SportAviation.org. To view

night air show at AirVenture Oshkosh. This year the after-dark extravaganza takes place both Wednesday and Saturday during the show. and submit aviation events, visit www.EAA.org/calendar.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GAVIN CONROY www.eaa.org3

 Vol.62 No.6 | June 2013

PUBLICATIONS STAFF
Founder: Paul H. Poberezny
Publisher: Jack J. Pelton, EAA Chairman of the Board
Vice President of Marketing: Rick Larsen
Editor-in-Chief: J. Mac McClellan
Managing Editor: Kelly Nelson
Assistant Editor: Meghan Plummer
Senior Art Director: Phil Norton
Art Director: Olivia Trabbold
Graphic Designer: Chris Livieri
News Editor: Ric Reynolds
Copy Editor: Colleen Walsh
Multimedia Journalist: Brady Lane
Visual Properties Administrator: Jason Toney
Interns: Sienna Kossman, Andrew Schaick
Print/Mail Manager: Randy Halberg
Contributing Writers: Mike Busch, Jim Busha, Budd Davisson,
Chad Jensen, Dave Matheny, Lauran Paine Jr., Mark Phelps, Robert
Rossier, Je Skiles, Jim Stanton, Lane Wallace
European Correspondent: Marino Boric

ADVERTISING
Katrina Bradshaw / kbradshaw@eaa.org
Je Kaufman / jkaufman@eaa.org
Sue Anderson / sanderson@eaa.org

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086

Phone: 920-426-4800 Fax: 920-426-4828
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Booth # B 2057-2060

Need to change your address or have other membership

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EAA and SPORT AVIATION, the EAA Logo and AERONAUTICA are registered trade-
marks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The
use of these trademarks and service marks without the permission of the Experimental
Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

4Sport AviationJune 2013

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
BD-5 Nostalgia
I was one of those able to do itfly the BD-5J. It was
a fun, very easy flying machine. As one of the Bud Light
Air Force pilots, which included Leo Loudenslager, Bob
Bishop, and Debbie Gary, I flew hundreds of air shows
and helped, along with Big B Beardsley and Butch Stahl,
assemble and dismantle the airplane. Its simplicity and
ruggedness were a testament to its shrewd design.
Such a small plane able to accommodate pilots rang-
ing from 135 to 250 pounds is a real testament to Jim
Bede. I even did several forward somersaults with no
adverse effects. (A maneuver I dubbed the Cross Toss
after Elliot Cross, who first performed it.) I also made
many dead-stick landings for various reasons; it was a
great glider!
I never met Jim, but he was obviously a great
designer. One of the thrills of my aviation career was
flying the jet atOshkosh several times.
Bill Burner Beardsley, EAA 881074; Marietta, Georgia
SubmISSIOnS
Letters intended for publication should be addressed to EAA/Letter to the Editor, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI, 54903, or e-mailed to
editorial@eaa.org. Please include your EAA number, city, and state. All letters are subject to editing. Unpublished letters will not be returned.
6Sport AviationJune 2013
Id like to comment about Jim Bede and the picture
on Page 75, lower right, in the April 2013 issue of
Sport Aviation.
I do not harbor any ill feelings toward Mr. Bede.
Quite the contrary! It was Mr. Bede who inspired me
to join EAA. I thought EAA was for the big dogs like
Bob Hoover, Chuck Yeager, and the like. Mr. Bede is a
masterful salesman.
The picture depicts February 8, 1972, at Hammond/
Chicago airport, in Lansing, Illinois. Cold as the dickens!
The reason you cant see my mug is I was far back
on the port side of the vehicle. I hesitate to call it an
airplane. It had not flown, and likely never did. I saw
a picture somewhere that looked as if the wheels were
somewhat off the ground. Did they have Photoshop
back then?
The crowd was pressing close to get a good look.
Note the position of the nose wheel, and now bring your
attention to the whirling prop. Only by the grace of God
did no one lose body parts. It was frightful! The vehicle
was waddling in the icy ruts. Of course the airplane that
appeared later was a completely different animal. Who
of us wouldnt like to fly a BD-5J?
For myself it was an epiphany observing the oratory
skills of Mr. Bede.
I only bought the info pack, not the sizzle.
Tommy Werner, EAA 78253; Port Huron, Michigan
BD-5

Honoring the A-36 Apache

Thank you for the article on the A-36

Apache dive bomber (Rare Breed, April
2013). Among the things I inherited from
my uncle, 2nd Lt. Robert J. Schulte with
the 12th Air Force 27th Fighter Bomber
Group, who perished in World War II,
was his Air Medal Citation. He was
awarded it for meritorious achievement
while participating in aerial flight as pilot
of an A-36 type aircraft. To summarize,
his plane was heavily damaged while on
an attack upon a vital road junction near
Anzio, Italy, on February 18, 1944. He
maintained formation and released his
bombs with devastating effect upon the
target, but while returning to base, his
aircraft burst into flames. He was able to
parachute safely over friendly territory.
For the longest time I wondered what
an A-36 was and never found any good
information. It wasnt until 2003 while
copiloting a plane flying the Wyoming flag
to EAAs 50 Flags to Kitty Hawk when
we had an unscheduled three-day
weather delay in Dayton and had a chance
to explore the Air Force Museum where
an A-36 was on display. The display pre-
sented some information, but your article
really brought the history together. I am
going to frame the article and hang it next
to his Air Medal.

Mike Schulte, EAA 713319; Cheyenne, Wyoming

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES www.eaa.org7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Airport Car
Another retired police cruiser is seeing a
second life as the airport car at West Point,
Mississippi (M83). Lights and siren are dis-
connected, but one pilot reported that he
was stopped by an officer, who asked him,
Who are you? He told him he was just a
pilot using the airport courtesy car.
Gerald McKibben, EAA 251558; Starkville, Mississippi
R
ecently, an EAA
Forums user named
Brian247028 saw an
e-mail from us about taking
a flight in our Ford Tri-Motor.
Brian felt pretty strongly that
it wasnt a good deal, as
he believed the price is too
high, and the duration of
the flight is too short. He felt
strongly enough, in fact, to
start a discussion online, and
as it turns out, not everyone
agreed with him.
Here are some highlights
from this discussion.
8Sport AviationJune 2013
EAA sent me an e-mail about their Ford Tri Motor
flight. $70 a person. WHAT? They want $140 (wife
and I) for 15 to 20 minute flight. No thanks, EAA.
That price is unrealistic and a complete rip-off.
Brian247028
My wife and I went up a couple of years ago. It
was wonderful! I was in the cockpit and even
got a few minutes yoke time. Well worth every
penny. Chick
There is no doubt that it would be cool but not
for the price they want compared to the time
in the air. What do they show for an in-flight
movie, a commercial? Brian247028
Not saying anyone is wrong to question the
price, but I think there is more to the event than
how much time you spent aloft. RickFE
Ive never taken a ride. To me, it was too
expensive. But, youll never hear me complain
about it. I know theres people in there looking
out at the crowd saying, They dont know what
theyre missing. malexander
Having flown, restored, and maintained antique
airplanes and warbirds, $70 for the Tri-Motor is a
very reasonable price. JimRice85
Two rides so far, first a solo then with my two
older children. Id do it again in a heartbeat
with all five of us. Thanks to all the EAA
volunteers that keep the old birds flying!
Jim Hann
Im sure there is a piece of the market being
missed by the high price for short flight method.
Please also dont get me wrong, Im glad the
volunteers/EAA do this and put this together to
keep the plane flying. Brian247028
Been there, flew that. Id do [it] again and
again. Flying in a piece of history is worth
paying for. SmittysRV
Change the flight to 30 minutes. Charge $100 per
person. You doubled the flight time for only a
$30 increase in ticket price. Its the 15 minutes
that to me is the rip-off. Brian247028
It costs me $12 just for gas to run my Corvair-
powered Junior Ace that long. Id say $70 is very
reasonable. pacerpilot
ADVOCACY AND SAFETY
GOVERNMENTAL ISSUES

Tower-Go-Round Continues
CONGRESS WORKED WITH uncommon speed in late April to approve
funding for air traffic control operations through the remainder
of the FAAs scal year, in great part due to delays inicted on the
airline-ying public. Outgoing Secretary of Transportation Ray
LaHood stated the funding would also apply to contract towers that
are scheduled to close June 15, including the tower at Oshkoshs
Wittman Regional Airport.
While the FAAs ability to transfer funds from other programs
to cover air traffic operations is a good thing for the flying
public, there are several unknown results that concern the EAA
advocacy staff:
The funding was only conrmed through September 30, the
end of the FAAs scal year. This means without an overall
agreement on the budget sequester, the same dilemma could
face ATC this fall;
Much of the funding is proposed to come from the Airport
Improvement Program (AIP) budget, which could have negative
consequences for projects at large and small airports throughout
the nation; and
Other important FAA safety and research programs could be
hindered by the focus on air traffic operations.
There are also continuing congressional actions regarding control
tower funding and closures. EAA will continue to press for the FAA
to have the authority to use its resources in the wisest manner in
regard to safety, effectiveness, and benets to aviation. As the ATC
situation demonstrated, cuts without regard to those factors create an
unpleasant scenario where no segment of aviation wins.

EAA SLAMS FCC ON 121.5 ELT RULEMAKING

IN STRONGLY WORDED comments submitted in April, EAA criticized nothing to prevent aviation accidents.
the FCC for its latest attempt to curtail future use of 121.5 MHz Such a lack of safety benefits makes
ELTs, frankly telling the commission that it is infringing on the proposal even less practical, as
aviation safety policy that rightly belongs to the FAA. the change would cost general aviation
EAA further commented that the FAA has already analyzed aircraft owners hundreds of millions
the proposal extensively and found that it was unjustified of dollars.
in terms of both safety and cost. Further, curtailing use of The FAA has already stopped
121.5 ELTs through a mandated change to 406 MHz would do certification of new 121.5 MHz ELT units,
meaning the GA fleet will eventually
move to new technology, whether that
is 406 MHz or within the proposed
NextGen system such as ADS-B.
Other aviation groups, including
AOPA and NBAA, also heavily criticized
the FCC for the proposal.

10Sport AviationJune 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW ZABACK

FAA ANNOUNCES CHANGES IN SPECIAL ISSUANCE MEDICAL CERTIFICATION
THE FEDERAL AIR surgeon recently
announced significant changes to the
medical certification process.
Under a new policy termed Certicates
an AME Can Issue (CACI) applicants
with arthritis, asthma, glaucoma, chronic
hepatitis C, hypertension, hypothyroidism,
migraine and chronic headache, pre-
diabetes, and renal cancer can receive
their medical certicates directly from
their AME provided they meet the
certication criteria. Further conditions
are expected to be added to this list in the
coming months.
The AME will require certain
documentation, but it does not have to be
forwarded to the FAA as in the case of a
special issuance. The resulting medical
certificate is good for the normal duration,
depending on the age of the applicant
and/or the class of medical.
In addition to CACI, the FAA also
revised its standards on some cardiac
special issuances. Of particular note,
these include a reduction in the wait for
follow-up testing after stent implantation
from six to three months and a reduced
need for nuclear stress testing in many
cases. These add up to a simpler, and in
many cases cheaper, path to certification
for pilots living with many common
cardiac conditions.
Members of the EAA Aeromedical
Advisory Council were heavily involved
in promoting these changes. We
are incredibly fortunate to have the
Aeromedical Advisory Council at EAA,
said Sean Elliott, EAA vice president
of advocacy and safety. These six Aeromedical Advisory Council member
AMEs are among the most experienced and Senior AME Greg Pinnell recently
and most respected doctors in the hosted a webinar on a wide range of
aeromedical business, and this aeromedical issues, including the new
announcement represents the culmination CACI and cardiac policies. For a link
of several years of hard work they have to the webinar titled How Your Next
done on behalf of our membership on Medical Might Be a Whole Lot Easier,
these issues. visit www.SportAviation.org.

EXCEEDS RECOMMENDED ACTION

BY SEAN ELLIOTT, EAA VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVOCACY AND SAFETY

AS MANY OF YOU are aware, the NTSB
performed a safety study of E-AB
aircraft last year. As a result of that
study, safety recommendations
were issued to both the FAA and
EAA. This was a new precedent as
previously the NTSB had only issued
safety recommendations to other
government agencies.
EAA responded to the FAA and
the NTSB with a position on each
safety recommendation, current
programs that address the issues, and
pending actions the organization will take to meet the intent of
the safety recommendation. Our goal is to enhance safety without
the necessity of any new regulation or policy. EAA has always
accomplished more with its membership through education and
culture rather than the FAA coming up with new regulations. Our
legacy is lled with examples of how EAA leads by action with its
members playing a key part!
As part of the NTSB process, the board reviews and
tracks follow-up to all safety recommendations. There are 14
classications that the NTSB can assign to progress on a given
recommendation. Out of the four recommendations (A-12-40, A-12-
41, A-12-42, A-12-43) that were given to EAA, we received three
OpenAcceptable Response classications and one Closed
Exceeds Recommended Action for A-12-42, which is about the
letter of deviation authority (LODA) process and transition training
for both Phase 1 and second owners.
The classification ClosedExceeds Recommended Action
is very rare from the NTSB! It is the highest response the NTSB
can give in following up to a safety recommendation, and is
only given to an agency or organization that proactively asserts
even better-than-recommended solutions to address a safety
recommendation. NTSB Chairman Hersman discussed these
ratings recently in her blog and praised EAA for its actions
toward aviation safety.
We are pleased with this recognition and look forward
to taking further steps in our never-ending quest to reduce
accidents in aviation.

www.eaa.org11
ADVOCACY AND SAFETY
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
Judgment Call
High-speed taxi and runway ightsgood idea?
BY CHARLIE PRECOURT, EAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS, SAFETY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
WE ARE CONFRONTED with many choices when planning and executing
an aircraft ight-test program. Experience also tells us there is often
not a single best way to perform ight tests. Enter the judgment call.
One such choice is whether or not to include high-speed taxi and
runway ights prior to the rst up-and-away ight. When I rst ew stop straight ahead. If you have unexpected,
my VariEze, I elected to complete high-speed taxi and runway ights,
and Hoot Gibson described the same for his modied-wing Cassutt in
the April issue. But many will say these maneuvers are high risk and
recommend against them, and in many situations they, too, have good
rationale. How will you choose the best course for your situation?
As you plan your test program, you should consider the benets
and risks of either choice and seek the lowest exposure to riskon
balance. Theres a lot to consider. A high-speed taxi and runway ight
is not a maneuver we are trained to do in normal ying. Stabilizing at
speeds at or near ying speed requires reducing power so as to not y
away. The maneuver uses signicant runway, and we are deliberately
extending the time spent in a regime that has limited margin for error
if directional control issues arise. Stopping from these maneuvers can
also potentially overheat the wheels and brakes.
12Sport AviationJune 2013
On the other hand, if we can adequately
mitigate these risks, the high-speed taxi
and runway ight can help you discover
handling qualities issues while still able to
signicant out-of-trim conditions, or
unexpected ight-control responsiveness,
having planned ahead of time to stay on or
just above the runway may result in less
total risk than ghting the aircraft around
the pattern and trying to land with it. Also,
if done in an incremental build-up fashion,
high-speed taxi and runway ights can give
you better feel for the aircraft before the rst
full approach and landing.
Additionally, if you are ying a common
design, you will be able to cross-check your
takeoff and stopping distance performance
against the published data and potentially
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CHARLIE PRECOURT
discover discrepancies that point to
aircraft problems before you y away for
real. If youre taking a lot more distance
to rotate, is it a power issue, an elevator
authority or rigging issue, or something
else? Find it and x it before you make that
rst full up-and-away ight.
A simple exercise that is a must for
your planning is to calculate expected
takeoff and landing distances and derive
a minimum acceptable runway length for
your tests. Using available performance
charts (or engineering predictions if
yours is a new design), calculate both
the distance to take off and the distance
for a normal landing roll. You must also
account for the time/distance you will
spend at the target airspeed (at or near
the takeoff speed) if you perform high-
speed taxi and runway ights.
If youre taking a lot more
distance to rotate, is it a
power issue, an elevator
authority or rigging issue,
or something else?
Calculate the distance used at the target
condition by converting the speed to feet
per second (1 knot = 1.69 feet per second). If
your target speed for a test run is 60 knots,
the aircraft will be using up just more
than 100 feet for every second you hold
the target speed. You should plan on 5-10
seconds once you get to the target speed, as
youll be surprised how quickly the seconds
go by. Adding up takeoff roll, distance at
the target speed, and the expected stopping
distance, you can see how much runway
you will be using for the various target
speeds you plan to y. Add to this number
a signicant margin for safety. This will
quickly show you if the airport you plan to
y from is adequate for early ight tests.
The test plan published for the VariEze
called for a minimum runway of 4,500 feet
to do these tests, with 6,000 feet preferred.
You can think of the high-speed taxi
or runway ight as a four-part maneuver:
the initial acceleration to target speed, a
power reduction to hold the target speed,
assessing aircraft response, and nally
the abort. If you dont take at least a few
seconds at the target speed, you will not be
able to observe the aircrafts performance
and responsivenesswhich was the
whole purpose for the test point to begin
with. If you elect to accept the risk of this
maneuver, you need to gain the data that
justies it.
On any early test ight, make sure you
have calm winds, smooth air, minimum
practical weight, and adequate runway.
If you choose to perform the high-speed
aborts and runway ights, gain some
experience with the maneuver in another
aircraft you are already very comfortable in.
Even better, do them in more than one type
you have experience in so you see variances.
For the high-speed abort and runway
ight-test technique, you should choose
target speeds that build up gradually to
ying speed, say in 5-knot increments.
At each target speed, make small control
inputs in each axis and observe the
response. Allow adequate time for the
wheels and brakes to cool before another
testand take off the wheelpants.
If you can perform your tests at a
runway with distance-remaining markers,
you can also get distance performance
data as you perform the test points.
Complete the sequence with a brief liftoff
to a few feet off the runway to check trim
and control response prior to that rst
up-and-away ight.
The type of aircraft is a nal
consideration. If you are ying a very
common design and can get time in another
like it prior to your own rst ight, you may
have less to benet from the high-speed taxi
and runway ights than someone who has a
unique or modied design. Whatever path
you choose, plan thoroughly, practice your
test sequence in another aircraft, and build
up slowly in testing to your new aircrafts
full envelope capability.
A special note this month: The
NTSB has recognized EAAs efforts at
improving the amateur-built fatality
rate by classifying one of our initiatives
as exceeds recommended action
since the EAA went beyond the NTSBs
recommendation. We have lots more work
to do, but were on the right track!
Fly safely!
www.eaa.org13
F
LIGHTLINE
INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY NEWS

LYCOMING APPROVES MORE

SpaceShipTwos rst powered ight goes supersonic on April
29, ushering in the nal phase of vehicle testing prior to
beginning commercial service.
ENGINES FOR UNLEADED AVGAS
LYCOMINGS SERVICE Instruction SI-1070S adds
31 engines to the list of models approved for use
with ASTM D7547 UL 91 unleaded avgas, a list
previously approved by the company in April
2012. The total number of approved engines is
now 63.
The European Aviation Safety Agencys
Safety Information Bulletin 2011-01 provided
aircraft-level approval on the basis of engine
approval. With the Lycoming engine model
approvals, the EASA SIB immediately allows
ASTM D 7547 Grade UL 91 use on European
Union based aircraft.
UL 91 will require an additional approval in
the United States by airframe manufacturers, as
there are no known distributors of UL 91 in the
United States at this time.

SpaceShipTwo PIPER RECEIVES FAA APPROVAL

FOR G1000 IN ARCHER MODELS

Makes First PIPER AIRCRAFT received FAA type certificate

approval to incorporate the Garmin G1000
avionics suite into its new single-engine Archer
aircraft models. Garmins G1000 will replace the

Powered Flight G500 suite that is standard on Archer aircraft.

The G1000 is an all-glass avionics panel
designed to bring new levels of situational
Enterprise goes supersonic awareness, simplicity, and safety to the
cockpit. The G1000 flight deck presents flight
instrumentation, navigation, weather, terrain,
VIRGIN GALACTICS SpaceShipTwo completed its rst successful traffic, and engine data on large-format, high-
powered ight April 29 above the Mojave Air and Space Port. resolution displays.
Paired with mother ship WhiteKnightTwo, SS2 took off just after
7 a.m. PDT, was lifted to an altitude of 47,000 feet MSL, and was
then released. After verifying stable control, pilot Mark Stucky and
copilot Mike Alsbury ignited the rocket engine and the craft shot to
a maximum altitude of 55,000 feet, achieving a speed of Mach 1.2.
The rocket engine was ignited for 16 seconds as planned, and the
entire rocket-powered ight test lasted more than 10 minutes before
the pilots made a smooth landing at about 8 a.m.
For the rst time, we were able to prove the key components
of the system, fully integrated and in ight, said Virgin Galactic
Founder Sir Richard Branson. Todays supersonic success opens the
way for a rapid expansion of the spaceships powered ight envelope,
with a very realistic goal of full space ight by the years end.
The test ight ushers in Virgin Galactics nal phase of vehicle
testing prior to beginning commercial service from Spaceport
America in New Mexico.

For more information and direct links to all Flightline stories, visit www.SportAviation.org.

14Sport AviationJune 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MARSSCIENTIFIC.COM/CLAY CENTER OBSERVATORY AND GARMIN
TERRAFUGIA DEVELOPING HYBRID
FLYING CAR DESIGN
TERRAFUGIA, THE DEVELOPER of the Transition street-legal
airplane, has developed a concept for a four-seat, VTOL, plug-
in, hybrid-electric flying car, called the TF-X.
This is the right time for us to begin thinking about the
future of the company beyond Transition development,
Terrafugia CEO/CTO Carl Dietrich said. We are passionate
about continuing to lead the creation of a flying car industry
and are dedicating resources to lay the foundation for our
vision of personal transportation.
Terrafugia is using the Transition as a proof of process for
TF-X development and commercialization in regard to the
technical, regulatory, and usage challenges it has overcome.
The company is now having preliminary conversations with
the FAA regarding TF-X development.

CESSNA PRODUCES FIRST NEW CITATION X

CESSNA ROLLED OUT the first production unit of the new
Citation X at its Wichita, Kansas, manufacturing facility on
April 15. The midsize, high-speed business jet was launched in
2010 as an extensive upgrade of the Citation X. New features
include upgraded Rolls-Royce AE3007C2 turbofan engines
with new fans, elliptical winglets, and the Garmin G5000
integrated avionics suite.
With seating for up to 12 people, the $23 million aircraft
is projected to have a maximum altitude of 51,000 feet with a
214-pound increase in maximum payload. A top speed of Mach
0.935 makes the new Citation X the fastest civilian aircraft in the
world, according to Cessna.
Two test aircraft have logged more than 675 hours so far.
Citation X certication is scheduled for later this year, with
customer deliveries to follow.

// JEPPESEN INTRODUCED a trial version
of Mobile FliteDeck VFR, a new navi-
gation and planning solution
designed specifically to serve the
needs of VFR general aviation pilots.
The full application is available
through Apples App Store in
Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and
France, and is expected to be intro-
duced for the European and U.S.
markets later this year.
// EMBRAER EXECUTIVE Jets Prodigy Touch
Avionics Suite by Garmin is now certied
by the Agncia Nacional de Aviao Civil
and the FAA, making it the rst touch-screen-
controlled glass ight deck specically
designed for light turbine aircraft.
// THE BREITLING EMERGENCY II is the worlds
rst wristwatch with a dual frequency loca-
tor beacon. The watch is equipped with a
dual frequency transmitter compliant with
the specications of the Cospas-Sarsat inter-
national satellite alert system to issue alerts
and guide search and rescue missions.
// REDBIRD FLIGHT SIMULATORS are now fully
certied FNPT-II devices in Belgium,
Germany, and Poland. Certication is pend-
ing in the U.K., Denmark, and Greece. This
development brings features such as motion
to the certied simulation market at a frac-
tion of the previous cost.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CESSNA AIRCRAFT AND TERRAFUGIA www.eaa.org15

 J. MAC MCCLELLAN
COMMENTARY / LEFT SEAT
Get in the Game
It was an unusually nice day for March. The air was smooth, noth-
ing more than scattered clouds here and there, and the wind was
light. It is a little more than 700 nm from our home airport at
Muskegon in western Michigan to Savannah, Georgia, and the fly-
ing conditions just couldnt have been better.
What at first seemed odd is that almost every controller was
busy. Our IFR flight progressed through approach control areas
including Muskegon, Kalamazoo, Fort Wayne, and on down
through Cincinnati, and a string of others. We were occasionally in
Indianapolis and Atlanta center airspace. And every frequency was
alive with pilot and controller chatter.
What I eventually realized is that hardly any of the pilots on the
frequency were going anyplace. The huge majority of the flying
activity was practice. Pilots were practicing approaches all over the
place. I heard more requests for holding pattern flying than I ever
heard on the worst weather day in the New York area.
Some of the flying was clearly instructional because I would
occasionally hear another voice chime in when a pilot stumbled
over a clearance read-back. But most of the pilots I heard were
clearly not students, or pilots working toward an IFR rating. They
were flying all types of airplanesincluding military jetsand were
flying all sorts of procedures in the sparklingly clear weather.
16Sport AviationJune 2013
Three weeks later Stancie and I retraced
essentially the same route on our return
from the Sun n Fun event in Lakeland. But
this time the weather was marginal VFR to
IFR over most of the distance. There was
also a broken line of thunderstorms to deal
with in Georgia. And the frequency was
almost silent. For long periods I wondered if
our radios had failed, because nobody was
talking. Crossing through a few control sec-
tors the only communications were me
checking in, and then later being handed off
to the next controller.
Except for that broken line of storms, the
weather was pretty benign. We were on top at
8,000 feet for most of the trip, but had to
climb to 10,000 to stay in the clear over Ohio.
Conditions below were never close to IFR
minimums and were mostly marginal VFR
with visibilities of 3 miles or more. In other
words, it was as good a day for IFR flying in
any type of airplane that you could hope for.
ILLUSTRATION By GARY COX
J. MAC MCCLELLAN
So, where did all of those pilots practic-
ing on a beautiful day go as soon as the
weather conditions they were supposedly
practicing for occurred? Clearly they stayed
on the ground.
Practice is important to learn and stay
sharp in any activity. The best basketball
players are gym rats who put up hundreds
of shots a day. Good golfers spend hours on
the practice tee and putting green. And
major leaguers take dozens of cuts in the
batting cage every day.
But all of that practice is designed to pre-
pare for the game. And no matter how much
you practice you wont be a good player if
you never play the game. No matter how
much you try, practice just isnt the same
as the real thing.
Years ago Flying magazine sponsored
the IFR flying event at the National
Intercollegiate Flying Association national
meet that is called SAFECON. Teams of
pilots from colleges and universities across
18Sport AviationJune 2013
They were shocked when the controller gave them a clearance
with a different route or altitude than they had filed. Once in
the clouds some had difficulty with basic aircraft control.
the country compete in spot landings, navi- because many had already earned their
gation events, preflight inspection tests, and CFI-I to teach instrument flying.
so on. The events do test flying skills, but One year the weather came up marginal
they are also intentionally tricky, and pilots VFR. The other flying events were grounded,
who are best at paying attention to the but Richard Collins, who was editor of Flying
smallest details do well. at the time, decided we would fly the IFR
We constructed the IFR flying event at event for real on actual ATC clearances.
SAFECON along the same lines with lots of Conditions were well above all approach
unusual and what we thought would be very minimums, there was no convection around
difficult procedures to fly. I remember one or forecast to develop, and icing was not pos-
year we assigned the young pilots to hold on sible. In other words, it was a day perfectly
a localizer back-course using a bearing from suited for any qualified IFR pilot in any kind
a nearby NDB station as the fix. How weird of airplane equipped to fly instruments.
is that? The kids aced it, just like they did the Because we would be flying on a real IFR
DME arcs and the parallel holding entries. clearance in the system we couldnt ask the
They really knew their stuff, as they should pilots to fly any of our oddball procedures.
The contest would be to just file a flight plan
to a nearby airport, fly there as cleared by
ATC, make an approach, and return. Each
pilot had a couple hours or more to study the
weather, route, and available approaches. We
would grade the contestants on how closely
they adhered to every parameter of the flight.
The results were near chaos. The same
pilots who could track a perfect NDB
approach with the plastic cloudoften
called a hoodon their heads crumbled.
They were shocked when the controller gave
them a clearance with a different route or
altitude than they had filed. Once in the
clouds some had difficulty with basic air-
craft control. And when cleared for an
approach different from what they expected,
many were simply befuddled and didnt
know how to react. On several flights we
judges in the right seat had to take control to
give them time to collect themselves.
Here were young pilots who had prac-
ticed to near perfection. All had earned the
IFR rating, and most the CFI-I. They knew
the rules, knew the procedures, and could fly
holding patterns with more precision then I
can ever hope to. But they had never flown
anywhere IFR, or very often VFR for that
matter. They had never been in the game.
People like me who are part of the avia-
tion industry share some of the blame for
this situation. General aviation experts of all
stripes, including the regulators at the FAA,
have hammered away that training and cur-
rencypractice, in other wordsare the
keys to safety. And to a point, thats true. But
we havent been good at getting pilots out of
the batting cage and up to the plate.
The game in flying is to go places, to fly
cross-country. Intuitively we know that
flying a trip is different than flying around
the airport because we log the time in a dif-
ferent category. The FAA understands the
importance of going to different places
because it requires minimum cross-country
time for various ratings.
The reason flying somewhere is different
than practice is that you cant be certain what
will happen on a trip. No matter how thor-
oughly we plan a flight and study the weather
before takeoff, the unexpected often happens.
Just like those pilots in the collegiate flying
contest, something as simple as a change in
runways, wind, or traffic density can surprise
us. But thats how we learn.
Another handicap safety experts have put
on pilots is the insistence that all conditions
be good for the entire route of a flight before
taking off. Thats an ideal world but robs a
pilot of the chance to learn. The only effective
way to travel in an airplane is to make deci-
sions as they become necessary. Im not
suggesting you take off into a squall line and
hope it disappears before you get there. But
when a forecast contains the chance of poor
weather ahead, but your departure and first
part of the trip is okay, you need to fly up to
where the chance of bad weather is forecast
and see what happens.
www.eaa.org19
 J. MAC MCCLELLAN
A pilot who departs only when
the forecasts are good has a very
good chance of encountering
bad weather. . . . What is he
supposed to do then, crash?
I know that sounds like safety heresy,
but forecasts can be wrong. A pilot who
departs only when the forecasts are good
has a very good chance of encountering
bad weather that was not forecast. What
is he supposed to do then, crash? A pilot
Fits Your Budget who isnt disciplined enough to divert
and Your when a forecast for good weather goes
Garage!
sour is more dangerous than a pilot who
diverts when the weather turns bad no
matter what the forecast says.
920.231.8297 When youre on the practice tee and
www.SonexAircraft.com yank the ball off into the weeds, you just
tee up another and try to fix your swing.
When youre in the game you have to go
find the ball and play it as it lies. And thats
how you become a better player. And
thats also how you become a better pilot
by putting what you practice for to work.
Out of Control Power
My standard procedure for cold start is to
turn the boost pumps on, advance the
throttles to full, and watch for the fuel
flow to peak. If its cold outside, I may
leave the throttles full for a second or two
after flow peaks. The system works, and
the Continentals start quickly every time.
The other day I turned the boost pumps
on and moved the throttles toward full
open, and the left throttle lever stopped
moving about halfway up. It was stuck hard.
The lever wouldnt move forward or aft. I
fiddled with the friction setting, and moved
the propeller and mixture controls around
to see if that would change anything. It
didnt. The lever was jammed in place.
I assumed that one end or the other of
the cable had come loose. If the housing of
the push-pull cable is not firmly attached,
the whole cable can move without chang-
ing the actual position of the throttle. But
20Sport AviationJune 2013
this was just a jam somewhere in the
push-pull cable as it snakes its way from
the middle of the instrument panel, down
through the cabin floor, out through the
wing root, through the firewall, and to the
actuating arm on the throttle butterfly.
The only shred of good news is that I
was home, in front of my own hangar. We
had just returned from our annual trip to
the Bahamas, and then to Sun n Fun. It
would have been a real hassle if the cable
had failed during the trip.
What I couldnt stop thinking about is
what I would have done if the cable had
jammed in flight. The throttle was about
half-open, so I would have had some
power to continue, but too much power to
land. I would have had to shut down the
left engine somewhere on final approach
in order to get down to the runway.
If this had happened in a single
instead of a twin, I would also have
needed to shut down the engine to land.
It would have been a more demanding
procedure to dead-stick to the runway.
If I killed the engine too soon, I think it
would probably have restarted very
quickly with the propeller windmilling,
but Im glad I didnt have to find out.
Of the possible mechanical failures
that concern me I have to say a stuck
throttle didnt make the list. It is rare for a
cable to jam totally without warning, but
now I know it can happen. The only simi-
lar experience Ive had in all these years of
flying is in a V35B Bonanza I owned in the
1980s. On startup one day the engine
roared to full power even though the
throttle was at idle. The splines on the
throttle butterfly shaft had worn, and a
spring Continental installs pulled the
throttle plate wide open even though the
control arm was at idle. Its better to have
all power than no power, but like the stuck
throttle cable, I would have had to shut
down the engine to get to the runway. Just
one more thing to add to the list of what
can go wrong. EAA
J. Mac McClellan, EAA 747337, has been a pilot for
more than 40 years, holds an ATP certificate, and owns a
Beechcraft Baron. To contact Mac, e-mail mac@eaa.org.
 LANE WALLACE
COMMENTARY / Flying lessons
Stall It in the Trees
Its a great-sounding concept. But is it really a viable option?
According to environmentalist Bill McKibben, the forests of New
England are an astounding piece of restoration magic: proof posi-
tive that nature can repair itself, given enough space and time.
Back in the 1600s and 1700s, the pioneer and colonial farmers all
but clear-cut the land in the interests of lumber and agricultural
production. But as farming moved to the Midwest and wood was
replaced by newer building materials and heating technology in
the late 19th and 20th centuries, the trees started to grow back.
With a vengeance. In 1850, forests covered less than 20 percent of
the New England landscape. Today, McKibben estimates, forests
cover two-thirds of Massachusetts, and 80 to 90 percent of the
land in New Hampshire and Vermont.
22Sport AviationJune 2013
Before and after (clockwise, from left): Dee
Birchmore in her Traveler before her treetop
landing, and the Traveler being lifted down
from the trees after her emergency landing
in downtown Toronto.
Flying around north of Boston, the num-
bers are easy to believe. Boston has a densely
populated metro area, but even in the sub-
urbs, the trees are impressive. Unlike many
parts of the Midwest, the land here isnt a
patchwork of open fields dotted with clumps
of trees. Its more like a swath of trees with a
few open places where houses or golf courses
have carved out stubborn patches of open sky.
Kentucky and Indiana, where I learned
to fly, were much more agricultural. So was
the area southwest of Minneapolis where I
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESy of DEE BIRCHMORE
lived and flew for a few years. And
Californiawell, lets just say I was aware,
even at the time, of just how spoiled I was
there. The golden hills didnt support
much beyond grassland, and the great San
Joaquin and Sacramento valleys stretched
almost the full length of the state, filled
with very little but open fields. Not that
grasslands and open fields are the most
stunning of landscapes to fly over. But in
terms of Plan B, safety net, back door
options for landing sites in case of mechan-
ical difficultyI was spoiled.
New England is a very different land-
scape. All those beautiful trees are the
reason so many tourists flock to the region
every autumn, but they do give one pause,
flying over them. For all the time my pri-
mary flight instructor spent explaining the
process of stalling the plane into the top of
the trees, in case of engine failure over a
forested area, it always seemed something
of a sketchy proposition, at best.
A number of years ago, when I flew
from Mackinac Island, in Michigan, to
Sudbury, Ontario, Id planned to fly direct
once I got to Sault Sainte Marie. But a
few miles into that leg, I glanced down
through a sea of impossibly tall and thin
pine treesmy only landing option if my
engine decided to quitthat towered
over shimmering reflections of water,
bog, and open rock faces, and chickened
out. I flew 20 miles south and followed
the highway, instead. Upon reaching my
destination, I discovered that the intimi-
dating section Id been flying over was
the legendary Canadian Shielda
stretch of wilderness so desolate and
hostile that the local Canadian pilots said
nobody with any sense attempted it
unless they had a rifle, mosquito netting,
and a hundred-foot rope on board. (The
rifle to shoot the bears, the mosquito net-
ting because the insects swarm so thick
there that the bites can become life-
threatening, and the hundred-foot rope
to climb down from your airplane, after
youve stalled it into the trees.)
Nobody I talked to there had ever
actually done that stalling into the trees
bit, of course. In point of fact, Id never
encountered anyone whod actually
survived that particular maneuver, which
is partly why I was skeptical about its
validity as a survivable option if you had to
do it for real. Never, that is, until I met Dee.
Dee Birchmore is a remarkable and
noteworthy woman, for more reasons
than a single emergency landing. I met her
through a friend whos an active member
of the Toronto, Ontario, chapter of the
Ninety-Nines. The Toronto chapter of the
Ninety-Nines, I have to say, is itself dis-
tinctive, filled with an unusual number of
charismatic, accomplished, and adventur-
ous women pilots who spend very little
time sitting around and a whole lot of time
flying around and having an inordinately
good time. Some of them could give
Jimmy Buffett a run for his money, which
is saying something.
Dee grew up in the western provinces
of Canada and wanted to fly from the time
she was 17. But her parents nixed the idea,
saying, No daughter of ours is going to fly.
Youre going to be a nurse. It was, shall we
say, a different time.
Dee dutifully went through the motions
of becoming a nurse, and then signed on as
a flight attendant as soon as she got her
nursing degree (back then, in Canada, you
had to be a nurse to be a flight attendant).
But the dream of becoming a pilot got
deferred until her two kids were in high
school and college. Shed gone back to
school, gotten a masters in psychology, and
was a dissertation away from a Ph.D. when
the treatment facility where she worked
starting laying off psychologists. So she
decided to take the money shed saved to
support herself while writing the disserta-
tion and use it for flying lessons, instead.
It was the best thing I could have
done, she says. It let me meet all these
wonderful women! The women she was
referring to were the above-mentioned
adventurous-minded Ninety-Nines. Two of
them were looking for a partner in a
Grumman Traveler, and Dee enthusiasti-
cally signed up. Shed accumulated 1,000
hours, a floatplane rating, and instrument
and commercial ratings before that fateful
June day in 1999 when all that theoretical
www.eaa.org23
LANE Wallace

