The Spirit of Aviation | www.eaa.org Vol.66 No.

3 | March 2017

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Off the Beaten
Flight Path
6 cool flying jobs

Wile E Skyot
Vintage design, modern methods

Safety First
A look at the annual
E-AB accident report

Beaver
Leave It to

Floatplane family fun

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 JACK J. PELTON
COMMENTARY / OPEN COCKPIT

Women in Aviation
Its time to remember and celebrate all they have contributed
BY JACK J. PELTON

LEST YOU THINK Ive jumped on a recently popular bandwagon I can tell you that I
have appreciated and benefited greatly my entire life from the accomplishments
and contributions of women in aviation. You see, one extremely important
woman was making her own aviation history before I was even born.
In 1944, my dad was in the U.S. Army Air Forces along with thousands of other
Americans. He was shipped out of his native California to a base in Malden,
Missouri. My mom, again like thousands of other wartime brides, followed her
husband to his new assignment.
Mom threw herself into support of the war effort and became as excited
about aviation as the airmen around her. So much so that she jumped at the
chance to take flying lessons in an Interstate Cadet on the base.
By the time I came along, the most important woman in my life at that time
had already become a part of women in aviation history. That women could fly
and excel in any aspect of aviation was never new to me. It was just there.
But that hasnt always been true. And thats one of the reasons March has
been established as Womens History Month. Since our shared passion is all
things aviation that makes March, to me, Women in Aviation History Month.
At EAA we have as has all of the country become more and more aware The recent hit movie Hidden Figures
of the too often neglected historical achievements of women. At EAA AirVenture tells the story of how a brilliant group of
Oshkosh we are making progress every year including women in their rightful female mathematicians performed the
place in the story we tell of aviation innovation and progress. difficult and essential calculations to
In 2017, EAA WomenVenture will celebrate 10 years of inspiring and empow- describe orbital dynamics and were
ering women at our annual convention to pursue their dreams in aviation. And thus the foundation of our space pro-
EAAs annual Women Soar You Soar program for high school-aged girls is going gram. And they did it with their minds
into its 12th year of engaging and inspiring young women interested in aviation before computers were capable of such
careers by connecting them with female mentors working in the industry. complicated tasks.
The most successful and concentrated celebration of the history of women in And just last year Elaine Harmon,
aviation takes place, naturally enough, at the annual International Women in one of the pioneering female pilots who
Aviation Conference that is in Orlando, Florida, from March 2 to 4 this year. flew during World War II in the Women
Women in Aviation International (WAI) has been growing steadily since it was Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), was
founded in 1990 by EAA board member Dr. Peggy Chabrian. WAIs goals and laid to rest at Arlington National
objectives are really the same as ours at EAA, which is to bring together people Cemetery alongside our countrys
who are passionate about all aspects of aviation. EAA was founded to focus on per- greatest aviation heroes after passing
sonal and recreational flying, and WAI to concentrate on attracting and supporting away at age 95.
the efforts of women in all areas of aviation, and even space travel. Its been slow, and often too late, but
Both organizations welcome men and women from all corners of the we are making progress. Women are
country and globe. Bringing together people with the same interest builds being recognized for their role. And that
strength of purpose and more importantly shows others that a person who is driving those of us in aviation to
looks like them, thinks like them, and has had similar life experiences can encourage the next generation to succeed
succeed in aviation. where they sometimes felt excluded.
As a young engineer at Douglas Aircraft I heard the stories of the innovations I know mentoring is the correct
of aerodynamicist Yvonne Brill in the late 1940s. Her work was key in establish- term for what we all need to do to
ing Douglas as a leader in the airline aircraft industry. It took time, but the rest of encourage women to become part of the
the country finally recognized her groundbreaking work when she received the aviation activities we love, but I prefer a
National Medal of Technology in 2010. more succinct phrase You go girl!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK www.eaa.org1

 Engineered to Lead.

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Come see us at Booths C-081 and C-082. 800.822.3200
Vol.66 No.3 | March 2017

EAA PUBLICATIONS
Founder: Paul H. Poberezny
Publisher: Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO & Chairman of the Board
Vice President of Communities and
Member Programs: Rick Larsen
Director of Publications/Editor in Chief: Jim Busha
Executive Editor: Kelly Nelson
Senior Editor: Hal Bryan
Senior Copy Editor: Colleen Walsh
Assistant Editor: Katie Holliday-Greenley
Staff Writer: Megan Esau
Graphic Designer: Brandon Jacobs
Photographer: Erin Brueggen
Digital Managing Editor: Sara Nisler
Print/Mail Manager: Randy Halberg
Contributing Writers: Jonathan Arney, Budd Davisson,
Steven Ells, Steve Krog, Dave Matheny, J. Mac McClellan,
Lauran Paine Jr., Charlie Precourt, Robert Rossier, Jeff Skiles,
Beth E. Stanton, Ron Wanttaja

ADVERTISING
Vice President of Marketing and Business Development:
Dave Chaimson / dchaimson@eaa.org
Advertising Manager: Sue Anderson / sanderson@eaa.org

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

Phone: 920-426-4800 Fax: 920-426-4828
E-mail: editorial@eaa.org Website: www.EAA.org

Need to change your address or have other membership

questions, call 800-564-6322 (800-JOIN EAA) or e-mail
membership@eaa.org.

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.

www.eaa.org3
CONTENTS Vol.66 No.3 | March 2017

F E AT U R E S

54
Medical Reform Is Real
BasicMed rule published in January, to take effect in May

58
Beaver Tales
The Marco familys de Havilland DHC-2
By Jim Busha

66
Cool Flying Jobs
Not your average day in the cockpit
By Beth E. Stanton

72
Phenomenon
How Mark Holt puts his good fortune to great use
By Hal Bryan

80
Skyot Simplified
John Roberts and his high-tech approach
to a 40-year-old design
By Budd Davisson

88
Amateur-built Accident Report
2016
By Ron Wanttaja

ON THE COVER AND THIS PAGE: The Marco family's

de Havilland Beaver. Photos by Ed Hicks

For more on many of the topics in this issue, visit www.EAA.org/sportaviation.

To view and submit aviation events, visit www.EAA.org/calendar.

4 March 2017
A PUBLICATION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

D E PA R T M E N T S

COMMENTARY

01 | Open Cockpit
Jack J. Pelton
06 | Letters to the Editor

20 | The Classic Instructor

Steve Krog
24 | Left Seat
J. Mac McClellan
28 | The Workbench
Steven Ells
32 | Light Flight
Dave Matheny
38 | Flight Test
Charlie Precourt
42 | Plane Talk
Lauran Paine Jr.
46 | Stick & Rudder
Robert N. Rossier
50 | Contrails
Jeff Skiles

NEWS & INFO

10 | Advocacy & Safety

Governmental Issues
12 | Flightline
Industry News
16 | Innovation
Cutting Edge Developments
18 | Flyby
120 | FlyMart
121 | Classified Ads

MEMBER CENTRAL

95 | Member Central
96 | What Our Members Are Building/Restoring
101 | Gone West
102 | Members and Chapters In Action
124 | EAAs Attic

EXPERIMENTER

106 | Technically Speaking

Carol and Brian Carpenter
110 | Ultralight World
Jonathan Arney
114 | Shop Talk
Shop Consumables
118 | Hints for Homebuilders
Mobile Welding Table, Centering Round Stock,
Pilot Hole Size

www.eaa.org5
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

In Support
of the NTSB
I READ WITH INTEREST Jeff Skiles column (Contrails, Sully, December 2016) regarding Looking Back at RotorWay
the Miracle on the Hudson. His recollection of the event and the investigation are I JUST WANTED TO thank you for the historical
noteworthy, but I believe his representation of the NTSB investigation needs to be clari- look at a great homebuilt helicopter com-
fied and corrected. As a GA pilot, former member of the U.S. Navy, a McDonnell Douglas pany (RotorWay Turns 50, January 2017).
and Boeing aircraft accident investigator, as well as a party to many NTSB investiga- Us rotorheads are a small part of the EAA
tions, I believe Skiles comments need to be addressed by someone who has sat on the community, so we treasure the exposure
other side of the long green table. when we can get it. I grew up in a RotorWay
Mr. Skiles criticism of the NTSB began by stating, While these parties are assist- family, and B.J. Schramm, along with my
ing the investigation, they are also representing their own corporate interests, which father and other RotorWay owners, are a big
is why it is critically important to get an advocate for the pilots on these committees. part of why I became an engineer with
The parties are invited by the NTSB to participate because they have the technical dreams of owning a helicopter company. B.J.
expertise that the NTSB does not. They do not represent their own corporate inter- was a big dreamer, and Im thankful that he
ests in a nefarious sense. Advocates for a particular pilot or company are not permitted had a part in making me into the helicopter
only experts. enthusiast I am today.
Skiles continued, My interview, which took place separately from Sully and not _
together as is depicted in the movie, was three hours long. I hadnt slept in three days by Stephanie Bell, EAA 1138198
that point, and I was denied the most basic right of any charged felon legal assistance Grapevine, Texas
and representation. I sat at a conference table surrounded by eight or nine members from
the NTSB investigation committees. There was no adversarial tone in their questioning as
was depicted in the movie, there was no condescension, but there didnt need to be; it is a
very intimidating process.
Skiles apparently misunderstands the fundamental nature of the NTSB inquiry it is a
safety investigation, not a criminal investigation therefore, legal counsel is not permit-
ted. The investigation is a search for all of the facts relevant to the accident. The NTSB
was given this authority by Congress to inquire into all aspects of the pilots lives that
impacted the accident. The NTSB did a thorough job in this case and complimented the
pilots in their report.
Skiles added, In actual fact the NTSB investigators were completely respectful, but Talking Crosswinds
there is no denying that it is an adversarial situation. For a year we were left to worry ROBERT ROSSIERS ARTICLE Crazy Angles
about our future careers as the investigation ground on. Powerful forces central to the (Stick and Rudder, January 2017) was not
investigation were arrayed against us airlines, aircraft manufacturers, engine manu- only accurate but enjoyable to read. One point
facturers any one of whom would consider it a success if it shifted even a small stuck out in my mind from the 1960s and the
portion of the liability onto another party. The pilots are always a ripe target. FAA. The term slip could never be used in
All of the dedicated men and women of the NTSB, FAA, other federal and foreign the practice of landing in a crosswind; same
agencies, and companies that I have observed in nearly 30 years of aircraft accident control input but different objective. Time
investigation have conducted themselves with the utmost professionalism. There is no marches on, and perhaps the FAA should
adversarial role for the investigators to play. If investigators were to be adversarial, we have not been afraid of pilots skill being so
would not get the cooperation of the people involved. The job we perform as investi- lame as to slip into the ground with the loss of
gators is very hard, sometimes dangerous, and carried out without prejudice toward altitude instead of simply landing with the
the outcome. The factual findings we make contribute immensely to the improvement upwind wheel touching first!
of aviation safety worldwide. _
_ Rob Mixon, EAA 110647
Jeff Edwards, EAA Lifetime 396867 Jupiter, Florida
Chesterfield, Missouri

6 March 2017


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Celebrating Mistakes
I ENJOYED THE ARTICLE in the January Sport Aviation by Lauran Paine
titled Mistakes. I spent 33 years working on high-end, complex office
equipment that required troubleshooting on every service call. The
most important thing I learned about troubleshooting was that you have
to fully understand what is normal operation of whatever you are
troubleshooting. Without knowing what normal operation is, you are
simply stumbling through the process and hope to find something. The
final test on a training course was to repair a piece of equipment with
five failures. You simply start from power on and work through the
system until you find a not normal event, repair it, and continue on to
the next not normal event. The process continues until all is normal
again. This process works on anything you troubleshoot. If you dont
know normal, youd best call someone who does.
I was once asked to look at an inoperative clock in a C-172 that was
blowing fuses. A quick look under the panel found a 12-volt lead firmly
attached to one of the mount bolts. Not normal as it was a mechanical
clock. I removed the wire fixing the blown fuse and wound the clock. I
informed the owner the repair was complete, but he would have to
bring it back to the shop every seven days for follow-up.
_
Larry Flesner, EAA 356226
Carterville, Illinois
I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED Lauran Paine Jr.s article (Plane Talk,
Mistakes, January 2017) and have to say I recognized the Guillows
Super Cub immediately; my son and I had built that same kit about
35 years ago.
Having worked a number of years in the business of fixing various
things, I could really identify with those mistakes and all the sugges-
tions been there, done that for sure!
I have a nearly identical list, though I add two more:
1) Never overlook the obvious.
2) If all else fails ... you know the rest.
Keep it up; enjoy reading every issue cover-to-cover!
_ has flown both aircraft, he did not fly the Fokker
Walt Buskey, EAA 1177980
Etna, New Hampshire
8 March 2017
Swift Fuels STC
I WOULD LIKE TO call your attention to an article in
the January issue of Sport Aviation (Swifts
94UL, Workbench) about Swift UL94 fuel.
Steve Ells erroneously implied that the STC
used to approve various airframes for Swifts UL94
belongs to Swift. That is incorrect. [The STC] is
held by Petersen Aviation Inc. While it is true that
the STC is ordered through the Swift website, the
STC is held by and is put together and shipped out
by Petersen Aviation Inc.
_
Todd L. Petersen, President, Petersen Aviation Inc.
Minden, Nebraska
Transcontinental Transposition
HAVING FLOWN PART OF this route (Transcontinental
Air Transport, Contrails, January) several times, I
noticed a slight error: Albuquerque, New Mexico,
and Winslow, Arizona, have been transposed on
this chart.
_
Tony Wodishek, EAA 306485
Pueblo, Colorado
Tony Several sharp-eyed readers pointed this
out, but you were the first. We regret the error and
appreciate everyone who took the time to point out
our mistake. Editor
Correction
IN THE FEBRUARY 2017 issue the feature story
Remembering the Beginnings by Budd
Davisson featured a sidebar titled How Do They
Fly? The sidebar references the pilots who flew
the planes at EAA AirVenture 2016 and shares
insights on the handling characteristics of the
individual aircraft. Chris Bulko was quoted for
both the Fokker D.VIII and Spad VII. While he
D.VIII at Oshkosh. That honor went to builder
Brian Coughlin.
In that same article, comments regarding the
Golden Age Air Museums Sopwith Pup were
attributed to Paul Dougherty but were made by
D. Michael Damiani. Air to air photos of the
Golden Age Triplane and Pup were taken by
Stephen Chapis. We regret any confusion this
may have caused.
SUBMISSIONS
LETTERS INTENDED for publication should be e-mailed to editorial@eaa.org
or addressed to EAA/Letter to the Editor, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI, 54903.
Please include your EAA number, city, and state. All letters are subject to editing.
Unpublished letters will not be returned.
ADVOCACY AND SAFETY
GOVERNMENTAL ISSUES
Advancing the Parts Approval
Process the EAA Way
BY SEAN ELLIOTT, EAA VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVOCACY AND SAFETY
THE GOAL: bringing down the cost of flying.
The opportunity: Finding a way to approve certain avionics success-
ful in the homebuilt community for use in type-certificated aircraft.
The process: Using EAAs long-established method of building
relationships, consensus, and solutions to create a path forward.
Last April, when EAA, Dynon, and the FAA worked together to
unveil the first supplemental type certificate that would allow type-
certificated aircraft to use the EFIS-D10A/D100, it was a
breakthrough. It emerged from hours of discussion with the FAA to
find the right pathway. That success also brought other companies
forward who wanted to use the commercial parts approach through
the STC process.
However, it became apparent that the com-
mercial parts process was not the best method
for replicating the success of the Dynon STC.
More than 60 years ago, EAA There were some headwinds inside and out-
side government that resisted making this
Founder Paul H. Poberezny process a standard procedure. EAA had bro-
had to figure out a way for ken some glass with an innovative, disruptive
concept, but more thinking was needed to cre-
his fledgling organization to ate a process for repeating that success.
After months of informal discussion, a
make progress against some of proposed new compliance pathway for parts
manufacturer approval (PMA) for manufac-
the government red tape that turing of low-risk, safety-enhancing
equipment emerged during a January 17
held back grassroots flying. He meeting in Oshkosh that included EAA, top
FAA officials, and aviation industry members.
developed a brilliant formula: In next months Sport Aviation, youll read
Build relationships with key more about the possibilities that could
emerge through this process, called tiered
players, share ideas, and seek PMA, for low-risk, safety-enhancing after-
market products.
a common goal to advance As important as the what happened is
the how and why it happened. The
sport aviation. answers to those questions define how EAA
approaches its work with government and
the aviation community when it comes to
regulatory matters.
The how built on the success following the STC announcement
last April. What worked? What didnt? And what may or may not
work in the future? There was plenty of input in response to all of
10 March 2017
those questions everything from well-for-
mulated proposals to wild notions. Many of
those responses started with, What if...
They were part of numerous conversations
going with those who had an investment in a
positive outcome.
Eventually all the ideas and chatter were
narrowed to a few key thoughts. Then it was
time to bring the stakeholders together. The
hard work of many months was rewarded
with an idea that was ready to roll almost
immediately. Well see prototypes for tiered
PMA later this year, and a new permanent
policy as early as next year.
The why it happened this way speaks to
what EAAs culture is all about and the spirit
of aviation. More than 60 years ago, EAA
Founder Paul H. Poberezny had to figure out
a way for his fledgling organization to make
progress against some of the government red
tape that held back grassroots flying. He
developed a brilliant formula: Build relation-
ships with key players, share ideas, and seek a
common goal to advance sport aviation.
We can agree that government and the
federal bureaucracy have become many
times more complex since the 1950s. The
formula that Paul developed is still magnifi-
cently effective, even though there are
federal departments and pathways that the
original FAA never imagined when the
agency was born six decades ago. A people-
to-people approach works.
There are times when EAA will be asser-
tive and even forceful to make a point or
move forward on an issue. Much of our
advocacy and regulatory work, however,
depends on day-by-day effort with people
who are an unnamed but important part of
the process. Building relationships and
bridging gaps remains the best path to long-
term success toward our goals.
CUTTING THROUGH REPAIRMAN CERTIFICATE RED TAPE
AFTER BEING CONTACTED by a member strug-
gling to obtain his amateur-built repairman
certificate, EAAs government advocacy
team was able to work with an FAA flight
standards district office (FSDO) to clarify
regulations and ensure that the members
application was approved.
In accordance with FAA Order 8900.1, to
be eligible for a repairman certificate an
amateur-built aircraft owner must prove
either that they were the original builder of
the aircraft or that they have the expertise to
sufficiently perform condition inspections
for safe aircraft operation. The EAA member
had difficulty with an inconsistent interpre-
tation of the FAA order and its meaning.
To obtain a repairman certificate, a per-
son must apply directly through an FAA
FSDO. Members with any questions on the
process can contact EAAs government advo-
cacy team for guidance.