stuff about stalling in the trees became
acutely relevant and real.
Dee had gone up that morning for some
IFR recurrency training with an instructor
out of Buttonville Airport, north of Toronto,
and was headed back to her base at Toronto
City Airport, on the edge of Lake Ontario,
right smack downtown. Because of airspace
restrictions, she was flying at 2,000 feet
MSL, which was about 1,500 feet AGL, at
the intersection of two busy highways,
when one of the exhaust valves in her four-
cylinder Lycoming O-320-E2G engine stuck
in the open position.
Now, I know something about O-320-
E2G engines, because thats the same engine
Ive got in my Cheetah. I also know some-
thing about stuck valves in those engines,
because Ive had it happen to me.
Fortunately, mine never stayed stuck long
enough to force me down. But its an experi-
ence you never forget. Aside from the
alarming plummet of rpm, the engine starts
banging like a can in a dryer, as Dee put it,
and the airplane itself starts shaking as if its
trying to tear itself apart.
The plane was porpoising, and every
time the nose came up, the stall horn went
off. It was very hard to control, she says
And it was going down fast.
Over downtown Toronto.
Fifteen hundred feet doesnt give you
much time to think, or many landing
options. Not that there were many to choose
from in that area anyway.
Out of a corner of my left eye, I saw a
small patch of green. I thought it was a park,
so I headed for it and put the plane in a steep
forward slip, as it was coming up fast.
When Dee descended closer to the field,
however, she realized it was a very short
playing field next to a school, with goalposts
at both ends. Whats more, there were peo-
ple and a truck standing in the middle of it.
The field was not a survivable option.
There arent a lot of trees in that part of
Toronto, she notes, but fortunately, there
was a long, thick grove of trees right next to
the school. So I came out of the slip and
headed for the tops of the trees.
So how does that stalling into the trees
thing work, really?
You only want to do it if there is truly no
other option, Dee says. I kept trying to stall
the plane, but it wouldnt stall. I think I went
through half a mile of branches, all of them
tearing at the plane, until the plane finally
slowed down and got caught by this wonder-
ful old oak tree that had sturdy branches in a
big V shape, near the top. The nose went
through the V, and the wings got caught by
other branches. The windscreen blew out,
and all four seats came loose. The plane
ended up nose down, about 60 feet off the
ground, with Dee hanging partway out of the
plane from her safety belt.
Dee broke her wrist and the bones
beneath her eyes in the crash. But she had
to stay very still in the plane, afraid of

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24Sport AviationJune 2013

dislodging it, for an hour and a half until
firefighters got an aerial crane in there to
get her down.
I still had my wits about me, she says,
and I saw these firefighters coming in
there with chainsaws. And, my goodness,
the wings were both damaged and fuel was
flowing out of them! So I yelled down, No!
Dont! You cant do that! Theres fuel!! Oh, it into a stand of poplars, instead of some
right, they said, and went and got some
hand saws.
Dee spent the weekend in the hospital,
and her wrist took the better part of a year
to heal, so I guess it couldnt quite be said
that she simply walked away from the land-
ing. Nevertheless, she did survive it, which
proves that at least it can be done.
I spent some time with Dee during a
recent trip to Toronto, and, while looking
over the scrapbook she put together of pho-
tos, news clippings, and the Transportation
Safety Board report on the accident, asked
her if she had any hindsight advice on this
whole stalling it into the trees strategy. She
thought about it for a minute, and then
shook her head.
Im glad my instructor talked to me
about stalling it into the trees, because at
least I had an idea in my mind, then, that it
was an option, and what to do, she said.
But I also realize I was lucky. If Id stalled
make cleaning those valves a regular 300-
nice, sturdy oak trees, the ending could
have been very different. And really, it all
happened so fast, I didnt have time to
think about it much. Its just that the only
other option would have been to crash into
a building. So anything was better than
that. She paused for a moment, then
added, But I stopped flying at night after
that. Because I never would have survived
that landing at night.
The Transportation Safety Board con-
cluded that the No. 3 cylinder exhaust valve
in Dees Traveler had stuck in the open
position, causing the power loss. Her
engine had 349 hours on it. That alone is a
lesson for me, because Ive had to have the
valve guides cleaned out twice on my
Cheetaheach time about 350-400 hours
since the last cleaning. So it seems to me, at
least where Cheetahs and Travelers are
concerned, that a good approach to avoid-
ing that tree landing thing would be to
hour event.
But perhaps the real lesson of Dee and
her oak tree landing is that, whether over the
forests of New England or the skyscrapers of
downtown Toronto, there are more surviv-
able emergency options than we might
imagine, as long as we keep our eyes open,
our wits about us, all the way down. EAA
Lane Wallace, EAA 650945, has been an aviation col-
umnist, editor, and author for more than 20 years. More of
her writing can be found at www.LaneWallace.com and at
www.TheAtlantic.com/Lane-Wallace.

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 M
IKE BUSCH
C OMMENTARY / SAVVY AVIATOR
Its never a good sign
when my rst contact with
an aircraft owner comes
from his attorney.
The Blame Game
When stu happens to your aircraft, its not always someone elses fault
REGULAR READERS OF THIS COLUMN know that I grumble a lot about
stupid mechanic tricks made by career A&Ps who should
know better. Some have accused me of mechanic-bashing.
Thats a bit harsh, but Ill readily admit to being a hard marker
when it comes to genuinely dumb mistakes made by folks who
work on airplanes for a living and hold themselves out as being
maintenance professionals.
Last week, for example, one of my clients had a hole punched
clean through the wing of his airplane during a routine tire
change when a mechanic discovered he didnt have the proper
jack points and tried jacking the airplane by its tie-down rings
something explicitly forbidden by the maintenance manual. Last
month, at one of the best-known service centers in the United
States, a young mechanic (nugget) installed a new battery in a
high-performance single-engine airplane belonging to another of
my clients, and managed to reverse the polarity and destroy
$13,000 worth of electrical components and avionics. The month
prior, it was an alternator drive hub that came loose because the
installing mechanic neglected to torque it properly and install the
cotter pin, resulting in so much damage to the mating crankshaft
face gear that my clients engine had to be torn down. Ugh!
But this months column isnt about stupid mechanic tricks.
Its about stupid aircraft owner tricks.
I see plenty of those, of course, since my company now man-
ages maintenance for nearly 500 aircraft owners. Most of my
clients are bright, and their mistakes are usually small and readily
resolved. But occasionally, I encounter a real doozyone worth
memorializing and sharing.
26Sport AviationJune 2013
SAY AGAIN, COUNSELOR?
One such doozy began when my phone
rang on a Friday afternoon at the end of a
long week. The caller identified himself as
an attorney representing a businessman
who is the owner of a small airplane and
who asked the lawyer to contact me for
advice. My first question was, What make
and model airplane is this?
All I know is that its a little airplane
with six seats. I think it has two propel-
lers. Does that help?
May I assume, then, that youre not an
aviation attorney?
The lawyer confirmed that he was the
owners business lawyer and knew noth-
ing about airplanes. He proceeded to
relate a rather confusing story involving a
Florida-based aircraft owner whose air-
plane was being held hostage by a
Midwest maintenance shop Id never
heard of. Apparently the aircraft owner
and the shop owner were having some
sort of protracted dispute. After nearly a
year, the shop had filed a lawsuit against
the owner for nonpayment. The shops
complaint asked for a mechanics lien
against the airplane and a court order
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MIKE BUSCH
allowing the shop to sell the airplane to
satisfy the owners unpaid obligations.
The aircraft owners lawyer explained
that time is of the essence because he
needed to act soon to prevent the court
from granting the plaintiff a summary
judgment against his client. Hed called me
at his clients suggestion because of my
reputation for helping aircraft owners deal
with difficult maintenance predicaments.
I asked the attorney to e-mail me the
lawsuit pleadings, any discovery docu-
ments, the maintenance shops invoice,
and any associated work orders, discrep-
ancy lists, or repair estimates prepared by
the shop. I promised to review this mate-
rial over the weekend and scheduled a
follow-up conference call with the attor-
ney and his businessman-client on
Monday afternoon.
He did, and I did. By the time the law-
yer and his client phoned me on Monday,
I had a bunch of questions for the
aircraft owner. As he answered them, a
picture of the situation began to emerge.
It wasnt pretty.
HOW NOT TO BUY AN AIRPLANE
I learned that in early 2010 our hero
decided hed outgrown his single-engine
airplane. He wanted to step up to a pres-
surized cabin-class twin and wound up
buying a Cessna 421B. This little airplane
with two propellers is an astonishingly
sophisticated and capable flying machine,
but unless maintained meticulously it
can also be a real money pit. Even under
the best of circumstances, the cost of
maintaining and operating such an aircraft
is formidableparticularly in this era of
$7 avgas and breathtakingly expensive
repair parts. Spend a few minutes brows-
ing Trade-A-Plane or Aircraft Shopper
Online and youll see that the resale
market for cabin-class pressurized piston
twins is seriously in the tank. There is a
good reason.
Our hero wound up buying his nearly
40-year-old 421B for a little more than
$200,000. Thats definitely a whole lot of
airplane for very little dough. On the other
hand, a knowledgeable twin owner would
realize that $200,000 represents a rela-
tively small down payment on the total
cost of owning an airplane of this caliber
and age.
To make matters worse, our hero
bought the airplane without doing a pre-
buy examination. Instead, the seller
delivered the airplane with the proverbial
fresh annual (performed by the sellers
mechanic, of course). The buyer and his
mechanicthe one whod maintained his
single-engine airplanetook the big twin
up for a quick test flight, his mechanic
took a quick pass over the logbooks, the
www.eaa.org27
buyer wrote a check, and the deal was
done. Bada bing.
The new owner wasted no time put-
ting his new pride and joy to work in his
business. He quickly fell in love with the
all-weather capability, performance, and
creature comforts of the 421B. Who could
blame him? Its an amazing airplane.
Everything seemed to be going swim-
mingly for about a year, at which point it
came time for the first annual inspection
on the new owners watch. Thats invari-
ably a come-to-Jesus moment for any new
aircraft ownerespecially with an air-
plane of this age, complexity, and
sophisticationbut apparently our hero
never saw it coming.
HOW NOT TO MANAGE AN ANNUAL
Instead of having the 421B annual inspec-
tion performed by the mechanic who had
been maintaining his single-engine air-
plane, or by the shop that performed the
pre-sale annual inspection, the owner
hired a shop in the Midwest that hed
never used before, that had never seen the
airplane before, and that Id never heard
of. Apparently the shop came highly rec-
ommended by someone the owner trusted.
The shop quoted a shop rate of $70/hour
and a at-rate fee of $2,975 to perform the
The Cessna 421B is a magnicently capable airplane. It can also be a money pit if youre not careful.
28Sport AviationJune 2013
annual inspection. (In my experience, both
of these gures are unusually low.) The
owner approved, and the shop proceeded
with the inspection.
In due course, the shop completed its
inspection and presented our hero with a
discrepancy list and repair estimate. The
handwritten discrepancy list was 16 pages
long and identified 308 separate discrep-
ancies234 on the airframe, 29 on the left
engine, and 45 on the right engine.
Roughly half of them were flagged with
asterisks as being airworthiness items.
There was also a five-page spreadsheet
that listed replacement parts required.
The shops repair estimate came to 642
hours of repair labor at $70/hour, a bit
more than $57,000 in parts, and $2,975 for
the flat-rate inspection. The estimated
grand total was $105,000 and change. The
shop provided no detailed breakdown of
this estimate, so there is no way of deter-
mining what portion of this $105,000 was
for airworthiness items and what portion
was for items that the owner could defer
or decline.
Our hero was not amused. He phoned
the shops director of maintenance to
complain. He came away from that phone
call with the distinct impression that the
DOM felt the airplane fell somewhere
between a disaster and a deathtrap. The
owner instructed the DOM to stop work
immediately and leave the airplane
opened up while the owner tried to sort
things out.
Our heros immediate reaction was
that hed been shafted by the prior owner.
He had his attorney write the seller a
lawyer letter explaining that the air-
plane was found to have hundreds of
discrepancies that would cost $105,000
to fixmore than half of what hed paid
for the planeand demanding that the
seller either pay for the repairs or agree
to take the airplane back and refund the
purchase price. The seller turned the
matter over to his own attorney, who
replied that the buyer had purchased the
airplane without any warranty or repre-
sentation of fitness from the seller other
than clear title and an annual inspection
signoff in the logbooks. After about eight
months of back and forth between the
lawyers, it became clear to our hero that
he was not going to get any consideration
from the seller.
In the meantime, the DOM was not
amused either. He had a 421B in pieces
tying up nearly 2,000 square feet of pre-
cious real estate in his maintenance
hangar. After several months of hosting
this dead airplane that the shop could
not work on and could not move, the DOM
started sending the owner storage invoices
for $450/month. Our herowho was
already upset at the DOMbecame even
more upset when the storage invoices
started arriving. He took the position that
he hadnt agreed to the storage charges
and wasnt about to pay them.
Our hero also refused to pay the
shop for the inspection. He felt that
there was no way that an airplane that
received an airworthy signoff at its 2010
annual inspection could possibly have
more than 150 airworthiness discrepan-
cies a year later, and believed the shop
had concocted most of the discrepancies
out of thin air, presumably motivated by
greed. (In my experience, shops almost
never inflate a discrepancy list in order to
pad their pockets, but that doesnt stop
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MIKE BUSCH
some aircraft owners from believing
they do.)
Things proceeded downhill rapidly
from there. The DOM turned the matter
over to his lawyerthats lawyer No. 3 if
youre countingwho filed a lawsuit
against the aircraft owner, demanding
payment for the inspection and storage
fees, and asking the court for a mechan-
ics lien and for permission to sell the
airplane if necessary to satisfy the own-
ers debt.
And then my telephone rang.
SO NOW WHAT?
Once I was able to fully understand what
had transpired, I was pretty blunt in my
advice to the owner and his attorney. To
begin with, I told them that in my profes-
sional opinion, I felt the owner had no
recourse against the seller. It was, after all,
the buyers decision to purchase the
airplane without conducting a meaningful
pre-buy examination.
Nor did I feel that there was any
recourse against the shop that performed
the prior annual inspection. I explained
that airworthiness is largely a subjective
standard based on the inspecting IAs
determination of what discrepancies pre-
vent the aircraft from being in condition
for safe operation. The fact that one IA
felt that the airplane was airworthy and
another IA felt it was a deathtrap is some-
thing I run into every day. (Usually the
truth lies somewhere in the middle.) It
doesnt mean that one IA was wrong and
the other was right, only that airworthi-
ness is an inherently subjective standard
and reasonable people may reasonably
have different opinions.
The fact is that IA No. 1 made a deter-
mination that the aircraft was airworthy,
and thenlo and beholdthe aircraft flew
The handwritten discrepancy
list was 16 pages long and
identied 308 separate
discrepancies234 on the
airframe, 29 on the left engine,
and 45 on the right engine.
for the next 12 months without falling out
of the sky. That doesnt necessarily mean
that the aircraft could fly another 12
months without falling out of the sky.
Airworthiness is a moving target. Thats
why were required to have the aircraft
inspected every year.
I also said that I could not see any rea-
sonable basis for the owner refusing to
pay the Midwest shop that had performed
the most recent annual inspection. The
www.eaa.org29
shop had inspected the airplane (as it was
hired to do) and documented its inspec-
tion findings in extensive detail. The
shops flat-rate charge was exceedingly
reasonable in my opinion. I also consid-
ered the shops storage charges to be
quite reasonable, given that the airplane
had been tying up a significant portion of
the shops maintenance hangar for nearly
a year while the owner tried to figure out
what he wanted to do.
My strong recommendation to the
owner was that he immediately pay the
Midwest shop for all charges due, both for
the inspection and for storage, and perhaps
even offer to pay the shops attorneys fees
to datewhatever it takes to settle the law-
suit and get the airplane out of jail. I said
that if the owner was willing to do this,
then Id be glad to try to help him obtain a
ferry permit and get the airplane own to a
location where the 308 listed discrepancies
could be triaged and resolved.
30Sport AviationJune 2013
I felt the owner had no recourse
against the seller. It was, after
all, the buyers decision to
purchase the airplane without
conducting a meaningful
pre-buy examination.
I explained that had the owner
approached me when he first received the
discrepancy list, Id have been glad to work
with the Midwest shops DOM to negoti-
ate some compromise plan to get the
airplane back in the air. However, at this
late date, the relationship between the
owner and the DOM had been poisoned to
the point that I believed any attempt to
work together constructively was futile.
Therefore, I felt the owners best course of
action was to get the airplane into the
hands of another mechanic who could be
trusted to deal with the issues reasonably
without a lot of emotion.
Sadly, this was apparently not what the
owner and his attorney wanted to hear.
They got audibly upset at me and then
summarily hung up. I never heard from
either of them again. I have no idea what
happened with the lawsuit, nor whether
the Cessna 421B is still in jail.
Please accept my sincere apology,
faithful reader, for ending this column
without a punch line. I just hate when
that happens.
Mike Busch, EAA 740170, was the 2008 National
Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year, and
has been a pilot for 44 years, logging more than
7,000 hours. Hes a CFI and A&P/IA. E-mail him at
mike.busch@savvyaviator.com. Mike also hosts free
monthly online presentations as part of EAAs webinar
series on the rst Wednesday of each month. For a
schedule visit www.EAA.org/webinars.
 Passenger Basics
Some guidelines for the care and treatment of those we take aloft
HAVING HAULED A FAIR number of passengers around the sky over
the years, Ive learned a few things.
With at least half of all pilots, give us a slug of truth serum in
our coffee and well get this dreamy smile on our faces and admit
that half the reason we got into flying was to give people rides.
The urge to share the fun is as strong as the urge to fly under a
bridge, but vastly more responsible, and way more likely to
spread warm, fuzzy feelings about what we do.
Most of the people Ive taken aloft have been friends and
acquaintances, although for a while my flying was largely com-
mercial. I was a two-seat ultralight instructorwhile such a thing
was still legally possibleand it was nice at the end of any busy
weekend to get home, start emptying my pockets, and find they
were absolutely stuffed with fives, tens, and twenties. The money
was definitely happiness-inducingnot as much as flying itself,
but it did have an undeniable charm.
THE GREAT OBLIGATION
The single most important thing about transporting human beings
around in the air is your responsibility for their safety and well-
being. The word awesome has been horribly abused in the past
32Sport AviationJune 2013
decade and morecan a hamburger really
strike awe into someones heart?but the
responsibility we face is genuinely one of
those awesome or awe-inspiring things. If
theres anything not completely okay about
you or your aircraft, or the place youre
planning to y, dont leave the ground.
There are few things in life that scare
me more than the thought of being respon-
sible for somebody elses safety and
well-being. Well, well-being: What does
that even mean? I just threw that in
because it always comes right after
safety and sounds natural, even if its
hard to define. I once gave an in-law a ride,
and about 10 minutes into it he leaned way
overaway from me, fortunatelyand
threw up his hamburger over the side of
my Quicksilver MX Sprint II. His safety
was never in any danger, but maybe his
well-being was.
ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE MATHENY

Possibly he would have been better
served if I had provided an airsickness bag.
And maybe, out of sensitivity for his feel-
ings, I should not have embarrassed him
by leaning across him, when he was done,
to see what he had hit. Miraculously, he
had missed every inch of the tubing over
there. Awesome.
After we landed he claimed he was hav-
ing as much fun as hed ever had in his life,
and I think maybe he was. He did go on to
buy a single-seat ultralight and fly it all
over central Minnesota.
On a more serious note, I once lost
the engine when giving a young woman
a ride. She had been one of my best pas-
sengers, absolutely delighting in the
view and the whole experience, looking
around in wonder, clearly enchanted.
Twenty minutes into the flight, the Rotax
503 paused, gave a terrified shriek, and
went silent. As the whistle of wind
through tubes and wires replaced the
bellow of the engine, she looked at me
questioningly. I said something like,
Piece of cake. Well just land in this field
right here, pointing at a cornfield that
was mostly stubble just ahead.
The landing was uneventful. When we
rolled to a stop, she looked at me expec-
tantly, and I realized she thought I would
now make the engine go again so we could
continue the ride. I had to explain that the
ride was over, and now we had to wait for
some people to come and help us roll the
airplane back to the home field. (The
engine had seized. That particular engine
went on to seize twice more. I wound up
convinced that it was possessed by a
demon, and took a strong dislike to it. It
wound up haunting a snowmobile in
Forest Lake, Minnesota.)
No passengers were harmed in this
incident. But it does show the need to keep
a good landing place always within easy
reach. While you cant guarantee that any
given engine will keep running (especially
a two-cycle), you can always keep a
Who Can Give Rides?
When it comes to light aircraft, any private (or
better) pilot can carry a passenger, as can any
sport or recreational pilot in the various
categories and classes of aircraft in which they
are certicated to y themselves. Ultralight
pilots are still limited to single-seat air
vehicles, and have never legally been able to
take anyone but themselves into the air. That
has not changed.
A pilot holding a sport pilot certicate can
carry a passengerjust onein a light-sport
aircraft, provided he or she is otherwise current.
Recreational pilots can also carry just one
passenger (even though the aircraft can have
four seats).
Private (or better) pilots who are current in
the type of aircraft to be own can take more
than one passenger. All three categories of
pilots have a recency-of-landings requirement:
They must have made at least three takeos
and landings during the past 90 days in the
same category and class of aircraft as the one
in which theyll be giving a ride. If the airplane
is a taildragger, full-stop landings are required.
www.eaa.org33
DAVE MATHENY
forced-landing area handy. And if you
cant, seriously consider not risking any-
bodys safety and well-being but your own.
A CAUTIONARY TALE
But now we move up the scale from minor to
deadly. While researching a recent story
about nap-of-the-earth ying, I came across
the tale of a guy who had given a woman a
ride in his Stearman biplane. He ew low up
a scenic river and hooked his landing gear
on some unseen wires, winding up with the
airplane on its back in the river. His passen-
ger drowned. The misery and grief for those
who loved her will go on, as it will for the
pilot. But to his misery will always be added
the fact of his having been the cause. And,
predictably, he is engaged in endless legal
entanglements. When carrying passengers,
always be sure of the place you are ying as
well as the aircraft and you.
WHAT TO CHARGE
Easy. You cant charge anything if you are not
at least a commercial pilot. (The days of two-
seat ultralight instructing have ended.)
Sport, recreational, and private pilots may
not charge for any reason, although you are
allowed to share equally in the costs. You and
a passenger might, for example, split the cost
of a ll-up of gasoline or the cost of a rental.
WHAT TO DO
For most passengers, just being up in the sky
is amazing. Once youre aloft, you can assess
how much theyre enjoying the experience.
You can either get out of the way and lapse
into silence so they can enjoy the experience,
or use the occasion to point out some sights.
Im not very good at getting out of the way
and shutting up, as you might infer from the
fact that I write articles about ying, but I try.
From my usual home base you can see
the skylines of both Minneapolis and St.
Paul, which is pretty impressive here in the
western plains, given how gently rolling the
land is (some would even say at). The
cockpit of an aircraft is the only place I
know of where you can see such a sight.
Rivers, lakes, ponds, farms, woodsonce
their sightseeing is done, most passengers,
in my experience, will eventually turn their
attention back inside the cockpit. If, in your
opinion, they would be safe in handling the
controls, let them. I have always allowed
34Sport AviationJune 2013
passengers to do that. Most passengers
dont know much about aircraft and are
very tentative on the controls. Most will
just hold the stick without moving it, half-
expecting (to judge from their expressions)
that the airplane will do something wild
and crazy if they exert the slightest pres-
sure. They soon get over it. I have never
had a passenger do something wild and
crazy, but aviation is full of surprises.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Scaring people is as amateurish and
unprofessional as it gets. There was an
occasion when an instructor of mine was
in the right seat of a Cessna 172, with me
in the left, and my wife, Jean, in the back.
He took the controls and without warning
pulled back suddenly on the yoke, then
just as suddenly pushed forward a moment
later, leveling off at an altitude maybe 200
feet higher than we were when we started.
Scaring people is
as amateurish and
unprofessional as it gets.
He chuckled when he did it to indicate it
was all just a joke, and fortunately Jean
took it well. Clearly he had done it just to
scare her. It was a learning experience for
me. I learned he was a jerk. I also learned
never to do that to anybody.
This is going to sound like a platitude,
and Im trying to find a way to avoid say-
ing, We are all ambassadors for aviation.
But we are. When we give somebody a
ride, we are in the position of recruiting
people for aviation, even if theyre not
going to learn to fly. And they may some-
day be in a voting booth deciding whether
to keep the local airport open. We want
them on our side.
WHO NOT TO TAKE UP
Well, apart from a crazed anarchist hold-
ing a smoking bomb, the only obvious
category of people who should not be pas-
sengers would be those who are seriously
overweight. Changes in the center of grav-
ity will normally not happen in any
aircraft with side-by-side seating simply
because almost all aircraft are designed so
that pilots of various weights can be
accommodated; adding or subtracting
weight does not move the CG fore or aft.
Usually all that happens is that the aircraft
will simply get heavier, not move out of its
safe CG range.
When I was flying a two-seat
Quicksilver MX Sprint, I knew in
advance that 250 pounds was the limit
for anyone seated next to meand that
was for an 80-degree day with a freshly
mown runway. Its true that by carrying
less fuel I could have allowed a few
more pounds of passenger weight, but
lets not split hairs. Operating at or next
to your maximum takeoff weight is
always chancy, and should be reserved
for emergencies.
One other category is kids whose par-
ents have not given permission. One ride I
have always regretted not being able to
give would have been to a boy I saw hang-
ing around a grass-strip airport one
summer a lot of years ago. I used to fly in
there with friends. He was a skinny kid,
shy, and had those aviation stars in his
eyes that you sometimes see in kids.
It was abundantly clear that he wanted
to go for a ride, and it was legal for me to
do that, as an ultralight two-seat instruc-
tor at the time. No law said I had to charge
him any money. But every time I asked
him if he could get permission from his
parents, he clammed up in a way that told
me they were not ever going to give the kid
permission. Do you live nearby? You
could just go home and ask them, I said,
but the kid just shook his head.
Because I fly a single-seater these days,
I continually have to turn down friends
and acquaintances who ask for rides.
Maybe theres a two-seater in my future. If
so, Id like to go back to that same grass-
strip airport and see if the kid is still there.
Hed be over 30 by now, and maybe he
even went into aviation and became an
airline pilot or flies fighters, but it would
still set things right for me to give him that
ride. He deserves it.
Dave Matheny, EAA 184186, is a private pilot and
an FAA ground instructor. He has been flying light
aircraft, including ultralights, for 30 years. He
accepts commissions for his art and can be reached
at DaveMatheny3000@yahoo.com.
 BRADY LANE
COMMENTARY / DREAM BUILD FLY
Putting Hand and Mind Together
The heart of EAA
Walking into EAA Chapter 292s hangar felt strangely familiar. I had
never been to Independence, Oregon, nor had I ever met the men
huddled around the waterboxer engine in the corner, but something
felt surprisingly common about this uncommon scene.
This group was on a mission, and as EAA Founder Paul Poberezny
often says, they were putting hand and mind together to design, cre-
ate, and build. They didnt let my presence disturb their progress.
The room was packed tight with World War I-era fuselages in
various stages of completion, which required care to navigate my
way over to the action.
36Sport AviationJune 2013
These chapter members were
building five DH.2 replicasat the same
timeand were assembled together this
Saturday morning to troubleshoot a fuel
issue with the first of five engines.
Bruce Rose, EAA Lifetime 663928,
president of a neighboring chapter and
one of the five builders, broke from the
engine analysis to give me a tour of the
groups progress.
PHOTOGRAPHY By BRADY LANE
BRADY LANE
Their woodwork was artistryevidence
that these men were not rookie builders. On
a nearby tool cabinet hung photos of their
previous projects: 14 Nieuports, also built
simultaneously a few years back. They knew
how to work together.
The lingering question in my mind: Why
build five of these aircraft at the same time?
The appeal of a group project is learn-
ing from others, Bruce told me. Theres
quite a bit of learning that comes from
interacting with other builders. If I were by
myself it wouldnt go near as fast, and I
probably would have gone down more
dead-end roads and may not have taken as
good of paths. Theres no way I could do
this on my own.
A few days later, I visited Jim Moss han-
gar on the outskirts of Seattle for a peek at
his nearly finished Gee Bee Q.E.D. replica.
His hangar was also abuzz with activity, and
the dj vu returned.
This time, its source was clear. This is
EAAthe same community Ive seen and
experienced in hangars, basements, and
garages across the country. Regardless of
what the actual project is, there is one com-
monality they all sharecommunity. The
EAA spirit is what made these exotic projects
feel exactly the same as the relatively com-
mon projects on my workbench back home.
The same virtue that birthed EAA and
gathered 36 people in Paul and Audreys
basement 60 years ago is vibrantly alive
today in basements, workshops, and hangars
across the country.
In Jim Moss hangar, two men crouched
at the Q.E.D.s right tire and talked about the
landing gear. Another two stood on ladders
and peered inside the cockpit. A husband
and wife walked around the aircraft, exam-
ining the rivets theyd bucked together
during a previous work session, while
another half-dozen men stood at the tail and
discussed the aircrafts upcoming first flight.
Each of these workers affirmed that Jim
Moss, EAA 477508, was the mastermind
behind this beautiful replica, but Jims the
first to tell you he didnt build it alone. A
community of friends built the monstrous
Gee Bee Q.E.D., each bringing a different
perspective and skill set.
38Sport AviationJune 2013
Homebuilding projects are as much a
social undertaking as they are individual
endeavors. This community, sharing of
knowledge, putting hand and mind together,
is what makes us EAA.
Addison Pemberton, EAA 154948, is a shin-
ing example. His beautiful Boeing 40 was built
with the help of 62 volunteers contributing
more than 18,000 hours. He is now restoring a
Grumman Goose in similar fashion.
I am not building a giant vintage air racer
like Jim Moss, a WWI biplane like Bruce
Rose, or a one-of-a-kind vintage airliner, but
my build sessions back in Oshkosh look sim-
ilar to what I saw in their hangars, and Im
guessing your build sessions are similar, too.
This is not what I thought homebuilding
was like on the outset. I thought building
was a solitary struggle, which is why I never
thought I could successfully build an air-
craft. I didnt trust myself or my skills.
I have since discovered most projects,
even individual projects, are rarely built in
isolation. The best builders have learned to
maximize the social and community contri-
butions of homebuilding.
Homebuilding projects
are as much a social
undertaking as they are
individual endeavors.
Solo Community: A Rewarding Dichotomy
This satisfaction from building in community
doesnt threaten the joy that comes from
individual responsibility and accomplishment.
Like flying, the ultimate responsibility
always rests on a single person. I remember
looking over to the empty right seat during
my first solo and feeling the weight of
responsibility and joy simultaneously. Im
the only one who can get this thing down
now, I thought. That sense of individual
responsibility is sobering and rewarding.
Its a rush!
While flying alone is fun, theres a rea-
son most aircraft have more than one seat.
No joy is complete until its shared.
This is why we have pancake breakfasts,
EAA chapters, formation clinics, fly-ins; its
why Chapter 292 is building its DH.2s together,
why Jim Moss has invited his friends to lend a
hand, why Addison Pemberton welcomes peo-
ple into his hangar to help an airplane come
back to life, why EAA staff members get
together on weekends to build an aircraft
together, and why Paul and Audrey first invited
their friends to a basement meeting 60 years
ago. We are all better when we join together.
Theres a time to fly alone, to build alone;
it can be therapeutic after a stressful day at
work. But in the end, both pilots and builders
benefit from being part of a community.
The Heart of EAA
When I go to EAAs Kermit Weeks Hangar
on Saturday mornings to work on the staff
Zenith project, I rarely carry my own
weight. I talk and laugh with friends more
than I deburr or squeeze rivets. My talk-to-
work ratio is, well, off-center.
While I contribute some to the aircrafts
progress, I dont go to the hangar on my day
off to participate in a production line. If it
were, none of us would go.
The biggest reward of this project is not
the airplane were working on, its that Ive
gotten to know Kyle from the AirVenture
Museum gift shop, Jennifer from the print
and mail center, Amy from marketing, Jerry
from maintenance, and Matt from IT. These
are not just my co-workers anymore;
theyre friends.
The heart of EAA is not about flying,
building, or airplanes; its about people. Ive
heard Paul say this a thousand times, but
didnt realize until recently that it applies to
more than just fly-ins and airplanes; it also
applies to the workshop.
Chapter 292s hangar felt familiar
because it was. It was EAAthe same EAA
that exists in workshops around the world
when EAA members get together with
friends to put hand and mind together. EAA
Brady Lane, EAA 808095, a multimedia journalist for EAA
and a private pilot, is scratchbuilding a Bearhawk with his
friend Caleb Ihrig. Visit www.DreamBuildFly.com where
you can watch them work on the plane live every Tuesday
evening. Contact Brady at blane@eaa.org.
 LAURAN PAINE JR.
COMMENTARY / PLANE TALK