MAINTAINING VIABILITY AND

SAFETY OF WARBIRD OPERATIONS
EAAS SEAN ELLIOTT, EAA vice president of
advocacy and safety, who himself is a spe-
cialty examiner for the B-17, represented the
association at a specialty examiner confer-
ence in Texas in late January. Specialized
examiners fill a need to ensure that experi-
enced and well-trained pilots are available
to operate some of the most interesting and
challenging aircraft. Decades ago, EAA was
instrumental in creating specialty examiner
DYNON STC AIRCRAFT LIST EXPANDS programs to support the unique needs of the
warbird and experimental jet communities
MORE THAN TWO DOZEN aircraft models are now eligible to use the affordable Dynon flight and continues to support these crucial
displays approved for type-certificated aircraft through EAAs first STC, in partnership with efforts to keep these special aircraft flying
Dynon and the FAA. This adds to the more than two dozen aircraft already eligible through safely. There are currently nearly 30 desig-
the EAA Accessible Safety STC program introduced last April. nees under this program, and the FAAs
The expansion of the approved model list (AML) for the Dynon EFIS-D10A and Dynon continued support shows a dedication to
EFIS-D100 models now includes a number of Beechcraft, Grumman, Maule, and Mooney air- ensuring these unique aircraft are flying for
craft. The number of Cessna and Piper aircraft models allowed to use the STC have also increased. many years to come.

For more information on these stories and others, visit www.EAA.org/Advocacy.

EAA EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR SANTA MONICA AIRPORT

ON JANUARY 28, THE FAA and the city of
Santa Monica announced that they
reached a settlement on the future of the
long-embattled Santa Monica Municipal
Airport. The city, which has relentlessly
pursued closing the airport, even in viola-
tion of the federal grant assurances with
which they must comply, announced that
it will close the airport in 2028.
Meanwhile, Santa Monica Airports run-
way will be shortened.
We were surprised at the announcement
of the settlement between the FAA and the
city of Santa Monica regarding its airport,
said EAA CEO and Chairman Jack J. Pelton.
It is certainly a disappointing development,
first concerning the immediate ability to
shorten the runway, and the ultimate ability to
close the airport in 2028.
Though an amicable resolution was
reached between the FAA and the city of
Santa Monica, the users, businesses, and
employees who depend on the airport con-
tinue to be shut out of the discussions about
its future. As those stakeholders continue to
explore options to keep the historical and
vital airport open, EAA will continue to sup-
port their efforts.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM CHARPENTIER, WILLIAM SHORT www.eaa.org11

FLIGHTLINE
INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY NEWS

Historic Flights,
Great Aviators,
Latest Innovations
Featured at AirVenture 2017
Each day has unique highlights and themes

HISTORIC AVIATION ACHIEVEMENTS, legendary pilots, and groundbreak-
ing innovations will all be featured as some of the themes of EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2017 on July 24-30 at Wittman Regional
Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The events create a weeklong series of highlights for the 65th
annual EAA fly-in convention. The fly-in annually draws an atten-
dance of more than 500,000 people and 10,000 airplanes.
Among the themes scheduled for each day are:
Monday, July 24: Opening day and a tribute to legendary aviator
Bob Hoover, who died in October 2016.
Tuesday, July 25: Innovations Day, featuring the latest creations
and inventions in the sky, plus a 25th anniversary celebration of
the EAA Young Eagles program, which has flown more than 2
million young people since 1992.
Wednesday, July 26: Honoring the 75th anniversary of the
famed Doolittle Raiders mission over Japan and the annual
WomenVenture activities that encourage aviation participation
by women of all ages.
Thursday, July 27: Commemorating the
90th anniversary of Charles Lindberghs
historic solo flight from New York to
Paris, and a look to the worlds future
in space.
Friday, July 28: An Apollo space pro-
gram reunion and EAAs annual Salute to
Veterans Day.
Saturday, July 29: Bomber Day, which
welcomes a parade of bomber aircraft
from throughout military history, plus
an observance of the 8th Air Forces
75th anniversary.
Sunday, July 30: Fox Valley Day, a thank-
you to the Oshkosh region for the
support of The Worlds Greatest Aviation
Celebration held in Oshkosh since 1970,
as well as what is known as the worlds
greatest aircraft departure show.

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is known as a

full week of unmatched activities, unique
airplanes, and unforgettable moments, but
these themes create unique highlights for
each one of the seven days, said Rick
Larsen, EAA vice president of communities
and member programs, who coordinates
AirVenture features and attractions. No
place brings all this together in the same
way as we do at Oshkosh.
More details on these AirVenture
theme days, as well as additional features
and attractions, will be announced as they
are finalized.

12 March 2017 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK

PAUL AND AUDREY POBEREZNY HOME PURCHASED BY AIRCRAFT SPRUCE
AIRCRAFT SPRUCE AND SPECIALTY Company
recently closed on the purchase of the
longtime home of Paul and Audrey
Poberezny, located just south of the EAA
Aviation Center and the AirVenture
grounds. It marks an excellent transition
for the property, as Aircraft Spruce offi-
cials plan to use the home as a tribute to
EAAs founding family.
The house was Paul and Audreys home
beginning in 1991, when they restored a cen-
tury-old farmhouse that had fallen into
disrepair. The property also includes Pauls
personal office and workshop, as well as
many artifacts and photos from the familys
aviation and EAA history. The eventual goal
is to make the house available for tours and
special events.
In announcing the purchase, Aircraft
Spruce officials noted that the company and
the Poberezny family maintained a close
relationship for more than 50 years and that
they were excited to have the opportunity to
preserve the historic home and make it
available for future use.
Over the next several months, work
will take place to update some of the non-
public living areas in the house prior to
opening it for tours and functions. EAA
officials worked with Aircraft Spruce in
recommending local contractors to
ensure that the culture established by the
Poberezny family is maintained.
Following completion of that work, the
home will be available for scheduled
events through EAA, likely beginning
later in 2017.
EAA appreciates the commitment of
Aircraft Spruce and the Irwin family to pre-
serving this home and the unmatched
history associated with it. More details on
the public availability of the facilities will be
announced as they are finalized.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AT HEADQUARTERS BELITE AIRCRAFT

THE EAA CHAPTERS OFFICE is seeking a
chapter manager to join the team in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The position has
responsibility for maximizing the value
of EAAs chapter resources by ensuring
proactive and progressive strategies,
ANNOUNCES NEW DESIGN
programs, and policies are in place that
align with the organizations mission
and culture.
If you are interested, in this or other
career opportunities at EAA headquarters,
please apply today at www.EAA.org/careers.

EAA ANNOUNCES SPORT PILOT ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIPS

EAA WILL AWARD THREE SCHOLARSHIPS to cover tuition and on-site costs to attend the August
2017 session of the EAA Sport Pilot Academy in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The various Sport Pilot
Academy Scholarships will be presented during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017.
The EAA Sport Pilot Academy helps aspiring pilots obtain their sport pilot certificate
during a three-week training program while staying on the EAA grounds. Applicants must
be a former Young Eagles participant.
For more information on the academy visit www.EAA.org/sportpilotacademy. The BELITE AIRCRAFT HAS ANNOUNCED the cre-
applications for the individual scholarships open March 1 at www.EAA.org/scholarships. ation of its first two-place experimental
Application materials must be received by May 1. design. The Belite Pipper will offer side-by-
side seating, a quick build time, good
short-field performance, and rugged landing
IAC L. PAUL SOUCY AWARD RECIPIENT ANNOUNCED gear. The company says it will be available in
taildragger or tricycle configuration and
THE INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB has an average of 85.44 percentage points as a offers up to a 65-hp engine. The airframe and
selected 21-year-old Nick Meyer, EAA Primary power competitor during the 2016 completion kit will include everything but
1044695, IAC 436047, as the 2016 recipient season and flew in the U.S. National the engine, firewall forward package, instru-
of the L. Paul Soucy Trophy. The award was Aerobatic Championships. The trophy will ments, and fuel tanks. Kits can be reserved
started by Soucy, one of the first members of be presented to Meyer during the IAC through Belite Aircraft in the United States or
the IAC and an original member of its board Gathering dinner on Friday, July 28, at the through its European distributor Metal
of directors, to recognize skilled pilots com- Nature Center at EAA AirVenture Seagulls. The first flight is expected to take
peting on the aerobatic circuit. Meyer scored Oshkosh 2017. place in March.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FOCAL POINT PHOTOGRAPHPY www.eaa.org13

FLIGHTLINE
INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY NEWS
ZENAIR AVIATION SAFETY ADVISORY
ZENAIR HAS ISSUED a safety advisory affect-
ing all CH series aircraft, including the
Zodiac and STOL models, and all Canadian
advanced ultralight CH series aircraft. The
advisory requires the
inspection of the hor-
izontal stabilizer rear
and front attachment
assemblies and the
EAA ON THE ROAD
CANT MAKE IT TO Oshkosh this year? Catch
up with EAA at a trade show stop near
you. Heres where well be stopping
this year.
WAI, Lake Buena Vista, Florida,
March 2-4
Sun n Fun, Lakeland, Florida,
April 4-9
AOPA Fly-In, Camarillo, California,
April 28-29
PIONEERING FEMALE PILOT DIES AT 106
DORIS LOCKNESS, a member of the Women
Airforce Service Pilots during World War
II, died February 8 at the age of 106. As a
WASP, Doris was one of the first women
allowed to fly military aircraft, and her
career in aviation went on to span six
decades during which she earned ratings
RED BULL AIR RACE ANNOUNCES 2017 SCHEDULE
THE RED BULL AIR Race World
Championship kicked off February 10-11 in
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with
the 75th race in the com-
petitions history. The
next race will be held
April 15-16 in San Diego,
California, followed by
events in Japan,
Hungary, and its first
trip to Russia with a
stop in Kazan July 22-23.
The final race will be
held at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway
14 March 2017
replacement of parts that do not match air-
frame blueprints or have been drilled or
assembled incorrectly. The advisory was
issued following the fatal crash of a Zodiac
CH 601A that was
deemed to be the result
of an improperly
assembled horizontal
stabilizer attachment.
InterDrone, Las Vegas, Nevada,
September 6-8
AOPA Fly-In, Norman, Oklahoma,
September 8-9
AOPA Fly-In, Groton, Connecticut,
October 6-7
AOPA Fly-In, Tampa, Florida,
October 27-28
Please note, trade show schedules are
subject to change without notice.
for seaplanes, gyroplanes, and hot air bal-
loons, a commercial helicopter certificate,
and a flight instructor certificate. Over the
years Doris was awarded several honors
including induction into the Women in
Aviation International Pioneer Hall of
Fame in 2002.
October 14-15. Tickets are available online
and a full, up-to-date schedule can be
found at www.EAA.org/extras.
Briefly Noted
BYE AEROSPACE AND SOLAERO are working
together on an engineering, development,
and production collaboration that will
put SolAeros solar cells on Byes solar-
electric unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV),
called StratoAirNet. The initial proof of
concept is nearing completion on the
medium-altitude UAV, and whole wing
solar cell tests will be conducted on the
15-meter wingspan prototype.
EPS ANNOUNCED IT IS ready to begin test-
ing new software as part of the
development of the Graflight Flat 8 diesel
engine. The software will provide pilots
with real-time systems analysis and pre-
dictive maintenance. Testing will include
ground-based tests on a pedestal that will
be driven to an altitude of 14,000 feet and
testing inside an altitude chamber fol-
lowed by testing of the software in flight.
EPIK AVIATION INNOVATIONS has developed
a product to make oil changes cleaner
and easier. The Oil Filter Bib fits over the
filter and adapter and creates a seal to
prevent old oil from leaking out. The bibs
are disposable, oil resistant, and can
withstand high engine temperatures.
FLIGHT RESOURCE ANNOUNCED the
approval of an STC for its ultra perfor-
mance MT propeller for the Aviat
Husky. The new propeller is quieter, runs
smoother, and uses a new paint process
to reduce erosion. The propellers are
currently in stock and available for
immediate shipment.
THE SPORT AIR RACING LEAGUE announced
its 2017 schedule with dates scheduled
across the United States from March
through November. The first event
begins with arrivals at Spartanburg,
South Carolina, on March 31. Entries
are open but will close March 20. Go to
www.EAA.org/extras to enter or for a
full schedule.
For more information and direct links to Flightline
stories, visit www.EAA.org/extras.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF AP IMAGES/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
Life is a sport. We are the utility. Be unstoppable.
Undeniably athletic, the performance-oriented 2017 Edge Sport provides exceptional road-handling capability with a uniquely sport-
tuned, 4-wheel independent suspension. Standard all-wheel drive (AWD) delivers precise handling and maximized traction, while
adaptive steering dynamically adjusts the steering response of the front wheels based on how fast the vehicle is moving.

Edge Sport comes equipped with a powerful 2.7L EcoBoost V6 engine with active grille shutters, delivering 315 horsepower1 and
350 lb.-ft. of torque1, both best-in-class.2 Control its twin-turbocharged, direct-injection power via your fingertips, thanks to
racing-style paddle shifters. Plus, driver-assist technologies3 help heighten its prowess and yours.

Edge Sport. Dressed and always ready to play!

The Privilege of Partnership
EAA members are eligible for special pricing on Ford Motor Company vehicles through Fords Partner Recognition Program. To learn
more about this exclusive opportunity for EAA members to save on a new Ford vehicle, please visit www.eaa.org/ford.
Horsepower and torque ratings achieved with 93-octane fuel. 2Class is Midsize Utilities, non-diesel, based on Ford segmentation. 3Available features.
1
INNOVATION
CUTTING-EDGE DEVELOPMENTS
Practical Solar
Solar power pioneer proves its possible
BY BETH E. STANTON
ERIC RAYMOND HAS BEEN SOARING across America and Europe in
solar-powered aircraft for years. There were some interesting solar-
powered aircraft before me, Eric said. But all of these airplanes
went straight to the museum. My planes are meant to fly and fly and
fly. And different people are going to fly them. And they are going to
fly places when its windy and raining. None of those things were
done before. Eric envisioned taking solar aviation experiments into
the realm of a practical sporting machine. When he and his wife,
Irena, flew his two-seat solar-powered Sunseeker Duo over the
Swiss Alps in 2015, it was a culmination of nearly 40 years of design-
ing, building, and flying solar-powered aircraft.
At age 18, Eric started hang gliding, then began building and
setting records in gliders. When he saw the human-powered
Musculair 2 at Expo 86 in Vancouver, Canada, he immediately saw
Stay up to date the potential for a solar-powered version. Depending upon a tow-
with Solar Flight at plane limited the appeal of gliders for Eric. He wanted a
EAA.org/Extras. self-launching glider, but thought the noise and vibration of a gas
16 March 2017
engine compromised the experience. He
decided to explore solar electric options.
Eric is not a clean sheet designer and
bases his projects on proven designs
already flying, such as the Musculair 2 or
the Stemme S10. With improvements, even
the NiCad batteries available were good
enough for takeoff and climb to altitude.
The design criteria for all his aircraft are
batteries for takeoff and climb only, with
solar panels capable of four hours of level
flight during the day. Level flight could be
maintained on direct solar power, or the
motor could be turned off for soaring flight.
In the meantime, batteries recharge from
the solar panels, taking up to 90 minutes if
they are empty.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SOLAR FLIGHT
 Eric founded Solar Flight in 1986 and test flew the Sunseeker I in
1989. Although he had been designing and building ultralight sail-
planes and rigid-wing hang gliders, the Sunseeker I was registered as
an experimental homebuilt. In 1990, he made the first solar-powered
airplane crossing of the United States in Sunseeker I, flying from
California to North Carolina, landing near where the Wright brothers
first flew. After extensive redesign, he flew Sunseeker II across
Europe and made the first solar-powered crossing of the Alps in 2009.

What it achieves better than any airplane that Ive

ever flown is that it captures the sense of freedom
and hope and awe and wonder that aviation is
supposed to have.
- Eric Lentz-Gauthier
2016 U.S. Unlimited aerobatic glider champion and Sunseeker I pilot

Flying single-seat craft for years, Eric wanted the ability to train
others and share the flying experience (and workload) with a partner.
Solar Flights third solar airplane, the Sunseeker Duo cruises on solar
power with two people on board. He included unique features like an
in-flight adjustable water ballast tank and windows that open for ven-
tilation and view. The battery in the fuselage stores energy gathered
from solar cells on the wing and tail surfaces. SunPower Corporation
in California manufactured the 1,510 solar cells that generate 4.5 kW
or about 6 hp, which is ample power for level flight and slight climb.
Eric and Irenas 2015 tour of the Swiss Alps required a lot of uphill
climbing. Taking off from the Italian flatlands with the motor at full
throttle, they climbed to 7,000 feet. They then shut the motor off and
soared for an hour and a half as the battery recharged. Eventually, they With a wingspan of 72 feet and empty weight of approximately 617 pounds, the Sunseeker Duo
got to 21,000 feet with this stair-step approach. has more than 1,500 solar cells and is able to cruise on solar power with two people on board.
Irena was the second pilot to solo the Sunseeker Duo. The Duo is
exactly what my wife and I want to fly, said Eric. She still flies some in Africa. Eric believes that a hybrid approach using efficient, small
gliders, but Im so spoiled with the electric self-launch that I dont fly gas engines is an intermediate step to pure electric aircraft. He sees
gliders that much anymore. The couple appears to have more fun solar-powered aviation as paralleling early aircraft development, but
with their star-powered glider than should be legally possible. They with electricity as propulsion. You need more power to fly than you
get great pleasure from their aircraft and fly every chance they get. can get from the solar panel. Every electric- and solar-powered air-
They have brought along family members and friends to experience plane right now is significantly better than what came before. There
the magic of soaring on silent solar power. In 2014 in the Po Valley in is still tremendous room for improvement.
Italy, for the first time, two solar-powered planes flew in formation: Counter to everyone telling him it wasnt possible, Eric
Irena in the Sunseeker Duo, with Eric following in the Sunseeker II. Raymond has created a line of airplanes that are truly revolutionary,
Over the course of his career, Eric has worked with luminaries said Eric Lentz-Gauthier, the 2016 U.S. Unlimited aerobatic glider
such as Dr. Paul MacCready and Gnther Rochelt and collaborated champion and a Sunseeker I pilot. He has a beautifully refined
on projects such as Solar Impulse and theCAFE FoundationGreen machine that has proven itself with continuous real-world opera-
Flight Challenge. When technology expands the realm of possibili- tion.What it achieves better than any airplane that Ive ever flown is
ties, Eric expands his vision of the next flying machine he can build. that it captures the sense of freedom and hope and awe and wonder
He recently developed a plan for a six-seat solar-electric transporter. that aviation is supposed to have.
In parts of the world, there is a real need for aircraft that can fly
people and supplies between villages without needing the kind of Beth E. Stanton, EAA 1076326, is a competition aerobatic pilot and president of
support conventional aircraft require. If you can move a doctor or Northern California Chapter 38 of the International Aerobatic Club. She can be reached at
some supplies or an injured person 100 miles, thats really a long way bethestanton@gmail.com.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SOLAR FLIGHT www.eaa.org17

FLYBY
FEATURED PHOTO

18 March 2017
WHAT
Bob Carlton performing his night air
show routine in the SubSonex
Microjet.

WHERE
Sun n Fun International Fly-in and
Expo, Lakeland, Florida

PHOTOGRAPHER
Jerry Cummings, EAA 9013445

FLYBY WORTHY?
Calling all photographers: Do you
have a photo that you think should
be showcased in Sport Aviation? We
want to see it! Send your best photo
to editorial@eaa.org along with
details on what is pictured, where
the photo was taken, and who
took it.

www.eaa.org19
 STEVE KROG
COMMENTARY / THE CLASSIC INSTRUCTOR

New Standards
Could you pass a private pilot checkride today?
BY STEVE KROG

HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN since you took and passed Do you, when doing some pleasure flying, ever prac-
your private pilot (or sport pilot) checkride? Two years tice a short-field landing? And, if so, could you meet the
ago? Five, 10, 20 or more years ago? Could you pass a minimum requirements as stated above? It might be
checkride now given todays requirements? beneficial to attempt one or two in the near future to
For years, if not decades, the checkride requirements improve your proficiency.
for the private pilot certificate were fairly standard. Using the new ACS guidelines, examiners are
Basic aerodynamics, weather, FAA regulations, and required to use scenario-based simulated situations
weight and balance were covered during the oral por- when conducting checkrides. I use several different des-
tion. The flight portion of the checkride involved ignated examiners; all seem to be very thorough and fair.
performing various maneuvers, ground reference, and a One of the scenarios used is in the performance of the
couple of takeoffs and landings in different configura- cross-country phase of the checkride.
tions. If the minimum requirements were met as
outlined by the FAA Practical Test Standards, a certifi-
cate was issued.
It wasnt until the late 1980s that the FAA upped the
ante a bit in the name of safety and required all active
pilots, regardless of ratings held, to undergo a flight
review every two years. This has certainly been helpful
in achieving and maintaining a level of safety among all
of us, especially among those of us who fly for recre-
ation. It is not a pass/fail activity but rather a review.
Private pilot checkride requirements changed in
June of 2016 when the FAA issued the new Airman
Certification Standards (ACS) that are to be used by all
examiners. This 107-page document stipulates how and
what the examiner is to look for and satisfy on
each checkride.
For example: When a student is asked to demonstrate
a short-field landing, the examiner has a 37-item check-
list to determine if the student thinks through and then
performs the maneuver satisfactorily. The bottom line to
meet the minimum requirements is this: Touch down
smoothly at an appropriate airspeed; and touch down
within the available runway, at or within 200 feet
beyond the specified point, threshold markings or run-
way numbers, with no side drift, minimum float, and
with the airplanes longitudinal axis aligned with and
over the runway centerline.

20 March 2017 ILLUSTRATION BY BRANDON JACOBS

 Today, with the many tools available to us, one >> Fuel Injected Rotax Engine
might plan a medium cross-country flight by check-
ing weather on television, or online, then punch in
>> High Payload
the destination airport on the iPad and launch. >> Top German Engineering
When was the last time you looked at a sectional
chart, actually drew a pencil line, and followed
along during the flight? It has become a lost art.

Some of the maneuvers you may

have been required to perform when
you took your checkride may have
Visit us at
undergone some changes.
SUN n FUN
The essentials for a student today require signifi- International Fly-In Expo
cantly more planning for the cross-country checkride
flight. According to the outline in the Airman April, 4 th 9th, 2017, Lakeland, Florida
Certification Standards, there are 37 weather-related
items that must be checked followed by 35 more items
Booth LP-035
involving the actual flight planning. As a flight instruc- remos.com
tor, Im not opposed to the detailed planning involved
as it instills a base from which to build when the stu-
dent becomes a certificated pilot. You may already be
doing many of the countless required items listed with-
out realizing it, as they have become second nature.

www.eaa.org21
STEVE KROG
With the flight-planning satisfactorily
completed and reviewed, the examiners I use
generally begin with the cross-country por-
tion of the checkride. How does the student
arrange his or her map and planning sheet
for easy access? What action does the stu-
dent take to exit the traffic pattern and get
established on course? Does the student note
the actual takeoff time? Then the fun begins.
Generally, after the student has established
the course line, leveled off at the desired alti-
tude, and adjusted the power setting, the
examiner will tell the student, The weather
has changed, and we need to fly to the nearest
alternate airport. Where is it? What heading
are you going to fly? How far away is it, and
how long will it take you? Oh, and your cell-
phone and iPad are in the back so youll have
to make the calculations in your head.
If asked, could you perform those
requested functions today?
Once the student has again satisfactorily
demonstrated the ability to change course
and calculate time and distance to the alter-
nate airport, the second phase of the
scenario is introduced. The examiner will
quietly state via the intercom, Your oil pres-
sure is dropping, and the oil temperature is
rising rapidly. What are you going to do?
What would you do?
The correct action, provided the engine is
still running smoothly, as expected by the
examiner is to immediately turn to and pro-
ceed to the nearest airport maintaining your
altitude. Do not touch the throttle. If the
engine is still running, leave it alone. A running
but sick engine will quit a lot sooner if power
changes are attempted. Assume it is already
trashed and concern yourself with preventing
injury to you and any passengers, then you can
take action to save the airplane. When you
have determined that you can safely reach the
airport, then and only then adjust the power
and establish a rapid or emergency descent to
landing. Hard slips, use of flaps, or a combina-
tion of both may be used to demonstrate the
emergency descent. Again, there are 28 items
the examiner is looking at when observing
your emergency descent. All can be found in
the Airman Certification Standards.
Recently, I had a student take (and pass)
his private pilot checkride in a Piper
Cherokee 140. Prior to the flight, the exam-
iner had discussed all aspects of the actual
flight with the student. However, when it
22 March 2017
came time for the low oil, high oil tempera-
ture scenario, the student casually looked
over at the gauges and stated, No, I dont
have low oil pressure or a high oil temp. Both
were in the green so he continued on his
cross-country course. A minute later the
examiner repeated his statement, and the
student again checked and said everything
was fine. Finally, the examiner stated very
clearly that this was a simulated situation
and asked the student to demonstrate his
actions should this have been an actual occur-
rence. During the post-flight review, we all
had a good laugh about this experience.
The ACS does not specify how much alti-
tude needs to be lost when demonstrating an
emergency descent. Here at the flight school
we usually use 1,000 feet for practice.
Before the summer flying season arrives, take a few minutes,
download the ACS, and scan through the various maneuvers and
requirements. Then do a little practice flying.
Some of the maneuvers you may have
been required to perform when you took
your checkride may have undergone some
changes. Many of you had to demonstrate an
accelerated stall but these are no longer
required. There are two types of stalls that
are now required: the power-off and the
power-on stall.
The ACS specifies the following steps for
the power-off stall. Establish a stabilized
descent in the approach or landing configu-
ration. Transition smoothly to a pitch
attitude that will induce a stall. Maintain a
specified heading within 10 degrees, if in
straight flight, and maintain a specified angle
of bank not to exceed 20 degrees and staying
within 10 degrees, if in turning flight, while
inducing the stall. Recognize and recover
promptly after a full stall has occurred.
The procedure for the power-on stall has
also changed. Set power to no less than 65
percent available power. Transition
smoothly from the takeoff and departure
attitude to the pitch attitude that will induce
a stall. Maintain specified heading, within 10
degrees, if in straight flight, and maintain a
specified angle of bank not to exceed 20
degrees and staying within 10 degrees, if in
turning flight, while inducing the stall.
Recognize and recover promptly after a fully
developed stall occurs.
Prior to the ACS, both power-on and
poweroff stalls could be demonstrated in
either of two methods, depending on the
request of the examiner the imminent
stall versus the full stall. The imminent stall
was defined as when the buffet is first felt or
recognized but before the full stall break
occurs. There is no mention of imminent
stalls in the new guidelines.
Most of us, when practicing stalls, pay
little attention to heading and bank angle.
Rather we establish a stall configuration,
allow the full stall to occur, and then initiate a
safe recovery. The next time you practice a
stall or two, try holding your heading within
10 degrees.
Spins, yet again, are not a required
maneuver. Spin awareness is a requirement,
however. I am from the old school of
thought. How does one know how you will
react should a spin occur if youve never
been in a spin? One can talk about spins and
watch spin videos all day, but if one acciden-
tally experiences a spin, calm thought and
input are usually not the first reaction. I
make it a point for all my students to experi-
ence a spin or two from inside the airplane.
Usually after one or two spin entries and
recoveries, the student relaxes and can eas-
ily perform a safe entry and recovery with a
minimal loss of altitude.
Before the summer flying season arrives,
take a few minutes, download the ACS, and
scan through the various maneuvers and
requirements. Then do a little practice flying.
The FAA Private Pilot Airplane Airman
Certification Standards can be downloaded
by going to www.EAA.org/Extras.
Stay current, maintain proficiency, and
fly safely.
Steve Krog, EAA 173799, has been flying for more than four
decades and giving tailwheel instruction for nearly as long.
In 2006 he launched Cub Air Flight, a flight-training school
using tailwheel aircraft for all primary training.
 J. MAC MCCLELLAN
COMMENTARY / LEFT SEAT
Checklist Items
That Really Matter
Everything on the list is somewhat important, but a few deserve double-checks
BY J. MAC MCCLELLAN
THE CHECKLIST may be the single most important safety device in
any cockpit. We can all think of pilots, perhaps even friends, who
have come to grief because the airplane wasnt configured cor-
rectly to fly.
But when you look at the checklist included in the pilots oper-
ating handbook (POH) you see that it takes up several pages even
for a basic piston single. Every item on that list matters at least
some, but clearly not all checks carry equal weight in terms of
safety. Thats particularly true for the moments during and shortly
after takeoff when there is little or no time to correct for a missed
step on the list.
I believe it was pilots moving from the piston era into the new jet
age that coined the term killer items that are the most critical and
final checklist to use before takeoff. At least those are the pilots I first
heard the term from, so Im giving them credit.
24 March 2017
On the short checklist of killer items in
jets are flaps, trim, and spoilers. If those
items are not checked and set correctly, a
takeoff disaster is likely thus the well-
deserved killer description.
Is there a list of killer items in the piston
airplanes most of us fly? I think so. But what
are those critical items?
So were ready to take the runway on a
typical day for personal flying. The conditions
are at least basic VFR, and we have confirmed
that there is sufficient runway for a safe
departure. What checklist items would pose
an immediate and critical safety threat during
or shortly after takeoff? Heres my list.
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J. MAC MCCLELLAN
FUEL
This one seems obvious. But failure to prop-
erly check what is necessary to ensure a
reliable fuel supply to the engine stands out
as a significant cause of accidents during
takeoff and initial climb.
The fuel check begins before we ever
board the airplane. Confirming in some
absolute way that adequate fuel is in the
tanks is the first step. In my airplane,
because of the wings dihedral, you cant see
the fuel level under the cap except when the
tank is totally filled. But there are mechani-
cal sight gauges in the wing that show
partial fuel; there are, of course, the normal
electrical fuel gauges in the panel, and there
are the fuel records from the FBO and previ-
ous flights. If all agree, thats how I am
confident the fuel I believe is in the tanks is
really there.
In many airplanes you can see the fuel
level below the filler port. Often you can use
a dipstick to measure the level of fuel. Use
whatever means available to be certain there
is fuel onboard.
The other critical preflight fuel issue, and
one that is very prominent in accident statis-
tics, is fuel contamination. Most often the
contaminant is water in the fuel. I know that
condensation from the air trapped in a par-
tially filled tank can drop a small amount of
water into the fuel, but thats not the big
issue. The real problem is leaking filler caps
when the airplane has sat out in the rain.
Keeping the O-rings in the fuel caps fresh
and in good shape is the best defense against
rainwater entering the tank.
The fuel can also be contaminated by
debris from within the tanks and fuel system
itself. The walls of the tank, or sealants
inside the tank, can sometimes break down
and dump debris into the fuel that could
plug the lines or filters.
We are blessed in this country to have a
competent and careful network of FBOs, so
contaminated fuel delivered from a truck or
storage tank is rare. But it does happen
very occasionally.
Finally, there is the possibility that the
wrong fuel could have been pumped into
your tanks. The big risk is jet fuel in an avgas
airplane. The jet fuel lowers the octane of
the avgas already in the tank, but not usually
enough to keep the engine from starting.
The reduced octane could cause detonation
26 March 2017
Failure to properly check what is necessary
to ensure a reliable fuel supply to the engine
stands out as a significant cause of accidents
during takeoff and initial climb.
in the cylinders at takeoff power so the
engine running on a partial load of jet fuel
operates long enough to get you off the
ground, but not high enough to return to the
runway before the engine self-destructs.
There are restrictors in avgas tank filler
ports that should keep the larger jet fuel
nozzle from fitting in. And that works nearly
all of the time. But not every time. Even the
great Bob Hoover survived a crash in his pis-
ton Commander that had been misfueled
with Jet A.
The defense against all forms of con-
tamination is draining the tank sumps and
examining the sample for water or debris
and the proper fuel dye color. Our noses
can usually find the odor of jet fuel so
sniff carefully.
The other killer fuel item is not properly
positioning the fuel selector or setting the
fuel pumps correctly. Those items surely
deserve a second look when lining up
for takeoff.
DOORS
A door popping open shortly after takeoff
has caused far too many accidents.
Sometimes its the latching mechanism that
breaks allowing the door to open, but much
more often the pilot failed to check and be
certain the door was latched properly.
Nearly all airplanes, and certainly any
standard category airplanes I can think of,
can continue to fly with a cabin door open.
But the open door may disrupt airflow
enough to create turbulence over the control
surfaces and cause some odd sensations in
the cockpit controls. Or the open door may
degrade performance, particularly climb
rate, a little. But the big risk is the surprise
and distraction of the noise and wind blast
the door popping open creates for the pilot.
In many airplanes its not possible to
close and latch an open door in flight. And
even if it is possible, the effort of fiddling
with and pulling on the door can be so dis-
tracting from the basic flying task,
particularly close to the ground after takeoff,
that the risk is obvious.
If a door does pop open, the drill is to
continue flying the airplane and return to
land in a safe manner. Loose items may be
sucked out, passengers will probably panic,
but if we as pilots remain focused on flying, a
safe return to the runway is certain.
The same may not be true for all baggage
or other access doors. Most of these doors
are not designed to the same standards as a
cabin entry door and could possibly break
off. Baggage doors, particularly on the nose,
could break off and damage the tail. And you
can imagine the risk if suitcases and other
heavy items start falling out into the slip-
stream from an open baggage door.
The defense against an open door is, of
course, to double-check the latch security
before takeoff. This is so obvious that it
doesnt seem to be worth noting, except
pilots have forgotten or skipped over that
checklist step too often. Many business jet
manufacturers have gone so far as to wire
the unlatched door cockpit warning to a key
lock on each baggage door or hinged access
hatch. If the pilot doesnt walk around the
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BONNIE KRATZ
airplane and use a key to lock each door,
the warning message wont extinguish.
It isnt the actual key lock that secures
the doors, but the idea is that if the pilot
has to take the time to insert and twist a
key, he is also looking at the primary
latches to be sure they are secure. Doors
have earned their spot on the list of
killer items.
FLIGHT CONTROL SWEEP
Checking the free, full, and proper move-
ment of the flight controls before takeoff is
so fundamental its hard to believe we
even need a checklist item for that. But
every year accidents, often fatal, happen
because a pilot attempts to take off with
controls locked or blocked in some way.
The issue is common enough that Beech
recently sent a mandatory service bulletin
to all of its airplane owners demanding
Have a checklist even if its a mnemonic device and use it every
time. But be sure to double- and even triple-check the killer items.
that the airplane be inspected for unap-
proved control locks and that those items
be replaced by the approved lock.
Certified control locks in standard air-
planes use some sort of placard to cover up
the engine controls, or the mag switch or
some other essential cockpit control when
the control lock is in place. That seems like it
would surely prevent a pilot from attempt-
ing a takeoff with the controls locked. But
the record isnt perfect even though the
design of the lock seems foolproof.
Few vintage airplanes have specific
control lock devices so many owners make
their own locks. In my Cessna 140 I used
padded boards and a bolt with a wing nut
to clamp the ailerons to the flaps so nei-
ther could move while parked in the wind.
The same on the rudder. They were big
and easy to see on a preflight, but
Even with all control locks removed it
is remotely possible something in the con-
trol system failed and the controls are not
moving freely and fully. The pre-takeoff
flight control check is absolutely essential
to ward off a potential killer.
FLAPS AND TRIM
Jets and other heavy airplanes may simply
be unflyable if the flaps and trim are not
set correctly. Thats not true for most pis-
ton airplanes, but the surprise of mis-set
flaps or trim could be challenging.
With either flaps or trim not in their
normal position for takeoff the airplane
can hop into the air at an unexpectedly low
airspeed. And the push or pull forces on
the elevator can take a pilot by surprise
and put the airplane in an unusual attitude.
And some relatively low-power airplanes
with big and effective flaps the Cessna
150 comes to mind may not be able to
climb at all with full flaps extended.
Flaps and trim in piston airplanes
dont deserve the true killer item status
they have in jets, but they are on my
short list of items to double-check
before every takeoff.
THE OTHER STUFF
Depending on conditions a few other
checklist items can rise to killer status. For
example, for takeoff on an IFR flight into
low clouds and visibility the gyro instru-
ments rise to the top of the list because
you wont last long in the clouds without
them. If icing is possible, then pitot heat
and engine ice protection is absolutely
essential. And at a busy airport checking
to be sure you are following the proper
taxi route, not entering a runway without
clearance or a careful scan, and lining up
on the proper runway are all crucial. Im
sure you can think of a few others of a crit-
ical nature under certain conditions.
So have a checklist even if its a mne-
monic device and use it every time. But be
sure to double- and even triple-check the
killer items. They could get lost in the long
list of stuff thats important but not immedi-
ately critical for a safe departure.
J. Mac McClellan, EAA 747337, has been a pilot for more
than 40 years, holds an ATP certificate, and owns a
Beechcraft Baron.
www.eaa.org27
 STEVE ELLS
COMMENTARY / THE WORKBENCH
The All-Important
First Start
BY STEVE ELLS
IF ANY OF THE 101 SMALL DETAILS that are part of a complete engine
installation are overlooked, or neglected, or if the engine is not run
correctly during the first few minutes of operation, a new engine
installation can quickly go from an its flying time to an its crying tank with non-compounded (mineral) oil, and
time experience.
The cooling requirements of common light airplane engines are
specified in cubic feet of air per minute and by the pressure differen-
tial (measured in inches of water) between the ram air at the
cylinders and the exit air after the cylinders. Engine cooling baffles
and baffle seals must be in tip-top shape prior to the first engine
break-in flight.
THE PRE-OIL
Engines must be pre-oiled prior to the first start. Pre-oiling is not a
subject thats open for debate. Ive adapted a brake bleeder pressure
tank from an auto parts store for this task. I heat up 4 quarts of min-
eral oil to 150 degrees, pour it in, and pressurize the tank to 50 psi.
Connecting the pre-oil tank to the engine at the oil pressure fitting
on the engine works well. An airport local has built his out of 4-inch
diameter Schedule 40 PVC irrigation tubing. He glued a cap on one
end of an 18-inch-long section of tubing then screwed a plug on the
other end after installing pressure and outlet valve fittings. Schedule
40 tubing is rated for 220 psi and 140 degrees F.
28 March 2017
If no pre-oiler is available, Lycoming Service
Instruction 1241 recommends removing one
spark plug from each cylinder, filling the oil
using the starter to spin the propeller. Limit
continuous starter operation to 10 to 15 seconds,
then allow the starter to cool and give it two or
more 10-15 second runs. At some point the oil
pressure needle on the cockpit gauge will come
off the peg and start to climb. When you see oil
pressure in the cockpit, the filter is full of oil,
and a layer of oil has been pumped into the
main and rod bearings. If you want to add some
extra insurance when using the starter-driven
version of pre-oiling, heat the oil before you
pour it in the engine oil sump the oil will flow
more completely throughout the engine.
Paragraphs VIII and IX of Continental
Motors SB15-6 vary from the above proce-
dures because it discourages the use of the
starter to spin the engine for pre-oiling and
because it recommends spraying oil into
each cylinder prior to the first start.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF STEVE ELLS
THE FIRST START
Even though all reputable engine builders
run their engines on a test stand for at
least an hour before the engine is shipped,
these runs do not break in an engine. This
process is termed a run-in, and its con-
ducted so that the builder can be assured
that the engine is ready to ship. Its part of
a standard acceptance test.
The first ground run after the pre-oil
must be done correctly. Start the engine
and run it at 1200 rpm until the oil pres-
sure starts to come off the peg then
increase the rpm to 1800 to relieve the
mechanical pressure on the camshaft
lobes and lifters. Limit the first run to
three minutes. Dont touch the mixture
and dont touch the prop lever. Move the
magneto switch to the left and right posi-
tions (momentarily hold in each position).
You should see a small rpm drop-off, but if
the rpm drops like a rock when the switch
is in either the left or right position, let the
engine die and fix the discrepancy before
the engine is restarted. Turning the mag-
neto back to both could cause an
exhaust-system damaging after-fire due to
excess fuel in the cylinders when the
spark plugs fire.
Near the end of the three-
minute time limit pull the rpm
back to idle and move the mag-
neto switch very quickly
to off, then right back
on the engine
should sag, then
come back on. Be
quick on the off-
position test. This
test ensures that
the magnetos are
properly grounded.
If there are no leaks
and all systems operate
normally, its time to
take the airplane for
a flight.
Pre-oil complete
Engines must be pre-oiled prior
to the first start. Pre-oiling is not
a subject thats open for debate.
SUPPLIES
DONT RUN IT UP PRIOR TO TAKEOFF
Try to plan the first flight during the cool
part of the day, and try to use the longest
runway on the airport. Since cylinder
cooling is almost nonexistent when the
airplane is moving at less than 40 mph,
ground run-ups should be avoided.
Do not cycle the prop leave the prop
control full forward (high rpm) for at least
10 minutes after takeoff. Cycling the pro-
peller creates a low rpm-high combustion
pressure situation that may delay or limit For all phases of flight.
ring seating.
These procedures are designed to help For more than 75 years
the pilot manage the heat of combustion
and control cylinder wall temperatures dur- ASA has been delivering
ing the first few hours of engine operation. accurate and reliable
If heat control procedures are not fol-
lowed, its likely that the wear between
supplies to pilots,
the combustion rings and the cylinder students, instructors,
walls that is critical to begin the break-in and aviation mechanics
process will be lessened. If the heat at the
cylinder walls is not controlled, the sur- everywhere. Shop our
face irregularities (theyre there on complete line of pilot
purpose) can become glazed, meaning
filled with oxidized oil. If this is allowed to supplies for preflight and
happen the break-in process stops and the cockpit essentials.
rings simply glide across the smooth, slick
surface. The result is an ineffective ring- asa2fly.com/supplies
to-cylinder wall seal. Glazing is
characterized by high oil consumption.
If the engine ground running is
excessive, the airplane is not flown in a
manner that assures adequate cylinder
cooling, or the baffles and baffle seals
have been neglected, the rings may be
very slow to seat. If this results in exces-
sive oil consumption, the only remedy is
to remove the cylinders, break the glaze,
and start over.
THE FIRST FLIGHT
After turning onto the runway, slowly
increase the rpm to the normal magneto
check speed for your airplane and switch
from both to left, back to both, and then to
right. As long as theres no backfiring or a
serious rpm drop off, youre good to go.
www.eaa.org29
 Steve ellS