The panelGil Hutchison, Scott McDaniels, Mike Seager, and Vanpreparing to speak as a chapter member makes an annoucement.

Work Harder,
Work Smarter
Experimental amateur-built safety
BY LAURAN PAINE JR.

MY BUDDY NEL CALLED and said, You gotta attend this conference. Im in.
Its about experimental amateur-built (E-AB) safety. Some big The day dawned foggy, but it broke up
guns are gonna be there. Youd better be there or else. I aint in time for some people to fly to the con-
afraid of Nel, but I do know that what he lacks in tact he makes ference. Roughly 30 pilots showed up. It
up for in perseverance. shouldve been 30,000 for the straightfor-
I asked, When, where, and who? ward, honest, and genuine info that was
Next Saturday at Willamette Aviation, Aurora Airport, Nel put forth.
said. Van, Mike Seager, Scott McDaniels, an EZ guy, and an FAA Willamette Aviation, located at
guy are gonna be there. Oregons Aurora State Airport (UAO),
I thought to myself, Lets see, Van with 8,000 RVs flying, Mike hosted the event. Picture the quintessen-
with 13,000 hours of RV instruction given, and Scott, who works tial FBO, just like us old-timers remember
in Vans prototype shop and knows everything about RVsyeah, themthats Willamette Aviation. Small
thats the mother lode of RV experience. building, lots of old airplane pictures on

40Sport AviationJune 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAURAN PAINE JR.

the walls, pictures of recent solo students, new
private pilots, and such. A desk with a nice lady
sitting behind it, a small room with charts, avia-
tion books, and headsets for sale, and a couch
and chairs for lounging airport bums. That kind
of FBO.
The meeting itself was held in a hangar
behind the FBO, nicely set up with chairs,
screens. Dave Waggoner of Willamette Aviation
welcomed us. Nice fella, and passionate about
aviation. In addition to Van, Mike, and Scott,
there was Gil Hutchison, a high school buddy of
Burt Rutan and representing the EZ fliers. Jim
Hultgrien from the Portland-Hillsboro Airport
flight standards district office rounded out the
group and opened with some remarks. Nel was
the moderator. (I had brought some overripe
tomatoes to toss his way, but it turned out that I
didnt need them.)
Van talked about E-AB accidents. Its never a
pleasant subject, but Van doesnt just use a
bunch of graphs with numbers; he speaks from
the gut (read: heart) after years of experience.
That tends to give credence to the subject, to
penetrate your aviation soul. Graphs and charts
dont do that; Vans words do.
First, Van mentioned that E-ABs have always
had a higher accident rate than factory-built
airplanes, what he calls a bad starting point.
Its rather the nature of the experimental beast,
right? There are unknowns. The Wright brothers
had unknowns. World War II flight testing
had unknowns (and a horrific accident rate).
Space exploration has unknowns. Obviously,
we should always be trying to mitigate as
many of the unknowns as we can. Thats the
simple statement.
The reality is that it takes extra effort on our
part to reduce mistakes. We must have a safety
culture, each of us. So, right off the bat, we in the
experimental community need to work a little
smarter and a little harder to lower our accident
rate. No charts, no graphs, just those words:
work harder, work smarter. And think of it this
way: Every experimental accident reflects upon
all of us. Dont be the guy/gal who adds to the
accident statistics that jeopardize our freedom
to build airplanes. The reward for working
harder and smarter is greater satisfaction, not to
mention safety.
Lets briefly talk about some of the more
common types of accidents so we can zero in a

www.eaa.org41
LAURAN PAINE JR.
little on how to prevent them. With E-ABs, loss of control and
system failures are more prevalent than in commercially built
airplanes. Loss of control includes low airspeed accidents (too
common); system failures include fuel system failures (too com-
mon). Both are correctable. Commercially built aircraft have
more weather-related accidents.
Heres something we can throw at the E-AB problem right
now: Make a habit of involving other brains in the building and
flying process. And not just any brains, but brains that know.
EAA flight advisors come to mind. I know of one situation in
which a flight advisor asked a pilot just before his first flight,
Do you have enough fuel? (The advisor had noticed the guy
doing several taxi tests and engine run-ups just prior to the first
flight attempt.) The guy said, Yeah, yeah. Just filled it up.
Then he took off, ran out of fuel early in the climb, and crashed.
One accident statistic is very clear: Purchasers of E-AB air-
craft have more accidents than builders of E-AB aircraft.
Builders take some of the initial risks, but they know their
aircraft. Thus, it behooves the purchaser to learn about his
new aircraft before flying it. However, since I dont want to
belabor accidentsthere are lots of them on file in black and
white, if you want to read moreI want to switch to flying the
darn things. Its just my humble opinion, but thats the heart of
the matter.
When Mike Seager, who probably has more RV time than any
person on the planet, talks, I listen. (Not to mention that he dis-
likes public speaking, so hearing him is rare. He prefers to do
his talking in the airplane.) Transition training is mandatory in
my book. Here are some problem areas that he often sees during
transition training: lack of currency, being low-time in only one
type of airplane, being high-time but having little time in small
airplanes, no tailwheel time. And more: weak basic flying skills
with regard to the fundamentals of flightwhat he calls climbs,
glides, turns, and straight-and-level.
Read that again: basic ying skills. Weak slow ight, weak air-
speed and altitude control, overcontrolling, imprecise pattern
work, glass panel distraction (information overload while youre
trying to y). He will pull power at 3,000 feet AGL over the airport
and ask you to land, using precise airspeed control, on the rst
third of the runway. Many can do it, some cannot. Can you? Sure, I
can, you say. When was the last time you practiced it? Im not try-
ing to hurt anyones feeling here. These items are not speculation;
they are observations from a professional. I take em to heart.
To prepare for transition training, get current, and preferably
in an airplane close to the E-AB type you are building, i.e., a tail-
dragger for a taildragger. Get a flight review, whether you are
due or not, to get your head in the game. Also, fly solo. Put your-
self in the position of having to make all the decisions and
honestly evaluate your performance.
Heres where your flying needs to be: There must never be a
doubt about the outcome of a maneuver. Smoothly control
42Sport AviationJune 2013
altitude and airspeed. Be stable on
approach, and consistently perform good
takeoff and landings, tracking
the centerline. Be able to do a well-
planned and smooth go-around. Be able
to slip to a landing. When you fly, put
demands on yourself, and make your fly-
ing count. Do slow flight, stalls, and
spot landings often. If all you want out
of your flying is to take off, fly around a
bit, and land on big runways, fine. But
do not hop into your E-AB with that back-
ground and expect to do well. Involve
another brain.
Every experimental accident
reects upon all of us. Dont
be the guy/gal who adds to
the accident statistics that
jeopardize our freedom to
build airplanes.
During the test phase of your E-AB
flying, have a plan. Do not just bore holes.
The test phase is when the airplane
teaches the pilot. Actually do the items
that you sign off at the end of the test-fly-
ing phase. Fly the maneuvers, fly the
various weight ranges, and fly the various
CGs. Experience that stuff during the test
phase, not during a cross-country.
You may not be able to experience the
hot-and-high airport within your
assigned test area, but you should write
down your performance data and then
apply the Koch Chart percentages when
you get to the hot-and-high area. That
guy off the end of the runway at that little
airport in Colorado? Maybe he didnt
think performance data was important
that day. Not comfortable with that? Then
employ a professional test pilot to do at
least the initial flight for you. Thats not
shame, thats smart.
I recently renewed my CFI certificate.
One of the study units was about the
AdsJUNE.indd 13 5/21/13 8:38 AM
LAURAN PAINE JR.
shifting training focus of the FAA. They made the statement,
GA accident data from the last two decades shows that about
80 percent of the accidents are the result of human factors.
Makes sense100 percent of GA airplanes are flown by humans.
The FAA went on to say that it believes that students should be
trained to operate in the real-world environment rather than
merely to accomplish maneuvers on command.
So the feds established Flight Industry Training Standards
(FITS) using scenario-based training. And they came up with a
risk assessment matrix, complete with lots of boxes, pretty col-
ors, and fancy words. Then they use the three ps (perceive,
process, perform). You perceive with PAVE (Pilot, Aircraft,
enVironment, External pressures). You process with CARE
(Consequences, Alternatives, Reality, External pressures). And
you perform using TEAM (Transfer risk, Eliminate risk, Accept
risk, Mitigate risk). Are your eyes crossed yet?
Okay, just me talkin here, beat me up if you must. Bring me
20 pilots. Ten will sit in class four hours a day for a week learn-
ing the three ps in scenario-based training using PAVE, CARE,
and TEAM until it gives them FITS. The other 10 will fly
maneuvers and traffic patterns for four hours a day for a week.
At the end of the week, which 10 are going to be the better
pilots? Heres the deal as I see it: The better you fly, the better
you know your skills and the capabilities of your airplane, and
the better the flying decisions youll make.
The guy who ran off the end of a short runway probably didnt
know he couldnt do that because he hadnt really practiced it. The
stall/spin accident? That guy probably hadnt done an acceler-
ated stall in a long, long time, so he lost his ability to recognize
the onset. Sure, anyone can have a bad day and have an accident,
but generally its the unknowns that get you. The more you prep
and fly, the fewer unknowns you will have.
Sure, Im poking some fun at the FAA. (Its a proclivity I
have, learned it at an early age. Most feds I know just poke it
back at me.) All aviation learning is important, but the most
important things to knowIm sticking to my guns hereare
your flying limits, and you learn that by flying.
Remember, you establish your limits. I flew professionally,
military and airline, for roughly 35 years. I flew the fancy air-
planes into the crowded airports in the demanding weather and
all that stuff. And I loved it, loved the challenges. We often went
to the limits, but thats because we knew exactly what the limits
were. When you fly 70 hours a month, year after year after year,
you learn something else: Stuff happens. Even when youre try-
ing to do everything right, stuff happens. The challenge is to
recognize the situation as far out as you can, and deal with it
methodically and safely. If you cant, then get out of the situa-
tion. And I can guarantee that if you make a habit of cutting
corners, sometime, somewhere, its going to bite you in the butt.
Today Im Joe VFR in my nonautopilot, nonglass, VFR air-
plane, and all by design. In retirement I wanted to go back to where
44Sport AviationJune 2013
I rst started ying, to return to the
joy of wandering and looking outside.
And Im very happy with all that. Ive
set new limits from the professional
days. In fact, Im probably more cautious
than the new 350-hour private pilot.
Fly into reduced visibility? Not a chance.
I know whats in reduced visibility:
worse visibility.
I can guarantee that if
you make a habit of
cutting corners, sometime,
somewhere, its going to
bite you in the butt.
Let me give the E-AB pilot one
more thing to think about: One-third of
all E-AB accidents are due to the mal-
function of an inspectable item. Hmm.
Its up to us to do something about
that, isnt it? We do the inspections.
Use a checklist. Be methodical and
critical. Dont get lazy, and have the atti-
tude that you will find something.
Have a good flashlight and more than
one type of inspection mirror. When
in doubt, ask, and remember that inspect-
ing is a learned skilldont let anything
slide. Listen more than you talk. Help
is always available from the aviation
brotherhood.
Flying is a very personal thing. I do my
thing and you do yours. Most pilots I
know are very professional and conscien-
tious. They read and listen just to know
what useful tidbits of information might
be out there for them. So, when Van,
Mike, and Scott speak and say we need to
improve some things, then I figure we
need to improve some things. All of us.
After all, we are a brotherhood.
Lauran Paine Jr., EAA 582274, is a retired military pilot
and retired airline pilot. He built and ies an RV-8 and
has owned a Stearman and a Champ. Learn more about
Lauran at his website, www.ThunderBumper.com.
 JEFF SKILES
COMMENTARY / CONTRAILS
Goose Bay to Iqaluit
Flying the Ju 52 back to Europe, Part 3
I throw open the curtains of my room and gaze out at the deserted
sand- and gravel-covered streets of downtown Goose Bay. We stayed
the night at the Hotel North Two, creatively named to distinguish it
from the Hotel North One just down the street. This Americanized
outpost in far-northern Canada boasts both an A&W restaurant and
a Subway, making me feel like I never left home.
We had dinner last night at what is considered to be the finest
establishment in Goose Bay, Jungle Jims. Jungle Jims boasts a motif
as un-Goose Bay-like as possible, kind of a cross between a Rainforest
Cafe and a Hamburger in Paradise. It has a gigantic sign out front
screaming Two Toucan Dine for $15.99 and is decorated mostly in
bamboo with an abundance of plastic palm trees illuminated by what
must be 500,000 watts of those really big Christmas tree lights. I
munched on one of Jims Gourmet Bongo Burgers while gazing at an
advertisement proclaiming this venue as the premier site for far-
northern wedding receptions, every Labrador girls dream.
As we arrive at the airport, the morning light has that odd qual-
ity of the northern latitudes where dawn seems to stretch on for
hours and the world is always bright and new. The sky is a
46Sport AviationJune 2013
cloudless absolute blue stretching to infin-
ity in all directions.
The round engines and corrugated skin
of the Junkers look out of place parked
among the several corporate jets that have
arrived overnight. They came all the way
from Europe in a day. It will easily be a week
before we see Switzerland.
Our preparations for flight begin immedi-
ately. We all have settled into a routine and
become accustomed to our duties. Hans
Rahmann is the baggage packer; he arranges
all of our mountainous luggage just so in the
aft storage compartment. Tobias has endless
duties removing the tarp covering the cockpit
and checking over the aircraft. I make myself
busy pulling the engines throughnine com-
plete revolutions of the propeller per engine
accomplished by the use of a long pole with a
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JEFF SKILES
loop on the end to grab the propeller tip. All
of us must perform our work while explain-
ing to the pilots of the shiny corporate jets
about this anachronistic aircraft.
Aloft once again, Hans Moser, our captain,
points the nose of the Junkers north by north-
west. Hans is a retired Swiss air captain and
has spent a lifetime flying intercontinental
airliners to far-flung destinations. He has also
has spent more than 20 years volunteering as
a pilot for Ju-Air, keeping these Junkers in
the air where they belong.
Ju-Air was created when the Swiss air
force removed its three Junkers from active
service. The Jus had gained great acclaim
with the people of Switzerland. During the
Year of the Avalanche, the continuous flights personality and seems constantly amazed at While we hope to reach Iqaluit on Baffin
of these three aircraft kept high Alpine vil- the glorious landscape passing beneath our Island for our destination, our flight plan is
lages supplied when they were cut off from wings. Kais camera is constantly capturing the filed for Kuujjuaq on the southern tip of
the rest of the world. With the air forces beauty of the passing vistas. Ungava Bay. Should the winds prove favor-
decision to move to newer aircraft, the future We are headed north by northwest for a able we will change our destination en route
of the Ju was in jeopardy. A Swiss newspaper reason. Suitable airfields are far apart in the and stretch our flight to Iqaluit.
took up the challenge and raised more than subarctic. When you find one, it rarely has The Labrador terrain outside is absolutely
$1 million in a day to keep the Jus in the air, more than one runway. Even with the extra beautiful, very mountainous with too many
this from a small country of only 4 million cabin-mounted fuel barrels boosting our lakes to count. The shorelines are tinged with
people. With that funding, Ju-Air was created endurance to 12 hours, we can cover only the red sand and rocks. Iron ore country. If
and exists to this day, flying these aircraft on 1,200 miles to dry tanks. To reach our desti- Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, this
tourist flights through the Swiss Alps. nation and have fuel to continue on to an must be a country of a million or more.
Kai Zimmer, another volunteer captain for alternate requires careful planning. While Hans and Kai fly low to the ground, hug-
Ju-Air, joins Hans as our co-captain on this the weather may be good at our destination ging the land closely, but staying well above
trip across the ocean. Kai flies a Boeing 747 for an accident can close a runway, leaving the the reach of the stunted trees. We fly over
Air Berlin at his day job. He has an effervescent unprepared in a bind. lakes where the wingtips are seemingly below

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www.eaa.org47
JEFF SKILES
the level of the hills on the shore, as the
Junkers slowly climbs with the terrain.
Eventually, we will pass back into Quebec at
the Quebec/Labrador version of the
Continental Divide. From the border, all water
on the Labrador side flows to the Atlantic
Ocean; on the Quebec side, it all flows to
Ungava Bay. As we climb to higher elevations
and fly north, the terrain changes to that of a
Scottish moortrees become sparse and rock
is more evident.
Hans finds a gravel strip on the map, prob-
ably a scientific base or mining exploration
camp. He stays close to the hills and comes in
low down the runway. The camp consists of
maybe 25 large tents. As we roar overhead we
can see the startled men running out of their
tents to see a rare visitor to their world.
As we get closer to Ungava Bay, Hans
climbs to 2,000 feet to try to catch some tail-
winds that are finally supposed to be
working in our favor. Ungava Bay is a part of
the Hudson Strait that separates Quebec
from Baffin Island to the north. Down below
we can see a few icebergs floating in the bay.
The winds have been fair enough to com-
mit to a nonstop flight to Iqaluit. Our fuel stop
of Kuujjuaq is behind us as we set out over
open water. If the one runway at Iqaluit is
closed for any reason, we will have to head
back south to land at Quaqtaq or Kangiqsujuaq,
both gravel strips with no services. If we were
to be forced to land at either location, we
would have to wait and have gas shipped in
before we could depart again.
On this long flight, Tobias pumps one
barrel after another dry from our cabin-
mounted fuel reserves. Kai tells me that on
the trip over from Europe in June they didnt
have all the kinks knocked out of the system,
and air bubbles in the fuel caused the engines
to sputter. Once, all three engines quit simul-
taneously. Thoroughly warned, I watch with
foreboding as the air bubbles flow through
the clear plastic tubing while the barrels
empty, but it was to no end; the engines con-
tinue to sing strong and true.
Somehow I drifted off to sleep, and I am
awakened by Tobias as we approach Akpatok
Island. Completely isolated here in the
Hudson Strait, Akpatok is an island with tall,
sheer cliffs where seemingly no vegetation
48Sport AviationJune 2013
All of us must perform our work
while explaining to the pilots of
the shiny corporate jets about this
anachronistic aircraft.
grows at all. The island is a plateau of gravel
that simply drops into the sea. Hans has been
slowly descending as we approach. He dips
below the level of the cliffs and flies alongside
them, hugging them as close as he dares. The
sense of speed flying so close to the cliff is
evident even in this old, slow aircraft. The
cliffs appear to be only sandstone, so I dont
know why they have not simply eroded away
over the millennia. After 10 minutes of bank-
ing to follow the cliffs, I hear the propellers
growl as Hans adds power, climbing once
again and setting course for Iqaluit.
As we approach the coast of Baffin
Island, the small icebergs become more
numerous. I dont know where they come
from since the shore is completely free of
snow and ice. They must be merely passing
by, making their way from even farther
north out to sea through the Hudson Strait.
Baffin Island appears to be nothing more
than a rock. No beautiful landscape or Scottish
moors. The island seems to be principally
made up of reddish gravel with potholes of
water and occasional green lichens.
Iqaluit itself sits on the north shore of
Frobisher Bay. It is the provincial capital for
the province of Nunavut and operates as a
semi-autonomous Inuit (the local Indian
population) reservation. The airport is large
and bustling with a fine-looking runway.
The entire city is built on permafrost, a fro-
zen mix of dirt and ice. Most of the buildings
are constructed on pilings to keep from melt-
ing the ground beneath, to enter you must
climb up stairs to the second floor. On the short
drive to the hotel, I ask the driver what indus-
try brings people to this thriving hamlet. He
responds, Mining and bureaucracy.
Thats it? I ask.
Yep.
In the far north of Canada, the only fuel
generally available is Jet A, so Ju-Air has
arranged to have a supply of avgas shipped
to Iqaluit for our use. A forklift brings the
barrels of gas over on a pallet, and an elec-
tric drill powering a small rudimentary
pump is provided to transfer the fuel into
the tanks. After our eight hours it will still
be a long, tiring process for Kai and Tobias
to pump the gas into the plane.
Tomorrow we must leave early. Our first
leg is across the Davis Strait to Nuuk, the capi-
tal of Greenland. After a fuel stop at Nuuk, we
will continue down the coast to Narsarsuaq,
known as Bluie West One to World War II
Military Airlift Command pilots bringing war
materiel to the European theater and
wounded soldiers back home. EAA
Jeff Skiles, EAA 336120, is EAA vice president of
communities and member programs.
PHOTOGRAPHY by JEFF SKILES
 BY JIM STANTON

50Sport AviationJune 2013

www.eaa.org51

JANUARY 2013 MARKED the 60th anniversary
of two historic aviation events. On January
26, 1953, EAA held its rst meeting in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A few days before
that, in Oshkosh, Steve Wittman made the
initial test ight of a little red airplane.
Originally called the Flying Carpet, it was
later renamed the Tailwind.
Tailwind Construction
Fuselage: Welded 4130 tubing frame.
Combined engine mount/landing gear mount
welded-tube structure bolts to rewall
ttings. Aluminum skin on doors and forward
fuselage. Aft fuselage has aluminum stringers
and is fabric-covered. The main horizontal
stabilizer spar is welded to the fuselage. The
horizontal stabilizers slide over this tube and
are held in place by a single bolt on each
leading edge tting. Vertical n is integral
with fuselage.
Wings: Solid spruce or r spars. Built-up
spruce and plywood ribs with 3/32-inch
mahogany plywood skin.
Earlier wings were covered with aircraft fabric
over plywood. Most builders now use 1.4-
ounce berglass cloth with epoxy resin over
plywood. Flaps and ailerons bolt to the wing
trailing edge. There are four steel ttings in
each wing and no control system parts.
Flaps/ailerons: Originally welded steel
structure, fabric-covered. Most builders now
use all aluminum structure with aluminum
skins (aileron torque tube is steel). Flaps and
ailerons are torque-tube actuated with
aileron torque tube inside the ap tube.
There are no external controls. The entire ap/
aileron control system is inside the fuselage
and is all pushrod-actuated.
Empennage: All welded/brazed steel
structure, fabric-covered. Rudder is cable-
actuated, elevator is pushrod-actuated.
Dual controls: Normally installed with the
right stick removable. Right-side rudder
pedals usually fold down at against oor
with toe brakes on left side only.
Landing gear: Round spring steel, originally
designed and patented by Wittman. Wheels
and brakes are normally Grove or Cleveland
500-by-5. Tail wheel is normally custom-
made and direct steering. Many have spring
cartridges in the steering link to dampen
forces on rough surfaces and make the
steering less sensitive.
52Sport AviationJune 2013
In December 1953, nal ight testing of
the Tailwind was completed with a CAA
(FAA) inspector observing. The Tailwind
was loaded to maximum gross weight with
sandbags representing passenger and bag-
gage, then ight-tested to 110 percent of VNE
and pulled up to 4g. With the successful
conclusion of this test, the Tailwind became
the rst experimental amateur-built air-
craft (E-AB) certied to carry a passenger.
The next four Tailwinds were tested in the
same manner, with one inadvertently sus-
taining more than 300 mph and 8.3g when a
sandbag slipped forward against the con-
trol stick.
The Tailwind played a very signicant
part in the early success and growth of EAA.
Tailwind plans became available in March
1954, and by 1955, at least two plansbuilt
examples were ying. By the mid 60s, the
Tailwind was the dominant E-AB aircraft
type in the United States.
To understand the evolution of the
Tailwind, one must go back to Wittmans
1931 racer, Chief Oshkosh. Steve designed
and built the Chief in just five months
and first raced at Cleveland in August
1931. It was arguably the most successful
of the small-engine race planes of the
30s. The aircraft was badly damaged in
1938 after an engine failure in a race at
Oakland, California, and was stored in the
Mike Logbacks W-10 features some of Jim Clements modications including aluminum aps
and ailerons, a spring-loaded tail-wheel steering arm, the rear spar carry-through (which
provides more headroom in the cabin), and a larger door opening.
Typical State-of-the-Art Tailwind W-10
160-hp Lycoming O-320 engine
Wood/composite xed-pitch prop
Clement/Madden two-piece berglass cowl
with matching spinner
Landing gear small diameter increased from
3/4 inch to 7/8 inch
Fiberglass landing gear fairings
Pressure recovery wheelpants
Aft edge of windshield moved back 16 inches
Aft cabin windows
Clement door post and cross-member mods
1.4-ounce berglass cloth with epoxy resin
over plywood wing skin
All-wood wingtips
All-aluminum aps and ailerons
Maule fabric-covering method eliminates rib
stitching on tail
Instrument panel moved aft and increased
in height
Option: Move rewall forward 2 inches to
accommodate very tall pilots
Wittman hangar until the end of World
War II.
In 1946, Steve and his employee, Bill
Brennand, rebuilt the Chief into a sport air-
plane. In 1946-47, it was rebuilt again into a
Goodyear midget racer (now Formula One),
so named because of the Goodyear Tire &
Rubber Companys three-year sponsorship
of $25,000 per year in prize money for the
class at the Cleveland National Air Races.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WALT DORLAC
 Celebrating the Tailwind at AirVenture
This year marks the 60th birthday of EAA, but
2013 is also the 60th birthday of the airplane
Steve named the new youre reading about, the Tailwind.
racer Buster. Bill was cho- Its amazing to think of how far this
sen as pilot because his airplane has come, and its popularity
weight of 100 pounds was continues to grow to this day. From a 90-hp
a signicant advantage in speedster (in its day) to the nearly 200-hp
takeoff acceleration. In models around today, its a versatile airplane
the rst Goodyear race in in every way.
1947, Bill won both his This year in Oshkosh, we plan to celebrate
heat races and the nal. the airplane and the people who have built
He repeated his win in them. There is usually a pretty good turnout
1949, thus winning two of of the W-10 model, and perhaps a W-8 or
the three Goodyear races. two, but this year we hope to see a swell of
Working from 1947 Steve Wittmans Tailwind W-8, N5747N, is now on display at EAAs Pioneer Airport. Tailwinds to ll out the parking area so
into 1948, Steve built a members and visitors can get a good look at
near twin to Buster, named Bonzo. Buster his use only, but his early involvement with the airplane.
and Bonzo were the most successful of the EAA changed that. He ew his Tailwind to The design, by Steve Wittman, was
midget racers from 1947 to 1952. By the early Milwaukee for 12 consecutive EAA meet- seemingly ahead of its time as today the folks
50s, they were achieving top speeds of 230 ings, where it attracted lots of attention are pushing the airplane to speeds in excess
mph with the 85-hp Continental engine. from members who wanted a Tailwind of of 230 mph on 180 hp! Simple construction,
With so much success as an air racer, their own. simple maintenance, and a blast to y, it will
Steve wanted a fast two-place airplane for Wittmans third personal Tailwind, N374, continue to prove itself and be popular for
travel. He reasoned that he could build a built in 1958, had tricycle landing gear and a years to come.
Continental 85-powered, two-place midget 160-hp Lycoming O-320 engine with a In addition to the special parking area, we
racer and only give up 50 mph from the top Hartzell constant-speed prop. The wingspan will have a magnicent example of the W-10
speed of the single-seat racers. He chose a was shortened to 20 feet. Due to the short in the Homebuilders Hangar on Monday
high-wing design because he wanted to see span, the airplane did not perform well at morning for a hangar review where you can
the country. Other than seating and the higher altitudes. get up close with the airplane and a builder
wing placement, the Tailwind is a direct In 1962, Wittman designed and built who knows it inside and out. The airplane
descendant of the 1931 Chief and the two new wings for the Tailwind. The airfoil will be on display inside from 9 a.m. to noon,
midget racers Buster and Bonzo. was a NACA 0006 on the bottom, retaining and the review is scheduled from 10 to 11 a.m.
Steve originally intended for the the NACA 4309 airfoil on top. The span with builder Dave Conrad.
Tailwind to be a one-of-a-kind airplane for was increased to 22-1/2 feet with original- Come check out a wonderful little airplane,
style wingtips. The new wing improved meet the knowledgeable and friendly
performance in all parameters. This wing Tailwind builders, and enjoy the anniversary
became the standard for the Tailwind W-8, of an airplane designed by our Oshkosh
Aircraft Data Box and the same wing with triangle tips is airport namesake, Steve Wittman.
Aircraft Make and Model: Wittman used on the W-10.
Tailwind W-10 Steve converted N374 to a tailwheel
Certication: Experimental amateur-built conguration and replaced the Lycoming
with a six-cylinder Continental 300. He the W-8. Of course, since the Tailwind is an
Length: 19 feet 6 inches liked the Continental for its smoothness, E-AB, builders are free to make their own
Wingspan: 24 feet but the overall performance was substan- engine choice.
Wing Area: 92 square feet tially less than with the Lycoming. This is In 1974, Wittman completed his fourth
Height: 5 feet 6 inches the only Tailwind that Steve built that is personal Tailwind, powered by a converted
still privately owned; it is based in North Oldsmobile V-8. This was the rst W-10. He
Maximum Gross Weight: 1,425 pounds Carolina and still active. started offering supplements to the plans for
Empty Weight: 875 pounds the W-8 to show builders how to create a
Fuel Capacity: 35 gallons THE TAILWIND W-10 W-10, later evolving into a completely new
Seats: 2 The rst Tailwind, the W-8 model, was set of plans.
designed for the four-cylinder Continental The W-10 is designed for the Lycoming
Powerplant Make & Model: Lycoming O-320 engines and the 100/115-hp Lycoming O-235. O-320, Continental O-300, and Buick/
Horsepower: 160 Later changes allowed the use of the Oldsmobile V-8 engines. The landing gear is
Cruise Speed: 190-plus mph Lycoming O-290 with 125-140 hp. A few moved forward to improve propeller clear-
Wing Loading: 15.8 pounds per square foot early modied W-8s were built with ance, and the fuselage is 5-1/2 inches longer,
Lycoming O-320 engines with 150-160 hp, with all of the length added to the horizontal
For more information: www.AircraftSpruce.com. but Steve never approved of that engine for stabilizer area. The larger horizontal tail is

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEO J. KOHN www.eaa.org53

mounted higher on the fuselage, and the ver-
tical n and rudder are reshaped.
The depth of the fuselage side truss in
the cabin area is increased, and the control
stick and elevator control system is com-
pletely redesigned and pushrod-actuated.
Triangle wingtips increase the wingspan to
24 feet and substantially improve takeoff,
climb, and glide performance. A longer fuse-
lage and larger horizontal tail improve
stability and reduce the negative angle of the
horizontal stabilizer, thereby improving
cruise speed.
sells plan supplements for the fuselage mods
and landing gear.
If there were a category called speed
per dollar, the Tailwind would be in a class
all by itself. Consider the cost of getting
started on a composite or metal kit air-
plane. Then consider that you can start a
Tailwind building project for just a few dol-
lars. Typically, a Tailwind builder starts
construction with the wing ribs. Just $100
worth of plywood, spruce, and glue will get
you going on the ribs.
A careful shopper can build a Tailwind
for less than $20,000 with a used engine and
VFR panel. No homebuilt airplane with
comparable performance comes close.
Jim Stanton, EAA 7074, is a retired commercial pilot
who has been flying for 57 years. He completed his
first homebuilt, a Wittman Tailwind W-8, in 1964,
and was the youngest pilot to fly a homebuilt to the
1964 EAA fly-in. His current Tailwind W-10 project is
nearing completion, and he hopes to bring it to EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2013.