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Dont push the throttle all the way in until the
airspeed needle has gone through 40 mph. After 40,
gradually (taking three or four seconds) push the
throttle all the way in. Scan the engine instruments
for any abnormalities. Make a note of the EGT num-
ber on one cylinder or the EGT needle position on
the instrument face after full power is applied;
youll need that number later.
Pilots flying the first flight on a Continental fuel-
injected engine will need to check to see where the
fuel flow is during full-power operation. Per engine
break-in instructions from RAM Aircraft, a com-
pany that specializes in high-quality rebuilds of

After climbing to a safe altitude (not

so high that 75 percent power is
unattainable), level out and pull the
power back to 75 percent.

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30 March 2017
fuel-injected Continental engines, if the fuel
flow is more than 1 gph (6 pounds) off target
from the values specified in Continental
SID97-3G, pull the power back and abort the
takeoff. Make the proper adjustments before
taking off. Fuel flows that are too low will
cause high temperatures.
During climb, select a gradual climb pro-
file to maximize cooling airflow. Leave the
cowl flaps open and mixture rich.
Recommendations vary slightly among
manufacturers about when to reduce power.
Both Lycoming and Continental Motors say
this should occur during climb. ECI and
RAM say to reduce to climb power by reduc-
ing the manifold pressure as soon as
practical (RAM says takeoff manifold pres-
sure should be limited to 30 inches), but
dont pull the propeller off the high pitch
stop until after 10 minutes of flight.
After climbing to a safe altitude (not so
high that 75 percent power is unattainable),
level out and pull the power back to 75
The critical time in the break-in of a new engine starts the
moment the engine is uncrated and doesnt end until the
second hour of flight.
percent. The mixture should not be leaned Lycoming and TCM recommend that
more than 125 degrees rich of peak. RAM break-in will be best accomplished if
suggests doing this by noting the takeoff power settings are maintained between
EGT indication, and leaning back to the 65 and 75 percent for the first 50 hours
same indication during level cruise flight. of flight.
Lycoming recommends that the break-in The critical time in the break-in of a new
flight be completed by increasing power to engine starts the moment the engine is
full rated for an additional 30 minutes before uncrated and doesnt end until the second
returning to land. hour of flight. If its done right, good things
During descent, gradually reduce power happen if any steps are neglected, youll
to achieve a 300 to 500 foot per minute pay and pay and pay.
descent. Do not push the mixture to full rich
gradually richen as necessary to maintain Steven Ells, EAA 883967, is an A&P mechanic, commercial
the same EGT that was noted during 75 per- pilot, and freelance writer. He flies a Piper Comanche and
cent power cruise flight. lives in Paso Robles, California.
www.eaa.org31
 DAVE MATHENY
COMMENTARY / LIGHT FLIGHT
Tightly Wrapped
Little changes can have big consequences
BY DAVE MATHENY
THE PROBLEM APPEARED about one minute after takeoff. The engine
had been happily producing its usual 2400 rpm at full-throttle climb,
but then abruptly went to idle. What was that all about? I said into
the intercom a purely rhetorical question, no answer required. I
was already turning back to the airport.
My wife, Jean, and I were taking our new 1946 Ercoupe 415C
from Red Wing airport (RGK) to a fly-in 100 miles away or we
had been, but suddenly the only option was just to land some-
where. As I started a descending left turn, I pulled on carb heat,
then switched hands so I could pump the primer with my left
hand as I took the yoke in my right, keeping a slight forward
pressure on to keep airspeed up. The engine surged for a
moment, then went to idle again. I was trying the primer
because an A&P, decades ago, had talked about flying 60 miles in
a Beech Musketeer by pumping the primer constantly. I had less
than a mile to go to get back to the airport, and anything was
worth trying.
32 March 2017
I was intensely aware right then that if
you lose the engine on takeoff, the rule is to
never attempt to turn back, to put it down
somewhere straight ahead. Good rule, and it
should be followed wherever possible. But
you need a decent place to put it down.
Ahead, one mile to the west of Runway 27, is
a collection of industrial-park structures,
clumps of trees, and assorted buildings that
are not very kind to airplanes. My friend,
Don Pappy Hinz, had to put a P-51 down
there in 2004 and was killed when he hit a
tree. Pappy, who had flown fighters off air-
craft carriers, was a superb pilot.
Keeping the nose down and pumping, I
got another momentary surge out of the
engine before it went to idle again.
ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE MATHENY
The one thing I had to do was to keep airspeed up. Ercoupes are resistant to stalling, but if you hold the
yoke back long enough and get the speed low enough, there wont be that stall break that you get in most
airplanes, and it wont spin, but the Ercoupe can develop a hellacious sink rate. You can hit the ground flat
and really hard, smashing the airplane and putting the occupants in the hospital.
LETS JUST NOT GO THERE them. I absolutely did not want to go down there, and I had a moment
I kept up the turn, constantly aware that I was violating the holy of regret about the decision to turn back, but I was committed.
never turn back rule. With continued slight forward pressure on Tell me the airspeeds, I asked Jean, who read them out.
the yoke (I had previously trimmed for a 70 mph climb), and easing Ninety, she said. Fine! The Ercoupes best lift-over-drag air-
back around toward the airport, I glanced over my shoulder. I had speed is 70, so 90 meant I had money in the bank. Continuing the
the altitude maybe 400 feet to make it. The one thing I had to shallow turn and nursing it back toward the runway, I could see that
do was to keep airspeed up. Ercoupes are resistant to stalling, but if we would probably make it, if only to dry land, although by now I
you hold the yoke back long enough and get the speed low enough, was not more than 200 feet above the surface. And there was nobody
there wont be that stall break that you get in most airplanes, and it else in the pattern, and nobody waiting to take off. I kept pumping
wont spin, but the Ercoupe can develop a hellacious sink rate. You the primer and the engine surged once, then went to idle again. No
can hit the ground flat and really hard, smashing the airplane and matter, airspeed was everything now. Nose down, still easing
putting the occupants in the hospital. Keep it flying, always. Nose through the turn.
down and airspeed up. Eighty, she said.
The very moderate left turn put us over some equally unappealing It had gone from possible to probable. The only real choice left
forced-landing terrain, meandering channels of the Mississippi River, was whether to use the 5,010-foot hard-surface runway or the grass
beautiful to look at when youre not faced with having to land among strip that parallels it. I chose the runway.

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www.eaa.org33
Dave Matheny

Eighty. Still! So we would make it. I stopped pumping and
closed the throttle and glided over to line up with the runway, of
which there was only about a third left. I believe I set down at about
the point where I became airborne. The landing went well, but we
quickly ran out of runway. Over the years I have probably written
half a dozen times that it is much better to roll slowly off the far end
of any runway than to fly, or plunge, rapidly into the near end. I
found myself laughing with relief, and thinking, Hey, practicing
what Ive always preached! as I rolled onto the grass, weaving
between the approach lights. There was still enough power to taxi,
so I got back on the taxiway, headed west. A mile ahead down the
taxiway, coming toward us, was a pickup truck.
It turned out that our A&P, Rob, who had seen and heard the
whole thing, was in the truck, headed our way in case we needed
help. He turned around as soon as he saw us taxiing toward him.
POSTMORTEM
Back at the hangar, Robs first
question was about carb heat. This
had certainly been a day for carb
ice cool and misty, with a tem-
perature/dew point spread of
about two degrees. But no, the
problem had appeared at full
throttle and I had pulled on carb
heat at the first sign of trouble.
His attention then turned to the
header tanks fuel cap, just ahead
of the cockpits windscreen.
Now please bear with me for a
small digression: The Ercoupe has
two wing tanks, and fuel is
continuously pumped from them to a header tank above the engine
and forward of the instrument panel. From there it flows by gravity
to the carburetor. A clear vertical tube is mounted on top of the
header tank, right ahead of the windscreen, where the pilot can con-
stantly monitor a float that rides in it. If the header-tank level starts
to fall, you are warned that you have only a few gallons left, either
because the wing tanks are empty or the pump has failed. Its pretty
much foolproof, as long as you dont play the fool and do something
unprecedented with it. Well come back to fool and unprece-
dented after another little digression.
In recent weeks, the seal at the base of the sight gauge had been
less and less effective, allowing a tiny amount of fuel to emerge and
mist over the windscreen right in the pilots forward view. After
an hour or so in flight, the misting would blur forward vision sig-
nificantly. That was not a huge problem in flight, but got pretty bad
when landing into the sun. The view ahead would become a blaze
of light, and I had to gauge my height and runway alignment by
pulling my hats visor down low, squinting, and looking at the only
ground reference available, the left edge of the runway.
In the days before the forced landing, I had tried to stop the
leaking by wrapping black stretchy electrical tape around the base.
That worked fairly well, but after two hours or so, the tape would
have to be done again. I finally went after the problem with fanati-
cal intensity, and by the time I was done, I had sealed the base of
the cap in a way that would have made the embalmers who
wrapped King Tuts mummy jealous. It was a mass of tape going
every which way, but it was thorough. That cap was not going to
leak one single drop of fuel.
However, I had overlooked something. In wrapping up the base of
the cap with such dedication, I had paid no attention to a very small
hole, only about 1/16th of an inch in diameter the header-tanks
vent. It got covered along with everything else at the base of the tube.

I finally went after the problem with fanatical

intensity, and by the time I was done, I had
sealed the base of the cap in a way that would
have made the embalmers who wrapped King
Tuts mummy jealous. It was a mass of tape
going every which way, but it was thorough.

34 March 2017 ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE MATHENY

So, after the forced landing, when Rob lifted his gaze up to the top of
the cowling, he beheld my elaborate tape job. He peeled it back, and
there was a huge hiss. Suddenly everything was clear. I had unwit-
tingly caused fuel starvation by preventing air from entering the tank
to replace the outgoing fuel. So, I had played the fool and done some-
thing unprecedented.
With the tape removed, I took the Ercoupe up solo for a trip
around the field and the engine ran flawlessly.
THE IMPOSSIBLE TURN
When I made my decision to turn back, it was one of, Im pretty
sure I can do this. It was not, OMG! OMG! Gotta get back no mat-
ter what. It felt right. I had some altitude, at least 400 feet, and I
was still fairly close to the runway, less than a mile. The typical
3-degree glide path works out to a little less than 300 feet in one mile
not that anybodys doing such an arithmetical calculation in this
situation. Its all based on what looks and feels workable. I noted
afterward that a 90-degree right turn would have put me over some
pretty decent forced-landing terrain that would not have included
any water, but I couldnt see to my right very well, and the left turn
always seems more natural to anyone sitting in the left seat to
begin with.
The acronym TLAR has appeared in aviation lately. It means
that looks about right. Its what a pilot should be able to judge
based on appearances alone, without reference to instruments. I was
certainly using it in this case, although it wasnt pure TLAR because
I had copilot Jeans welcome help in announcing the airspeeds. (If I
had been solo, a few glances at the airspeed indicator would also
have served, but this way I was able to stay heads-up the whole way.)
There was a moment or two when I looked at the rivers channels
and little islands with loathing, but as the turn continued it became
clear that it could be done, and that I would not have to try to
stretch the glide, which is one reason why so many turnbacks end
badly. I kept a slight forward pressure on the yoke, not wanting the
distraction of messing around with pitch trim, and in any case that
constant feedback of forward pressure was my guarantee that I was
not asking the airplane for more than it could give. (We could call
that TFAR, for that feels about right.) Maintaining airspeed, and
therefore control, is everything.
I had not had a forced landing in 30 years, not since the unreli-
able engines and powertrains of early ultralights. I racked up 24
forced landings during that wild ride, but the hardware got a lot bet-
ter. All those forced landings of the early years made an indelible
mark on my psyche. I never fully trust any engine to keep running. It
sounds almost like a joke, but Ive been more or less expecting to lose
any engine at any time since then. I only take the engine for granted
when I dont really need it any more, as when crossing the threshold
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www.eaa.org35
Dave Matheny

A number of years ago I spent an afternoon at a seldom-used
grass strip simulating takeoff engine failures in my Quicksilver
GT400 by taking off and then pulling power to idle and turning
back. As I recall, I started at about 300 feet for the simulated
engine failure and worked my way down to about 150 before decid-
ing that it was getting risky. To that can be added the more than 50
times I have deliberately shut the engine down at 1,000 feet over an
airfield with nobody else around, circling down to land while lis-
tening to the wind whistling over the airframe. But that, I
emphasize, was in featherweight aircraft. I wrote about those
experiments back then, and an angry reader wrote to tell me that I
should never suggest to pilots that the impossible turn was any-
thing but impossible. Well, its success or failure depends mainly on
three things: altitude when it happens (so that you have the neces-
sary height to do a 180); how ugly the terrain in front of you is (so
you have little choice but to turn back); and your ability to maintain
the discipline of keeping your nose low and airspeed up (so you
wont enter a loss-of-control condition). Most of my forced land-
ings back in the bad old days were from a height and position
where I could turn easily and land safely. None were a disaster; a
few were annoyingly inconvenient.
I would not expect my 1,280-pound-at-gross Ercoupe to make
a turn back to the departure runway starting from less than 400
feet. The Ercoupes glide ratio is said to be about 10-to-1 at 70
mph (that being VY, best-climb air-
speed). If I lose the engine any lower
than that, I will expect to have to
land pretty much straight ahead,
steering to avoid whatever has to
be avoided.
THE WRAP-UP
How stupid was I to have done this taping
thing? Well, breathtakingly stupid, given the result.
The consequence of covering the vent hole was completely
foreseeable, if only I had been thinking beyond just sealing up
everything at the base of the sight tube. If I had asked Rob about it,
he would certainly have warned me about not covering the vent. I
had always thought of fuel starvation (as opposed to fuel exhaustion)
as being the result of a simple though perfectly avoidable choice,
such as letting one tank run dry when there was still fuel available in
another. Pilots over the past century have found enough ways to
cause their engines to stop. There is nothing to be said in favor of
pioneering a new way.
Dave Matheny, EAA 184186, is a private pilot and an FAA ground instructor. He has been
flying light aircraft, including ultralights, for 34 years. He can be reached at
DaveMatheny3000@yahoo.com.

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 CHARLIE PRECOURT
COMMENTARY / FLIGHT TEST
A Funny Story
About Checklists
Doesnt he know how to fly this thing?
BY CHARLIE PRECOURT
A FEW MONTHS AGO I was planning a trip in my Piper JetPROP when
my wife asked if I could drop off her friend Michelle in Atlanta. I
thought sure, why not. I was headed to Huntsville, Alabama, and then
to Orlando, and Atlanta was right on the way. We met at the hangar,
and after loading the bags I pulled out the checklist and gave Michelle
a briefing not unlike what a passenger would get on an airliner heres
the oxygen and how to use it should we lose pressurization, heres the
emergency exit, etc. plus a few more instructions on how to lock and
unlock the door, use the headset volume, adjust the seat, and things
unique to being in the cockpit instead of in the cabin of an airliner.
We got settled in, and I pulled out the checklist again for pre-
start items, and Michelle sat watching patiently. We started up, and I
pulled out the checklist for pre-taxi checks, then after taxiing to the
end of the runway, out comes the checklist again for the engine run-
up and pre-takeoff checks.
All the while I was also verbalizing what I was doing to keep
Michelle comfortable. She hadnt ever flown in a private plane before.
38 March 2017
I used the checklist as always for climb,
level-off, descent, landing, and shutdown.
Our flights to Huntsville and Atlanta were
uneventful, and she seemed to really enjoy
her first experience with general aviation. I
dropped her off at Atlantas DeKalb-
Peachtree Airport and went on my way.
A week or so later after my wife got to talk
to Michelle at work about her experience, she
got a funny reaction. She said, You know it
was great, but he kept pulling out that book to
tell him what to do, and all I could think was,
Doesnt he know how to fly this thing? My
wife laughed and said, Michelle, thats how
its supposed to be, and if you ever get in a
little plane and the pilot doesnt use one, my
advice is to get out!
ILLUSTRATION BY GARY COX
 So I learned I had one more item for my passenger brief check- my own checklist that preserves the manufacturers items but
list: tell passengers what checklists are for and how we use them! also captures only the specifics of my particular airframe and
But her reaction also got me thinking about the philosophy of eliminates those not applicable items. Building my own check-
checklists and the variety of ways to use them to our advantage. I list also helps with establishing a flow or routine for managing
fly my airplane almost 30 hours a month, so I could easily argue my specific cockpit.
that I have the checklist memorized and dont really need to pull it Checklists are normally built in a challenge response fashion.
out, except perhaps for emergency procedures. But I still use it This means an item is listed first and the action follows, as in land-
religiously, and here are some of ing gear down. This allows
my thoughts about why and how two people to use a checklist
I use it. When you are inevitably distracted with real-world together. When my wife flies
One advantage of the check- with me she will read the chal-
list is it maintains a routine. challenges, referring back to the checklist once lenge item (landing gear) and I
When you are inevitably dis- will then respond by lowering
tracted with real-world things are squared away allows you to sync things the gear and verbalizing down
challenges, referring back to the when I see three green lights.
checklist once things are back up for the next phase of flight. When Im alone I just challenge
squared away allows you to and respond myself. But chal-
sync things back up for the next lenge and response one item at a
phase of flight. One challenge Ive seen in general aviation air- time is just one way to use a checklist. The technique can be appro-
craft is many of the manufacturers provide a generic checklist for priate for certain situations, but not always. For example, gear and
the model, even though individual airframes will get modified flap retraction immediately after takeoff should not be done head-
over time creating differences in configuration, avionics, options, down in a checklist. Instead, these should be done from memory,
etc. The worst is when a checklist will say, For serial numbers X, and when the dynamic phase is over, refer back to the checklist to
do this but for serial numbers Y, do that. So Ive always built ensure all items are complete.

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40 March 2017
Charlie PreCourt
Running sequences from memory and referring back to the
checklist is a useful technique but requires logical break points.
When Im solo I will do this for my pre-start checks, but only up to
the point of hitting the start button. That action, hitting the start
button, is a point of no return in the flow. A point of no return is a
step that you cant easily undo, in some instances you cant undo at
all. If you miss something prior to that step, it could be a bad day. In
my JetPROP there are two batteries that can be selected individu-
The New ally or both together. Engine start on only one will lead to a hot
Motorglider start, so the battery must be set to both before hitting the start
Reality Check! button. So when I run pre-start checks from memory, I stop at that
point of no return to read back through all the items before I take
that next step. It is a great idea to look through your checklist and
or call: 920.231.8297
identify those points of no return in your procedures and establish
them as break points for checklist review in your own flow.
- 35 years of production
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The Winners Propeller! Some steps in a checklist, particularly for emergency
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If you look at the checklist for your specific aircraft, youll
likely notice nuances in the way the steps are sequenced. The best
sequences follow a logical flow and avoid bouncing around the
cockpit. A good flow also tends to cluster steps around specific
subsystems rather than bouncing back and forth between systems
in a random manner. Sometimes the sequence is simply designed
for ease of flow, but sometimes the sequence is critical. Getting
the throttle and prop control sequence correct for setting mani-
MT-Propeller USA, Inc., fold pressure and rpm is one of the first critical learnings for
Florida
Phone: (386) 736-7762 transition to complex aircraft. But the sequence for turning on
Fax: (386) 736-7696 taxi, position, and beacon lights is obviously not critical.
info@mt-propellerusa.com
Some steps in a checklist, particularly for emergency proce-
dures, have to be performed from memory. In military aircraft
we called these boldface items. The Cirrus checklist underlines
those steps that are considered memory items. For these items,
there is little to no time to be pulling out the checklist and read-
FOR YOUR LSA OR ing it. Engine failure at low altitude is an obvious example. They
KIT PLANE are also items that we rarely perform, if ever. So when the sur-
NON-TSOD A-064-000 prise happens youll need to be able to respond accurately from
memory. For these checklists, frequent self-tests, like writing
them out on a piece of paper, is a great insurance plan.
All of these techniques challenge and response, memory
sequences up to points of no return, and straight memorization
A-152-008 A-012-000 A-066-000 A-065-000
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2-1/4 Inclinometer items that will ensure you keep up with the configuration of
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Cat. No. A-064-000 $309.95 Charlie Precourt, EAA 150237, is a former NASA chief astronaut, space shuttle com-
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0-120
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 LAURAN PAINE JR.
COMMENTARY / PLANE TALK
Paige and Justin
Youthful Wisdom
Inspiration from younger generations
BY LAURAN PAINE JR.
THERE IS A TAPESTRY of passion, friendship, generosity, and giving
that runs through experimental aviation. And there are often a lot of
chance occurrences that, later, have profound effects. This is a story
that includes all of the above.
Richard Graves is an Oregon boy. Okay, hes not really a boy
hes in his 70s but sitting in his hangar and listening to him talk,
bright-eyed and animated, about his RV-12, enthusiasm-wise he is
still a boy. He was born in Vernonia, Oregon. Richard grew up and
made his living in construction, putting up many buildings in the
Portland, Oregon, area. Richards father was a tool salesman who
was also a pilot but put his flying on hold, as many do, to raise a fam-
ily of five kids. Later, he was able to get back to flying.
Richard got the flying bug soloing a Cessna 150 in 1979. He rented
and flew solo for many years. Then his flying languished until, in
2003, he started lessons again. He started again because his fathers fly-
ing career was coming to a close due to macular degeneration, and
Richard wanted to be able to take his father flying. His father flew until
2004; he was 87. Richard earned his private certificate in 2006, and he
and his father were flying again. That made his father very happy.
As Richards father aged, the flying became less frequent again
until a chance meeting in 2011 with Jerry VanGrunsven. (Yes, theres
a VanGrunsven behind every tree in Oregon; theyre legendary and
universally well-liked.) Jerry, who has an RV-12 (imagine that!), said
to Richard, Lets go for a ride. So Jerry and Richard strapped in.
Jerry said, You make the takeoff. Richard said, I havent flown in
42 March 2017
quite a while. Jerry said, Thats just an
excuse. (Jerry has a way with words.)
Richard made the takeoff, they flew
around, and then he made the landing. I
didnt want to say I hadnt landed in a long
time. Jerry woulda said the same excuse
thing to me, he said. Suffice it to say, that
flight in the delightful and versatile RV-12
put Richards mind right back into aviation.
Then he got the building bug and pur-
chased empennage and wings kits for the
RV-12. Then this: Richard was reading the
building instructions where they told him to
be sure and smooth all the aluminum edges.
Then he thought, Theres gotta be 11 thou-
sand pieces in here. Ill never get all that
done. He pushed the boxes of parts to the
back of the garage. And there they sat.
Richards father passed away in 2012, and
Jerry came to the funeral. The following
year, Jerry had a gathering at his home for
the Teen Flight kids he had been mentoring
and asked Richard about his RV-12 project.
Richard mumbled something about it still
being in boxes in the back of the garage.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAURAN PAINE JR.
 Cmere. I have two people I want you
to meet, Jerry said. Enter Justin and
Paige, two teenage Teen Flight members
who learned in Teen Flight II and men-
tored other teens in Teen Flight III. Jerry
asked Justin and Paige, You guys need
money for college, right? They both nod-
ded yes. Then Jerry said to Richard, Hire
them to teach you and help you build it.
And a match was made. The two teenagers
Richard Graves would help jump-start the project and
teach the old guy (I can say that because I
am one, too) to build his airplane. The
underlying message here, of course, is
never underestimate youth.
And so it began, working with every-
ones varied schedules, Justin and Paige
began helping Richard build the RV-12 in
his garage all the while teaching him the
finer points of building.
I had briefly met Justin and Paige at
Teen Flight II. I know Justin best because
Garage building Ive seen him the most at various events.
Paige has since moved to another city, but
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I still remember her as petite but mighty. I
remember Justin at Teen Flight II holding
a pneumatic rivet puller, standing by the
in-progress RV-12 and saying, This is a
really neat assembly. He wasnt just talk-
ing about a part; he was talking about the
whole airplane.
The work began and continued in
Richards garage, including installation of
the engine. The first engine start was
January 2015. I wanted to cry, Richard
said. (Building is a satisfying and emotional
journey.) Then came the big move to the air-
port (7S3) and hangar always a little
nerve-wracking for final assembly. Total
build time was one year and nine months.
Airworthiness was granted in February 2015.
Not long after that, the day for the first flight
came. Dick and Jerry VanGrunsven flew in
for the occasion. Jerry flew chase. Justin did
the initial flight and all the structured flight
acceptance criteria flying. Justin, at the time,
was a private pilot with a little more than
100 hours of flight time.
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 LAURAN PAINE JR.

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This is why I love my
shoot up when you read a
private pilot with a little
over 100 hours. Let me
tell you a little more about
this kid. Both he and Paige
won flight-training schol-
arships from EAA Chapter
105 in Portland. Justin
earned his private certifi-
cate in 2013. Summers, he
worked as an intern in the
engineering department
at Vans Aircraft. He has
since earned his commer-
cial and instrument
ratings. At AirVenture
2016 he was chosen to fly
trail in an RV-12 for a fea-
tured flyover of RV-6s. He
won Chapter 105s Poker Richards finished RV-12.
Run in 2015. Home-
schooled, he is now 19
years old and studying mechanical engineering at Oregon State
University. He and his brother taught each other calculus; he is in
what is called advanced placement. I asked him what he wants to
do. He said, Be a test pilot. Figures! Just thinkin out loud here,
but if there ever was a kid that should be chosen for flight training
by the Oregon Air National Guard unit flying F-15s, this is the kid!
Oh, and did I mention hes unfailingly polite? He is. I dont worry
about him getting a big head reading this. Hes not that kind of
kid. He doesnt spend a lot of time thinking about himself; he
thinks about flying.
Back to Richard and his now flying RV-12. Now you see why
he is so enthusiastic: The great kids he hired have rubbed off on
him. His stop/start aviation career is born again. He flew the
RV-12 for 50 hours before finally flying it to Synergy Air in
Eugene, Oregon, for paint. Justin designed the paint scheme,
and Richard had it painted purple and gold, his high school col-
ors. Richard received his RV-12 transition training from Mike
Seager, starting it on his 70th birthday. And then he flew to
Oshkosh, the punctuation mark on his homebuilding aviation
journey. Whats he doing now? Hes flying Young Eagles and
mentoring his grandson and others at Teen Flight V.
Still visiting Richard in his hangar with his RV-12, I asked him,
Was it all worth it? You know his answer: Oh my, yes! The peo-
ple, the friendships, the process, the satisfaction unbelievable.
And he was right back in his boy mode, eyes lit up and animated.
Oh my, yes, he said again while slapping both hands to his knees.
And all that is just one more of the beauties of experimental
aviation. The journey so often leads to yet more beauty.

Lauran Paine Jr., EAA 582274, is a retired military pilot and retired airline pilot. He
built and flies an RV-8 and has owned a Stearman and a Champ. Learn more about
Lauran at his website, www.ThunderBumper.com.

44 March 2017 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAURAN PAINE JR.

 CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF
YOUNG EAGLES
What started in 1992 as a program to
introduce kids to ight has evolved into an
aviation movement powered by the worlds
largest volunteer air force. This year, as EAA
celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Young
Eagles program, we invite all EAA members
to join us on our mission to inspire
the next generation of aviators.