THE JIM CLEMENT MODS

Jim Clement, who has built 10 Tailwinds,
was the second builder to complete a W-10.
Starting with No. 4, he modied the cabin
area to improve comfort and ease of entry.
The rear spar carry-through tube at the top
of the fuselage was moved aft 3 inches, with
a dogleg on each side to join the original
wing-tting locations. The rear door post
has a dogleg, moving the post back 6 inches
at the upper fuselage stringer, and a diagonal
tube is added on each side. These mods
allow the seat back to be reclined up to 15
degrees. The changes, which most current
builders use, are commonly referred to as
Clement mods.
Jim has also built two W-10s with tricy-
cle landing gear that he designed. The rst
was completed in 1997. The nose gear is sim-
ilar to the Vans RV-6A, and the main gear is
relocated aft of the seats. The tricycle gear is
30 to 40 pounds heavier and 7 mph slower
than the Tailwind W-10 with conventional
landing gear.
Jim designed and built a two-piece ber-
glass cowling with matching spinner for the
W-10, available from multiple suppliers. He
Red and Marilyn Hamiltons Tailwind W-10
Racing the Tailwind
Red and Marilyn Hamilton; Fort Bragg, California; N374WT
In 2003, when Red and Marilyn Hamiltons Tailwind rst ew, it had an under-pitched prop that
exceeded 3200 rpm in level ight, so a Catto prop allowing full power was installed. Without any
fairings at that time, I was going about 186 here in cool air, Red, EAA 257929, said. A bunch of
things were done at onceclosing the cowl inlets down some, gear leg fairings, cus top and
bottom of the gear legs and strutsthat got about 23 mph gain to 209. All of my testing is done
here at 1,000 feet.
After EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2004, Red raised the compression to 10-1 and had BPA ow-
balance the cylinders and static and dynamic balance the engine. Special coatings were used on
the exhaust and most of the engine parts. Red cut out the bottom of the cowl and moved the air
intake away from the surface and forward, and reduced and extended the cooling air exit. That
did help some, Red said. This is how it was at AirVenture, where we went 214.68 against a
headwind in 100-degree temperatures where some competitors had to throttle back due to
engine temperatures.
After that, Red tried closing the air inlets more by moving the inboard ends outboard. That was
a mistake by 3 mph, so we undid that mod, Red said. By reducing height, Red was able to close
the air inlets down a little more without higher temperatures.
Red has spent a lot of time on the Tailwind since November 2006; many of the things he tried
had no eect. I have tried many dierent winglets on the tips, lots of internal and under-the-
cowl ow directors, Red said. Most do nothing. A few have survived.
In 2012, N374WT set Sport Air Racing League class records in two races, reaching 235 and 236 mph.
The 235 and 236 closed-course speeds of last summer are about all I want to do with that
airplane, I think, Red said. I may run AirVenture Cup again when it is from west to east to try and
get the class record back.
Valerie Vaughn; Pearland, Texas; N710DHmodied W-8 with a Continental C145
When Valerie, EAA 623080, bought her Tailwind in 2006, she was a 300-hour private pilot. Now at
about 500 hours of Tailwind time, she has since earned commercial, instrument, and CFI ratings
and instructs part-time.
At rst glance, the Tailwind doesnt seem like anything special, Valerie said. It is only when
you realize that one can be built for under $20,000, complete with engine and basic panel, that it
starts to sink in what a great deal it is.
As for performance, Valerie said the Tailwind can go as fast as or faster than most RVs, and the
range and fuel eciency are on par with the best glass designs. The construction is proven
and simple, Valerie said, adding that the Tailwind stacks up well against newer designs that
cost far more.
Now throw in the cool factor of Steve Wittman and his racing heritage, Valerie said. The fact
that he was mostly self-taught and still managed to become a respected aircraft designer and
engineer. The spring gear and other innovations he is responsible for. I dont know of any other
homebuilt with as rich a heritage as the Tailwind.

54Sport AviationJune 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA

56Sport AviationJune 2013
Tomahawk
Treasure
The travels and tribulations of
Rod Lewis P-40B/C

BY JIM BUSHA

Its approximately 4,095 miles as the Cub flies

between Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Murmansk,
Russia. Effortless to reach by todays airlines,
that wasnt the case back in 1941 when this
Curtiss-built P-40 Tomahawk was on a slow
boat to Russia, having been diverted from
England and the Royal Air Force. An unbeliev-
able journey to say the least, but whats even
more incredible is the fact that this rare air-
plane survived the harsh elements, and its
journey back into the air actually spanned the
entire globe before owner Rod Lewis brought it
to AirVenture 2012 to share its history with
fellow EAA members.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GAVIN CONROY www.eaa.org57

 situated on top of two similarly shaped
Prestone radiators. This cluster of coolers
and the narrow opening they hid behind
were a little too sleek on early models, as
overheating was a prevalent problem, espe-
cially in hot weather.
For protection the P-40 carried an
assortment of armament that included two
.30-caliber machine guns in each wing,
along with a pair of hard-hitting .50-caliber
Browning machine guns concealed on top
and inside of the long nose. The Tomahawk
not only had a killer bite, but it could also
joust in the air with the best of them.
In the very early 1940s the United States
had three front-line fighters at its disposal:
the Tomahawk, the Lockheed P-38
Lightning, and the Bell P-39 Airacobra. Of
the three, the Tomahawk reigned supreme
as the British took notice of the sleek fighter.
Placing an order with Curtiss, the British
renamed it the Tomahawk IIB and found
great use for it in the deserts of North Africa.
P-40 pilots (L to R) Kevin Eldridge, Rod Lewis, Stu Dawson, and Steve Hinton. One of the more than 900 RAF
Tomahawk IIBs built was serial number
14777 and given the British fuselage code of
Tomahawk Trivia AK295. But before it could reach British soil,
The long-nosed, short, and round P-40B/C Tomahawk model, made this aircraft was diverted to Russia, where it
famous by the ferocious shark mouth-painted examples flown by the arrived by ship in December 1941. It flew
infamous American Volunteer Group (AVG) Flying Tigers, actually gallantly with the Russian 147th Fighter
started out as a radial engine-powered fighter. Built by the Curtiss Regiment and the 1st Combined Division,
Aircraft Company, the P-36 Hawk, to many, resembled a miniature 20th Guards Regiment, before it was shot
version of the P-47 Thunderbolt with its round features both up down on February 1, 1942, near Murmansk.
front and in the rear. It lay undisturbed on Russian soil for a short
Although light and agile, the Hawk wasnt really what the U.S. time before the Tomahawk fighter became
Army Air Corps had in mind for a front-line fighter back in the late an obsolete front-line fighter in early 1943.
1930s. When most of the new foreign-designed fighters like the Outclassed and outgunned, the Tomahawk
Spitfire, Hurricane, and Bf 109 took to the sky, they all had one thing nonetheless held the line for the Allies until
in commonan inline engine. more advanced fighters could be produced.
The designers at Curtiss shifted gears and swapped out the During that time, not only did Curtiss
round engine for the latest and greatest modela 1,100-hp liquid- redesign and modify the P-40, but it also
cooled Allison V-1710 renamed the airplane, calling the new mod-
inline engine. Curtiss els Kittyhawk and Warhawk. For almost 50
thought it had a winner
on its hands, and so did
I quickly years, Tomahawk 14777 languished in a dor-
mant state of outdoor misery before being
the Army Air Corps,
who eventually began
realized its the rediscovered in 1990 by some warbird sav-
iors. More than 25,000 restoration hours
to order the new fighter
called the P-40
most handsome later, it finally returned to the sky.

Tomahawk. Up front,
the Tomahawks dis- fighter to ever Recovery and Restoration
In 1990 the remnants of Tomahawk 14777
tinctive overbite were pulled off the Russian ground and
concealed more of a pass through brought home to the United States, where
rounded triangle with restoration commenced on the rare fighter.
one circular oil cooler my workshop. The remains traded hands a couple of times

58Sport AviationJune 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY BY PAUL BOWEN, GAVIN CONROY

with some fuselage work started by Tom
Wilson of Georgia. Bud Wheeler over-
hauled the Allison engine to like-new
condition, while the rare and uncommon
Curtiss Electric propellers were overhauled
in Texas.
Eventually the whole works was
bought by Rod Lewis and sent to the bot-
tom of the world, New Zealand, where
Warren Denholm, owner of Avspecs, and
his talented craftsmen put all the pieces
back together. Because of other P-40 proj-
ects taking up space, Warren sent the
wings off to Murray Griffiths of Precision
Aerospace in Australia. Unfortunately for
the team at Avspecs, this would not be a
quick rebuild, unlike anything they had
tackled before.
The project arrived in the shop around
2007, Warren said. Though the engine had
been overhauled, Warren, EAA 665530, sent
it to Vintage V12s to have it overhauled again
since it sat for so long.
With the Tomahawk restoration, I ini-
tially didnt think it would be too bad
because there are lots of drawingsand part
P-40 Early Days
A
fter a few dry runs and a blindfolded checkout, I was deemed ready to fly
the Curtiss P-40. It was a sight to behold and was a true gun fighter in its
own right, having proven its worth with the British in North Africa and the
AVG Flying Tigers in China. The P-40 would become my front office during my combat
career, but not until I learned the secrets and nasty habits of this flying tank.
Remnants of the Tomahawk were pulled out of the Russian ground in 1990.
of the reason so many P-40 restorations are Warren and his team traveled to the
going on around the world is the fact that Seattle, Washington, area, where they were
there are some great drawings still available able to photograph and take measurements
via the Smithsonian, Warren said. The of Paul Allens P-40C located with his Flying
project came with many missing pieces, but Heritage collection. Filling in as many gaps
Warren figured it wouldnt matter since the as possible, Warren advanced forward with
Smithsonian had everything on microfilm. the project.
However, the model B/C drawings, for According to Warren, Tomahawk parts
some reason, didnt exist. The worst part are some of the most difficult to find.
for us was the lack of engine installation Anything used in the war, especially in the
and cowl drawings. Thankfully we had first three years before new models came
another example to look atbut it was a out, is especially challenging since most
half a world away. parts were scrapped or buried.
By 2nd Lt. Tom Anderson, USAAC, 79th Fighter Group, 85th Fighter Squadron
I was newly posted with the 79th Fighter Group at Bedford, Massachusetts, in
the summer of 1942 as our squadron was hurriedly trained in fighter tactics before
being shipped overseas. When I began intensive training in aerial combat, I thought
the P-40 was a very maneuverable airplane. That was, until I found myself fighting
for my life in a death spin over the Atlantic Ocean.
I had been up at 10,000 feet chasing tails with a fellow P-40 pilot who had a
lot of stick time in the Warhawk. I was trying my damndest to get on his tail when
all of the sudden I went into the screwiest spin I had ever encountered. I must
have overcontrolled the P-40 as I began to tumble downward to the open sea.
The gear horn was blowing in my ear, which only intensified the excitement and
fear inside the cockpit.
I chopped the throttle and tried to recover, but every move I made only intensified
the spin as that nagging horn blew louder and louder. It was time to get while the get-
ting was good, as I was losing a lot of altitude, so I decided to bail out. I tried to get the
canopy back, but it wouldnt budge.
No matter where I looked inside the cockpit, my eyes couldnt keep up with the
intense spinning as I tried to orient myself. I let go of the stick and tried to open the
canopy with both handsstill jammed. Time seemed to stand still for a moment, and
my only thought was, Im gonna make one helluva splash when I hit!
Suddenly, the nose of the P-40 dropped a little, and I caught it at the last sec-
ond. I popped the stick forward and pulled out less than 200 feet over the ocean.
I was that close to having an airfield named after me!
www.eaa.org59
 We had done five other Kittyhawk restorations before this one, I often found myself standing back
and I didnt think the Tomahawk was really anything unique, and just staring at this beauty, which to
Warren said. I was dead wrong! I just thought it would be a minor me is a work of art. I quickly realized its
pain to find the parts for it, but once it started to take shape in the the most handsome fighter to ever pass
workshop, you quickly see the differences. through my workshop.
The Tomahawk sits at a steeper ground angle than a regular P-40, When it came time for paint, the obvi-
Warren said, because its ous choice would have been the shark
tail is shorter. Also, the mouth example flown by the Flying Tigers.
design of the cowling and
the way the radiators fit
Its all we had But owner Rod Lewis, EAA Lifetime
498155, wanted to memorialize another
inside didnt change over
timethe design was right
when the war small band of heroes who took to the sky
outnumbered and outgunned.
from the start.
One has to remember
broke out. Rod wanted the scheme worn by the
Tomahawks that fought over Pearl Harbor
the Tomahawk is a 1930s on December 7, 1941, Warren said.
design, a real antique air- Contrary to what the movies show,
plane compared to something like a P-51, Warren said. The wing Americans had the Tomahawk when
has five spars, the tail plane is the same, and the rest of the airplane George Welch and Ken Taylor took off
has got all sorts of strange idiosyncrasies in the way the systems during the attack on Pearl Harbor and
work that are unique to the typical airplane designs of the 1930s. shot down six Japanese airplanes. As a
So when you bring it all together and it works, you are overwhelmed tribute to the efforts they made during the
with the satisfaction of basically re-creating an era of the golden United States first day of WWII, Avspecs
age of flight. painted the P-40 as best it could to repre-
sent what George Welchs airplane
wouldve looked like on the morning of
December 7.
1941 Curtiss P-40B/C Tomahawk
A Thrill a Second: Flying the Tomahawk
N number: N295RL Powerplant Make & Model: Stewart Stu Dawson of Celina, Texas,
Length: 31 feet 8 inches Allison V-1710-C-15 started in aviation the old-fashioned
Wingspan: 37 feet 3-1/2 inches Horsepower: 1,100 hp waywashing airplanes, sweeping out
Height: 12 feet 4-1/4 inches Propeller Make & Type: Curtiss Electric hangars, and pumping gas into old round-
Maximum Gross Weight: 7,632 pounds Cruise Speed: 250-plus mph engine airplanes.
Fuel Capacity: 120 gallons VH: 378 mph As a 16-year-old kid I hung around
Seats: 1 Original Price: $44,000 some guys that flew a twin Beech, and that
Empty Weight: 5,615 pounds www.LewisAirLegends.com was the biggest airplane I had ever seen in
all my life, Stu said. Eventually I got my
ratings and then became a copilot on the
twins. The old airplane bug bit hard, and I
loved the round motor stuff. I eventually
found myself tied in with the wrong
crowdthe warbird crowdand I never
looked back!
Stu, EAA 187007, confessed that
although he eventually made a living as an
airline pilot, he is busier now in retirement
checking people out in antique and warbird
airplanes, including fellow Texan and EAA
Warbirds of America member Rod Lewis.
Stu met Rod at Reno a few years back, and
the two have been friends since, both having
a fond addiction for the historic warbird
treasures. One of Rods latest acquisitions
was the P-40 Tomahawk. With so many dif-
ferent warbird examples in his stable at

60Sport AviationJune 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELODY WOLLANGK, WARREN DENHOLM, PAUL BOWEN
 Lewis Vintage Collection of San Antonio, Rod needed assistance bringing
some of his airplanes to AirVenture, and that task fell into Stus lap.
The panel, I have flown a P-40 before, but never a C model, Stu said. The only
before and after. time I have really seen a C model was in a history bookuntil I became
acclimated with it when Rod acquired it.
Unlike other models, the C has a 1,100-hp, long-nose Allison engine
with a longer cowling, and the fuselage is rounder and shorter, Stu said.
Its a neat airplane to fly, but it doesnt like hot weather at all. We dont
pull as much horsepower out of this one, and the power settings are com-
pletely different than the other P-40 models. It handles like any other
P-40 on the ground; its got bad brakes like they all do!
According to Stu, the preflight is very straightforward, with empha-
sis on making sure there is plenty of coolant and oil on board. The
9-gallon oil tank is in the back on the C, and if its overfilled, its hard
to get the bubbles out of the oil, causing oil pressure to fluctuate.
Theres no dipstick for it, so you just kind of got to know how much to
add each time, Stu said.
Inside the cockpit, its a standard P-40, except for an electric primer.
That old sweet Allison just starts every timeits nowhere near as tem-
peramental as the Merlin is, Stu
said. You dont end up blowing
It handles like fire out of it as it bicks and
bangs. When the Allison gets the
any other P-40 blades turning all you have to do
is hit the starter, hit the primer,
on the ground; give it two shots, and it lights
really user-friendly.
Stu stressed the importance
its got bad of getting the P-40 airborne as
soon as possible to avoid over-
brakes like heating the engine, especially
during high temperature days.
they all do! For takeoff, Stu said the

Warren Denhome and fellow P-40 pilots and owners giving a Warbirds in Review presentation at AirVenture 2012.

www.eaa.org61
 The P-40 Tomahawk in formation with a later-model P-40 Warhawk.

Tomahawk doesnt really need too much right boot to keep it down, they want to
centered, but he admitted it is a tad more squirrelly because rattle a little bit more,
of its shorter fuselage. and they will end up kick-
Its not bad, but the thing about P-40s is you dont want to use ing the rudder pedal pretty hard, telling
the brakes too much, because the next time you need them, they you to get your head back in the game.
wont be therethey get hot very quickly, Stu said. Before he lets the tail come down,
Overall, Stu said the P-40 climbs and cruises well, and is a lot of fun Stu likes to let the P-40 run up high on its
to fly. He especially likes the way wheels. Landing the C model is a little
the controls work. In my hum- more twitching than the longer-fuselage
ble opinion, they are a little bit
better than a Mustang, he said.
That old P-40 models like the K or N. But heck, I flew
Pitts Specials a lot, so I feel that has really
The elevator and ailerons on a
P-40 are nice and light. I like to
sweet Allison prepared me for these types of fighters.
All in all, Stu said it was a thrill to fly
cruise in the 210-215 mph range
at 21 inches and 2100 rpm, and
just starts the Tomahawk. Its all we had when the
war broke out. It was the best we had dur-
that gives me about 45 gallons
per hour fuel burn.
every time. ing those dark days. Right now there are
only three P-40B/C models flying in the
Slowing to land in the world, and I never would have guessed that
Tomahawk is easier than one a poor kid from Texas like me would be
might expect. I slow it down to less than 100 mph over the fence. Its flying one! EAA
really no problem to get a P-40 slowed down. The flaps are simple
because you only have three choicesup, down, or offdown is, of Jim Busha, EAA 119684, is an avid pilot and longtime
course, full flaps. contributor to EAA publications. He is the editor of
Because the tail wheel on the P-40 is tricky, Stu prefers wheel Warbirds and Vintage Airplane magazines, and the owner
landings. If you three-point it, the tail wheel will shake on you, of a 1943 Aeronca L-3. For more information about EAA
because on the P-40s they are steerable. And when you set them Warbirds of America visit www.Warbirds-EAA.org.

62Sport AviationJune 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY GAVIN CONROY

 SECOND

64Sport AviationJune 2013

SHIFT

Two night air shows to illuminate AirVenture OSHKOSH in 2013

BY MARK PHELPS

Whats it like to perform in a night air show? What are the special concerns of
the performers and the organizers? How does the air boss not only help ensure
a thrilling spectacle, including lights and pyrotechnics, but also keep the
show safe and on schedule?

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW ZABACK www.eaa.org65

 e all know EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is well-
known for its daily heart-stopping air show
performances. For decades the weeklong event
has fielded a variety of acts that cant be beat, from
tiny, nimble aerobatic monoplanes and biplanes to
lumbering transports; from fire-spitting warbirds to
graceful composite sailplanes; from colorful parachute teams to
simulated air racing. The daily dance card is filled with widely
varying acts, each one different from the last.
And the fun on Wittman field has never slowed down after sun-
set. Feature-artist concerts, entertainment programs at Theater in
the Woods, barbecues large and smallorganized or impromptu
even just plain old sunset hangar flying under a wing have all been
part of the activities that make AirVenture as special as it is.
But starting in 2010, EAA extended the daytime aerial drama
and artistry into the after-hours with its AirVenture night air
show. Night or twilight air shows are becoming more popular
across the country, and this summers event has added a second
performance to the schedule. Besides the weekend twilight event,
this year the night sky will light up with the best aerial perform-
ers and pyrotechnics midweek, on Wednesday night.
Scheduled performers include the AeroShell Aerobatic Team
flying North American AT-6s, Bob Carlton in his jet-powered
Salto sailplane, Matt Younkin in his Twin Beech Model 18, Gene
Soucy in Showcat, Steve Oliver in the Super Chipmunk, and
Roger Buis performing in Otto the Helicopter. An AirVenture stal-
wart, Richs Incredible Pyro will provide pyrotechnics for the
show, and both performances will conclude with a best in the
Midwest fireworks display.
66Sport AviationJune 2013
Thanks go out to Rockwell Collins for
presenting the AirVenture night air shows,
in addition to its sponsorship of the after-
noon shows. Jim DiMatteo, EAA vice
president of AirVenture features and
attractions, said, The additional night
show is being scheduled in response to
those EAA members and AirVenture
attendees who said they missed this phe-
nomenal event because they came to
Oshkosh earlier in the week.
So whats different about preparing and
executing a night show? The person to start
with is the one who is in charge of the
entire operation. The air boss for EAAs
shows is Wayne Boggs, a veteran of decades
of air show experiences.
Everything slows down, he said. Of
course, safety is the highest priority, and at
night all the moving parts of the air show
are moving around out there in the dark.
Though it covers much of the same subject
matter, there is a separate performers
briefing for the night show.
And remember, whatever goes up has to
start down on the ground. Safety on the
runways and taxiways is especially
important with a night show. Wayne said
its vital to keep the performing aircraft
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEKEVIN THORNTON
better isolated as they stage themselves Bob found that nighttime aerobatics got easier quickly, and
for takeoff. The same holds true up in the flying with a lighted runway for a reference point made a huge dif-
air for aircraft that have launched and are ference. He said, It was a steep learning curve, but you learn tricks,
awaiting their turn to perform. Airspace like what reference points workor not.
control is critical to avoid collisions. Bob has been performing at night in the glider for about eight
Reference points for performers years, the last five with the jet engine. He said the night show is
before, during, and after their different. Its not about the aircraft; its all about the pyro. By reg-
routinesmust be established ahead of ulation, Im limited to no lower than 500 feet, and the maneuvers
time. At a show performed at an airport, are spread outa lot softer. At night, Im really more of a platform
as is the case with AirVenture, the runway for the pyro.
lights make an unmistakable reference line He said the choreography is attuned to that principle, and the
for performers. But some night air shows musical score takes on a more central role to the performance. His
take place above other venues, and other music is written by Oshkosh native Alice Evans. When I heard her
reference points are necessary for visual song Canyon River I thought, wow, that would go well with my act.
cues, such as headings to roll out onto I played a video of my flying with her music in the background, and
after a maneuver. This can be particularly I knew I had found the right score for my performance.
challenging over water, and boats are Bob said flying the airplane is more challenging during a
sometimes recruited to serve as lighted night performance, so he tries to
show line parameters. offload as much of the work as
Pre-show briefings are critical to any possible. He computerizes all
air show, but their importance is ampli- his pyrotechnics, and has it
fied for a night show. Thats where all down to just two but-
reference points are discussed, tons. The first button
crowd lines are established, and all The first time I push starts the com-
the performers can coordinate I tried aerobatics puter check to ensure
their schedules to ensure every- all the pyro is set
one is on the right page at the at night with pyro, properly, and the sec-
right time. I thought, This is the ond button starts the
Show lines tend to be longer sequence. After that,
at night, Wayne said, and if there craziest thing Ive all I have to do is fly.
isnt a runway, you can pick ever done.
something long and straight. At
The AeroShell Team.
over-water shows sometimes lighted
buoys provide reference. Wayne said
there is one natural conflict between
making the show more impressive and
keeping it safe: The producer wants it
as dark as possible, while the air boss
prefers to have as much light as he can
get, either launching the show with
plenty of twilight left, or keeping the
runway lights up full.
Bob Carlton flies his jet-powered Salto
sailplane during the night show, but this is
not new to him. I started flying night
shows in my Steen Skybolt biplane about
11 years ago, he said. The first time I
tried aerobatics at night with pyro, I
thought, This is the craziest thing Ive
ever done. I tried it out away from the air-
port, west of Albuquerque where there is
just nothing on the ground. I had my
ground crew drive out with a couple of
cars to turn on their lights,
but that was it.

PHOTOGRAPHY by BRADY LANE www.eaa.org67

 It was a
steep learning curve,
but you learn tricks, like Visual cues can be challeng-
what reference points ing under the circumstances.
Bob said, When you pull up to
workor not. the vertical, you cant just look
out at your wingtips for reference
to the horizon, because, well,
theyre on fire. I joke with my friends
that I talk to myself, repeating,
Use the force, Luke.
Like most pilots involved with night
air show work, Bob agrees the most difficult and
Matt Younkins Twin Beech 18.
68Sport AviationJune 2013
dangerous time is on the ground, taxiing out
for takeoff or returning to the ramp after
landing. Particularly with his long-winged
glider, airport signs and other obstacles are
more of a hazard at night, and the risk doesnt
stop even after the airplane is parked. He
said, One night, I tied down the glider and
came back a while later to find it had been
driven over by a flatbed truck. Fortunately,
it had enough clearance and there was no
damage, but
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY GESCH, TYSON RININGER
 Once up and away, Bob said, night flying
has its advantages. The visibility is usually
good, and the air is smooth. And because its a
softer routine, Im more relaxed. Whats really
cool at Oshkosh is to look down on 10 square
miles of flashing cameras from the crowd.
A good friend of Bobs, Roger Buis, per-
forms in his Schweizer 300C as Otto the
Helicopter. The daytime show is chock full of
comedy and fun, with a clown face stuck on the
front of the helicopter, in which he performs
aerobatics and brings his act to a patriotic
conclusion. Except for the last part, the night
show is a stark contrast.
Totally different. No funny stuff, Roger
said. He removes the clown face to maximize
his visibility from the bubble cockpit, and
keeps the maneuvers to a gentle minimum,
the better to show off the extensive pyrotech-
nics. Roger said, I asked Steve and Susan
Oliver to look at my routine, and they
advised me to focus on doing what
a helicopter can do that a
fixed-wing aircraft cant
hovering, pedal turns,
pirouettes, and back-
ward flightand then
add pyro. He said
their advice worked.
Dad always TOLD them. The act concludes with a garrison-
As whimsical as me, Take off. Do what size American flag suspended beneath
Otto may appear, youre good atonce. the helicopter and a 40-million-candle-
Roger is meticulous power spotlight shining on the Stars and
in his preparation, And then land. Stripes as the national anthem plays. At a
especially for the recent charity performance in Texas, he
night routine. For said, he was told that two four-star gener-
every minute of the als in the audience stood and saluted when
show, theres an hours the spotlight hit the flag.
preparation. I have a One of Rogers biggest challenges? Night
10-minute routine, so thats 10 shows make for a really long day. All the other per-
hours of prep work for every formers are enjoying social events when I still have to go
performance. Eight of those hours are perform. By the time Im done flying and securing the helicopter,
spent before arriving at the show site all the foods gone!
examining the show line and terrain, So please, if you spot Roger wandering around the AirVenture
briefing the routine, etc., and there are two grounds after the night air show, somebody slip him a sandwich.
hours before each flight to prepare and Matt Younkin flies an unusual air show aircraft, a 1940s-vintage
attach the pyro racks. Beech Model 18, aka the Twin Beech. Its a cabin-class airplane,
He said, I do all my preparation in a ster- originally designed to transport executives, not fly around at night
ile environment. Signing autographs is fun, doing aerobatics.
but I need to concentrate. To that end, he Matts night display is also different from other performers.
recently acquired what he calls a motor The only pyrotechnics spewing flame, smoke, and sparks in
garage where he can make his preflight prep- his wake come from the exhaust stacks of the two Pratt &Whitney
arations in solitude. R-985 radial engines. The rest of his show lighting comes
In particular, Rogers night performance from 21st century LEDs and HID equipment from Whelen
has a patriotic theme. He said his goal is to Aviation Lighting and LoPresti Speed Merchants (the Boom
leave the crowd without a dry eye among Beam landing light).