Visit EAA.org/FlyKids
to learn more.

EAA Young Eagles Presenting Sponsor EAA Young Eagles Flight Plan Partners EAA Young Eagles Supporting Sponsors
 ROBERT N. ROSSIER
COMMENTARY / STICK AND RUDDER
Flying on
Borrowed Time
Where fuel management fails
BY ROBERT N. ROSSIER
ONE OF THE MOST ALARMING SITUATIONS a pilot can face is an engine
failure, yet one of the most common, if not the most common cause
of engine failures fuel starvation is entirely preventable. So how
is it that we as pilots allow such situations to occur? What are we
forgetting or missing that puts us squarely in jeopardy? How are we
fouling up our fuel management?
The most recent Nall safety report, published in August 2016,
sheds a little bit of light on the situation. It puts fuel management-
related accidents into three discrete buckets. The first and largest (61
percent of the accidents) is flight planning, which they define as
inaccurate estimation of fuel requirements or failure to monitor
fuel consumption in flight that caused complete fuel exhaustion.
Typical errors include reading the aircraft performance charts
wrong, or forgetting to account for headwinds. These are easy
46 March 2017
mistakes to make, and can leave us in the
lurch. Also included in this category are
errors such as not sticking the fuel tank to
verify how much fuel we have on board. Not
knowing how much fuel we have or sim-
ply guessing or estimating leaves us blind
and clueless.
Other factors can also mess with our fuel
management plans. Unexpected or unknown
weather conditions can cause us to reroute
our trip on the fly, perhaps causing us to eat
into our fuel reserves. Likewise, an unex-
pected runway closure or localized weather
condition can force us to add an extra leg to
ILLUSTRATION BY BRANDON JACOBS
our flight just when we thought we had
made it to our final destination.
The second bucket is systems operation,
which holds about a third of the fuel-manage-
ment accidents, and here again there are
numerous roads to ruin. Selecting the wrong
tank for takeoff or landing can set us up for a
low-altitude emergency thats difficult to
resolve. Forgetting to switch fuel tanks can
set us up for a harrowing surprise. In some
aircraft, such as the twin-engine Cessna 310,
selecting the wrong fuel tank at the wrong
time can send fuel somewhere we didnt
expect, or actually cause us to dump fuel
overboard. Setting the power or mixture
incorrectly means our performance and fuel
burn will not match the plan, setting us up for
a puzzling situation to sort out later in flight.
The third and smallest bucket (less
than 10 percent of all fuel-management
accidents) is fuel contamination, which
would include failure to identify and
remove water from the fuel tanks, or
The good news is that fuel-management accidents have been decreasing
over the past decade. But sadly, such situations continue to occur.
putting the wrong type of fuel in the tank
to begin with.
The good news is that fuel-management
accidents have been decreasing over the past
decade. But sadly, such situations continue
to occur.
FUEL QUANTITY UNKNOWN
Consider the case of the lone private pilot
who was flying a Bellanca 17-30A in January
2016 when he slammed into trees and terrain
following a loss of engine power. According to
the NTSB report, the pilot had planned a
roughly 30-minute flight from McKinney,
Texas (T31), north to Lake Murray State Park
Airport (1F1) in Overbrook, Oklahoma, and
then doubling back south to Sherman
Municipal Airport (SWI) in Texas for fuel.
The pilot estimated he had an hour of fuel on
board, but his mistake was not verifying that
assumption. According to the NTSB report,
he did not visually check the fuel levels.
Twenty minutes after departure, the
Bellancas engine began to surge, and the
pilot pointed the nose directly for Lake
Murray State Park Airport. The engine con-
tinued surging for about 45 seconds, and then
quit completely. The pilot then turned on the
fuel boost pump and switched tanks, but was
unable to restore engine power. Winds at the
time were 160 at 7 knots, but the pilot
decided to circle for a landing on Runway 14
rather than make a straight-in landing on
Runway 32 with a quartering tailwind.
www.eaa.org47
 AVIATION
HEADSETS
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The aircraft crashed 300 feet north of the gauge was about an hour into the flight,
Articulating Mic Boom
end of Runway 14. The post-crash investi- when the right fuel gauge was on empty
Microphone for High gation found a half-gallon of fuel in the and the left fuel gauge indicated it was just
Noise Environments
right wing tank and zero in the left. below the full mark. Such indications
Foam Ear Seals
Clearly the pilot did not have adequate might have raised an eyebrow for pilots
3 Year Warranty fuel for the planned flight, which he might flying a Cessna 152; however, the pilot
Youth Version have learned if he had taken the time to stated that such indications were normal
available with
stick the tanks. Fortunately, the pilot for that particular airplane, which he had
Child sized
Headband was uninjured. apparently flown numerous times.

Oftentimes good fuel management boils down to a simple matter of

time. That means taking the time to verify how much fuel we have.
S-58 Headset It also means keeping track of time: timing when we need to switch
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fuel tanks, and keeping track of the time weve been in the air.
Custom Headset Bag
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Monaural, Monaural / keep us in the air. Such may have been the
Stereo, and Helicopter case with the commercial-rated pilot (and
Versions
CFI) of a Cessna 152 who was forced to
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lost power. The pilot in this case did check
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wind, the engine lost power. The pilot
Music input
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Audio output for
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Push to Talk Switch inputs for both pilot and copilot Madison, Georgia. But the engine soon
Available in 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 place versions began to run rough again, and then lost
power completely. The pilot trimmed for
best glide speed and attempted a restart,
PTT Push-To-Talk Switches but to no avail.
Realizing he would not make the air-
Attaches to the control port, the pilot opted for an off-field
yoke with a hook landing on a road. Unfortunately, the left
and loop strap
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Coiled cable extends to 6 feet aircraft and seriously injuring the pilot
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Sigtronics Corporation The report reveals that the pilot had
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Fuel indications aside, time alone
should have told the pilot he was in trou-
ble. As the NTSB report points out, the
pilots operating handbook (POH) for the
aircraft states it has a 3.1-hour endurance
at cruise power. Having been in the air for
3.5 hours, fuel exhaustion should have
been expected. Had the pilot been watch-
ing the clock, he may have realized he was
flying on borrowed time.
A MATTER OF TIME
Oftentimes good fuel management boils
down to a simple matter of time. That means
taking the time to verify how much fuel we
have. It also means keeping track of time:
timing when we need to switch fuel tanks,
and keeping track of the time weve been in
the air. And then theres the reserve fuel
time to consider. The FARs tell us we need
to have a 30-minute cruise-power fuel
reserve for daytime VFR flights, and 45 min-
utes at night. For IFR flights, we need to be
more conservative, adding enough fuel to a
45-minute reserve to fly to an alternate if the
weather forecasts call for low ceilings and
visibility. But its up to us to decide if those
minimums really are enough and what strat-
egies to employ in our planning and
monitoring. The last place we want to find
ourselves is flying on borrowed time.
Robert N. Rossier, EAA 472091, has been flying for
more than 30 years and has worked as a flight instructor,
commercial pilot, chief pilot, and FAA flight check airman.

48 March 2017
Id been looking for a new truck for about three months. I was
trying to find the features I wanted at the right price and talked to
my local Ford dealer, Keller Ford in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Being
an EAA member, I wanted to know how I could take advantage of
Fords Partner Recognition Program discount pricing. After learning
the details, it didnt take me long to make my decision.
Using the program through the EAA website was easy. After
providing the needed EAA membership authorization to the
dealership, I ordered my new Ford F-250 Super Duty XLT pickup. Its
a great truck and perfect for towing my 5th wheel trailer. Id highly
recommend this program to other EAA members when considering
the purchase of a new Ford or Lincoln vehicle. Theyll be surprised
at how much money an EAA member can save.
Greg V. EAA 758283
The Privilege of Partnership
EAA members are eligible for special pricing on Ford Motor
Company vehicles through Fords Partner Recognition Program.
To learn more about this exclusive opportunity for EAA members
to save on a new Ford vehicle, please visit www.eaa.org/ford.
Tell Us Your Story
Ford Motor Company is proud of our long-standing partnership
with EAA and wants to hear from you! Feedback from those
who have participated in Fords Partner Recognition Program
is appreciated and owners are occasionally featured in EAA
publications. Send us your story and photos to Kevin at
kkeling@ford.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
 JEFF SKILES
COMMENTARY / CONTRAILS
The Traffic Pattern
Pay attention to what happens every time
BY JEFF SKILES
THERE ARE A NUMBER of writers in this magazine who write about
flying technique sharing from their wellspring of experience and
knowledge. I cant say that I have Steve Krogs teaching skills or
Robert N. Rossiers ability to analyze and explain flight maneuvers,
but I do have a few thousand hours as a flight instructor in my log-
book and have developed some observations regarding common
pilot tendencies.
Flying an airplane puts one in a dynamic, fast-changing environ-
ment with countless variables that almost always must be assessed
and addressed in short order. I think this is shown in no greater
degree than in the traffic pattern, where I see the same tendencies
50 March 2017
over and over in both students and myself.
Understanding them can help us all com-
pensate and be better pilots.
A good, safe landing is not an accident; it
follows a carefully crafted pattern that is
designed to place the airplane on the correct
glide path, in the right configuration, and at
the proper speed when crossing the num-
bers, thus minimizing the uncertainty of a
novel, new flying experience every time
we land.
ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF FAA
 WE ARE YOUR IN-STOCK SOURCE FOR
THE DOG TRACK APPROACH AIRCRAFT ACCESSORIES!
Many pilots I fly with prefer an arcing oval pattern reminiscent of
SKY TEC STARTERS FOR B&C STARTERS FOR CMI AIR BOSS STARTER DRIVES

a dog track. The crosswind and base leg are conspicuously miss-
CMI & LYCOMING ENGINES & LYCOMING ENGINES
ing, and the pilot is constantly working the throttle to adjust the
glide path. The aircraft is alternately high or low. Often both
within a disturbingly short period of time. The approach speed
reflects a similar scarcity of discipline, and the landing generally
displays the fruits of this lack of consistency. AIR BOSS ALTERNATOR B&C ALTERNATORS FOR CMI PLANE-POWER ALTERNATORS

CLUTCHES & LYCOMING ENGINES

CONSISTENCY
My day job is flying an airliner, and in airline flying we take
great pains to make every approach and landing identical to the
last. In fact, we try to make everything in between as similar as AIR BOSS MAGNETO

AIR BOSS MAGNETO

AIR BOSS BENDIX MAGNETOS

possible as well. There is a bright line between the right way IGNITION SYSTEMS IGNITION HARNESSES
and the wrong way, and consistency is prized.
A big part of consistency is recognizing those things in our
environment that happen every time. Foot stomper here, every
time! Theres a lot happening in the traffic pattern that must be AERO-CLASSICS OIL COOLERS B&C, LEAR ROMEC MARVEL-SCHEBLER

clearly understood so lets go once around for practice. & WELDON FUEL PUMPS CARBURETORS

WHERES THE WIND

Were about to take the runway, and the before-takeoff checklist
is complete. Lets pause here to refresh our memory about
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Jeff SkileS
of crosswind. What does that mean for the
position of our ailerons and for the strength
of any weathervane tendency, which we
must compensate for with extra rudder.
Whats that mean for our drift after liftoff?
We add in the throttle and accelerate
down the runway. Most aircraft have clock-
wise turning propellers, and the nose of the
aircraft will veer to the left every time. Why
not add in some right rudder right now
to keep the airplane on the centerline
rather than waiting until we get off to the
left before compensating. Generally, correct-
ing now takes half as much thought and
effort as reacting later.
If youre in a tailwheel aircraft like my
Cessna 185, when the tail wheel leaves the
ground you will lose its stabilizing effect, and
the nose of the aircraft will veer further left,
every time! So, as the stick goes forward simul-
taneously give it some additional right rudder.
LET IT FLY
When you feel that lightness to the wings,
let it fly. Some forget this and barrel down
the runway at high speed risking a loss of
control incident. This is particularly danger-
ous if youre weaving back and forth to
regain the centerline because you havent
heeded the previous two paragraphs. An air-
plane was meant to fly; let it do so.
Once in the air, crab a few degrees into
the wind to stay over the runway. The idea of
a pattern is to maintain a rectangular ground
track; planning for wind is part of that.
For instance, as you turn to crosswind
think about what heading you are going to roll
out on. If you took off on Runway 27 and are
making a left pattern, a heading of 180 will
only allow you to be blown downwind. The
wind will likely be stronger at altitude too, so
lets try 190 for starters. You can fine-tune later
as you judge your ground track visually.
DOWNWIND LEG
As you level out on downwind at pattern
altitude the aircraft will accelerate every
time. Pull the throttle back to something rea-
sonable. Dont accelerate to cruise when you
will only have to decelerate 15 seconds later.
My 185 is an early model and has a ridicu-
lously low maximum flap speed of 110 mph.
I leave 10 degrees of flap down after take-off
and immediately throttle back to 17 inches of
manifold pressure as I level out. This leaves
52 March 2017
me cruising along on downwind at precisely
the top of the white arc. Your airplane will
have a different configuration, but it will
be consistent.
If youre in a carbureted airplane, pull on
the carb heat at midfield. This will give a few
seconds to melt that ice out at high exhaust
temperature before reducing power. Im no
mechanic by any means, but I was taught
this practice, and it sounds logical to me.
The more common technique I observe
seems to be to apply the carb heat at or after
power reduction.
Planning for what happens every
time allows us to free up brain
power for what is different and
unique in our environment.
HOLD YOUR PITCH ATTITUDE
When youre about to come opposite the
numbers on downwind, begin pulling your
power back to approach settings. Youll
notice I said coming up on the numbers, not
after the numbers are behind your wing.
And here is where the most common failure
to heed the every time rule happens.
As the student, your eyes usually are
focused like a laser beam on the tachometer
as you try and set a precise amount of power.
As the instructor, my eyes are focused on the
horizon watching the nose fall as the air-
plane seeks trim speed because it happens
what? Every time!
Is it important that you have precisely
1500 rpm instead of 1550? Not really. But it is
important that you keep the airplane in level
flight. Your eyes should be outside the air-
plane like mine to aid you in holding the
airplane level while you slow and add flaps.
Periodically glance at the tachometer to set
engine power.
SET IT AND FORGET IT! what is different and unique in our environ-
And about that power, as Ron Popeil used to
say while hawking the Ronco Showtime
Rotisserie Oven on late night TV, Set it and
forget it! No throttle jockeying! You may
have to make an adjustment later, but ideally
the power should stay at its present setting
until closing the throttle in the flare. As you
come around the pattern, the flap settings
and speeds will be unique to your aircraft so
Ill let you figure that out on your own.
When the runway is 45 degrees behind
your shoulder, and youre turning base,
remember once again where the wind is
coming and add in a crab to keep the ground
track perpendicular to the runway.
THE PATTERN IS RECTANGULAR
Heres where the second most common pat-
tern failing occurs. For some reason our
brains tell us to turn and line up with the
runway early, and we tend to make sort of a
45-degree entry to final. This tendency
seems particularly common when the air-
plane is high on approach, which only
shortens the distance to landing and com-
pounds the problem.
Usually the failure to recognize what hap-
pens every time leaves us high and fast on
approach. So, reduce power, slow, and/or slip,
and let the airplane descend to a normal glide
path, then return the power back to approach
setting. What I just said is important. There
arent several different acceptable glide paths;
theres only one. Slip or slow to descend to
the proper glide path, or if youre low, add
power and level out until returning to the
proper glide path, then adjust power and con-
tinue the approach normally.
ON SPEED, ON GLIDE PATH
All of this will have the aircraft crossing the
numbers in position to land. If it didnt work
out so well this time around, and it doesnt
always work out for me either, decide what
youre going to do differently next time.
Usually adjusting when you turn base leg
will solve any descent profile problems.
Much of this can be thought through in
your mind and cemented in your muscle
memory before you ever even get to the air-
port. We all only have so much bandwidth,
and for most of us it shrinks with every pass-
ing year. Planning for what happens every
time allows us to free up brain power for
ment. Flying a consistent pattern is an
important step in making a good, safe, and
consistent landing.
Jeff Skiles, EAA Lifetime 336120, can be reached at
JeffreyBSkiles@gmail.com.
MEDICAL REFORM GETS IT
DONE

IS REAL
BASICMED RULE PUBLISHED IN JANUARY,
TO TAKE EFFECT IN MAY

54 March 2017
 GETS IT
DONE

WHAT AND WHERE CAN I FLY?

YEARS OF EFFORT Aircraft not more than 6,000 pounds max

takeoff weight.
No more than five passengers.

BY EAA AND AOPA For recreation, not for compensation or hire,

though flight instruction is allowed.
culminated in January when the FAA published its Within the United States, at less than 250
updated regulations, known as BasicMed, which will knots and at or below 18,000 feet MSL, VFR or
implement the aeromedical reform law passed last July. IFR, day or night.
The regulations will take effect on May 1, 2017. Because
it is final, the rule was not released for a typical public
comment period. The FAA also published an advisory
circular, AC 68-1, describing the rules implementation.
The details of the rule are laid out in the sidebars, but
what it boils down to is this: As long as youve had an
FAA medical within the last 10 years, you can fly recre-
ationally using a valid drivers license in lieu of a medical
certificate. To stay legal, youll need to take a free online
medical education course every two years, and see any
state-licensed doctor every four years. That doctor will
have to run through and sign a checklist that youll keep
in your logbook until your next visit is due.
This is the moment weve been waiting for, as the
provisions of aeromedical reform become something
that pilots can now use, said Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?
and chairman. EAA and AOPA worked to make this a
reality through legislation in July, and since then the
most common question from our members has been, Hold a valid U.S. drivers license.
When will the rule come out? We now have the text and
Carry your drivers license with you when
will work to educate members, pilots, and physicians
you fly.
about the specifics in the regulations.
During EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016, Sen. James Have a medical certificate issued by the FAA at
Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), the author of the Pilots Bill of any point after July 15, 2006.
Rights 2 legislation that evolved into the aeromedical
Answer questions on the Comprehensive
reform law we have today, praised EAAs advocacy
Medical Examination Checklist (CMEC).
efforts. I am grateful for the strong and consistent voice
of EAA members who shared why third-class medical See any state-licensed physician once every
reform is necessary, he said. I want to thank Jack four years, and have him or her complete
Pelton, CEO and chairman of the Experimental Aircraft the CMEC.
Association, and his team for their leadership and sup-
Complete a free online medical course every
port from the beginning and all their work to educate my
two years.
colleagues in Congress on issues that affect pilots.

www.eaa.org55
 MARCH 2012
EAA and AOPA petition the FAA to give pilots who fly recreation-
ally the option of getting a third-class medical or, instead,
DECEMBER 2013
Rep. Todd Rokita (R-Indiana)
participating in a recurrent online education program that will
introduces the General
teach them how to self-assess their fitness to fly.
Aviation Pilot Protection Act
(GAPPA), which includes
third-class medical certifica-
tion reform language. A
companion measure was
subsequently introduced in
the Senate.