70Sport AviationJune 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY TYSON RININGER


Enjoy the
Oshkosh night air
show twice this year: On
Wednesday, July 31, and
Saturday, August 3.
This modern lighting is really a marvel, Matt said. It
doesnt have nearly the amperage draw of the original lights,
so we can set up a really impressive display. And the design of
the lighting display is an interesting throwback to early air
show airplanes, such as Harold Kriers. Harold had starburst
paint schemes on the top of his air show aircraft (first a
clipped-wing Cub, then a Great Lakes Special, and finally a de
Havilland Chipmunk) and checkerboard patterns on the bot-
tom. That was so the crowd could more easily see when the
airplane was inverted.
Matts Beech 18 has all the glowing lights on the top and the
sparkling lights on the bottom for the same reason. Its also a
safety decision. The top glows and the bottom twinkles, he
said. So Im not distracted by whats going on underneath.
Matt has been doing night shows in the Beech since 2008,
and said that around 70 percent of the performances he books
now have a night show attached. He typically does more than
20 shows a year. Unlike most air show aircraft, the Beech 18 has
relatively limited visibility from the cockpit, leading Matt to fly
an especially conservative routine at night.
It can be a challenge to maintain situational awareness, he
said, and I use the instruments inside the cockpit a lot more.
Especially the artificial horizon and the directional gyro for pick-
ing up my heading when I roll out. And, of course, the altimeter.
When the horizon goes away at night, I use whatever cues I can
from the ground, too. Street lights or even a line of passing cars
can substitute for the horizon when you plan ahead.
Matts Beech 18 is essentially the same as it came from the
factory, with the exception of some modifications primarily
72Sport AviationJune 2013
intended to lighten the airframe. All the
insulation has been removed, he said, and
the generators have been replaced with
alternators, which are not only lighter, but
produce more electricity. He is especially
kind to his engines: There are no abrupt
throttle inputs, and all the power changes
are performed as smoothly as possible.
The Pratt & Whitney R-985 radial is the
most reliable and best engineered engine
in historyas long as you treat it like its
not, he said.
I run at just under takeoff power for
the whole show routine, he said, so I
have to watch boost and cylinder head
temperatures. With the ram air scoops, you
can increase manifold pressure by 3 inches
when you accelerate from 80 to 180 mph in
a diveand then lose that much on the
uphill side. His engines are bone stock,
and he said he keeps his maneuvers posi-
tive, being careful not to overstress the
70-plus-year-old airframe.
The night routine in the Beech 18 lasts
about 10 minutes from takeoff to finish,
with about six minutes of performing
involved. Its choreographed to coordinate
with a soundtrack, and the light show is a
big part of the package. Matt said, Dad
always told me, Take off. Do what youre
good atonce. And then land. His late
father was the legendary Bobby Younkin,
one of the air show industrys best-known
names. And Matt takes his dads simple
advice to heart.
As with all the other performers at night
air shows, Matt is particularly careful about
ground operations. Since the Beech 18 is a
big taildragger with limited visibility from
the cockpit, theres a lot of extra planning
on the taxi route, positioning for takeoff,
and the recovery.
So when youre relaxing on your blan-
ket, looking up at the stars at AirVenture
this year, think of all the planning and prep-
aration that has gone into the AirVenture
night air show. The performers love flying
their routines, and they all hope you will
enjoy their demonstration as much as they
plan to enjoy flying it. EAA
Mark Phelps, EAA 139610, is an aviation writer living
in New Jersey. He is the former editor of EAAs Vintage
Airplane magazine and the owner-pilot of a 1954
Beechcraft Bonanza.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK
74Sport AviationJune 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSH BANKS
STABILIZED
APPROACHES
CAN IMPROVE SAFETY
Learning to avoid loss of control in the airport environment
BY J. MAC MCCLELLAN
EAA IS PART of an FAA-sponsored group study-
ing general aviation safety, searching for ways
to improve the record. What jumps out of the
safety data almost immediately is that loss
of control is the leading cause of fatal and seri-
ous injury accidents in general aviation. And
most loss of control accidents happen in the
airport environment.
These facts should surprise nobody. The sit-
uation hasnt really changed in years. And that is
the frustration for all of us who care about our
own flying safety, and the well-being of our fel-
low pilots and passengers.
Nobody knows how many loss of control
accidents happen during approach and landing
each year because only crashes that cause injury
or serious damage are counted in the NTSB
records. Hundreds of accidents are serious
enough to be counted, but many hundreds more
loss of control wrecks on landing bend airplanes
and hurt pilots pride but dont make it into the
accident totals. The one common feature of
www.eaa.org75
each of these accidents is that the pilot lost control before the
airplane was brought to a safe stop.
Loss of control on or near the runway leads to ground loops,
excursions into the weeds, an overrun, or even a nose-over. But
those events usually dont cause serious injury. If a pilot stays on
the ground once he is there, the eventual slide to a stop may not
be pretty, but usually only the airplane suffers. If a pilot tries to
correct a loss of control after touchdown with a late go-around
attempt, the situation becomes very critical, because the airplane
hits whatever is ahead while accelerating instead of slowing
down. Late go-arounds trying to save a botched landing are a rec-
ipe for disaster.
But the loss of control that causes the greatest bodily harm
occurs most often in the traffic pattern. In a typical fatal accident
near the airport, the pilot loses control with enough altitude to
hit the ground really hard, but not enough altitude to recover
control. That is the accident scenario the loss of control working
group is most concerned with, and the type of accident that must
be prevented to make meaningful progress in the general aviation
safety record.
When you want to improve, it makes sense to examine others
who are doing better. My parents used to call that keeping up
with the Joneses. If somebody is healthier, wealthier, and hap-
pier than you are, it makes sense to see what they are doing
differently and try to learn from their success.
When it comes to improving general aviation safety we have
the Joneses to study, namely the airlines and business jets. Loss
of control by an airline or business jet crew is so incredibly rare
that we talk about accidents like the one in Buffalo years after
they occurred, even though millions of successful flights have
happened since. Meanwhile, a week, and
often even a day, doesnt go by without a
loss of control accident in general aviation.
What are the jet guys doing right, and
what can we learn from them?
THE STABILIZED APPROACH
There are, of course, many differences
between how jets and typical general avia-
tion airplanes operate. Pilot training and
experience levels are very different on
average. The jets use longer runways, and
the jets themselves are certified to more
stringent performance and reliability stan-
dards. But operationally there is one major
difference in the way jet pilots fly versus
most general aviation pilots, and that is the
stabilized approach.
The concept of the stabilized approach
is a product of the jet age. To fly slowly
enough to use runways of practical length,
jets have very large flaps, and typically
have some type of extending leading edge
devices. The wing flaps and leading edge
devices change the camber of the wing,
allowing it to produce more lift at a lower
airspeed. The Fowler flaps on jets extend
aft as well as down to increase effective
wing area, thus lowering stall speed.
All of the devices that unfold from a jet
wing are great at increasing low-speed lift,
but they do that at the price of high drag.
That means a typical jet needs a lot of
power on landing approach even though it
is descending. If a jet pilot allows the air-
plane to fly too slowly, or for a too-high
sink rate to develop, a great deal more
power will be needed to arrest the descent.
But turbine engines can take several sec-
onds to spool up and increase thrust, so
the jet pilot who starts sinking too rapidly
on approach may not have enough altitude
to halt the descent.
The classic unstabilized approach acci-
dent many of us remember involved New
York Yankees star catcher Thurman
Munson. Thurman had moved up from a
propeller twin to a Cessna Citation, and
while on approach at Akron, Ohio, in good
weather, he allowed a high sink rate to
develop. By the time he added enough
power it was too late, and the airplane hit
well short of the runway, killing Munson,
though a person in the right seat survived.
So what exactly is a stabilized
approach? There are at least five major
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSH BANKS
elements that define a stabilized approach:
ConfigurationThe airplane is config-
ured for landing with flaps and landing
gear extended, is in trim, and engine
power is stable.
HeadingYou are tracking the
extended centerline to the runway. Only
minor heading changes necessary to cor-
rect for wind or turbulence to maintain
alignment can be made. Bank angle is typi-
cally restricted to 15 degrees or less.
GlidepathYou are tracking the glide-
path, typically 3 degrees, to the touchdown
zone on the runway.
Sink rateYour descent rate is con-
stant and no greater than needed to
remain on the centerline of the glidepath.
AirspeedYour indicated airspeed is at
or no more than 10 knots faster than the
calculated VREF (landing reference speed)
for your aircraft weight. VREF is one of a
few airplane performance targets that
have a zero tolerance below. Allow the air-
speed to slip below VREF on approach and
you will bust a checkride.
In a typical fatal accident near
the airport, the pilot loses
control with enough altitude
to hit the ground really hard,
but not enough altitude to
recover control.
Because hitting the ground is the
threat on any landing approach, the point
at which an approach must be stabilized
is usually established as height above the
runway rather than distance from the
runway. Actual operating procedures
may vary, but typically a jet crew should
be stabilized on the landing approach
at 1,000 feet above terrain or when
crossing the final approach fix, which-
ever is higher.
The final approach fix on a typical ILS
is around 5 miles from the runway. A stan-
dard 3-degree glidepath will intersect
1,000 feet AGL about 3 miles from the run-
way. That means jet pilots work to
maintain stable airspeed, heading, and
descent rates for several miles on every
approach to landing. And the safety record
clearly shows that stabilized approaches
really do work.
STABILIZED APPROACHES FOR PISTON PILOTS
What makes sense when approaching in a
large jet doesnt necessarily transfer
directly to flying general aviation airplanes
safely. If you have ever been stuck behind
a pilot flying a 4- or 5-mile stabilized
approach at VREF airspeed in a Skyhawk,
you wonder if you are going to fall out of
the sky before you ever get to the runway.
Yes, I know pilots training to fly the heavy
stuff need to learn, but miles-long stabi-
lized approaches in piston singles just
arent necessary and dont add to safety.
So what elements of a stabilized
approach make sense for piston airplanes?
How can we learn from the jet guys with-
out turning the traffic pattern into a giant
parade of slow-flying singles?
I think the first change piston pilots
can make is to redefine the altitude floor
where you need to be stabilized. Piston
airplanes dont weigh all that much, so
the threat of a high sink rate developing
that cant be arrested is minimal. And a
piston engine responds almost instantly
to throttle movement, so any excess sink
that does develop can be halted with
power application.
There is no universal agreement on
this, of course, but I believe that if a piston
pilot is stabilized on approach at 300 feet
AGL the risks have been minimized.
Obviously, that level may even be too high
approaching some runways that have
obstructions, or when keeping the pattern
in close.
Instead of insisting on meeting all of
the stabilized approach criteria in a pis-
ton airplane, I think it is useful to focus
on what is most important and not be
unstable in more than a couple parame-
ters at once.
VREFThe standard calculation for
VREF is to multiply stalling speed for your
weight and configuration by 1.3. That
gives you a 30 percent margin above stall.
That may sound like a big margin, but it
really isnt. For example, many piston
singles with landing flaps extended
stall around 50 knots, and that makes VREF
65 knots. That gives you a 15-knot margin
to account for wind and turbulence, or
even to give you time to recover if you
become distracted and allow the airspeed
to decay.
Remember, stall speed increases with
any bank angle, so be sure to account for
expected maneuvering when calculating
the proper VREF airspeed. Any reasonably
modern POH contains stall speed data for
aircraft weight and bank angle. In most
piston singles the difference in stalling
speed in a 20-degree bank, for example,
is small compared to wings-level stall
speed, but precision matters when you
want to fly with a safety margin, but
not so fast that you cant get down
and stopped.
ConfigurationWhen I learned to fly
many years ago the sage advice was to
always be in position in the traffic pattern
to reach the runway if the engine quit.
That made some sense in the Cessna 140 I
was flying because it was hard to get that
lightly loaded airplane to come down at all
with power above idle. The 140 has flaps,
but they are not very effective, but many of
the classic light airplanes such as Cubs,
Champs, and T-Crafts dont have flaps at
all. Slipping is about the only way to bleed
off extra altitude and airspeed. In those
airplanes VREF is important to maintain a
margin above stall, but also as a maximum
speed target for flying too fast to maintain
the desired glidepath.
In more modern airplanes with effec-
tive flaps it makes sense to many pilots to
not extend full landing flaps until on
short final committed to land. The nor-
mal procedure in most piston twins on
approach is to hold landing flaps until
committed to land in case one engine
quits, or you have to make a go-around
and one engine quits. In either case
changing configuration close to the run-
way violates the stabilized jet approach
procedure but still makes sense. In some
piston singlesparticularly several
Cessna modelsthe flaps are so big and
so effective the climb rate during a go-
around with full flaps is minimal, even
negative at higher landing weights and
high density altitudes.
But you need to remember that VREF
applies to your configuration. If you
approach without full flaps, you need to
know the stalling speed with flaps as
selected and fly the appropriate VREF.
www.eaa.org77
Then, when you extend landing flaps, slow to the new VREF for
that configuration.
Runway alignmentTurning onto a short final in a piston
airplane is unstable by definition, but not necessarily unsafe.
Keeping your pattern fairly tight makes it easier for other pilots
to keep track of you. A continuous arcing turn from downwind to
final can be easier to fly than two 90-degree turns from down-
wind to base, and then base to final. But be sure to level the wings
in a low-wing airplane at least a few times so you can look for
traffic out on the final.
When turning onto a short final other elements of the stabi-
lized approach become more criticalnamely maintaining
appropriate VREF airspeed and avoiding a high sink rate. If the air-
speed is stable on target throughout the turn to final, and the
descent angle is steady, the key elements of the landing approach
are stable even though heading is changing close to the runway.
But, you really want to intercept the runway extended center-
line at least a couple hundred feet above the ground. Being in a
bank any lower invites the possibility of being upset by a wind
gust that could increase bank angle dramatically, and danger-
ously, before you can correct.
Stable glidepathWhile it is ideal to be stabilized on a con-
stant glidepath angle leading to the touchdown zone, even when
turning onto short final, it is not always possible in piston air-
plane flying. At many runways obstructions may force you to fly a
steeper than normal glidepath, or you may need to chop and
drop after clearing the obstruction.
Any maneuvering close to the ground, or change in glidepath
angle, removes some margin and adds at least a little to the risk
of the landing approach. There is no real way to stabilize an
approach when you need to descend rap-
idly after clearing an obstruction near the
threshold, but that simply means airspeed
control is even more important. You need
to maintain a safe airspeed margin above
the stall to clear the obstruction, but cant
afford any extra airspeed or you wont be
able to get down without gaining too
much speed.
So what elements of a stabilized
approach make sense for piston
airplanes? How can we learn from
the jet guys without turning the
trac pattern into a giant parade
of slow-ying singles?
To operate from short or obstructed
runways, we cant fly the classic stabi-
lized approach. Its a tradeoff we make to
get the most utility from our airplanes.
But my advice is to only fly an unstable
glidepath when necessary. I am con-
stantly amazed by how many piston single
pilots try to get the wheels down in the
first 10 feet of a 6,000-foot-long runway. I
know, practice is how you learn to land
short, but for routine operations aim for
the normal touchdown zone, which on
conventional runways is hundreds of feet
from the threshold.
A stabilized approach in a general avia-
tion piston airplane is not going to match the
jet procedures in every way. We have more
maneuverability, less drag and mass, and
more-responsive engines. But we still need
to y with safe airspeed margins, and avoid-
ing a high sink rate no matter how light the
airplane may be is critical. The accident
record shows GA pilots too frequently fail to
y a safe airspeed and make abrupt control
inputs that can lead to a loss of control and
disaster. To prevent those disastrous loss of
control accidents in the airport environ-
ment, we can look to and copy the discipline
of the jet pilots that has helped make their
safety record so enviable.
J. Mac McClellan, EAA 747337, has been a pilot for
more than 40 years, holds an ATP certicate, and owns a
Beechcraft Baron. To contact Mac, e-mail mac@eaa.org.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN STRATHDEE
STICK AND RUDDER
BETTER PILOT
Collision Course
When weight and balance impact performance
By Robert N. Rossier
Pilots have a lot to think about when planning a flight. We need to be
aware of weather, airspace, and traffic. We need to verify the aircraft is
in airworthy condition, and that we too are fit for flight. Once air-
borne, we must constantly assess the environment and our situation,
and make any changes needed to maintain the safety of our flight.
One area where pilots sometimes become complacent is their
weight and balance calculations. What they seem to forget is that
weight and balance not only impacts aircraft performance, but also
has a major affect on aircraft controllability. Even if an aircraft
starts out with its center of gravity (CG) within limits, the situation
can change during flight as fuel is consumed. Any time we exceed
weight and balance limits, we can easily find ourselves on a colli-
sion course with disaster.
In normal conditions of loading, the aircraft CG is forward of the
center of pressure of the wings. A downward force on the tail is
required to maintain aircraft balance, and the wings provide addi-
tional lift to compensate for the downward force. If the wings lose
80Sport AviationJune 2013
lift, or if the tail loses its downward force,
the nose tends to drop, and the aircraft tends
to gain airspeed, which enhances recovery
from an inadvertent stall.
As we increase the weight of the aircraft,
the wings must generate more lift to carry
that weight. That means they operate at a
higher angle of attack, which translates to
increased drag. Therefore, the engine must
deliver more power to maintain the same
airspeed. If extra power is not available, the
aircraft will fly at a slower speed. As aircraft
weight increases, so does stall speed.
Increased weight also means longer takeoff
distances and reduced climb capability, since
it takes more power to accelerate the mass of
the aircraft or lift it to a higher altitude. In
ILLUSTRATION by MICHAEL ANNINO
some cases, an overloaded aircraft wont
even climb out of ground effect.
Such was the case with the pilot of a Piper
Cherokee 140 with three passengers and a full
load of fuel departing from a 3,368-foot run-
way with a slight uphill grade (0.4 percent). At
the time of the accident, the density altitude
was approximately 2,000 feet. According to
the NTSB report, witnesses observed the air-
craft lifting off about two-thirds of the way
down the runway. It climbed to an altitude of
about 40 feet, where it experienced a high
pitch angle and then settled back down to low,
level flight. The aircraft pitched up again, then
appeared to take on a high sink rate. The air-
craft descended behind a tree line and crashed
in a nose-down attitude, killing the pilot and
two passengers. The third passenger was seri-
ously injured.
The investigation determined that the
aircraft was loaded more than 100 pounds
over its maximum gross weight. According
to the pilots operating handbook, the air-
craft would have required 2,200 feet for
takeoff under the conditions of loading and
prevailing temperatures.
An aircrafts weight and balance condition
also affects control performance. As the CG
moves forward, the controls will feel heavier,
and more force is required on the yoke or
stick to make pitch changes. As the CG moves
aft (closer to the center of pressure), the con-
trols will feel lighter, and a very slight force
will readily cause pitch changes. In this situa-
tion, the aircraft is less stable, and the pilot
may have difficulty making proper control
inputs to maintain desired flight path. Even
more disconcerting is that in a stall, the nose
may not naturally drop to aid in recovery. In
fact, with an aft CG, it may not be possible to
recover from a stall or spin.
Such a condition may have contributed
to the crash of a twin-engine Beech 76
Duchess making an intersection departure
from a 5,100-foot runway in Perris,
California. According to the NTSB report,
the aircraft was more than 270 pounds over
gross weight, with 288 pounds of baggage
loaded in the aft cargo compartment, which
had a weight limit of 200 pounds.
Additionally, the aircraft was loaded with
the CG beyond the aft limit. The overloaded
aircraft rotated early, climbed into ground
effect, and subsequently stalled and crashed
in an open field.
As stated in the NTSB report, Airplanes
at or aft of the rear CG limit are very sensi-
tive in pitch control, and may even be at or
near a dynamically unstable flight regime in
terms of pitch handling and dampening
characteristics. Accordingly, the airplane
would have been especially sensitive to the
full nose-up trim tab adjustment.
Additionally, stall speeds increase as gross
weight increases, so, in the takeoff condition,
the airplane would have stalled at a higher
www.eaa.org81
STICK AND RUDDER

airspeed, sooner than the pilot would have As the NTSB report notes, The airplane results in better climb capability and better
normally experienced and expected. was loaded toward its aft center of gravity limit, fuel economy. Just remember that an aft CG
The lone pilot of an amateur-built RV-6 which could have increased its pitch sensitiv- makes the aircraft more difficult to control
may have also fallen victim to control prob- ity, thereby exacerbating the turn. A successful and degrades the ability to recover from an
lems when maneuvering to avoid birds recovery from an unintentional stall-spin at inadvertent stall. Flying an aircraft in turbu-
while in the landing pattern. According to pattern altitude is extremely unlikely. lent conditions with an aft CG can be highly
the NTSB report, the pilot had just com- Yet another effect of changing CG is air- demanding and utterly exhausting.
pleted a four-hour flight and had entered craft performance as measured in climb Pilots should always be aware of the
the landing pattern at West Jordon, Utah. capability and fuel economy. When an air- weight and balance condition of their aircraft,
While no bird-strike evidence was found in craft is loaded with a forward CG, a larger and consider the effects of CG on aircraft per-
the wreckage, local radar data revealed force is required on the tail to balance the formance and controllability. Even when we
multiple small targets in the area at the aircraft in straight and level flight. This stay within the CG limits, control characteris-
time of the crash indicative of migrating means the wings are carrying a higher load, tics of the aircraft will vary with changes in
birds. GPS data from the aircraft suggests and the aircraft will have reduced climb per- the CG. Once we leave the limits of the
the pilot initiated an abrupt turn (deter- formance. Since the wings must operate at a approved operating envelope, we can easily
mined to be a 65-degree left bank) in the higher angle of attack to produce the find ourselves out of control and on a colli-
pattern, which may have led to an acceler- required lift, they also generate greater drag, sion course with disaster. EAA
ated stall and loss of aircraft control. and that translates to reduced fuel economy.
Witnesses saw the aircraft in a spiraling, By contrast, an aft CG means less down- Robert N. Rossier, EAA 472091, has been flying for
nose-down dive. The pilot was killed in the ward force is required on the tail, and the more than 30 years and has worked as a flight instructor,
subsequent crash. wings are required to produce less lift. This commercial pilot, chief pilot, and FAA flight check airman.

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82Sport AviationJune 2013

WHAT WENT WRONG
BETTER PILOT
Bird Problems
for an RV-6A
BY J.
J MAC MCCLELLAN
BIRDS ARE A VERY REAL threat to airplanes of all sizes. If I ever need a
reminder of that, I can walk a few office doors over and chat with
Jeff Skiles about what birds can do to change your ying life. But the
NTSB believes that the mere presence of birds in the traffic pattern
was enough to claim an RV-6A pilot without any actual impact.
The Vans RV-6A that crashed was issued its special amateur-built
airworthiness certicate in 2000. The RV-6 is one of the most popular
models in the incredibly successful Vans lineup of kit airplanes. The
RV-6 is the rst from Vans with side-by-side seating instead of a single
seat or tandem. It was also rst in the lineup to offer a tricycle gear
option. The A indicates the airplane has a nose wheel.
The RV-6 rst ew in 1985 and was a variant of the RV-4. Even
though the cabin is a generous 43 inches wide, the RV-6 cruise speed
is only about 3 mph less than the narrow tandem-seat RV-4 when
both airplanes are equipped with the same power. In 2001 the RV-6
was replaced by the more rened RV-7 in the Vans kit lineup.
The pilot was not the builder. He purchased the RV-6A in 2005.
The pilot had earned his private pilot certicate about a year before
purchasing the RV.
The NTSB reported the pilot had logged a total of 978.6 hours,
but the last log entry was about a year before the accident, so he
almost certainly had more time. The pilot had own the RV about
810 hours in the six years he owned it.
The RV-6A had own 1,052.5 hours when it underwent a condi-
tional inspection about ve months before the crash. The engine was
a four-cylinder Lycoming that had been stripped of its data plate and
was operating in the experimental category. A serial number on the
84Sport AviationJune 2013
crankcase revealed that it had left the
Lycoming factory in 1976 as an O-320-E2D,
the same model engine that powered the
Cessna 172 Skyhawk in the early to mid-
1970s. In the Cessna the engine was rated at
150 hp, but in the RV the carburetor had
been replaced with an Ellison throttle body
injector, so power output may have been
higher. It also had an electronic ignition sys-
tem in place of one of the magnetos.
There was nothing in the records of the
conditional inspection to indicate that the
RV had any outstanding mechanical or air-
worthiness problems. There were, however,
two issues the NTSB noted. One is a series of
gray markings in the paint on the left side of
the fuselage aft of the wing that can be seen
in a photo of the airplane taken prior to the
accident. It turns out the pilot would often
tie his dog leash to the wing step while he
preighted and loaded the airplane. One
time he forgot the leash and took off, and the
apping leash damaged the paint but not the
metal structure.
The other maintenance issue the NTSB
examined was a crack in the sliding canopy.
The crack was about 30 inches long and
WHAT WENT WRONG
directly over the pilots head. Investigators
discovered that the crack had been laced
with safety wire about four years before the
accident. To lace a crack a series of holes
are drilled along each side of the crack and
ne safety wire is pulled through the holes
much as one would lace up a football. The
procedure is FAA approved for temporary
repair of minor windshield cracks in unpres-
surized airplanes.
The mechanic who had performed the
conditional inspection told the NTSB the RV
owner had bonded over the crack with
acrylic and that the mechanic monitored the
crack at each inspection, and there was no
deterioration or increase in its length.
The daylight VFR ight originated at
Fort Huachuca/Sierra Vista in southern
Arizona with a destination of South Valley
Regional Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The pilot had a Garmin GPSMap 496 hand-
held GPS navigator in the cockpit, and
investigators were able to re-create the
entire ight using data extracted from the
496 memory chip.
Over the nearly four-hour flight the
pilot cruised at 8,700 feet with a ground-
speed of around 158 knots for the first part
of the trip before climbing to 12,750 feet in
the Grand Canyon region. At the higher
altitude groundspeed dropped to around
145 knots. Altitudes are, of course, GPS,
not barometric.
The pilot was in contact with controllers
and received VFR ight following advisories
throughout the ight, including a clearance
to descend through the Salt Lake Class B
airspace. At all times the ight was unre-
markable, and nearing the destination of
South Valley airport the Salt Lake control-
lers cleared the pilot to switch to the South
Valley UNICOM frequency.
There was a recording of the South
Valley UNICOM frequency, and the RV pilot
was heard reporting that he was on the
downwind entry for Runway 16. The recov-
ered GPS data showed the RV was ying at a
groundspeed of 106 knots at an altitude
1,000 feet above the terrain, all perfectly
normal for a downwind entry.
Twenty-six seconds after announcing
entry into the downwind, there was an
indiscernible distress transmission made on
the UNICOM frequency. At about that time
witnesses observed the RV in a spiral,
86Sport AviationJune 2013
nose-down dive, at an altitude estimated to
be between 300 and 500 feet AGL. Some
witnesses reported observing the airplane
transition from a spiral descent into a spin
before disappearing from view.
The recovered GPS data showed that at
about the time of the distress call the RVs
groundspeed slowed from 106 to 95 knots
and the airplane made a 15-degree left turn.
Over the next nine seconds the RV had
completed a 360-degree turn and
descended to 180 feet AGL, and ground-
speed had dropped to 52 knots. The
wreckage was located about 150 feet from
that last recorded GPS position.
The RV crashed on the concrete side-
walk about 5 feet from the main entrance to
a school. The airplane was upright, and
intact, though there was very extensive
crushing and fragmentation from the re-
wall to the aft cabin. There were not marks
on nearby trees, lamp posts, or the school
building, indicating the descent path had
been nearly vertical. The pilot was killed by
impact forces.
What could have caused an experi-
enced pilot to lose control so totally under
benign weather conditions while flying
downwind at an appropriate speed and
altitude? One theory pursued by the NTSB
was that the canopy may have failed.
Certainly a door or canopy opening or
departing in flight has startled more than a
few pilots to the point of losing control.
But nothing in the wreckage indicated the
canopy may have come open or failed. In
fact, the evidence all pointed to the canopy
frame being in the closed position at
impact. And there were no marks on the
tail that would have been expected if the
canopy had failed in flight, and the over-
head sun shade was found in the cabin.
But the NTSB hit upon another possibil-
itybirds. The person responsible for bird
mitigation at the nearby main Salt Lake City
International Airport told the NTSB that
turkey vultures, which can have a wingspan
up to 6 feet, often soar in the thermals at
about traffic pattern altitude. He said other
raptor-type birds also circle in the thermals,
and white pelicans and California gulls are
also frequently ying near the airport.
NTSB investigators studied the Salt Lake
primary radar returns at the time of the acci-
dent and found that no other aircraft was
near the accident airplane, but there were a
number of targets that were most likely
birds, or ocks of birds, ying in the area of
the crash.
By studying the GPS data, investigators
determined that the RV-6A would have been
banked about 65 degrees to achieve the 500-
foot turn radius recorded while ying at 106
knots. The calculated bank angle remained
relatively constant as the turn progressed,
and the groundspeed decreased to 75 knots
with a corresponding turn radius of 300 feet.
The GPS data indicates the RV pilot was
banking and pulling to maintain altitude as
he most likely tried to avoid the large birds
around him.
Another factor was the location of the
CG. Investigators weighed the contents of
the airplaneincluding a 5- to 10-pound dog
in a carrier on the right seatand deter-
mined the CG was about an inch ahead of
the aft limit.
An aft CG reduces elevator stick force,
so it would have been easier for the pilot
to load up the airplane in the turn. An aft
CG reduces pitch stability and may alter
behavior at the stall. An accelerated stall
would have been possible, even likely,
during the steeply banked turn. And
thats what the NTSB determined caused
the pilot to lose control. The pilots exe-
cution of an abrupt maneuver, likely to
avoid birds, which resulted in a stall and
spin is the official NTSB probable cause
of the accident.
RV airplanes are responsive and have
relatively light control forces. Pilots love
their maneuverability, but in this case the
reexive bank and yank to avoid huge birds
apparently sent the RV into a stall without
enough altitude or time to recover. The
NTSB does not report on the fate of the dog
riding in the right seat.
This article is based solely on the official nal
NTSB report of the accident and is intended to
bring readers attention to the issues raised in
the report. It is not intended to judge or reach
any denitive conclusions about the ability or
capacity of any person, living or dead, or any
aircraft or accessory.
J. Mac McClellan, EAA 747337, has been a pilot for
more than 40 years, holds an ATP certicate, and owns a
Beechcraft Baron. To contact Mac, e-mail mac@eaa.org.
ILL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN
BETTER PILOT
Accidental First Flight
High-speed taxi test leads to ying
BY CARL ORTON, EAA 775383
IF YOUVE BUILT AN AIRCRAFT, you know the joy of obtaining the air-
worthiness certicate as your reward for years of diligence and hard
work. With that joy comes the ip side of the coinrst ight and the
uncertainty that surrounds it.
So, we prepare.
When I made the decision to build a Sonex, I chose the conven-
tional tailwheel conguration, even though I had never before own
a tailwheel aircraft. My main reason for going with an unfamiliar
conguration was that, without a footstep, the Sonex is a bit awk-
ward to enter if built in the tricycle conguration. That, plus Sonex
designer John Monnett chided us that hed never seen a bird with a
nose wheel! I guess I gured that if Im going to invest dollars, blood,
sweat, and tears in this project, Id better ensure that the cool fac-
tor was a part of it.
Always in the back of my mind, I knew that Id have to make some
adjustments in preparation for the rst ight. While Ive own several
different types of general aviation aircraft, the majority of my hours
were in Cessna 150/152s and 172s. Other builders commented that the
Sonex is about the easiest tailwheel airplane to land, so that provided
some comfort. Still, I had zero hours in a Sonex. Zero. Not even a famil-
iarization ight with another builder, since my weight would have
resulted in an over-gross condition. Once again, others pointed out that
88Sport AviationJune 2013
the rst builders had no existing aircraft to try
out, and if they could do it, I could, too.
I delayed my tailwheel training until just a
few months prior to my expected rst ight.
Training went smoothly, and I soon had a
new endorsement in my logbook. Still, due to
insurance regulations at the FBO where I got
my training, I had never made a solo ight in
a tailwheel airplane.
I thought I had all the bases covered: I used
EAA technical counselors to assist with my
build, but used my neighbor/CFI as a ight
advisor since he is very good at scenario-based
training and we have a good rapport. I was
aware that the Sonex (and other aircraft) with
pushrod aileron and elevator controls might be
sensitive to someone used to slack-cabled
older GA planes, so I knew I didnt want to
over-control. I was able to obtain some stick
time in an RV-12 that also used pushrods for
control, as well as having a traditional stick as
opposed to a yoke, so I felt I was ready.
ILLUSTRATION BY MATT BELLISLE
 Following receipt of my airworthiness
certicate, I set about preparing the Sonex
for ight. That included reinstalling the seat
pan, upholstery, cowl, and all inspection cov-
ers. I also used this time to calibrate my fuel
level sensor, since I had only lled the tank
enough for initial engine runs and fuel ow
testing, not taking the time to ll it one gal-
lon at a time.
When my CFI was sitting in the plane
checking things out, he expressed some con-
cern that the rudder might have some
unusual-to-me sensitivity. He suggested that
as part of my taxi test, I do a high-speed run.
Now, I dont want to open a can of
worms, but the pros and cons of high-speed
taxiing have been debated for years. I had
tried a high-speed taxi in my C-172 after a
maintenance action, and it almost got out of
hand. So I responded unable to my CFI.
Still, he suggested at least a medium-speed
run, somewhere around 30 mph, just to get
the tail wheel off the ground and test its
efficacy. After all, it would be better to know
it while on the ground than during initial
climb-out, right?
Later that week, I decided to try it out. I
was aloneno support staff or other distrac-
tions. I went to the airport in the evening
when traffic was not a factor. After calling
the tower and discussing what I wanted to
do, I assumed Id just stay on the taxiways,
since there are two paralleling the runway.
The tower responded with, No, wed prefer
if you did this on the runway. Okay, I
thought; that will probably be better anyway,
since its 6,000 feet by 100 feet. Lots of room
in which to play.
As I taxied for the rst time other than
just near my hangar, I noticed how loud the
aft fuselage is. For those unfamiliar with the
Sonex, the stock tail wheel is 4 inches of
hard rubber, such that any and all vibrations
resonate into the aft fuselage. Not unpleas-
ant, but no mistake about whats going on
back there, either.
When I was cleared to take the runway, I
slowly advanced the throttle. It didnt take
much. The stock push-pull throttle (same
type as in a C-172) doesnt have much travel
about 2 inches full stroke. In a few seconds, I
was getting close to 30 mph, so I slowly
pushed the stick forward. The tail came up
and it got really quiet. Wow, what a differ-
ence, I thought. I then glanced out the side of
the canopy, and realized I was about 8 feet up
in the air!
Naturally, I pulled the throttle back, and
the airplane dropped like a rock, so I pushed
the throttle back in. And climbed again. The
cycle went on two or three times until I
nally found an rpm that resulted in a some-
what acceptable descent rate (kind of hard to
gure out when only a few feet off the ground
and you have zero experience with the sight
picture). After a safe but ungraceful landing
and rollout, I made the turnoff to return to
my hangar. As I was taxiing, I hit the push-to-
talk and just casually mentioned, That was
www.eaa.org89
 ILL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN
BETTER PILOT

interesting, to which the tower responded, Sure looked like it

from up here!
Throttle-Body As a side note, I should also mention that the runway at my
For 30-125hp
4-Stroke
usual airport of choice is 3,500 feet by 40 feet. No hangars were
Engines available, so I had to nd a different location. My family also
encouraged me to not have my rst ight at the smaller eld, as
the extended runway centerline had trees off both ends. In retro-
spect, having the larger eld with a much greater width probably
helped save my Sonex (and me!) from physical damage.
Included in AeroVee Price!
The lesson I hope to share is to always assume ight will
occur, even if thats not in the plan. I thought I had everything
covered, but hadnt considered the unknowns. I was securely
a product Line of Sonex Aircraft, LLC
strapped in with the harness, had the canopy closed and locked,
or call: 920.231.8297 and had the basic plan thought out. I knew the plane was differ-
ent from prior types Id own, but had not considered all of its
unique qualities. Nor did I realize how low to the ground I sat,
creating a very different sight picture.
Instead of pulling back on the throttle once the tail came up, I
was so mesmerized by the reduction in noise from the tail wheel
that I left it at full power. The Sonex was slippery, and once iner-
tia was overcome, it only took a second or two to go from 30 mph
to the mid-40s, enough for ight. I hadnt planned for a descent
power setting, since I hadnt planned on ight.
The AeroVee engine has a higher rpm setting than most
Lycomings and Continentals; maximum rpm is 3400, and typical
cruise is 3200 rpm. Coupled with a short throttle travel, slight
movements result in large rpm changesagain, not a bad thing if
youve done it before, but I had not realized just how signicant
that would be when trying to smooth out a landing.
Additionally, I had not considered the sight picture. The Sonex
sits quite low when compared with certicated GA airplanes. I
dont care how many hours one sits in the garage making airplane
noises; until youre on the runway and in motion, its a whole
nother picture. My limited taxiing around the hangar could not
have presented the same image, but I didnt realize it at the time.
Complicating this issue is that as a brand-new engine, the best
thing is to get ying under full power and cooling to ensure ade-
quate break-in. Sitting or taxiing for hours is not benecial.
When I called my two sons (one a regional jet pilot, the other
with ATC) to tell them what happened, both agreed that since my
ight was probably longer in both distance and duration than the
Wright brothers, I should call it my rst ight. Nah, I needed
more than that.
A few days later, I made the rst official ight, my rst ight
in a Sonex, and I was grinning the whole time. The Sonex is a joy
to y and really is a very easy tailwheel airplane to land. That
ight went surprisingly well, all things considered. I learned
many valuable lessons, and most importantly, some good Sonex
lessons, by my ill-fated taxi attempt.
Transition training in a Sonex would have been a benet, but I
did the next best thing, obtaining currency in an RV-12 that had
similar control characteristics and a stick instead of a yoke. Still,
not thinking about power settings and the sight picture created
challenges. Fortunately, those issues remained fresh in my mind
and were not a factor for the official ight.

90Sport AviationJune 2013

H
ANDS ON
WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE BUILDING/RESTORING
Homage to a Local Hero
Croatians create rst-in-ight replica
BY ANTON (TONY) CVJETKOVIC, EAA 15226, WITH HARRY A. SCOTT, EAA 3772
IN 2008, A GROUP OF AVIATION enthusiasts in Croatia were determined
to build a replica of the countrys rst airplane and y it on the 100th
anniversary of the aircrafts rst ight. Croatian inventor Eduard
Slavoljub Penkala (1871-1922) designed and built the rst airplane to
y in that countrytaking off for the rst time on June 22, 1910.
Penkalas fascination with the Wright brothers and other aviation pio-
neers motivated him. A prolic engineer and innovator, Penkala is
credited with more than 80 inventions, including the mechanical pen-
cil, hot water bottle, dynamometer, nanometer, and more.
Cedo Curcic, a veteran of sport aviation in Croatia, initiated the
program, and the late Goran Ilic was project coordinator. I was
asked to design and engineer a Penkala replica for the centennial.
The intention was to y it then and continue ying it for years to
come to commemorate the achievement.
I was proud to be involved since I was born, raised, and educated
in Croatia and have always felt a passion for aviation and homebuilt
aircraft. In 1951, I designed, built, and ew the CA-51, a single-place,
low-wing aircraft with a wood airframe with a Volkswagen engine.
After immigrating to the United States, I built and ew a stronger
version, the CA-61, with a Continental engine, which was featured in
and on the cover of the November 1965 issue of Mechanix Illustrated.
Later, I designed, built, and ew the CA-65, a two-place, side-by-
side, low-wing aircraft with retractable landing gear, a wood
92Sport AviationJune 2013
airframe, and a Lycoming O-290 engine. The
CA-65 was followed by a metal version.
Besides my commitment to homebuilts, I
was privileged to work with many of the top
aviation companies in the country. My engi-
neering day jobs started in 1957 at Cessna,
then at Stanley Aviation working on the
encapsulated ejection seat for the B-58.
From there, I moved to Solar Aircraft, where
I worked on the Minuteman rocket motor
casing. At General Dynamics, I worked on
the XB-70A ducting and high energy rate
formatting. Rohr had me developing C-141
components, and at North American
Aviation I worked on the Apollo. Northrop
Ventura had me exploring a jet-propelled
drone, and nally, at North American
Aircraft Operations I served as a supervisor
in stress analysis on the B-1B. I also sup-
ported the space shuttle at the companys
space division.
Re-creating Penkalas original airplane
was a challenge. Neither the original
PHOTOGRAPHY BY VESNA CVJETKOVIC
airplane nor his drawings survived.
[Unfortunately, the pilot crashed the air-
plane a few months after its rst ight, and
Penkala lost interest in aviation.Eds.]
Available information came only from a few
photographs and Penkalas application at the
Budapest Patent Office in Hungary. From
these sources, we established the wingspan,
chord, and area, as well as fuselage length
and height, propeller diameter, and the posi-
tions for the engine and pilot.
The design features a low central panel
with eight wood struts braced by 20 steel
cables and the fuselage lower longerons,
which supports the pilot, engine, and land-
ing gear. From the central panel outer edges,
fabric strakes extended aft to the horizontal
tail roots. Penkala envisioned this as a lifting
surface. However, during ight, it is set at
zero degree angle of attack and has no cam-
ber, an extreme taper ratio, and a low aspect
ratio, so it does not contribute lift.
The original propeller location was at the
leading edge of the wing and central panel
with the engine and pilot behind. This pro-
duced a CG at 70 percent of the wing chord,
which is extremely tail-heavy and grossly
unstable. For safety, we departed from the
exact design of the original and moved the
pilot and engine forward to obtain a CG of
30 percent of the wing chord. This produced
a stable and yable airplane.
The Penkala wing had a thin cambered
airfoil section, typical of the period as seen
on the Wright and Blriot aircraft. These
airfoil sections had a maximum lift coeffi-
cient of 1.0. For the CA-10 Penkala replica, I
switched to a NASA CR153937 airfoil section
with a maximum lift coefficient of 2.0. This
airfoil section was developed in 1970 by the
University of Illinois in Chicago for its low
Reynolds number, optimizing it for low-
speed ight.
Empty weight is 963 pounds and maxi-
mum gross weight is 1,177 pounds, allowing
198 pounds for the pilot and 16 pounds for
fuel (10 liters, or 2.6 gallons). This produces
a stall speed of 36 mph. The propeller is
designed for a maximum speed of 55 mph.
Our Penkala replica has a drag coeffi-
cient of 0.31. To obtain the desired
maximum speed we selected a modern
80-hp Rotax engine. Its weight approxi-
mates Penkalas engine, and it provides a
positive margin of safety.
Sitka spruce is used to make the spars, Although not a pure replica, the CA-10 is
leading edge struts, ribs, and fuselage frame representative of the original, safe, and reli-
members. The front spar is a box type with a able. Its able to perform ights for aviation
birch plywood web. Rib gussets and the enthusiasts and fans, and is a point of
lower central panel are also of birch ply- national pride.
wood, and the rear spar is a simple beam.
Every third rib has a full web to resist tor- Visit www.SportAviation.org for a link to
sion. The wing, strake, and empennage are more information.
covered with cotton fabric.
The metal parts are made from 4130
chromoly steel. The wheels come from a
moped and include brakes. The replica has
conventional cable-activated ight control
surfaces with a steerable tail wheel.
As the anniversary of the first flight
approached, we checked the airframe and
flight control rigging. We also tested the
landing gear tracking and the brakes,
along with ground-testing the engine and
fuel system. The Penkala replica was
ready on time for its anniversary flight. To
my apprehension, the first flight was
made from the grass strip of the Zagreb
airport in front of a crowd of more than
20,000 people and media. It consisted of a
takeoff, straight flight, and landing. Many
subsequent flights have been made with
good success. Eduard Slavoljub Penkala
Tony Cvjetkovic, project initiator and administrator Cedo Curcic, and airframe builder Marijan Ivancek.
AIRCRAFT SUBMISSIONS
SHARE YOUR CRAFTSMANSHIP WITH EAA SPORT AVIATION READERS WORLDWIDE! Send us a photo and description of
your project and well consider using it in What Our Members Are Building/Restoring. Please include your name,
address, and EAA number. We reserve the right to edit descriptions. For guidelines on how to get the best photo of
aircraft, visit www.SportAviation.org.
MAIL: EAA Publications, Aircraft Projects, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
E-MAIL: editorial@eaa.org
www.eaa.org93
H
ANDS ON
WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE BUILDING/RESTORING

ARKANSAS LUSCOMBE 8A
THE LUSCOMBE is a 1940 8A that was
found in a garage in Wisconsin more
than three decades ago. The aircraft has
been in some state of restoration since
1982. I brought it home to Arkansas in
the winter of 2010 and started work
again. With the help of my father and
a good friend, the restoration was
completed in June 2012. The first
flight went very well, without prob-
lems. It is a fun airplane to fly and
cheap to operate.
Bill Hooten, EAA 485194; Greenbrier, Arkansas
E-mail: hootens@me.com

WASHINGTON
PULSAR III
THIS IS A 1998 KIT that I purchased in 2010. It is a
Pulsar III powered by an 85-hp Jabiru 2200 direct-
drive engine. It has a solid-state ignition by Light
Speed Engineering, a smoke system, Dynon
SkyView glass avionics, a T2000 transponder,
Microair communications radio, an ELT, a wing-
leveler autopilot, and electric trim on the elevators
and ailerons. Empty weight is 665 pounds with a
max gross of 1,320, qualifying for light-sport status.
Construction of the Pulsar is berglass and hon-
eycomb core with hard points for the engine
mount, wing, and tail attach points. My paint was
applied by local airbrush artist Matt Reich. More
than 2,300 hours went into construction, and its
inspection was March 15, 2012. A special thanks to
Darrin Jackson of Jackson Flight Center in Moses
Lake, Washington; Steve Dentz, Gary Weaver, and
Dick Orvid for their expertise; and all of the ven-
dorsespecially the folks at Dynon and Jabiru for
their help on installation and conguration. The
Pulsar is very stable and a joy to y.

Larry Wheat, EAA 794003; Moses Lake, Washington

E-mail: lwheat2083@gmail.com

94Sport AviationJune 2013

NORTH CAROLINA SONEX
MY FIRST PROJECT, N635LL, made its maiden flight at the Siler
City, North Carolina, airport on December 5, 2012, with my
mentor/hangar mate, Wayne Andrews, at the controls. I
soloed a J-3 Cub in 1957. Then life got in the way of my fly-
ing, and now, at age 77 and a half, I am working on my sport
pilot certificate.
I started building the kit even before my rst ride in a Sonex.
Its powered by a Jabiru 2200 engine and has dual controls. The
paint is Krylon Sun Yellow from a rattle can! I received great
help from my R/C buddies, especially Chris Bobo and Wayne
Andrews. Great kit, plans, and support from Sonex!

Larry Long, EAA 322773; Candor, North Carolina

E-mail: larrylong@embarqmail.com

NEVADA BERKEZ
I BOUGHT MY BERKEZ with Infinity retractable gear and
started a three-year upgrade since many components
were no longer state of the art. I added a Dynon SkyView
panel, a new transponder, an MT constant-speed prop,
and a supercharger for the engine. Due to the added
weight at the rear, we extended the nose 20 inches and
relocated the battery and hydraulic pump up front to
keep the CG in limits. We also modified the winglets, but
the work is not done.
I am a retired airline pilot with 17,000 hours on
MD-80s, MD-11s, and Airbus A320s, but since I have no
experience with canard aircraft, I am looking for some-
one who has good knowledge to help complete the
airplane. I do fly the Robin DR400, but have no flight
hours with canards. If there is anyone available in the
Las Vegas area, I would be happy to hear from you, since
the plane is located there. Thank you very much indeed
for your help.

Peter Fischer, EAA 1021424; Bachenblach, Switzerland

E-mail: peter.scher@vtxmail.ch

NEBRASKA WAIEX
and flying partner Mike Tabler
MY BUILDING
and I started our Waiex on October 1, 2012,
and completed it 10 months later after 1,350
hours of work. Since we are both retired pilots
from the 55th Wing, 343rd Squadron, the air-
craft is painted in the colors used on P-51
Mustangs flown by the squadron in World
War II. Our Waiex flies great and is powered
by the AeroVee engine. Sonex has been great
in working out any hiccups we have had along
the way.

Dick Harriman, EAA 236895; Papillion, Nebraska

E-mail: planenut8@gmail.com

www.eaa.org95
HANDS ON
INNOVATION ON THE FLY
Technology Meets Real World
Trying to keep the interface intuitive
By Mark PHELPS
Jay Sabot asked me to fly down to Sun n Fun with him in his award-
winning Lancair Legacy. I wrote about Jay and the airplane in the
January 2013 issue of Sport Aviation (A Unique Father-Son
Legacy), and he was anxious for me to experience the life and times
of a Legacy pilotthat is, life at 230 knots. He also prefers having
two pilots on board on a long trip like this.
But in the Legacy, its not such a long trip, after all. Jay keeps his
airplane at Hartford-Brainard Airport (HFD) in Connecticut, and
the flight down to Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Florida
looked like about five hours flying time. I woke up early to drive up
from my home in New Jersey, and we launched about 8 a.m.
Like most builders who choose fast airplanes, Jay invested a
hefty amount of his building budget in the panel. He has a Chelton
electronic flight instrument system (EFIS), a digital autopilot,
Electronics International engine monitoring system, and lots of
other goodies. He also has a video camera mounted behind the seats
to record takeoffs, landings, and other interesting flight segments.
He can control the camera from his smartphone and even use it as a
monitor to see what hes recording. Jay likes his gadgets.
Hes also a careful, prudent pilot, and the weather was forecast to
be good enough for a VFR departure, and downright clear as a win-
dow in a Windex factory once we crossed the north shore of Long
Island Sound, about 30 miles from HFD. The plan was to pick up
96Sport AviationJune 2013
flight following right after takeoff, climb to
8,500 feet once clear of the lower weather,
and transition right over the top of the JFK
Class B airspace.
Jays Chelton panel was all the rage
when he was selecting avionics for his air-
plane half a dozen years ago. Though not as
feature-rich as some of the wonder-glass
equipment available now, the Chelton still
has a good reputation for reliability and ease
of use. Jays system has ADS-B weather and
traffic service, and an impressive moving
map multifunction display. I was most curi-
ous about how the ADS-B traffic depiction
would translate to what I would see with my
real-world eyeballs.
Partly because its been a long winter,
neither of us was instrument current, but
the trip looked like it would be an easy VFR
routing. As it turned out, it ended up a good
example of how valuable maintaining IFR
currency can be.
As we waited for the sky to clear a bit
above the airport, we checked radar on our
computers, chatted with weather briefers,
and listened to the ATIS at HFD. The briefer
assured us the overcast was lifting, and we
could see the sun burning through the bro-
ken cloud layer. The ATIS promised 1,200
feet of ceiling, then 1,400, so we decided to
launch. It was VFR, but only just. It took a
few miles, but we found an opening to the
clear blue above, and Jay used the Legacys
performance to leap through the hole.
It wasnt dangerous, but the departure
would have been a lot less stressful if we had
been able to file IFR. We could have climbed
right through the thin cloud layer and been
on top in seconds rather than having to look
for an opening to squeak through.
We werent done with cloud dodging.
Even though the weather genies had assured
us the sky beyond the coastline was clear, we
encountered a cloud layer above the JFK
Class B right at our cruising altitude of 8,500.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RUSSELL MUNSON
Jay preferred descending to 6,500 rather than
climbing to 10,500, but that encroached on
the New York Class Ba barrier that some-
times seems more impenetrable than any
cloud layer. But this time, when I asked the
controller about chances for a descent to
6,500, he quickly offered, Roger. Cleared
through the Class Bravo at 6,500. Ah, the
unpredictability of flying around the Big
Apple. (I remembered to repeat the magic
words, Cleared through the Class Bravo.)
After that, the flight settled down to a
very pleasant cruise. The Legacy is not
exactly spacious inside, but the reclined
seating position is comfortable. You just
dont have a lot of room to move around. It
contrasts mightily with the cabin of my
V-tail Bonanza, where there seems to be
plenty of room for flight bags, extra equip-
ment, and snack foods. The good news is for
the Legacy you dont have to sit there that
long. I was soon seeing true airspeed
numbers on the Chelton that were 78 knots
better than my Bonanzas.
We landed at our fuel stop, Columbus
County Municipal Airport in North
Carolina, refueled, had a sandwich, and
reviewed the 42-page arrival NOTAM for
Sun n Fun. As we were walking out to the
Legacy, a pilot in a V-tail Bonanza similar to
mine taxied in and told us hed heard us talk-
ing to New York Center, and wondered how
much faster the Legacy was. How long have
you been here? he asked.
About an hour, Jay said, without a trace
of bragging in his voice. Its just the way
things are when you fly a Legacy.
Jay gave me a quick lesson in interpret-
ing the traffic symbology on the ADS-B, and
I was anxious to see how it corresponded to
where the target aircraft showed up on that
big clear screen called the canopy. It was
very accurate. I would look off the nose at
the angle presented by ADS-B and up or
down depending on the relative altitude
readout, and most of the time I spotted the
speck out there representing the airplane I
was looking for. Of course, the aircraft of
greatest interest were the 12 oclock, level
targets moving in the opposite direction.
While I would probably have seen them in
plenty of time even without ADS-B, knowing
their exact relative position eased stress and
assured me I wasnt missing something. I
wouldnt relax my scan based on having
ADS-B, but its a lot more comfortable.
Jays workmanship in building his
Legacy is close to impeccable, so he was
annoyed when his fuel pressure readout
started fluctuating. It was obvious that the
gauge was at fault, since all the other perti-
nent readings were on targetand the
engine continued to run flawlessly. When we
got to Sun n Fun, he visited the Electronics
International booth and got what he needed
to fix the loose connection.
www.eaa.org97
INNOVATION ON THE FLY

Thats not all Jay got at Sun n Fun. We

flew back home with a little extra baggage
the plaque for Reserve Grand Champion
Kit Homebuilt.
Among the takeaways for me on this won-
derful trip was my resolve to retain
instrument currency. Its just so much easier
to get around when you dont have to dodge
clouds. Theres no need to worry whether
there will be a hole up ahead, or if you should
descend early below a broken layer into the
bumpy air underneath. Another takeaway is
that advanced technology in cockpits is a
wonderful thing, though its important to bal-
ance its practical value with the basic
elements of flying the old-fashioned way.
The final takeaway230 knots gets you
there in a hurry. EAA

Mark Phelps, EAA 139610, is an aviation writer living in

New Jersey. He is the former editor of EAAs Vintage Airplane
magazine and the owner-pilot of a 1954 Beechcraft Bonanza.

98Sport AviationJune 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY by MARK PHELPS

H
ANDS ON
HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS

Homebuilt LED Dimmer

and Light Fixture
BY WALTER KELM, EAA 9022510

I AM CURRENTLY BUILDING a Vans RV-9A and want to equip it for day and
night VFR. To this end, I designed a small LED light xture made from
aluminum tubing. I built two such lights and will mount them on each
side of the cockpit, aimed at my panel. Each tube light has two red and
two white LEDs, each with corresponding colored polycarbonate lenses.
I plan to mount the xtures on ball-socket camera swivel mounts
available from Amazon.com for about $12 each. A simple tab or aluminum
rod could also be used, because once it is set up,
it should not need to be re-aimed. Once the
wires are soldered inside the inner tube I rec-
ommend encasing the LEDs and close wiring to
avoid movement and wire breakage.
The dimmer module uses an LM317T
three-terminal integrated circuit (IC),

100Sport AviationJune 2013 ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF WALTER KELM

arranged as a constant current source. The circuit
design came from the Texas Instruments online
application notes for this particular IC.
In the past a fellow member submitted a dimmer
circuit using the same IC for incandescent lights, but
arranged in an adjustable voltage conguration.
Since LEDs are current-ow dependent, the con-
stant current arrangement is better, in my view, and
keeps the IC terminal isolated to the heat sink.
I RTV-glued the resistor and small IC circuit board
with riveted heat sink (not as critical to the size) to the
back of the potentiometer. The whole thing is not
much larger than the potentiometer itself.
The wiring schematic uses a DPDT three-posi-
tion toggle switch to power the instrument lights at
full voltage, as well as the LED dimmer module in an
offred LEDswhite LEDs arrangement. The wir-
ing schematic would be self-explanatory, and the
simple calculations used for a max current ow is set
at 20 mA. On my 14 volts DC aircraft electrical sys-
tem, the dimmer powers all four colored LEDs, even
with the IC dropping 3 volts. It works great and dims
both colored LEDs at the same amount even though
they have differing forward voltages (Vf ).
The end caps and tubing were purchased from
Aircraft Spruce. The Ultra-Bright red and white
LEDs, clip-light red and white plastic LED mounts,
LM317T integrated circuit, and resistor were all pur-
chased from www.AllElectronics.com.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF WALTER KELM www.eaa.org101

 H
ANDS ON
HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS
Hand Sanding Tips
BY TONY BINGELIS
HAND SANDING is the final surface prepa-
ration for almost any kind of surface
that is to be painted. The final sanding
helps clean and smooth old surfaces.
But more importantly, it is used to
freshen any surface and provides the
necessary tooth for better adhesion of
the primer or top coat. Sanding is
equally effective for composite, wood,
fabric, or metal surfaces.
Do most of your heavy hand sanding
with the help of a non-rigid sanding
block (rubber or foam) in order to
obtain a true surface free of waviness
and bumps.
For light hand sanding (wet or dry),
fold and tear a sheet of wet/dry paper
into four pieces and fold them as
shown. Be careful when using handheld
paper as you may develop an unevenly
finished surface because your fingers
will tend to exert localized pressures.
Handheld paper also tends to ride over
hard spots (small bumps of dried glue
Fold
Fold full sheet of wet/dry
sandpaper and tear in half or Grit outside
quarter pieces. Fold as shown to
t your palm (sanding without
backup block).
102Sport AviationJune 2013
or paint) and leaves the spot virtually
intact. To remove a small localized hard
spot or lump, use a smooth file or a hard
sanding block to reduce and level
imperfection before continuing your
hand sanding. Do not sand into a com-
posite structure to remove a large
raised area. Make the correction in the
manner approved by the designer.
Try to do all of your sanding with
straight strokes, either horizontal or
vertical, and resist the temptation to
sand with circular movements. This is
particularly important during your final
sanding because a circular pattern
leaves swirls and sandpaper scratches
that may be visible through the final
top coat.
Note: This homebuilders tip is an
excerpt from Tony Bingelis book
Sportplane Construction Techniques,
copyright 1986. Illustrations have
been re-created.
Block size
3 x 5 x 1/2
Poor
(circular movements)
Foam or rubber
Better
3 x 9 x 1/2 (straight strokes)
sanding techniques
Sanding backup blocks
ILLUSTRATION BY TONY BINGELIS
HANDS ON
SHOP TALK
Learning to Speak
English (Wheel)
No longer a gadget, the E-wheel can be part of any workshop
By BUDD DAVISSON
Last month, when I was roaming around Daniele Beltrames tiny
but efficient workshop via digital images, I didnt know which was
more interesting: his Midget Mustang or the wild variation of home-
built tools he used to build it. This was homebuilding at its best:
create the workshop, to make the tools, to build the airplane. Totally
vertical homebuilding.
Since I was focusing on his approach to making a compound
curved aluminum cowl, naturally the tool I noticed the most was
his home-brewed English wheel. Mixed in with the photos Daniele
sent of his English wheel was a shot of a magazine article that
looked familiar, penned by someone with whom I am quite famil-
iar, and it re-ignited the fervor Id felt when I did that article back
in April of 96. At the time, we were doing a series on free-forming
aluminum, and in that particular episode we showcased Jim
Younkins approach to a combination baby English wheel/bead
roller that hed built in his shop. The most impressive thing about
his little compounding machine was that it was so simple that
almost any homebuilder could build it. And it could be set up to
perform two of the most common and, at the same time, the most
demanding things you can do with sheet metal: form compound
curves and roll beads. This was where Daniele, in true homebuilder
104Sport AviationJune 2013
fashion, took the kernel of an idea and
expanded it to match his needs. And that got
us thinking past Danieles interpretation of
the English wheel-cum-beading rolling into
the whole world of the English wheel.
In 96 only a small percentage of home-
builders had even heard of an English wheel
and even fewer had actually seen one in
action. That has changed radically. Today, it
seems as if every shop worthy of the name
has an English wheel, and compound curves
no longer make builders break out in hives.
You know a tool has lost its lofty status and
is now part of the common tool experience
when companies like Harbor Freight stock
them, when Googling English wheel
yields page after page of hits, and eBay auto-
matically knows what you are searching for
when all youve typed is English wh.
The truth is that what used to be a very
narrow field has broadened out to where it
is easy to get confused. So, were going to
simplify the search for those who dont
already have an English wheel by giving a
semi-guided tour of both homebuilt ver-
sions and ready-to-roll factory jobs,
inexpensive and not-so-inexpensive.
First, the functions explained: Basically
what an English wheel does is squeeze the
metal really hard between a bigger roller
with a flat face and a smaller one with a
radiused face (the anvil) that creates a
point of contact. Push the metal between
the rollers and they squeeze a narrow area,
which makes that area a little wider and a
little thinner, which imparts a slight curve
to the surface. Push the metal back and
forth enough times in the right directions
and you can form just about any kind of
gentle compound curve. You can also beat
aluminum (3003 or something similarly
soft and workable) into rough shape with a
hammer and shot bag (Younkin calls that
creating scrap) and then smooth it out
with the wheel.
So, what you need is a larger, very hard
upper wheel, a smaller lower wheel or anvil,
also hard, with a radiused face, and a way to
adjust the position of the lower wheel so as to
force it against the upper wheel with what
amounts to brute force. Because the pieces of
metal youre working with are sometimes
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESy of DANIELE BELTRAME
fairly wide, the wheels have to be held in
position by a C-shaped, unbelievably stiff
(and heavy) frame of various dimensions.
Because the concept is pretty simple,
the proliferation of both factory and
handmade versions makes for a wide
variation in quality, cost, utility, and size.
The variations:
Size can vary from small versions meant
to be clamped in a vise, to slightly larger
bench models, to elegantly shaped and
brutish heavyweight floor models.
Daniele Beltrames heavier-than-
usual bench model approach to the
mini-wheel in the Jim Younkin article
was to upsize everything and put his
very advanced scrounging abilities to
work finding applicable parts. Im work-
ing on the assumption here that all
homebuilders can do what Daniele did;
look at the photos and figure out your
own approach. Few details are needed.

The frame must be stiff enough to resist

flexing because of the high forces exerted
where the wheels meet. The very shape of
a C means a lot of metal will be required.

The wheels must be hard enough to

resist being damaged, especially when the
material is suddenly pulled out and the
wheels slam together. This can create
tiny flat spots, which can be a problem
with cheaper versions.
Daniele Beltrames unit is heavier than most bench
wheels. His upper wheel is the sanding wheel from

In 96 only a small an industrial stone sander. He machined the lower

wheel from high carbon steel. Having his own lathe

percentage of homebuilders made making this version much easier.

had even heard of an

English wheel

What follows is a visual catalog, of

sorts, in which I give a brief tour of
Danieles approach and a broad visual over-
view of other types and sources for both
kits and finished items. A link to the com-
plete Baby Wheel article that got Daniele
started on his wheel in the first place is
available at www.SportAviation.org. Prices
for ready-to-use bench versions run the The Beltrame unit is unique in the way it is driven
gamut from $129 to $5,000. All will because it is also used as a beading roller, and both
squeeze metal but, as we move into the upper and lower wheels are driven by the crank (a
higher-quality versions, what seems like ratchet handle, by the way). Most beading rollers only
work in the less-expensive ones sud- power one wheel, and that pulls the metal through
denly becomes pure joy and producing nicely. When in English wheel mode, the gears are
quality work becomes easier. So, you get disengaged and not used. The gears were scrounged
what you pay for. from the junk pile at an electric drill factory.

www.eaa.org105
SHOP TALK
Daniele also varies from the usual way of mounting the lower wheel (anvil). Rather
than having it sitting in a U-shaped saddle, it is pivoted on a very heavy axle mount.
A note on the upper tube/bearing assembly: Use 2 by 1/4 inch wall (or heavier) DOM
steel, which is available at many steelyards or by e-mail from Speedy Metals Online
or someplace similar. Have it machined to accept automotive bearings available from
NAPA No. 6004-2RSJ. The inside diameter of those bearings is 0.78, so the shaft must be
13/16 cold roll (usually 1018 steel) or shafting material (usually 1045 so its harder) and
turned down where the bearings run.
The adjustment wheel at the bottom of the anvil section can be a handmade wheel,
a star wheel, or a cast-off electric motor pulley. Use your imagination.
106Sport AviationJune 2013
The lower anvil is adjusted vertically via a threaded rod or bolt coming in from the bottom
through a welded nut. The vertical shaft must not be free to turn, so a groove (or distinct flat)
should be milled in it to keep everything lined up with set screws. In a pinch, this groove can
easily be done with a Dremel tool or angle-head grinder with a cut-off wheel and a steady
hand. Relatively inexpensive already-slotted shafting is available from McMaster-Carr, which
has almost anything anyone needs to do anything. There youre looking for a 3/4-inch keyed
shaft (PN 1497K161). A foot of it is about $20. It also has unkeyed shafting thatll work for the main
shaft that mounts the upper wheel.
Younkins baby bench-top wheel/beading roller is much smaller but is built very much
the same and functions the same, except when in beading mode only the top wheel is
powered. See the PDF at www.SportAviation.org for details.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESy of DANIELE BELTRAME
SHOP TALK
The hot rod folks have an easier approach to building a dedicated mini-
wheel that can be clamped in a vise for making small parts. The upper
wheel is a Ford wheel bearing for something like a 70 Thunderbird (NAPA
88128R), which is 3 inches outside diameter (O.D.). A bigger, 4-3/8 inch
O.D. bearing is NAPA 63102RSJ. The lower, anvil wheel can be an insert
bearing normally used in pillow blocks. It has a radiused face and will
ride on a 3/4-inch axle nicely. These bearings are readily available from
Tractor Supply Inc. for about $12 (PN SA204-12), but you have to buy
them from its store. It doesnt sell them online. An online gear is made
by SKF, and its about twice as expensive. A cheaper one is from USA
Bearings and Belts (PN SB204-12). All of the bearings are sealed and have
extremely hard faces so they work well in this application. A link to the
entire building sequence is available at www.SportAviation.org. This
one is super easy. If you have a lathe, its a Sunday morning project. The
lathe work is simple and wont cost much, if farmed out. Most of us have
enough scrap laying around to make this, once we have the bearings.
108Sport AviationJune 2013
And then there are killer ready-to-go bench-top machines like Tinman
Techs superlative bench model, the Mercedes of bench wheels. This is
high-end professional grade and will last longer than anyone reading
this. Other sources sell similarly priced high-quality machines.
At the lower end of the bench-top spectrum is
the wildly inexpensive Grizzly Tools concept.
Priced so low that they are hard to pass up,
they are made for light work or you can spend
some time beefing them up and have them work reasonably
well for hobby-type work as seen in most homebuilts. This one is
ready-made for the homebuilder in that we have the mindset and
abilities to beef it up and compensate for any of its weak points.
For someone ready to build a serious floor version of an English wheel, order
Tinman Techs plans for its monster machine (shown). Again, searching
English wheel for sale will turn up a mind-boggling number of sources
for wheels of all sizes. Harbor Freight makes a floor model, and searching
modifying Harbor Freight English wheel will turn up a number of websites
dedicated to fixing all of its weaknesses. A similar search for modifying
Harbor Freight beading roller will yield a ton of information on making the
roller more efficient including motorizing it. Those are very usable beading
machines as-is for homebuilders in aluminum, but make sure you polish the
edges off the female rollers because theyll cut into the metal.
Budd Davisson is an aeronautical engineer, has flown more than 300 different types, and has published
four books and more than 4,000 articles. He is editor-in-chief of Flight Journal magazine and a flight
instructor primarily in Pitts/tailwheel aircraft. Visit him on www.AirBum.com.
invest in
aviations future
Your investment TODAY enables EAA to continue programs
such as Young Eagles, Air Academy, Youth Aviation Scholarships
and Youth Aviation Education. Inspire tomorrows aviation innovators,
pioneers, pilots and dreamers. Visit GiveWingsToEAA.org
or call us at 1-800-236-1025.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESy of DANIELE BELTRAME
MemberCentral
p.112 Pilot Caves p.114 News From HQ p.118 Board of Directors Nominees p.123 Gone West p.125 Members/Chapters in Action

QUESTIONS ABOUT
YOUR MEMBERSHIP?
Want to change your address or need
other assistance? EAAs Membership
Services sta is available to assist you
Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.
to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Central time).
Call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322),
e-mail membership@eaa.org, or
visit www.EAA.org/membership.