AUGUST 2014
FAA Administrator Michael Huerta
announces at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
JUNE 2012 that more than 16,000 comments were
received regarding the EAA/AOPA
JUNE 2015 The FAA opens the
petition for public petition and a rule would be released
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) and Sen. for public comment by fall 2014.
comment for three
John Boozman (R-Arkansas) offer a third-class
months, through mid-
medical certification reform amendment to a
September 2012.
Senate transportation bill.

JULY 2015
At AirVenture, Huerta announces that the EAA/AOPA petition is FEBRUARY 2016
still awaiting final action from the Department of Transportation to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
advance to the rulemaking process. EAA also fires back at the Air Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania) introduces
Line Pilots Association (ALPA) regarding a letter opposing aero- the House version of an FAA reauthorization bill that
medical reform, which ALPA sent to all senators. includes medical reform language similar to that
contained in GAPPA. The bill passes out of commit-
tee but never makes it to a floor vote.
FEBRUARY 2015
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) intro-
duces the Pilots Bill of Rights 2 in the
U.S. Senate, which includes third-class
medical reform language similar to the
previous GAPPA bill and more exten-
sive than that requested in the 2012
EAA/AOPA petition for exemption.

SEPTEMBER 2015 JULY 2016

The Pilots Bill of Rights 2 gains
a Senate supermajority, sur- With FAA authorization set to expire,
passing 60 Senate co-sponsors. the House and Senate agree to a
14-month authorization extension
APRIL 2016 with some broadly agreed-to policy
Inhofe includes Pilots Bill of Rights 2 implementation, including medical
provisions in the Senates FAA reauthori- reforms contained within the Pilots
zation bill, which passes the Senate 95-3. Bill of Rights 2.

JULY 11, 2016

The House passes the
DECEMBER 2015 FAA extension and JULY 13, 2016
The U.S. Senate passes the Pilots Bill medical reform. The Senate passes the FAA
of Rights 2 on a bipartisan vote after extension and medical reform.
extensive negotiation with Commerce,
Science, and Transportation Committee
members and Senate leaders over
third-class medical certification reform.
JULY 15, 2016 MAY 1, 2017
President Obama signs the BasicMed to go into effect.
The bill is sent to the House.
FAA Extension, Safety, and
Security Act of 2016, mak-
ing medical reform law.
JANUARY 10, 2017
The FAA publishes its final rule, announcing

TIMELINE
changes to Medical Certification of Small
Aircraft Pilots, known as BasicMed.
GETS IT
DONE

56 March 2017

SIMPLICITY
Thanks to third-class medical reform,
many pilots who have held a valid medical
certificate in the past 10 years will never
have to see an AME or hassle with FAA
paperwork again.
GETS IT
DONE
SAFETY
Third-class medical reform will allow pilots
to treat underlying medical conditions with
their personal physicians and continue to
fly the type of aircraft in which they are
most experienced.
THE COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL EXAMINATION CHECKLIST (CMEC)
The CMEC will have two parts: questions
to be answered by the pilot in advance of
the exam and a list of items for your doctor,
any state-licensed physician, to include in
the examination. The questions will include
basic identifying information like name
and address, date of birth, a short medical
history and list of current medications, and
information about whether youve ever
had an FAA medical certificate denied,
suspended, or revoked.
The list of items for the doctor to cover in
the examination are now part of the third-class
medical exam and are typical to those found in
any routine physical. These items include:
Head, face, neck, scalp
Nose, sinuses, mouth, throat
Ears and eardrums
Eyes
Lungs and chest
Heart
Vascular system
GETS IT
DONE
SAVINGS
By removing the need for constant medical
and special issuance renewals, third-class
medical reform saves pilots significant time
and expense.
ADVOCACY
EAA could not have pushed medical reform
through Congress without your continued
support. Thousands of EAA man hours and
ongoing relationship building went into
getting this done. Your membership, and our
community, makes a difference.
Abdomen and viscera
Anus
Skin
Genitourinary system
Upper and lower extremities
Spine, other musculoskeletal
Body marks, scars, tattoos
Lymphatics
Neurologic
Psychiatric
General systemic
Hearing
Vision
Blood pressure and pulse
And anything else the physician in his or
her medical judgment considers necessary.
The doctor will have to indicate that he or
she has made the necessary checks, and
both the pilot and doctor will need to sign
the form. Then you put the form in a safe
place and get back to flying.
Additionally, many EAA members have reached
out to share their enthusiasm. Steve Engelking, EAA
244968, of Longmont, Colorado, wrote, Thank you
so much to Jim Inhofe for getting this through
Congress and passed into law. Three cheers for this
heroic effort!
Stewart Barnes, EAA 761379, of Anchorage,
Alaska, is also celebrating BasicMed, calling it
Simpler, cheaper, more efficient. He went on to say
that, The FAA third-class and [special issuance]
never did anything to make me safer, healthier, or a
better pilot. It had zero value yet it cost me money
and my doctors time to jump through the hoops.
Not anymore!
Januarys publication finalized the highly antic-
ipated measure that was signed into law in July of
2016 as part of an FAA funding bill. That was the
ultimate success of a long effort by EAA and AOPA
to bring significant aeromedical reform to pilots
flying recreationally and eliminate the time and
expense burdens on those holding third-class
medical certificates.
The law guaranteed that pilots who held a valid
third-class medical certificate during the period
after July 15, 2006, will be eligible to fly under the
new rules. New pilots and pilots whose most recent
medical expired prior to July 15, 2006, will be
required to get a one-time third-class exam from an
FAA-designated aviation medical examiner.
The FAA was required to implement the law
within 180 days of its signing, a deadline that it met
with one day to spare. Despite the release of the reg-
ulations as a final rule, EAA is reviewing the
language carefully to ensure it fully reflects the lan-
guage and intent of the law.
Aeromedical reform has been a top advocacy
priority of EAA members for a number of years, and
led to EAA and AOPA initially petitioning the FAA
for changes in the third-class medical certification
process. The goal was to reduce the unnecessary
regulatory and expense barriers that pushed avia-
tors out of recreational flying and kept prospective
pilots from entering the aviation community.
EAA has updated its online FAQs and will con-
tinue to update them to provide the latest
information on aeromedical reform. EAA is also
working with its aeromedical and legal advisory
councils to provide resources that will help mem-
bers and their personal doctors understand the
provisions of the new regulations.
www.eaa.org57
58 March 2017 PHOTOGRAPHY BY ED HICKS
B eaver
TALES
THE MARCO FAMILYS DE HAVILLAND DHC-2

BY JIM BUSHA

MOST AVIATION HISTORIANS AGREE the de Havilland Beaver, a high-wing monoplane pow-
ered by a Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior radial engine originally designed as an
all-metal seaplane, is one of the most significant aircraft of our day. Whether on wheels,
floats, skis, or amphibs, the Beaver fills a universal need as a sturdy, rugged, and reliable
airplane. So, its no wonder Dave Marco, EAA 267503, and his son, Michael, EAA 1005184,
of Atlantic Beach, Florida, enjoyed flying them so much they had to have their own.

www.eaa.org59
W
M A R CO FA M I LY A I R A F FA I R
ith aviation DNA flowing through the Marco
family like hot oil through a radial engine,
the practice of flying for business and
pleasure has spanned generations.
My grandfather Seymour Marco flew B-24 Liberators in World
War II and then instructed in them stateside, said Michael. He used
his wartime flight experience to carry over into the general aviation
arena when he founded the Marco family company, Marco
Ophthalmic. His mantra of get anywhere at almost any time was solid-
ified with airplanes as he used them to assist customers as quickly as
possible. So naturally that tradition has carried on today with almost
everyone in our family earning their wings and becoming a pilot.
But using an airplane for business, currently a Cessna Citation
CJ2+, is only a small fraction of the flying that occupies the Marco
household. Truth be told, Dave is an old airplane guy. His current
stable of flying machines contains an award-winning North
American P-51 Mustang, a highly polished Lockheed Model 12A, an
American Champion Super Decathlon that Michael uses to get his
aerobatic fix in, and the family favorite, load everything including
the kitchen sink family flying recreational vehicle of the skies, a
1953 de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver.
H I S T O R Y O F S E R I A L N O. 57 7
Built in 1953, this de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (serial No. 577) was
delivered as a seaplane on December 30, 1953, to Maritime Central
Airways in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
It wore the markings of CF-HGU in a typical early days bush
flying color scheme of bright yellow and high visibility blue paint,
said Michael. This aircraft had an extensive commercial life in
upper Canada, and after approximately 18,000 flying hours it was
badly damaged when it hit a stump on takeoff while operating on
skis from a snow-covered field. The Beaver flipped over and caught
fire destroying most of the airplane.
Sold as scrap in 1995 the aircraft was completely remanufactured
and restored by the Canadian company AvTech, which specialized in
rebuilding and zero timing wrecked aircraft.
60 March 2017
AvTech zero timed the entire air-
frame, and it was sold as a brand new
Beaver to the Luhrs Yachts company here
in St. Augustine, Florida, along with a fac-
tory-built DHC-2 Mk.III turbine-powered
Beaver, said Michael. Refitted with
Wipaire 6100 amphibious floats and re-reg-
istered as N300EL, Luhrs used the Beaver
as an executive transport shuttling execu-
tives to remote parts of North America to
meet with customers.
Due to downsizing, Luhrs decided to
sell the radial engine Beaver in mid-1998 to
a buyer who lived just down the road.
Daves dream finally came true as he chris-
tened his new airplane with a registration
of N450DM.
The Beaver quickly became the family
airplane as we used it for all kinds of adven-
tures: camping, fishing, hunting, and
anything else fun we could think of, said
Michael. Although I was only around 8
years old at the time there wasnt a single
weekend that I dont remember climbing up
onto the big floats and helping my dad load
gear into the roomy fuselage and float com-
partments. It was our version of the family
RV. I remember early on being enthralled
by the sound of that R-985 radial engine
and the immense size of the Beaver, and its
the big reason why I couldnt wait to learn
how to fly.
AIRCRAFT SPECIFICATIONS

Airplane type and model: de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver Mk.I Empty weight: 4,050 pounds (with Wipaire 6100 amphibious floats)
N-number: N450DM Gross weight: 5,370 pounds
Top speed: 155 knots Useful load: 1,320 pounds (four people, baggage, three hours
Cruise speed: 100 knots fuel plus reserves)
Landing speed: 75 knots Fuel capacity: 138 U.S. gallons (three fuselage tanks, two wingtip tanks)
Takeoff roll: 1,500 feet (seaplane configuration) Wingspan: 48 feet
Rate of climb at gross: 800 fpm Wing area: 250 square feet
Range at 65 percent, estimated: 450 nm with 30-minute reserve Height: 10 feet, 5 inches
Length: 32 feet, 9 inches (with floats)
Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior
Horsepower: 450 at sea level
Propeller: Hartzell B3R30-4 three-blade (Kenmore STC)