INTERNATIONAL YOUNG
EAGLES DAY 2013
EAA chapter members and
volunteer pilots all over the world
will do their part to promote
aviation to youth during the
20th annual International Young
Eagles Day on June 8. EAA Young
Eagles volunteers45,000 pilots
and 50,000 ground-basedhave
given nearly 1.8 million ights to
kids between the ages of 8 and
17 since the programs founding
in 1992.
To learn more about EAA Young
Eagles and how you can get involved,
visit www.YoungEagles.org.

Veteran Young Eagles pilot Fred Stadler, EAA 37882, has

own more than 5,000 Young Eagles.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY H.G. FRAUTSCHY www.eaa.org 111

MEMBERCENTRAL
PILOT CAVES
PILOT CAVES

Pilot: Larry Robbins, EAA 145492

Location: Deereld Resort (TN44), LaFollette, Tennessee

WHEN THE WEATHER isnt ideal for flying,

Larry and his wife and copilot of 40 years,
Karen, use their hangar as a gathering place
for friends to kick back and play bag toss.
The black and white hangar floor features
a handcrafted tile image of a P-51, complete
with exhaust flute detailing and two-tone
grout. In the hangar is a 1946 Piper J-3 Cub
that was purchased by Larrys father in
1955 for only $175 and needed a complete
restoration. Today the aircraft is a prominent,
and working, feature in the Robbins hangar
alongside a white Glasair 1 FT that was built in
Larrys basement. A 1969 Plymouth Barracuda
340 fastback that resembles Larrys first car
is also found in this nostalgic hangar, but only
makes appearances on sunny days.

Do you have an interesting pilot cave? Send a

snapshot to knelson@eaa.org to share your aviation
space with fellow EAA Sport Aviation readers.

112Sport AviationJune 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LARRY ROBBINS

MEMBERCENTRAL
MEMBERCENTRAL

www.eaa.org113
MEMBERCENTRAL
NEWS FROM HQ

Disneys Planes Set to

Take Off at AirVenture
THE AVIATION COMMUNITY IS buzzing about this summers release of
Disneys Planes, the animated airborne answer to Disneys popular
Cars movies, and EAA has landed a special preview screening in
Oshkosh. A week before the movie opens in theaters nationwide
AirVenture attendees can see it at the Fly-In Theater, sponsored by
Ford Motor Company, on Friday night, August 2.
Were so happy to share the lm with the passionate aviation
community at AirVenture, said Klay Hall, the lms director and an
aviation enthusiast. Before the exclusive screening, Hall will discuss
making the lm and share behind-the-scenes stories and secrets.
Disneys Planes is the story of Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a
plane with dreams of competing as a high-ying air racer. But
Dustys not exactly built for racingand he happens to be afraid of
heights. The voices of Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Julia Louis-
Dreyfus, Stacy Keach, and others are also featured.
The screening is included with regular EAA AirVenture admis-
sion on August 2. The Fly-In Theater features a ve-story-high
screen and full sound system that presents aviation and other action
movies for AirVenture attendees.

JETMAN TO SOAR OVER AIRVENTURE

Jetman made a successful private ight
over the Grand Canyon in 2011. EAA assisted
Rossy with the paperwork to make the U.S.
ights possible in cooperation with John
Parker, owner of the jetwing and key to
obtaining FAA authorization (yes, it has an N
numberN15YR). Hes also conducted
numerous demonstrations in Europe and
other locations.
I am excited to share my project with
fellow enthusiasts and be a part of aviations
biggest gathering in the world, Rossy said.
See Yves Jetman Rossys rst U.S. public ights at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013. EAA helped me secure the experimental
exhibition special airworthiness certicate
THE OLD SAYING, IF it ies, youll see it at Oshkosh will prove true for my jetwing. It will be a privilege to
once again as Yves Jetman Rossy will make his rst public U.S. attend Oshkosh and demonstrate how
ights this summer at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. experimental projects can push forward the
Rossys aircraft is a carbon-Kevlar jetwing with four 50-pound boundaries of ight.
thrust jet engines strapped to his back. He is taken to altitude via Jetmans ights will be part of
helicopter, launches, ignites the engines, and propels himself to AirVentures air shows during the week, and
speeds up to 150 mph controlled by a simple hand throttle. The Swiss specic details of his ight schedule will be
aviator uses his shoulders, body, and legs to steer, pitch, and descend. announced as they are nalized. EAA
The U.S. ights are sponsored by luxury Swiss watch manufac- AirVenture air shows are presented by
turer Breitling. Rockwell Collins.

114Sport AviationJune 2013 BERNET, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDRE
 MEMBERCENTRAL

CHICAGO RETURNS TO OSHKOSH

CHICAGO, ONE OF MUSIC historys all-time greats,
returns to Oshkosh to perform on AirVenture
2013 opening day, Monday, July 29. The concert,
presented by Ford Motor Company, is free to all
AirVenture opening-day attendees and will be
held on Phillips 66 Plaza following the afternoon
air show.
Chicago gave one of the best-attended opening
night concerts weve ever had at AirVenture, so
were very pleased to work with Ford Motor
Company to welcome this legendary band back to
Oshkosh this year, said Jim DiMatteo, EAAs vice
president of AirVenture features and attractions.
Ford is proud to be the sole automotive partner
with EAA for more than a decade and pleased to
enhance the experience for everyone attending EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh, said Kevin Keling, North
America corporate events manager for Ford Motor
Company. Chicago performed a great show in 2010,
and were excited they will return for this years
opening night concert to start a sensational week at
aviations annual reunion in Oshkosh.

OMG! WIN AN ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE IN THE OH MY OSHKOSH! SWEEPSTAKES

GET YOUR ADVANCE AIRVENTURE tickets by June
30 and you could win big in the Oh My
Oshkosh! Sweepstakes!
Just purchase admission tickets, camping,
aircraft rides, or other items in advance to
receive automatic entries into the Oh My
Oshkosh! Sweepstakes and the opportunity
to win an ultimate AirVenture
experience this year!
The grand prize winner
receives a plane-load of prizes,
including two B-17 flights; two
Aviators Club weekly passes;
Camp Scholler (improved site)
or fly-in camping for the entire
week; and choice of VIP access
to the opening day Chicago
concert presented by Ford Motor
Company or the August 2 Gary
Sinise/Lt. Dan Band concert
hosted by the Disabled American
Veterans and EAA Warbirds
of America.
Four second prize winners win
two Aviators Club weekly passes,
two Ford Tri-Motor flight tickets,
and Camp Scholler or fly-in
camping for the entire week.
Dont delay! Purchase by June 30
and you may have another reason
to say Oh my! at Oshkosh.

OSHKOSH WELCOMES AVIATION INNOVATORS

OSHKOSH IS THE HOME of aviation
innovation, and this year EAA has
established a new location to showcase
new ideas, technologies, and products
that advance aviation. Called the
Innovations Pavilion, it will be located
right in the middle of the show on
Celebration Way. Aerospace innovators
and entrepreneurs will display their
designs and inventions.
Ranging from new concepts
in propulsion to space exploration,
exhibitors will include many well-recog-
nized leaders in the eld like ATK,
NASA, Sierra Nevada, and others
advancing new designs and concepts like
Solar World, Trixy, Yves Rossy/Jetman,
Nimbus UAV, and Eurosport.
Each day look for presentations on
developing technologies such as alterna-
tive fuels, commercial space efforts, how
to start an aviation business, and many
others. The Innovations Pavilion pro-
vides a stage for inventors and
entrepreneurs to display their new prod-
ucts and concepts, to generate and excite
public interest and engagement, and, in
some cases, to bring potential investors
together with entrepreneurs.
All aviation innovators are encour-
aged to contact Holly Williams at
hwilliams@eaa.org to apply for exhibit
space in the Innovations Pavilion.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK www.eaa.org115

MEMBERCENTRAL
NEWS FROM HQ
EAA, GAMA, BUILD A PLANE SPONSOR TEACHERS DAY
THE ANNUAL TEACHERS DAY at EAA
AirVenture will be held on Tuesday, July
30, sponsored by Build A Plane, the
General Aviation Manufacturers
Association (GAMA), and EAA. Teachers
Day exposes educators to a variety of pro-
grams and curricula that allow them to put
aviation in classroomsfrom middle
school through high school.
EAA AIRVENTURE CUP RACE BACK FOR 16TH YEAR
THE EAA AIRVENTURE CUP Race will continue
in 2013 with the full support and involve-
ment of EAA, plus a new starting line and
ShopEAA.com
for a sneak peek
at AirVenture
2013 merchandise!
ShopEAA.com | 800-564-6322
Your EAA merchandise purchase supports EAA programs that grow participation in aviation.
116Sport AviationJune 2013
Presentations are given on materials
available from private industry, the federal
government, and aviation organizations
that expose students to all aspects of
aviation, from vocation to avocation.
Participants will have the opportunity
to take part in a number of hands-on
presentations and to speak directly to
program specialists. A wide variety of free
additional race classes to include produc-
tion planes, warbirds, and vintage aircraft.
The 16th annual race takes place on
Sunday, July 28, starting for the rst time at
Mount Vernon Airport (MVN) in Illinois,
and nishing at Waupaca Municipal
Airport (PCZ).
Race officials are asking those who
wish to participate register by July 1 at
www.AirVentureCupRace.com.
The AirVenture Cup Race is a timed
take-home materials will be available for
all attendees.
Attendees can obtain one graduate credit
through Viterbo University as well as com-
plimentary admission to EAA AirVenture
after attending Teachers Day.
Space is limited so teachers should register
now at BuildAPlane.com for the free event.
For more information, call 804-843-3321.
race, and for 2013, each aircrafts time will
be recorded beginning on its takeoff from
MVN, as well as at each turn point. To fin-
ish the race, each aircraft will fly over PCZ
to obtain its finish time before circling to
land. Each class has first, second, and
third place awards.
To learn more about the race and
available sponsorship opportunities,
contact Kandi Spangler at kspangler@
jetbrokers.com.
Copyright 2013 EAA
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF MILLER

HOMEBUILT MILESTONES
TWO ICONIC HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT
designs celebrating important
anniversaries in 2013 will be
recognized at EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh 2013: 60 years of the
Wittman Tailwind and 50 years
of the Thorp T-18.
EAA is working with
Tailwind and T-18 aircraft own-
ers to bring as many of the
aircraft as possible to Oshkosh in
2013. Aircraft owners should
contact members in their respec-
tive groups or Chad Jensen at
cjensen@eaa.org to find out
more. Specific activities will be
announced as they are finalized.
The Wittman Tailwind is one
of many aircraft designed and
built by Oshkosh resident Steve
Wittman, the renowned aircraft
designer and racer who is the
namesake of Wittman Regional
Airport. The Tailwind is based on
SA_MGL_1306
PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE CUKIERSKI
Wittmans racing aircraft of the
1940s and 50s. (See Page 50 for
our feature story on the design.)
The Thorp T-18 was
designed by John Willard Thorp
in the early 1960s as an all-
metal, low-wing monoplane. It
was unique at the time because
of its matched hole riveting
technique that helped it be a
low-cost, quick-to-build air-
craft. One of the highlights of
the model was in 1976, when
EAA member Don Taylor flew
around the world in his T-18,
which is now part of the collec-
tion in the EAA AirVenture
Museum in Oshkosh.
Homebuilt aircraft are fea-
tured at show center along the
AirVenture ightline and can also
be parked in the homebuilt air-
craft camping area, which was
expanded last year.
MEMBERCENTRAL
GARY SINISE & THE LT.
LT DAN BAND
CAP SALUTE TO VETS DAY AUG. 2
GARY SINISE AND THE
Lt. Dan Band will
return to AirVenture
for the fourth time
this year as the grand
nale of a daylong
salute to veterans on
Friday, August 2. The
popular band will be
hosted at by the
Disabled American
Veterans and the
EAA Warbirds of
America at the Phillips 66 Plaza stage.
Sinise played Vietnam veteran Lt. Dan Taylor in
the classic lm Forrest Gump, and is the star of the
hit TV series CSI: New York. For the band, however,
he plays bass and is a well-known supporter of vet-
erans as well as active-duty military.
The Lt. Dan Band covers everyone from
Bruce Springsteen to Beyonc, Zac Brown Band
to Jimi Hendrix.
www.eaa.org117
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEMBER CENTRAL
2012 EAA Elections
Nominees for the EAA board of directors
EAA MEMBERS WILL HAVE the opportunity to elect seven Class 1 directors (three-year terms) at the organizations annual business
meeting held during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh on Wednesday, July 31, at 8:30 a.m. at the Theater in the Woods. The following 20
individuals have been nominated.
Stuart Auerbach, EAA 689374 (Incumbent)
Stuart, a founding member and former director
and treasurer of the TBM 700 Owners and
Pilots Association, earned his private pilot
certicate more than 30 years ago. Today,
Stuart is a CFI and ATP, and holds single-
and multiengine land and sea, turbojet, and
rotorcraft ratings. He is a member of EAAs
Presidents Circle and Presidents Council.
Professionally, Stuart serves as a general
partner at Ampersand Capital Partners. He holds a bachelors
degree in engineering from Columbia University and a masters in
business administration from Harvard Business School.
Eileen Drake, EAA Lifetime 852455
(Incumbent)
Eileen is the vice president and general
manager of Pratt & Whitney AeroPower. She
previously served as vice president and general
manager for Hamilton Sundstrand Power
Systems, and vice president of operations for
United Technologies Corporation (UTC). She
is a graduate of the U.S. Army Aviation Officer
School, where she qualied as an Army Aviator
in both helicopters and xed-wing aircraft as a distinguished military
graduate. She subsequently served eight years of active duty with the
Army with her nal assignment as Aireld Commander of Davidson
Army Aireld in Virginia.
Eileen and her husband are currently building an RV-8.
Phillip Martineau, EAA 593215
(Incumbent)
Phil is chairman and CEO of Pittsburgh
Corning Corporation and Pittsburgh Corning
Europe. He also serves on the board of
directors for Alleghany Corporation. Phil has
been a pilot for more than 30 years with a
commercial certicate, and single-engine land
and sea and instrument ratings.
118Sport AviationJune 2013
Jim Phillips, EAA 149430 (Incumbent)
Jim is a shareholder of the business law rm of
Godfrey & Kahn S.C. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
He chairs its tax/benets group and is a
member of the rms management committee.
Over the years Jim has served on the boards
of several business, educational, and nonprot
organizations, and has taught at the University of
Wisconsin Law School.
Jim has been an active EAA member since
the 1980s, involved in chapters as both a member and an officer. He has
built two planes, a Sonerai II and an RV-8, and also has his instrument
rating.
Charles Precourt, EAA Lifetime 150237
(Incumbent)
Charlie is the vice president and general
manager of the Space Launch Division at Alliant
Techsystems. He participates on EAAs executive
committee and chairs the safety committee, and
built a VariEze that rst ew in 1987.
Charlie, who retired as an Air Force
colonel in 2000, graduated from the USAF
Academy in 1977 with a degree in aeronautical
engineering. He was an F-15 pilot, instructor, and ight commander,
and a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School.
A veteran of four space ights and member of the Astronaut Hall of
Fame, Charlie has held several management positions within NASA,
including deputy program manager for the International Space Station,
chief of the Astronaut Corps, and director of operations for NASA at
the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.
Frederick Telling, EAA Lifetime 519586
(Incumbent)
Fred is chairman of Oragenics and serves
on the board of Cell Therapeutics and
Easai N.A. He is also a member of the
board and executive committees of CED,
Warbirds, and the United Hospital Fund
of New York. Since retiring from Pfizer in
2007 after 30 years with the company, he
has been a visiting lecturer at the Harvard
School of Public Health and MITs Sloan School.
Fred is certificated to fly helicopters and single- and
multiengine aircraft. He races his T-6 Baby Boomer at the
Reno National Championship Air Races each year, and owns
another T-6 and a P-51 Mustang named Lady B.
 James CB Clark, EAA 500238
James is the principal and founder of
BANG! Technologies and previously was
vice president of AT&T, executive director
of Bell Labs, and chief technology officer of
NCR Corporation. He is a graduate of the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and
MITs Sloan School of Management with
degrees in electrical engineering and computer
science and a masters in marketing.
James served as chairman of the 60th anniversary reunion of
the Tuskegee Airmen. The former president of EAA Chapter 242,
he has own hundreds of Young Eagles, co-built an RV-6, and is
currently building an RV-6A. James is an active air show performer
with Team AeroDynamix, which performed at EAA AirVenture
2012 and is returning this year.
Doug Crumrine, EAA 77708
Doug has more than 10,000 ying hours in
military and civilian commercial aircraft. In
the Air Force, he was trained in technical
and maintenance elds, earning his A&P
certicate. After two years of active duty,
he transferred to the Illinois Air National
Guard and went on to receive his bachelors
degree in aviation management from Lewis
University.
Doug retired after 27 years in the military and is now an
international line captain for American Airlines. He also
spends time improving his RV-8. Doug is vice president of
EAA Chapter 983 in Granbury, Texas, and is chairman of the
airport committee in Pecan Plantation Airpark.
Geoff Downey, EAA 105011
Geoff, a retired Wisconsin State Trooper and
state patrol chemical test coordinator, served four
years in U.S. Naval Aviation Attack Squadron VA
1-5, including 13 months in Vietnam. He has been
an EAA member since 1984 and has volunteered
with the organization for the last 27 years.
Having served 25 years as the EAA
AirVenture chairman of rotorcraft judging,
Geoff now does daily pilot briefings at
Oshkosh. He is one of the founding members of EAA Chapter
897, and ran the chapters fly-in breakfast for nine years.
Will Fox, EAA 239742
Will, a registered professional engineer, is a
consultant for Fox Aviation who previously
spent 34 years with Los Alamos National
Laboratory as a design engineer, project
manager, and senior engineering manager.
He is also an EAA technical counselor
and ight advisor. Will teaches pilot and
instructor ground school, aerodynamics,
and experimental aircraft safety. He is a
commercial pilot, ight instructor, and aerobatic pilot and instructor.
Will owns a Pegazair SP-180, a Questaire Venture, a Bonanza
V35, and an Eagle XL ultralight. His latest project is a Questair
Venture kit plane.
Jeff Gentz, EAA Lifetime 158356
Jeff, owner of Orion Sport Aircraft and
Certiflight, has more than 9,500 hours as an
ATP instructor pilot. He also holds current
CFII and MEI ratings.
An EAA volunteer of 30 years, Jeff
currently acts as the chairman of EAAs
A-Team, giving tours and fulfilling EAA
VIP, donor, and major sponsors needs. He
has flown nearly 400 Young Eagles since
becoming an EAA volunteer pilot
Bob Hart, EAA 386263
Bob is treasurer for the International
Aerobatic Club and served as the IAC
Chicago chapters president from 2005 to
2009. Having own more than 16,000 hours,
Bob works for United Airlines in Chicago
as the line check airman on the Airbus
A319/320. He is an ATP with a CFII rating.
Additionally, Bob has own competitive
aerobatics in an Extra 230. He also built an
award-winning Pitts S-1C that he ew competitively for three
years. Bob ies a completely restored 1945 7AC Aeronca Champ,
and is building an Acro Sport II in his home shop with his two
teenage daughters.
Bob is an active EAA Chapter 932 member, volunteering with the
Young Eagles program and speaking at local FAA Wings seminars
and at EAA AirVenture.
www.eaa.org119
MEMBER CENTRAL
Alan Klapmeier, EAA Lifetime 141042
Alan, founder, CEO, and chairman of Kestrel
Aircraft Company and formerly Cirrus
Design, is responsible for development of
the VK30 kit aircraft and ST50 aircraft. He
assisted in the certication process of the
Cirrus SR20 and SR22.
A 1992 EAA August Raspet Memorial
Award and 2007 EAA Freedom of Flight
Award recipient, Alan has served on the
GAMA board of directors and was chairman in 2008. Alan
currently holds a position on the AOPA Air Safety Foundation
Board of Visitors and the Small Aircraft Manufacturers
Association board of directors.
An IFR-rated private pilot with more than 10,000 hours, Alan
owns a 1950 DHC-1 Chipmunk, a Cirrus SR22TN, and a PA-46T
Meridian.
David Mercer, EAA 379378
David retired as the president and CEO of
YMCA in 2000. He is a former chairman of
Leadership 18, an organization of the largest
nonprots in the country, which includes the
YMCA, American Red Cross, and United Way.
NonProt Times magazine named David
one of the 50 most inuential nonprot
executives in the United States ve times
during his 42-year YMCA career. He founded
and chaired the EAA Camp Scholler Volunteer Center in 2000, and
received an EAA Presidents Award in 2001. David is currently the
volunteer centers vice chair.
Dave Morss, EAA 133735
Dave is founder and president of Myriad
Research in Redwood City, California,
conducting ight tests on experimental
aircraft of all types. He started ying at age
14 and has since logged more than 28,000
ight hours in more than 300 types of aircraft,
including 40 rst ights in prototype aircraft.
In addition to being an accomplished pilot,
Dave is an air racing veteran who holds the
record for the most races at Reno with 204 and counting more than 30
years. In 1998 he was awarded the Spirit of Flight Award by the Society
of Experimental Test Pilots. Dave serves the Commemorative Air
Force as a check pilot in vintage aircraft and is an FAA designated pilot
examiner and airworthiness representative.
120Sport AviationJune 2013
John Petersen, EAA 195282
John is founder and president of the
Arlington Institute. He helped create the
worlds first national surprise anticipation
center for the government of Singapore. John
also spent 25 years with the Navy, flying
EKA-3B aircraft off carriers in the Vietnam
era and C-118s to Europe and Asia. He has
delivered more than 300 presentations about
the future of general aviation.
John is chairman of the Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Foundation, and has been an EAA member for the last 30 years.
Judith Rice, EAA Lifetime 458303
Judy is the founder and captain of Think
Global Flight, president of the board of the
National Coalition for Aviation and Space
Education, and the executive director of
Laminar Researchs Fly to Learn X-Plane
project. She was EAAs executive director of
youth education from 1997 to 2002.
Judy is the a recipient of EAAs
Outstanding Grounds Volunteer award in
1993, the Air Force Association Exceptional Service Award in 2007,
the Ninety-Nines Fran Sargent Award in 2010, and the National
Air Transportation Association Business Award in 2010. She is an
instrument-rated commercial pilot, advance ground instructor,
and certicated ight instructor. She owns a Grumman TR2 and
has logged almost 3,000 hours in numerous airplanes.
Paul Schafer, EAA Lifetime 202519
Paul earned a degree in aeronautical
engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute. He completed U.S. Air Force pilot
training and went on to command at the
squadron, group, and wing levels.
He was an outstanding graduate of the
USAF Fighter Weapons School, and was
twice named the A-10 Instructor Pilot of the
Year. Paul was awarded the Lance P. Sijan
Leadership award for his combat command in southwest Asia,
and flew more than 40 combat missions over southern Iraq. He
retired as a major general after 32 years of service.
Paul, whose rst homebuilt project was a self-launching composite
glider, is building a Onex in his garage. A commercial pilot with more
than 3,000 ying hours, Paul is a member of EAA Chapter 186.
 Louis Seno, EAA Lifetime 31489
Lou is currently chairman emeritus of
Jet Support Services, following his work
as a senior management team member
overseeing GE Capital Solutions worldwide
business aircraft unit. He was elected to the
board of directors of GAMA in 2011.
An ATP with more than 6,000 flying
hours, Lou has been an active member
of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University Presidents Advisory Board since 2001 and chairs
the institutions development committee. He is a member of the
board of governors of the Flight Safety Foundation, and sits on
the board of directors of Duncan.
Lou holds an ATP certicate and has more than 6,000 hours in
numerous piston and turbine aircraft.
Cody Welch, EAA 115674
Cody helped develop EAAs Ford Tri-Motor
touring program, and has served as a Ford
Tri-Motor captain since 1993. He is vice
president and a board member of the Tri-
Motor Heritage Foundation, and is a 2003
EAA Presidents Award recipient.
The president and founder of the nonprot
group Wings of Mercy East Michigan, which
provides free rides in GA aircraft to and from
medical centers, Cody is also an active Air Care Alliance committee
member, working on a national fuel reimbursement program with
the FAA for nonprot volunteer pilot organizations. He has been
airport manager of Price Airport in Linden, Michigan, since 2001.
BOARD ELECTION AND VOTING PROXY PROCEDURE
EAA members may vote in person for the organizations directors and
on other matters, and learn about EAAs scal and operational progress,
by attending the members annual meeting held each year during EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh.
All EAA members may vote at the annual meeting, whether they are
present in person or not. If a member is unable to be present, he or she
may instead vote by proxy. A proxy is a document that appoints someone
else (the proxy holder, or agent) to vote at the annual meeting on behalf of
the member.
Note that a proxy is not the equivalent of a mail ballot, which a member
might mail to the organization as the members vote. Instead, under
Wisconsin law, the member delivers or mails the proxy to the holder (or to
someone acting on behalf of the holder). The proxy holder then casts the
members vote at the annual meeting.
Since the 2012 Annual Meeting, EAA has sent two suggested proxies to
CHANGE OF ANNUAL MEETING DATE TO WEDNESDAY, JULY 31
Notice is hereby given to EAA members that the date of EAAs annual
meeting of members has been changed to Wednesday, July 31, at 8:30
a.m. CDT at Theater in the Woods on the EAA AirVenture grounds at 3000
Poberezny Rd., Oshkosh, WI, during AirVenture 2013. The annual meeting
had traditionally been held on the Saturday morning of AirVenture. This
responds to comments from members that the Saturday morning meeting
was too late in the week for them to attend.
AMENDMENT OF EAA ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
Notice is hereby given to EAA members that the membership will be asked
to vote to approve Restated Articles of Incorporation of Experimental
Aircraft Association, Inc., at the EAA members annual meeting, to be held
at Theater in the Woods, at 8:30 a.m. CDT, on Wednesday, July 31, 2013.
Approval of the Restated Articles of Incorporation will require a two-thirds
vote of the members present at the meeting in person or by proxy.
Over the past year the EAA Board of Directors decided that the preferable
governance structure for EAA involved the creation of a Chairman of the
Board ocer position with a three-year term. Because the current Articles
of Incorporation permitted only one-year terms for ocers, the Board
undertook a project to amend the Articles to permit a three-year term for
the Chairman, and at the same time update and streamline the Articles.
The EAA Board has approved the Restated Articles and recommends
adoption by the members.
The proposed Restated Articles would revise the current Articles by (i)
updating language relating to EAAs IRC 501(c)(3) classication to conform
to current usage, (ii) moving the ocer section to the bylaws, thus giving
the Board the ability to create a three-year term for the Chairman, (iii)
providing the Board more exibility in the timing of appointments and
terms of Class III Directors appointed by the Board (no substantive changes
are being made in Class I and Class II Directors), and (iv) making other
minor updates and language changes at the Annual Meeting.
The proposed Restated EAA Articles of Incorporation and the current
Articles (updated in 2007) are available online at www.SportAviation.org.
its members. The rst designated Rodney Hightower, Eric Gurley, and Louis
Andrew as the proxy holders; however, Mr. Hightower and Mr. Andrew have
since left EAAs board of directors. A second suggested proxy form has been
sent to members, designating Jack Pelton, Dan Schwinn, and Jim Phillips
as the proxy holders. Either proxy form may be used. If you do not plan to
attend the annual meeting in person, please sign and return either of these
forms to EAA. If you wish another person to serve as your proxy holder, a
proxy designating that person should be mailed or delivered to that person
or persons so they may submit it. EAA is not legally required nor practically
able to assume the responsibility for assuring that proxy forms that name
other persons as holders are separated and delivered to those named
holders.
If you have any questions regarding EAAs proxy procedure, please
contact EAA headquarters.
www.eaa.org121

Gone West
Not alone into the sunset but into the company of friends who have gone before them.
ALABAMA
William Shaver (EAA 711378), Huntsville
ARIZONA
William Engelking (EAA 655586), Chandler
Rae Froelich (EAA 99693), Mesa
Lee Gilpatrick (EAA 1078123), Lake Havasu City
CALIFORNIA
Joseph Carbaugh (EAA 334440), Mariposa
John Morss (EAA 136787), Newport Beach
Dennis Newton (EAA 3172), Apple Valley
Richard Otto (EAA 819067), Walnut Creek
James Wion (EAA 221472), Sacramento
COLORADO
George McHenry (EAA 419002), Pueblo West
DELAWARE
David Austin (EAA 190095), Dover
FLORIDA
John Horan (EAA 1028539), Rotonda West
Donald Knowles (EAA 1007032), New Port Richey
Luther Miller (EAA 884044), Niceville
Glenn Smith (EAA 1023144), Lakeland
Lee Smith (EAA 735064), Lakeland
Ted Van Wormer (EAA 1079078), Sebring
Roman Wernikowski (EAA 170434), Ocala
GEORGIA
Kent Crenshaw (EAA 789978), Savannah
ILLINOIS
William Butler (EAA 175749), Mundelein
James Frejd (EAA 247059), Elk Grove Village
Mel Leavitt (EAA 725209), Wheaton
Ralph Morgan (EAA 522860), Monticello
Robert Smelser (EAA 124499), Newark
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF MILLER
IOWA
Gaylen Knaack (EAA 693619), Correctionville
Carroll White (EAA 225906), Rhodes
KANSAS
Paul Bryant (EAA 119492), Prairie Village
Tommy George (EAA 242956), Valley Center
KENTUCKY
David Stone (EAA 1047813), Bowling Green
LOUISIANA
Harry Abbott Jr. (EAA 690162), Baton Rouge
Bruce Miller (EAA 355127), Harahan
MASSACHUSETTS
Oliver H. Durrell III (EAA 1079540), Plymouth
MINNESOTA
Travis Anderson (EAA 701584), Mountain Iron
Harold Cotant (EAA 693539), Laporte
Adam Menze (EAA 379302), Ottertail
Vicky Skodje (EAA 395118), Faribault
NEW YORK
Russell Hardy (EAA 113265), Eggertsville
NORTH CAROLINA
Carl Kester (EAA 308261), Greenville
Larry Woods (EAA 172554), Winterville
NORTH DAKOTA
Edmund Jensen (EAA 701289), Fargo
James Skadberg (EAA 227267), Carrington
OHIO
Clarence Sollberger (EAA 1012873), Stow
OREGON
William McMichael (EAA 359283), Salem
MEMBERCENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA
Gladys Adam (EAA 1050714), Madera
William Weeks (EAA 50596), Glen Mills
SOUTH CAROLINA
Raymond Miller (EAA 115661), Taylors
TEXAS
Donald Childs (EAA 26608), Dripping Springs
Paul Edison (EAA 1017486), Garland
James Light (EAA 758212), Kerrville
VIRGINIA
Paul Gardella (EAA 14059), Burke
Robert Hess (EAA 327989), Yorktown
WASHINGTON
Peter Niklaus (EAA 879498), Normandy Park
WISCONSIN
Patricia Carey (EAA 460628), Pardeeville
Glen Derber (EAA 63377), Neenah
Ernest Groth (EAA 1054234), Elkhart Lake
Eugene Tepe (EAA 361318), Roberts
WYOMING
Dale Wright (EAA 523971), Wright
AUSTRALIA
Hartley Young (EAA 100556), Melton, Victoria
CANADA
Jean Dueck (EAA 717469), High River, Alberta
Daniel Mariage (EAA 841984), Weston, Ontario
PUERTO RICO
Francisco Baco (EAA 881718), Guaynabo
SWEDEN
Hans Olsson (EAA 278910), Arjang, Varmland
www.eaa.org123
MEMBERCENTRAL
MEMBERS/CHAPTERS IN ACTION
Midland Aviation Camp
BY JEFF SKILES, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITIES AND MEMBER PROGRAMS
MANY OF OUR CHAPTERS have created unique programs to further
aviation and introduce young people to our passion. One such
program is a weeklong youth aviation camp operated by Chapter
1093 in Midland, Michigan.
The Midland Aviation Camp invites 16 campers to a day
program that teaches the basics of aerodynamics, careers,
weather, and aviation history, as well as the basics of ight
planning, such as calculating speed and distance, Zulu time,
and GPS operation. The planning phase culminates with each
camper planning a complete three-legged cross-country ight.
Other activities include a tour of a control tower, use of ight
simulators, and a paper airplane competition.
The camp is staffed with the participation of 40-45 volunteers
made up of chapter members, local volunteers, and campers from
previous years who return to teach and mentor this years participants.
So, what are the results of the Midland Aviation Camp? The
chapter offers a $2,500 ight-training scholarship that it splits
among the best participants of the camp. Last year this $2,500
scholarship was split among seven applicants, allowing them
to get a taste of ight training. Six of those young adults who
participated in 2012 have gone on to earn their private pilot
certicates. Six new pilots in the world from one weeklong camp!
EAA Chapter 1093 was founded in 1995 and fosters a
welcoming spirit for young people, not only with its generous
scholarship awards, but also through other activities. The
124Sport AviationJune 2013
chapter has sponsored the Aviation Camp
since 1996 and has a strong mentoring
program that encourages young adults
to attend and volunteer at its pancake
breakfasts, spring clean-up days, and
monthly meetings. The photo of the 2012
Midland Aviation Camp tells it all; most of
the camp leaders and instructors who are
kneeling are former campers themselves.
EAA chapters are instrumental in
building the future of aviation and being the
local hub of aviation enthusiasm in their
communities. Please share your chapter
stories with us so that we can highlight your
amazing programs for our membership.
CONGRATULATIONS
CONGRATULATIONS to Jerry Johnston,
EAA 59063, and Gene Smith, EAA
105537, for earning the Wright
Brothers Master Pilot Award for 50
years of accident-free ying.

WHATS NEW IN CHAPTERS
BY JEFF SKILES, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITIES AND MEMBER PROGRAMS
CHAPTER VIDEO MAGAZINE
Our rst edition of the
Chapter Video Magazine
in May included many
exciting stories. Jack J.
Pelton spoke of the future
plans for EAA. We brought
Paul Pobereznys P-64 out of the AirVenture
Museum and back to life, culminating in an
engine run by Paul. We began our ve-part
steel-tube fuselage build. And, we heard from
a young volunteer at EAA who has come all
the way from Germany to work at the mecca of
aviation, Oshkosh.
The Chapter Video Magazine is a new
production from EAA specically for chapters
that can be seen at your monthly meeting. It is
meant to be shown only at a monthly chapter
meeting, so we are asking our chapter leaders
not to post this content to the Internet to keep
this valuable content reserved for chapters.
On the rst of every month we send a link
to the Chapter Video Magazine download to
your chapter leaders so they can have access
to the current months production, designed
to support our chapter leaders and allow
them to easily present interesting content at
your meetings. The Chapter Video Magazine
is being created by EAAs extremely talented
multimedia journalist Brady Lane, so we
know the quality will be exceptional.
There are many exciting stories that will
be coming your way over the next year, and
we hope to introduce our chapters to the
fantastic things that our members are doing
around the country.
If you havent seen the new Chapter Video
Magazine in your meetings, ask your chapter
leaders for it. And when you come to Oshkosh
for the convention, please stop in the Chapter
Pavilion, where you will be able to view the
rst three months of this fantastic new offering.
CHAPTER PAVILION
You will see a new presence around chapters
at AirVenture this year. Chapters, Young
MEMBERCENTRAL
Eagles, and Eagle Flights will be located
together in a large tent right at the compass
rose across from the EAA Welcome Center
on Knapp Street. Chapters are the backbone
of our organization, and our new Chapter
Pavilion at the center of AirVenture shows
the commitment EAA has to its chapters and
most dedicated members.
In the Chapter Pavilion we will
have space for our own chapter forum
presentations and will be asking our chapter
leaders and members to share their success
stories. We will also be able to provide space
for closely associated organizations like the
Academy of Model Aeronautics to show our
members how chapters can work with other
organizations to bring youth into aviation.
For our chapter leaders, members,
and volunteers we will have a continuous
showing of our new Chapter Video Magazine
as well as the Careers in Aviation videos for
Young Eagles and youth members. If you are
a chapter leader, member, or Young Eagles
www.eaa.org125
MEMBERCENTRAL
MEMBERS/CHAPTERS IN ACTION

volunteer, or want to become one, please stop

in and nd out more about chapters at EAA.

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITIES
We have a very exciting personnel announ-
cement at EAA for our chapters and home-
building communities. EAA is very fortunate
to have Charlie Becker returning from AOPA
to lead our homebuilding community.
Initially we posted a position for a
homebuilders community manager at EAA,
but Charlie is of such great capability that
we have elevated the position to director
of communities. He will also lead SportAir
Workshops and the Flight Advisor and
Technical Counselor programs, and will
share responsibility with me for all of our
EAA communities.
In this capacity, Charlie will work closely
with the Homebuilt and Ultralight aircraft
councils and our Vintage, Warbirds of America,
and International Aerobatic Club divisions. We
are very excited to have Charlie back where
he belongs in a position to use his tremendous
skills and abilities to craft the future at EAA.
THE JUNE 2013 edition of EAAs Chapter Video Magazine will be available to
download by chapter leaders on June 1. Here are this months feature highlights:
News From HQ
An update on the features and attractions coming to EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh 2013.
Vans Aircraft Tour: Behind the Scenes
Explore the inner workings of the worlds most popular kit manufacturer.
Steel-Tube Fuselage Construction, Part 2
An over-the-shoulder look, packed with hints and tips.
If you would like to view this months Chapter Video Magazine, please attend
an EAA chapter meeting near you. Find a chapter at www.EAA.org/chapters/locator.
EAAs Chapter Video Magazine is a monthly video series designed to enrich your
chapter meetings and grow participation in aviation. For more information, visit
www.EAA.org/chapters/videomag.

Meet me at the Brown Arch

Leave your mark on an EAA AirVenture landmark.

nce
fo r an u n fo rgettable experie
Join us
the fe w re maining airworthy
aboard one of r call
Purchase your brick by June 15, 2013 and have it
in th e w orld . Visit B17.org o
B-17s ight.
inscribed with a message of your choosing and placed
-3 59 -621 7 to reserve your
at the Brown Arch for AirVenture 2013. 1-800
Overcast.
sts for Aluminum
nce and operations co
lp cover maintena
m the B-17 tour he
Revenues fro
Visit AirVenture.org/arch or contact Robin Kasel Keep em Flying
at rkasel@eaa.org or 1-800-236-1025 for pricing,
brick selection and information. 2013 Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc.

126Sport AviationJune 2013

MEMBERCENTRAL
WELCOME, NEW LIFETIME MEMBERS
Scott Albers (EAA 1024117), Medford, Wisconsin
Edward Berthold (EAA 845558)
845558), Fox River Grove,
Grove Illinois
Patrick Booth (EAA 684747), Austin, Texas
Mike Broomeld (EAA 729234), Edmond, Oklahoma
David Carberry (EAA 622440) Stockton, Utah
Robert Clay (EAA 1110773), Lees Summit, Missouri
Matthew Defenbaugh (EAA 584131), Biggsville, Illinois
Leslie Drake (EAA 622500), Lincoln, Nebraska
Michael Elliott (EAA 560650), Cameron, Texas
Bruce Evans (EAA 692474), Glen Allen, Virginia
John Feldvary (EAA 669583), Jackson, Michigan
Christopher Freeze (EAA 1109424), Martinez, California
Samantha Fuhrman (EAA 832107), Roachdale, Indiana
Klein Gilhousen (EAA 439938), Bozeman, Montana
Bernard Groceman (EAA 204642), San Antonio, Texas
Mark Hahn (EAA 9003390), Kewaskum, Wisconsin
James Harvilchuck (EAA 9018764), Orland Park, Illinois
Amy Henderson (EAA 856392), Fulton, Missouri
Tom Henderson (EAA 856391), Fulton, Missouri
Ted Horstman (EAA 869105), Kalida, Ohio
Neil Hutton (EAA 880238), Wray, Colorado
Serena Kamps (EAA 1011028), Pickett, Wisconsin
Cyrus Kano (EAA 880598), Cataumet, Massachusetts
Alberta Knox (EAA 1109278), San Rafael, California
John Kuetemeyer (EAA 612949), Crystal Lake, Illinois
Roger Larson (EAA 1008404), Madison, Minnesota
Don Luchtenburg (EAA 618533), Grundy Center, Iowa
128Sport AviationJune 2013
William McCulloch (EAA 638747), Raleigh, North Carolina
Leslie McGilvrayy (EAA 298301)
298301), Central Point
Point, Oregon
Shannon McKinney (EAA 1012091), Carthage, North Carolina
Harry Morgan (EAA 1006954), Hannibal, Missouri
Ralph Morgan (EAA 655779), Moore, Texas
Scott Morgan (EAA 602986), Allen, Nebraska
Maria Morrison (EAA 667836), Port Townsend, Washington
William Morton (EAA 377331), Naples, Florida
Derek Nagle (EAA 876437), Ada, Michigan
James Nau (EAA 1016586), Louisville, Ohio
Vincent Olson (EAA 743388), Spring, Texas
Clifton OMeara (EAA 867544), Georgetown, Texas
Carol Presley (EAA 1109747), Charlotte, North Carolina
Clay Presley (EAA 1057163), Charlotte, North Carolina
Je Reynolds (EAA 655575), Port Orange, Florida
Brian Ross (EAA 569338), Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Rodney Sargent (EAA 1012266), Edmond, Oklahoma
Larry Schronce (EAA 610251), Ada, Oklahoma
Brandon Scott (EAA 351054), Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
William Shaw (EAA 696222), Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Jerey Sherwood (EAA 568520), St. Louis, Michigan
Karl Thomas (EAA 858189), Mesquite, Texas
John Viney (EAA 1019212), Albuquerque, New Mexico
Dale West (EAA 385722), Green Bay, Wisconsin
David Willingham (EAA 283298), Hernando, Mississippi
Michael Wonder (EAA 227951), Bloomeld, Indiana
Daniel Zambrano (EAA 1017951), Atlanta, Georgia
MEMBERCENTRAL
PARTNER INSIDER

Helpful Information
LOOKING FOR MORE information on an EAA benet or program? Heres some general contact information
to help you get started.

Membership
Join, renew, or questions: www.EAA.org/join or 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322)

Member Benets
EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan (for U.S. EAA Members): www.EAA.org/insurance or 866-647-4322
EAA Aviation & Non-Aviation Accidental Death Insurance Plan: www.EAA.org/insurance or 877-230-3252
EAA Aircraft Insurance C-Plan (for Canadian EAA Members): www.EAA.org/insurance or 855-736-3407
EAA Visa Credit Card: www.EAA.org/visa
ASTC Museum Passport Program: www.EAA.org/passport
EAA Informational Webinars: www.EAA.org/webinars
EAA Hints for Homebuilders Videos: www.EAAVideo.org
EAA Flight Advisor: www.EAA.org/ightadvisors
EAA Technical Counselors: www.EAA.org/techcounselors

Member Discounts
AirVenture Admission: www.AirVenture.org/planning/admission.html
EAA SportAir Workshops: www.SportAir.com or 800-967-5746
EAA Ford Tri-Motor Experience: www.AirVentureMuseum.org/fordtrimotor
EAA B-17 Flight Experience: www.B17.org
Ford Vehicle Partner Program: www.EAA.org/ford
John Deere Partner Program: www.EAA.org/johndeere
Hertz Rental Car: www.EAA.org/hertz
LaserGrade FAA Tests: www.EAA.org/lasergrade

Membership Community
EAA Chapters: www.EAA.org/chapters/locator
EAA International Aerobatic Club: www.IAC.org
EAA Warbirds of America: www.Warbirds-EAA.org
EAA Vintage Aircraft Association: www.VintageAircraft.org
EAA Ultralights: www.EAA.org/ultralights
EAA Homebuilders: www.EAA.org/homebuilders

130Sport AviationJune 2013

FLYMART & CLASSIFIED ADS

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to fabric-cover your airplane?
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Spindle, Probe, Lathe, and more.
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LANDING GEAR WHEELS & BRAKES

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132Sport AviationJune 2013

 Introducing the Legal Eagle XL. A new ultralight with a
larger cockpit area and increased gross weight allowance.
Empty weight 246 lbs, wing area 120 sq. ft., gross weight
of 575 lbs. Stol. Powered by the better half VW aero engine.
www.betterhalfvw.com doubleeagleairplane.com
Airplane plans $80. Engine plans $20. Three helpful
DVDs $25 each. Call John Bolding for materials package and
welded fuselages. 281-383-0113. Call L.E. Milholland for
plans, DVDs and parts for wings and fuselage. Work 281-375-
5453. Cell 281-785-3777.

AEROMEDICAL
Medical/Special Issuance Help direct from Senior
AME. Immediate help. Phone, Email and onsite
consultations for all medical classes. Great Jackson
Hole location to visit while getting an exam. If we
cannot get you a medical, no one can. Brent Blue
MD 307-733-8002 www.emergacare.com
AIRCRAFT
Falco project, 20% completed, located Allentown PA,
for details wjhoffman10@gmail.com
KIS TR1 always hangared, $39,600. Details George:
517-536-1034
Pietenpol Air Camper w/65 HP Cont, new wood prop.
Motor & prop $4K, entire plane $10K OBO 603-485-9658
AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS
Eighteen years manufacturing AOAs www.riteangle.
com 360-260-0772
Digital Altimeter & Gauges Adaptive Interfaces
www.adaptint.com
BOOKS
A Wing Design Method for Aerospace Students
and Homebuilders offers 56 years of experience
condensed into a simple, practical design for metal
wings. Youre walked thru the preliminary design
phase & to a final design that can be fabricated.
Available from the author, rsookey@swbell.net,
Trafford Book Co, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble
WORLDS MOST POPULAR Aircraft Design Books @
www.aircraftdesigns.com/831-621-8760
EMPLOYMENT
www.Airjobsdaily.com - Your link to Open Posi-
tions within Aviation & Aerospace!
ENGINES
Lycoming Overhauled IO360A3B6D $23.5K more info
203-637-9670 thalheimsix@hotmail.com
Kawasaki package - save 50% - engine, reduction
drive, carburetor, and exhaust. 0-time, 64 lbs., 40
HP. Contact J-Bird - (262) 626-2611

www.eaa.org133
CLASSIFIED ADS
Engines starting at $200 - guaranteed Kawasaki, Ro-
tax, Hirth and most other brands with BEST reduction
drive, carburetor, exhaust selection of accessories
with top-notch service from our friendly staff. J-Bird,
210 Main St. Kewaskum WI 53040, (262) 626-2611
Hirth Aircraft Engines: 15-110 HP. 1,000 hr rated TBO.
1 yr warranty. Sales, service & parts. Highest power to
weight ratio in the industry. BlueMax 2-cycle aviation
oil. Recreational Power Engineering 5479 East Country
Rd. 38, Tiffin, OH 44883. PH 800-583-3306 FX 419-585-
6004. Visit us on the web: www.recpower.com
VW Power from Great Plains Aircraft! Type 1 1600cc
to 2276cc. Direct, Reduction and Flywheel Drives.
Assembled, kits and parts. Engine packages for all
VW powered aircraft. Contact Great Plains Aircraft at
402-493-6507 or GPASC.com
LEGAL
Experienced Patent Attorney & fellow pilot ready to help
you protect & profit from your invention. Clients located
across the US. Free consultation & only quality work.
Michael L Wise 914-879-4642 www.mlwise-law.com
MISC
Composites & Supplies - 37+ years of excellent
customer service, designers, manufacturers, materi-
als. Always in stock: epoxy, polyester, Vinyleter resin,
carbon fiber, Kevlar, lightweight fairing & bonding
compounds, Nida Core, PVC Foam Core, Vacuum
bagging & vacuum resin infusion supplies. Order
online www.lbifiberglass.com or call for free catalog
800-231-6537, technical assistance
PEDAL POWERED P-51 Mustang, fully detailed,
prop goes around when pedaled, steering by stick/
tail wheel, for kids 3-7, $2500, U pay 4 shipping,
406-837-1199
Business for sale. Manufactures fairings for Vans
RV broker - Ray 602-820-8590
Aviation themed gifts-spinners-kites-puzzles-retro
signs-windsocks order from redneckpilot.com
Aircraft wires from Bruntons of Scotland. Certified
wires featuring stronger rolled threads. AN665 stain-
less terminal assemblies. Call for quote. Steen Aero
Lab, (321) 725-4160. www.steenaero.com
www.terminaltown.com - Electrical supplies:
Mil-Spec wire and terminals, fuses, blocks, wire
protection, tools and kits On-line catalog, secure
ordering sales@terminaltown.com
134Sport AviationJune 2013
BUILD YOUR OWN BOAT! Send $9.95 for catalog of over
300 boats you can build, includes FREE Dingy plans.
Glen-L, 9152 Rosecrans Ave/EAA, Bellflower, CA 90706,
888-700-5007. Online catalog: Glen-L.com/EAA
FLOATS BY ZENAIR 750# to 2500# straight & amphib
kits www.zenairfloats.com
MAGAZINE ANNUALS EAA 1956-08 $100 AOPA 1958-08
$275 FLYING 1941-08 $290 EAA MANUALS-MISC $75 Details
www.barraircraft.com com Jim Barr 570-368-3655
OSHKOSH/AIRVENTURE HOUSING
OSHKOSH BOUND? Visit Sleepy Hollow Farm - the
closest private RV campground to AirVenture. Call
1-877-438-6531 or www.sleepyhollowfarm.com
2 Rooms, AC, laundry, N-side Oshkosh, $100/per
nite (1), $125/per nite (2). 920-841-0140
PARACHUTES
Parachutes-seat-back-chair - sales, repacks,
repairs. In business since 1960. Call or send $5
for 280 page catalog of skydiving and parachute
equipment. Para-Gear Equipment Co., Dept S,
3839 W. Oakton St., Skokie, IL 60076, 847-679-
5905, or www.paragear.com
Pennsylvania Parachute Company-Pilot Emergency
Parachutes www.pennsylvaniaparachute.com,
610-317-2536
PLANS/KITS
Plans advertised in EAA Sport Aviation must have satisfied the
FAA minimum requirements of the Experimental Amateur-built
Category and must have been operated a minimum of 25 hours
when using an FAA certified engine or 40 hours with a non-
certified engine and should have satisfactorily demonstrated its
advertised qualities. The FAA Operation Limitation must have
been amended to permit flight outside the test flight area.
Volksplane-Complete VP-1 Plans $64 w/FREE
Designers Handbook, Pilots Handbook, builders
photos & Flight Reports. www.volksplane.com &
www.evansair.com
RV Builders-Upper/lower gear leg intersection fair-
ings www.aerosu.com 507-635-5976
Skybolt plans $165, Pitts S1-C plans $250, S1-SS updates
$100, materials & components. Knight Twister plans:
single $250, two-place $285. Firebolt plans $275. Great
Lakes plans $350. Pilot & aircraft accessories. Steen Aero
Lab, (321) 725-4160. www.steenaero.com
Sonerai Aircraft. Sonerai I, II Original, and II Stretch.
Steel fuselage, fabric covered and foldable wings.
Plans built with many pre-fab parts. VW powered.
DVD/Info Pack $14.95. Plans $124.95. Great Plains
Aircraft. 402-493-6507 sonerai.com
11 Wooden low wing C. Piels designs. Catalog $25.00.
S. Littner, 432 Hamel, St-Eustache, Quebec J7P 4M3
Canada, 450 974-7001, slittner@videotron.ca
Pazmany PL-2-two place, all metal, plans $425. Light
Sport Aircraft Category: Pazmany PL-1 -two place, all met-
al, plans $425 (For info, see website below). Light Sport
Aircraft Category: Pazmany PL-4A- single place, all metal,
plans $375. Pazmany PL-9 Stork-Two place STOL (Fieseler
Storch, 3/4 replica)welded tube fuselage, aluminum wing
and empenage, fabric covered. Super detailed plans (700
sq.ft.) $550. Mail plans: USA@0; Canada $35; Foreign
$80. PDF Info Packs $9 available at website below. PL-9
Stork video or DVD $30. Mail: USA $5; Foreign air & ins. $24.
Pazmany Aircraft Corporation, P O Box 60577, San Diego,
CA 92166. Tel:619-224-7330, Fax: 619-224-7358; E-mail:
info@pazmany.com, www.pazmany.com
AcroliteWinner of Scratchbuilt Design Contest in
1996. Quick & easy to build. Cruises @ 110 mph, takes
off & lands in 500 & designed for sportsman aero-
batics. Powered by Rotax, Info Pack is FREE & Plans
$295.00. Complete kits available. Contact Aircraft
Spruce @ 951-372-9555,www.aircraftspruce.com
Baby Great LakesThese aircraft are well proved
designs, which are easy to construct and fly. Classic
good looks & aerobatic. Plans available for Baby
Great Lakes $229.95, Super Baby Great Lakes (beefed
up version) $295.00 & Buddy Baby Great Lakes (two-
place) $250.00. Info Pack is $13.75. Contact Aircraft
Spruce at 951-372-9555,www.aircraftspruce.com
ChristaviaRon Masons field workhorse is easy
to fly and provides STOL performance, good cruise
speed, large cabin, low maintenance. Order Info
Pack (FREE), MK-1 (tandem) plans ($275.00) MK-2
conversion plans (side-by-side) ($35.00), or MK-4
(4-place) ($275.00) from Aircraft Spruce at 951-372-
9555,www.aircraftspruce.com
One DesignDan Rihns high performance aerobatic
monoplane cruises at 160 mph and is ideal for basic
through advanced aerobatics. Quick, easy construc-
tion with outstanding performance. Info pack is
FREE and plans $376.95. Contact Aircraft Spruce at
951-372-9555,www.aircraftspruce.com
StardusterLou Stolps classic Starduster Too is a
2-place, open sport bi-plane using a Lycoming O-360
engine. Features a 4130 steel fuselage with spruce
spars and 1/4 plywood ribs for simple construction.
Starduster Too plans $250.00. Plans are available
for Starduster, Super Starduster, Acroduster, Starlet,
and V-Star $115.00 each. Contact Aircraft Spruce at
951-372-9555,www.aircraftspruce.com
TailwindThe Homebuilt Classic from Steve Wit-
tmanCruise at 180 mph. Quick, easy build from
detailed plans developed by air race champion
Steve Wittman. Tailwind plans $195.00. V8 engine
conversion plans available. Plans now completely
re-drawn and updated. Contact Aircraft Spruce at
951-372-9555,www.aircraftspruce.com
Acro Sport I & II, Pober Pixie, Pober Super Ace,
Pober Jr Ace, Cougar-Plans $125, Postage $12; Info
Paks $6, Postage $6. Free brochure on Pober Jr Ace
& Pober Super Ace; Acro Sport, Inc, PO Box 462,
Hales Corners, WI 53130, 414-529-2609
PROPELLERS
www.PerformancePropellersUSA.com . Two &
Three Blade Multi-Laminate Wood composite propel-
lers for up through 300 HP. 713-417-2519
Prince P-TIP... Carbon Fiber/Wood High Performance
Propellers. Anti-vortex P-TIP, Automatic Pitch
Change. All Aircraft, Engines, UAV, Wind Tunnels,
Prototype Designs. Propeller Repairs. Worldwide
Shipping. Prince Aircraft Company, P.O. Box 2669-A,
Whitehouse, OH 43571-0566A. Phone: 419-877-5557,
http://princeaircraft.com, Credit Cards accepted.
Ed Sterba Propellers Custom Carving for Homebuilts
513 68th St Holmes Beach, FL 34217 941-778-3103
MT & Hoffmann Propellers for aerobatic, homebuilt
& production aircraft. Call for quote. Steen Aero Lab,
(321) 725-4160. www.steenaero.com
SERVICES
Patent, Trademarks, Copyrights. Robert Platt Bell,
Registered Patent Attorney, EAA Member, 821 River-
view Drive, Jekyll Island, GA 31527. robertplattbell@
gmail.com. PH. 912-635-2147.
WANTED
Donate projects to Cornerstone 501c3, founded 68
205-821-9076 planekit@aol.com donateyourplane.com
Donate your airplane, project, boat or RV to
Samaritan Aviation, a charity that provides mission/
medical services to remote areas of the world. www.
samaritanaviation.com 970-249-4341
 At your service: advertisers in this issue AD INDEX

Advertiser Page Website Phone Number

Advanced Flight Systems 18 www.Advanced-Flight-Systems.com 503/263-0037
AeroConversions 90 www.AeroConversions.com 920/231-8297
Aerotronics, Inc. 41 www.aerotronics.com 406/259-5006
AEROX 105 www.aerox.com 800/237-6902
Air Repair, Inc. 129 www.sirrepairinc.com 662-846-0228
Aircraft Specialties Services 79 www.aircraft-specialties.com 800/826-9252
Aircraft Spruce & Specialty OBC www.aircraftspruce.com 877/4-SPRUCE
Aircraft Spruce & Specialty/Cozy 47 www.aircraftspruce.com 877/4-SPRUCE
Aircraft Tool Supply Co. 24 www.aircraft-tool.com 800/248-0638
Bendix King 21 www.bendixking.com 855/250-7027
CAF B-29/B-24 Squadron 89 www.airpowertour.org 432/413-4100
California Power Systems 117 www.800-airwolf.com 800/247-9653
Cessna Aircraft Company 31 www.cessna.com 800/4-CESSNA
Cirrus Aircraft 39 www.cirrusaircraft.com 800/279-4322
Daher-Socata 17 www.tbm850.com 954/993-8477
DiNelly Aerosystems Ltd. 81 www.dinelly.com 49-89-20030790
DTC DUAT 29 www.duat.com 800/243-3828
Dynon Avionics IFC www.dynonavionics.com 425/402-0433
EAA Aviation Insurance/Falcon 87, 125 www.eaalowerrates.com 866/647-4322
EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2013 110 www.airventure.org 920/426-4800
EAA B-17 126 www.b17.org 800/359-6217
EAA SportAir Workshops 107 www.sportair.com 800/967-5746
EAA Sweepstakes 2013 131 www.eaa.org/sweepstakes 800/236-1025
Epic Aircraft 49 www.epicaircraft.com 541-318-8849
Flabob Flying Circus/Randolph 101 www.flabobflyingcircus.com 951/703-0091
Flight Design USA 97 www.flightdesignusa.com 860/963-7272
FltPlan.com 41 www.fltplan.com 800/322-7526
Flying Eyes Sunglasses 102 www.flyingeyessunglasses.com 888/568-8978
Ford Motor Company 69, 91 www.ford.com 800/392-3673
Garmin 5, 83 www.garmin.com/ads-b 800/800-1020
Glasair Aviation 25 www.glasairaviation.com 360-435-8533
Grand Rapids Technologies, Inc. 90, 101 www.grtavionics.com 616/245-7700
Hamilton Watch IBC www.hamiltonwatch.com 800/234-TIME
Hearing Help Express 122 www.MDHearingAid.com/KM80 800/873-0680
Helicopter Association International (HAI) 35 www.rotor.com 703/683-4646
Hertz Rental Cars 128 www.hertz.com/eaa 877/826-8782
HTP America Inc 20 www.usaweld.com 800/872-9353
Jeppesen 33 www.JeppDirect.com/flight29 800/621-5377
J.P. Instruments 99 www.jpinstruments.com 800/345-4574
Leading Edge Air Foils, LLC 90 www.leadingedgeairfoils.com 800/532-3462
Lincoln Electric 103 www.lincolnelectric.com 888/355-3213
Lycoming 55 www.lycoming.com 800/258-3279
Mahindra Aerospace 85 www.mahindraaerospace.com 855/424-7826
Marvel-Schebler 30 www.msacarbs.com 855/672-2272
MGL Avionics 117 www.mglavionics.com 877/835-9464
MODS International, Inc. 73 www.modsinternational.com 800/869-1277
Moduline Aluminum Cabinets 113 www.modulinecabinets.com 888/343-4463
MT-Propeller 108 www.mt-propeller.com 386/736-7762
Phillips 66 71 www.Phillips66Aviation.com 800/234-6603
Piper 63 www.piper.com 866/FLY.PIPER
Plane Power 23 www.plane-power.com 877/934-5700
Poly-Fiber Aircraft Coatings 7 www.polyfiber.com 800/362-3490
Pratt & Whitney/Canada 37 www.Pt6Nation.com 800/268-8000
Progressive Insurance 45 www.progressive.com 800/PROGRESSIVE
Savvy Aircraft Maint. Management 133 www.savvyanalysis.com 702/655-1359
Sennheiser 27 www.sennheiser-aviation.com/S1 860/434-9190
Sky-Tec 13 www.skytecair.com 800/476-7896
Sonex, Ltd. 20 www.sonexaircraft.com 920/231-8297
Sportys Pilot Shop 9 www.sportys.com/stratus 800/SPORTYS
Stauer 127 www.stauer.com 800/859-1626
Stewart AC Finishing Systems 30 www.stewartsystems.aero 888/356-7659
Superior Air Parts 43 www.xp-360.com 972/829-4635
Tempest 2 www.tempestplus.com 800/822-3200
Trade-A-Plane 105 www.trade-a-plane.com 800/337-5263
Trutrak Flight Systems 18 www.trutrakap.com 866/TRUTRAK
UL Power 109 www.ulpower.net 573/434-0075
UMA Instruments 102 www.umainstruments.com 800/842-5578
Vans Aircraft, Inc. 19 www.vansaircraft.com 503/678-6545
Vertical Power 82 www.VerticalPower.com 505/715-6172
Wag-Aero 47 www.wagaero.com 800/558-6868
Wicks Aircraft Supply 4 www.wicksaircraft.com 800/221-9425
Zaon Flight Systems 24 www.zaon.aero/ 800/496-9430

For more information from EAA Sport Aviations advertisers, please phone or visit them on the Web, and mention that you saw their ad in EAA Sport Aviation. Visit www.EAA.org for a listing of this months advertisers.
Copyright 2013 by the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. All rights reserved. EAA SPORT AVIATION (USPS 511-720; ISSN 0038-7835; CPC#40612608) is owned exclusively by the Experimental Aircraft Assn., Inc. and is published monthly at the EAA Aviation Headquarters, 3000 Poberezny Rd.,
Oshkosh, WI 54902. Periodical Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and other post offices. [U.S. membership rates are $40.00.] EAA STATEMENT OF POLICY Material published in EAA SPORT AVIATION is contributed by EAA members and other interested persons. Opinions expressed in articles are
solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. Accuracy of the material is the sole responsibility of the contributor. ADVERTISING EAA does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertising.
We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EAA SPORT AVIATION, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

www.eaa.org135
EAAs LOGBOOK
WHERE WE CAME FROM

INSIDE THE ISSUE

Highlights from June 1963:

PG. 4

The 128th Air Refueling Squadron in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,

bundled up to help move this North American F-86H, which
has been in EAAs possession since 1961 and is currently
displayed on the EAA grounds.

PG. 7

Nomad
Harold Krier, EAA 499, of Wichita, Kansas, designed and built the
Krier-Kraft aerobatic biplane in pursuit of Americas hopes for
winning the 1964 World Precision Aerobatic Championship.

E PG. 18
d Lesher of Ann Arbor, Michigan, designed and
built the Nomad to demonstrate the potential
advantages of a pusher configuration, featuring
an unobstructed cabin view and a swing-over control
column. Those who flew the new design after its
completion described the experience as refreshing. The
unorthodox aircraft design was viewed as an excellent
example of ever-progressive EAA member work.
EAA Founder Paul Poberezny noted in the
Homebuilders Corner that enthusiasm is the key to
furthering the development of aviation for the average The PL Laminar, which took first prize for original design at the
1962 EAA fly-in, was dropped from the type certification program
person. He said that a group effort, whether it is
and recertified in the amateur-built category.
from an EAA chapter, family members, or friends, is
necessary to continue to expand general aviation and View archived issues of EAA Sport Aviation in the
develop new aircraft. Members Only section at www.Oshkosh365.org.

136Sport AviationJune 2013

Aircraft Spruce carries everything a pilot could need,
including pilot supplies & avionics always at the
lowest prices. Aircraft Spruce supplies components
for a wide variety of homebuilt aircraft and factory
built aircraft. Visit www.aircraftspruce.com