www.eaa.org61
Michael immersed himself in
backcountry Beaver flying as
a pilot with Talkeetna Air Taxi
in Alaska.
Fast-forward nine years. Growing up
flying side by side with his father and after
earning his pilot certificate and floatplane
rating, Dave agreed to stand on the side-
lines and allowed Michael to fly the
Beaver solo.
Because of the Beaver, I was able to
obtain my commercial land and sea ratings,
said Michael. That experience allowed me
to really immerse myself in the backcountry
lore of Beaver flying when I was selected to
fly them with Talkeetna Air Taxi in Alaska
for the summer supplying the base camp at
Mount McKinley. I had an amazing time fly-
ing their Beavers on skis with zero Florida
ski flying experience no less!
BEAVER LORE
Flying in and out of both snow and ice strips
from 3,000- to 8,000-foot elevations, and
having to regularly fly through mountain
passes as high as 12,000 feet, Michaels pri-
mary role was to bring in or fly out the
mountain climbers on the Alaska Range,
along with offering that experience to curi-
ous tourists who wanted a glimpse into life
in the Alaska Range.
62 March 2017
We also flew in food, rescue equipment
and personnel, park rangers, base-camp
managers, and military personnel as well,
said Michael. During tourist season we also
flew passengers on glacier landings to see
Mount McKinley.
What this new environment did for me
was expose me to the side of the Beaver that
I had only heard about some of it I
thought was folklore. Previously, in Florida,
I flew on floats mainly to have fun and rarely
did I fly with more than three or four people
and hardly any baggage. But in Alaska when
we took off we operated at 5,600 pounds,
right at gross weight on every flight. Stuffed
inside the piston Beaver were six to eight
people and all their associated gear they
brought with them. Then we would take
them up to 12,000 feet. To say the Beaver is
an amazing hauler is an understatement. It
is capable of almost anything thrown at it
getting in and out of these little snow
strips up at altitude fully loaded was no
problem at all. That environment truly dis-
plays the performance realm of the Beaver
and convinced me even more what an amaz-
ing airplane it was.
For Michael, the one quirk in the Beaver
that stands out with this 1940s design is the
instrument panel layout.
In my opinion the original layout was
not centered on ergonomics or safety, said
Michael. Most aircraft panels today are set
up in an IFR T or A shape where its easy to
fly IFR or its easy to find the fuel selector.
Not so in the Beaver: There are knobs, gad-
gets, switches that seem to be placed all over
the place for no reason.
Several examples include the location of
the oil shut-off valve, which is in the far
reaches of the right-hand corner of the cock-
pit, and then the fuel gauges and selector.
There are three belly tanks in the
Beaver, and they are labeled front, middle,
and rear on the gauge, but they are shown in
a triangular diagram with the rear tank at
the top, the middle tank is on the bottom
right, and the front tank is the bottom left of
the triangle, Michael said. Its very confus-
ing until you get used to the setup. On top of
that, the fuel selector knob is labeled differ-
ently: front, center, and rear. The center is at
the top of the triangle. But thats not what is
depicted on the gauge. On the gauge its
shown in the middle, and on the selector its
the center. There are countless stories of
pilots selecting the wrong tank in the Beaver,
oblivious, and they run out of gas thinking
they have selected the fullest tank when in
fact they selected the tank full of air.
Back in Florida, the Marco Beaver con-
tinued to rack up the hours.
Although just a drop in the bucket to
this Beavers commercial flying life, this air-
plane has provided years of outdoor
enjoyment for our family, said Dave. In
2014 we had reached the 1,650 TBO on the
Pratt & Whitney R-985 and decided it was
time to do a full restoration on the airplane.
R E S T O R AT I O N
Dave knew that there would be no way he
could tackle this project himself and still run
the day-to-day operations of his company.
He wanted someone who knew the Beaver
in and out and who could address any issues
that might creep up during a major restora-
tion and rebuild.
My wife and I had a blast transporting
the airplane from its home in North Florida
to South St. Paul Minnesota, home of
Wipaire, due to their knowledge of Beavers
and, of course, the Wipline model of floats,
said Dave. In typical Beaver fashion, we were
never more than 1,500 feet above the ground
the whole way up there. Our primary goal
was greater engine power, along with weight
savings while maintaining an original de
Havilland look and feel void of glass cock-
pit, autopilot, or fancy and heavy leather
interior, all not becoming of a Beaver.
The four-man crew at Wipaire headed up
by Curt Sneddeker and Pete Zimmerman
worked full time for six months and went to
town on the Beaver as all components were
rebuilt or replaced, such as the birdcage,
engine mount, electrical system, control
cables, and control surfaces.
Since we are operating several months
per year in hot weather around North
Florida, we are very conscientious of
weight and engine power. A major goal of
the restoration was to make the already
light aircraft even lighter, said Dave. We
removed all older, non-essential materials
with the largest savings coming from
wiring, electrical, and interior.
Surprisingly, one of the heaviest items we
removed and replaced was the interior.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MARCO FAMILY
Wipaire spent six months rebuilding and replacing all components of the Marcos Beaver, with the goal of making the plane lighter.
Ours was very original so we spent a lot of
time reverting it back to what a Beaver
should be a vinyl interior, nothing fancy,
easy to spray off or vacuum out even with a
wet dog jumping inside. We used very
lightweight coverings on the seats with no
cushion or soundproofing inside. Roof cov-
ers and carpeting rounded out the original
Beaver look inside.
All new glass including front wind-
shield, pilots windows, and two passenger
windows, one on each side of the passenger
door was installed.
Another one of the major components of
the restoration was the replacement of the
R-985 engine.
Covington Engines did a custom job
for us, porting, polishing, and balancing the
engine while the blower was fitted for min-
imum clearance and polished, said Dave.
They utilized new steel barrels with
increased compression ratios resulting in
the higher power output that we were
after. This has made a huge difference in
performance, especially with the new
three-blade Hartzell propeller we
installed. It is definitely quieter and
smoother, but several old-time Beaver
pilots will remark that they dont perform
as well as the original blades. Personally I
like the three-blade version and think it
gives us the performance we need.
The cockpit also received attention.
Avionics include a Garmin 430, which is
lightweight, redundant, and capable that
includes WAAS/ADS-B with uplink.
Nothing was added that was not necessary
for safe flight. All instruments were over-
hauled and refaced or replaced, said Dave.
We also ended up rearranging both the
panel and the fuel system so it removes
those confusing quirks.
With 135 gallons of fuel on board when
its completely full two wing tanks with
21.5 gallons in each tip and 97 gallons of fuel
in the belly divided among three belly tanks
the Beaver has plenty of range. With five
fuel tanks the Beaver gives the pilot conser-
vatively five hours with a 30-minute reserve
on board.
Burn rate is around 25 gallons an hour
with the help of our nine-cylinder engine
monitor and fuel flow gauge and lean assist,
said Michael. We are seeing between 22-23
gallons per hour at 1800 rpm and 28 inches
of manifold pressure in cruise.
The floats on the Beaver were a 1980s
model so those were overhauled as well.
According to Michael, their Beaver was one
of the only ones out there on Wipline floats
with no gear voice indicator system onboard.
We had the lights blue for water,
green for grass but no voice system, said
Michael. Because we operate quite fre-
quently on both water and grass/hard
surface we decided to have that feature
installed as well.
When it came time for paint Dave was
adamant that the final look stayed with the
traditions of the de Havilland line of aircraft.
Even though it is a minor part of any
restoration, we spent an enormous amount
of time with Scheme Designers developing
an original but slightly updated paint
scheme that would complement the de
Havilland design, said Dave. What we
ended up with keeps it true to its roots in
my mind.
www.eaa.org63
 T
The panel was completely
reconfigured to remove
some confusing quirks, and
the vinyl interior was crafted
with adventure in mind.
64 March 2017
he result is a curvier version of an original
Beaver paint job with the bottom painted
blue, white on the top, and a light stripe
running from cowling to tail.
As far as I am concerned the entire
team that worked with Curt Sneddeker at
Wipaire did an incredible job, said Dave.
They are definitely the ones who deserve
the Gold Lindy we were awarded at EAA Oshkosh 2016. Curt did a
wonderful job managing the entire project for us, from coordinating
everything from teardown and float overhaul, to the weight increase
and painting. Every step of the way he was feeding us info, giving us
updates, and soliciting our advice on how we wanted to proceed.
With the restoration completed in late 2014, the father and son
team flew their pride and joy home to Florida.
After the restoration, it was a brand new airplane, said Dave.
With the new Covington Engines R-985 up front it felt like there
was a lot more power associated with the allowable 36.5 inches of
MAP. The airplane became a real climber and could not wait to get
off the ground. Along with this, we saved just over 40 pounds during
the restoration so it was a lighter airplane. We also added Wipaires
aileron flow accelerators on the leading edges of the outboard wing
panels. This really helped the slow-speed aileron effectiveness.
Overall, I was really surprised at how much better the Beaver per-
formed compared to the pre-restoration flights. It was almost like a
totally different airplane.
B E AV E R FLY I N G
The de Havilland Beaver is one of the most capable bushplanes
ever built. At the time it was designed there was (and still is) a huge
need for the ability to have a single airplane that could haul any-
one/anything in and out of almost anywhere. To achieve this, the
de Havilland engineers implemented a few unique designs into
the Beaver.
The most notable is the flap system, said Michael. The flaps
have a tremendous amount of travel; fully extended they go down to
60 degrees, which is pure drag and enables the Beaver to descend
quickly at very slow speeds. Along with this, the design incorporates
droop ailerons, which droop at a 25 percent
rate of the flap setting, so at 60 degrees of
flaps you have 15 degrees of droop aileron
per wing. This is a lot. It provides a massive
amount of additional lift and slow speed
capability. But it also hinders aileron author-
ity at slow speed. So much so, that with any
flap setting greater than takeoff setting, if
you were to roll in full aileron, there would
be no up aileron at all. The only thing initiat-
ing a bank is the down-turned aileron on the
outside wing. This causes way more adverse
yaw, and a tendency to get uncoordinated at
slow speeds compared to other aircraft. Any
Beaver pilot will tell you that the Beaver is a
rudder airplane, and this is a big reason
why. It is crucial to maintain proper coordi-
nation especially with flaps while at slow
speeds and low to the ground, which is
where 90 percent of your flight is while
youre in a Beaver.
The Marcos admit they dont use their
Beaver for extreme bush operations all the
time, but they are reassured in knowing that
the available power and capability are there.
Stalls are nonevents, said Michael. Its
a very forgiving airplane to fly both in the
seaplane and tailwheel configuration. With a
steerable tail wheel and toe brakes, it doesnt
get much easier than that on landing or take-
off. On the water its a different story; it
totally depends on the type of floats you
have. We have thoroughly enjoyed our
Wipline 6100s. Theyre a bit oversized for
the airplane and provide great buoyancy, but
most importantly they have big water rud-
ders which are very tight and help greatly
with confined space maneuvering.
EAA AND SEAPLANE PILOTS
ASSOCIATION SHARE PASSION
FOR FLIGHT
EAA and the Seaplane Pilots Association (SPA)
recently signed a memorandum of understanding
that expands the organizations joint efforts to bring
the possibilities of flight to more people.
There is a common passion for flight that
connects SPA and EAA, with our organizations
sharing a significant number of members, said
Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO and chairman. This memo
of understanding sets the stage of the next step of
cooperation between our associations, as we must
work together to sustain and grow interest in all
forms of aviation.
The Seaplane Pilots Associations primary
focus is to promote safe seaplane operations
and protect our privilege to share our nations
waterways with recreational, governmental, and
commercial operators.
The agreement outlines specific areas where
EAA and SPA will work together, including support
of mutual membership goals, collaborating
on advocacy issues, and joint opportunities to
promote both organizations to the public. It also
encompasses EAAs continued support of seaplane
base operations during the EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh fly-in.
EAA and SPA will create a joint working group
to explore possibilities for joint activities and
programs that could inspire youth and adults to
get involved in flying, especially seaplane flying.
The agreement also provides for increased visibility
of each organization in the others outreach and
communications channels.
For more information on the Seaplane Pilots
Association visit www.SeaplanePilotsAssociation.org.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ED HICKS
Michael said, for safety reasons, during
operation from land its a good idea to let the
aircraft accelerate to 60 knots to rotate, then
pitch for 75 knots for best climb. There is a
one-minute limitation at 2300 rpm for the
engines, so once the plane is airborne the
power has to be brought back.
For a seaplane its basically the same
procedure, he said. As soon as youve reductions and flap application down pat its
completed a runup and youre clear of any
obstructions, the power is moved forward
to the same power settings, the stick is held
aft until you see the second of two nose
rises as you get closer to getting on the
step. Once the nose rises for the second
time, the yoke can be moved forward to
neutral, and very little effort is required to
get the airplane to hop up onto the step. A
lot of other seaplanes have a long plowing
period and require some horsing around to
get it on the step; the Beaver rarely requires
this. Once on the step, and in the sweet
spot, the Beaver will accelerate nicely, and
typically were off the water in 30 seconds
at the most. The Beaver is a surprisingly
very dry airplane compared to other sea-
planes; the prop has better clearance over
the water than most floatplanes so prop
erosion isnt as big of an issue compara-
tively. And even while plowing, or on the
step, the Beaver has a giant rudder, so its
very responsive on the water during takeoff
and landing.
According to Michael, landings have a bit
more going on than takeoff. You have to be
wary of power management with the radial
engine; one of the most common things to
watch out for is the shock cooling effect.
In the Beaver there is so much airflow
over the engine that even just putting the
flaps down can induce shock cooling, due to
the associated pitch change from applying
flaps, Michael said. Along with this, fast
reduction in power and applying carb heat
can also cause shock cooling pretty easily.
Once youve got the nice easy smooth power
easy. We fly the pattern at about 90 knots,
and an approach at 75 knots initially, slowing
to 55-60 knots just before touchdown. On
the water, its about the same, and I prefer to
use a glassy water technique with power
kept in most of the time; it helps with keep-
ing the airplane on the step after landing to
prevent long, slow water taxis.
Dave and Michael agree that flying the
Beaver is very special, especially when they
fly into an inaccessible body of water that
you can only get to by seaplane.
In only 30-45 minutes you can be out of
sight and sound of civilization thats my
favorite part of flying the Beaver, especially
when I get to show others some of the
unseen places that only very few will ever
experience, Michael said. The Beaver has a
certain romance to it that all bushplanes
aspire to be: the classic quintessential back-
country airplane. Thats the great thing
about flying an airplane like this because you
just never know what new and unknown
adventure is just around the corner.
Jim Busha, EAA 119684, is an avid pilot and longtime con-
tributor to EAA publications. He is EAA director of publications
and editor of Warbirds and Vintage Airplane magazines, and
the owner of a 1943 Aeronca L-3 and Stinson L-5.
www.eaa.org65
 Jobs
COOL
FLYING

NOT YOUR AVERAGE DAY IN THE COCKPIT
BY BETH E. STANTON
MEET SOME PILOTS who are not content with the usual. They crave a challenge and are
driven by the need to push their boundaries and seek new adventures. Every day
greets them with new circumstances and people to learn from and serve. For these
pilots, the extraordinary is ordinary as they fly in places and ways most of us cant
fathom. It took hard work and risks to get here. They fly in remarkably different ways,
yet have achieved one common goal: making a living doing what they love.

66 March 2017 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK

 COOL FLYING Jobs

AIR TRACTOR firefighting

AS A KID, I knew I wanted to have a job where I spent my day fly-
ing cool airplanes, said Mike Rhodes, Air Tractor production and
R&D test pilot and firefighter. Ive always enjoyed the challenge
of flying, and there are always places I can improve. Landing on a
beautiful remote lake, scooping 800 gallons in 10 seconds, haul-
ing it through the mountains, and dropping it on a wildfire is
pretty fun. Air Tractor manufactures the 802F Initial Attack
Firefighter and the 802F Fire Boss amphibious scooper aerial
firefighting aircraft. One has a tail wheel; the other is on floats.
The amphibious Fire Boss is used in areas with close prox-
imity to a scoopable water source and can make 20-40 trips
between the fire and the water. A scoop, located in the keel of
the float, pipes water from the floats to the fuselage and into the
800-gallon hopper. The Fire Boss is built at the Air Tractor fac-
tory in Texas, then retrofitted with amphibious floats designed
by Wipaire. The tailwheel firefighter is loaded with retardant at
a tanker base and delivers it to a fire.
The agriculture and firefighting versions of Air Tractor 802s
are nearly the same, with the exception of the equipment on the
belly. Fire gate computer-controlled hydraulic clamshell doors
replace the sprayers, and the hopper tank in front of the cockpit
holds water or fire retardant rather than spray chemicals.
Air Tractor 802s are nimble tools in the aerial firefighting
toolbox. With airspeeds approaching 200 mph, they are quick to
dispatch and arrive at a fire. They are maneuverable in tight
mountainous geography and can turn around in places that other
tankers cant get into. They are relatively low cost to operate com-
pared with helicopters and large multiengine aerial tankers.
When fighting fires, weather, terrain, and traffic avoidance are
constant challenges. Close proximity to the ground and making
drops at 100 feet or less near the treetops requires constant focus.
Fires burn when its hot and windy, which are terrible flying con-
ditions, Mike said. Youre flying in busy airspace with half a
dozen other aircraft, using five different radios and communicat-
ing with five people at the same time. The stakes are high. We
need to make accurate drops, Mike said. Our job can keep
someones house from burning. Were not just throwing water
out; we are being ordered to drop it with pinpoint accuracy.
Steve Bailey is one of four Fire Boss instructors in the coun-
try, who spends fire season working in Minnesota, Idaho,
Washington, Oregon, and Alaska firefighting in the Fire Boss.
As you push the nose over going down the terrain, you try to
time the release and acceleration to be on speed and on target
where the guys want it, Steve said. Flying through the smoke,
he uses infrared to hunt for hot spots. I enjoy trying to be pre-
cise. No two drops, or scoops, are the same.
What Steve loves most about his job is contributing to a
meaningful purpose. Its important for me to have an objective
and provide a service. Helping the men and women on the
ground doing the real work is a good feeling. The air assets are
tools; the folks on the ground put fires out.

Check out the digital edition of EAA Sport Aviation

for a video
PHOTOGRAPHY about
COURTESY Matt
OF AIR Chapman.
TRACTOR www.eaa.org67
COOL FLYINGJobs
ALASKA glacier pilot
IM NOT CUT OUT to be an airline or corporate pilot. I need to have a
job that challenges me mentally and skills-wise, explained Patrick
Dugan, EAA 775442. Flying Porters in Papua, Indonesia, exposed
him to a type of flying that resonated with him. Upon returning
home, he saw an online ad for K2 Aviation in Talkeetna, Alaska. 2017
marks his fifth season flying there.
Patrick, a CFI, holds single-engine land and sea, and multiengine
ratings. Additional training with K2 consisted of five hours in make
and model, area of operation familiarization, and landing on glaciers.
He flies a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, DHC-3T Turbine Otter,
Cessna 185 (all on wheel skis), and a Cherokee Six. He loves flying the
quintessential bushplane Beaver. Patrick said, There is nothing like
the sound of a radial engine coughing to life in the morning.
Patrick is a K2 training instructor and also transports mountain
climbers to base camps and skiers, snowboarders, and sightseers to
glaciers. Everybody is there to climb, fly, and see Denali, he said.
He lands on glacier strips scattered throughout the Alaska, Chugach,
Talkeetna, and Tordrillo mountain ranges. Glacier ice is rough, full
of crevasses, and constantly shifting. Planes land on the accumu-
lated snow of the glacial cirques. The strips are typically one way in
and out with no go-around option. Pilots land uphill to allow a
shorter stop distance and take off downhill, getting help from gravity
to accelerate. Certain light conditions cause the snow, sky, and
68 March 2017
background to blend together making it difficult to see where the
ground starts. Three or four colorful plastic kiddie sleds stuck verti-
cally in the snow identify the strip location, delineate takeoff and
landing lanes, and act as a makeshift visual approach slope indicator.
Im not going to say that its not dangerous. The best thing you
learn when flying in Alaska is when to say no. When I started, the
owner told me that she doesnt pay us to fly; she pays us to turn
around. If youre smart, that sticks with you, Patrick said before
explaining the considerations for safe landing. Do I have two ways
in and out? What are the weather, temperature, and dew point
spread? Do I have visible moisture? Is there a tailwind on final? Can
I see the sleds or tracks? Snow conditions can change on an hourly
basis in a single day. He continued, You have to be tactical and
smart when youve got two of the three biggest mountains in North
America 8 miles apart and youre flying between them.
Since roads service only about 10 percent of the state, airplanes are
a utilitarian part of everyday life in Alaska. Everyone is a pilot,
Patrick said. That diminutive person sitting next to you likely has
more knowledge, skills, and abilities than you do. A person with a big
ego up there is not going to last long. Patrick lives half the year in Los
Angeles, California, and looks forward to going back to Talkeetna
every year. Alaska is one of the most spectacular places on the planet.
Getting to share that with people never gets old.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PATRICK DUGAN

CLOUD seeding
A LOT PEOPLE THINK that we fly in and out of thunderstorms. We fly
along the edges of thunderstorms, not through them. You only do
that once, said Jody Fischer, chief pilot at Weather Modification in
North Dakota. He compares cloud seeding in the summertime to a
dogfight. As soon as you hit a feeding turret into a thunderstorm,
the air goes down and you float off your seat, he said. You then hit
the air going up, and the airplane goes up and youre smashed into
your seat. You bounce around, and all of a sudden you get light in
your seat from the downdraft and pop out of the cloud.
Cloud seeding increases the efficiency of clouds by depositing
additional particles (condensation nuclei) into them. Super-cooled
water attaches to condensation nuclei to make rain or snow. Silver
iodide is a material that is safe and almost identical in structure to an racks. Ejectable and burn-in-place flares containing silver iodide
ice crystal. Silver iodide works at -5 degrees Celsius, while nature
doesnt start making ice until -15/-20 degrees. By getting there at
the right time and a little earlier in the process than it naturally
would, we can increase precipitation by a few percentage points,
Jody said. Those few percentage points of snowpack and spring
melt-off make a big difference in hydropower or irrigation resources
and revenue. Science and analyzing equipment have improved to the pilots how to fly around the weather safely. Its exciting to get
point to prove that cloud seeding is effective. Without a doubt it
works, Jody said, Were using science to do the job.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JODY FISCHER
COOL FLYING Jobs
There are two types of summer seeding to help increase rainfall
and/or minimize hail: VFR base and IFR cloud top. Out in front and
underneath the cloud its really dark and ominous-looking, Jody
said. On top, youre up along the edge of the bright white cloud. Its
super bright. Sometimes sunglasses arent enough, and youre still
squinting. Winter seeding is flying IFR in the soup, monitoring air-
craft icing. Pilots fly a racetrack pattern waiting for waves of
moisture. Once super-cooled liquid water begins going over the air-
plane, they begin seeding.
Pilots fly a Cessna 340 and King Air C90 that are equipped for
known icing in the winter and a Seneca II in the summer. There
are no modifications to the planes except for the seeding flare
are mounted on the belly and wings. The cardboard flares burn
up within the clouds in 30 seconds. Pilots require a commercial
certificate with multiengine and instrument ratings and also fly
as first officer for one season to master the techniques and mete-
orology necessary for safe and efficient operation. Jody has
worked at Weather Modification for 17 years and now trains
up there in the bright sun and battle the thunderstorm, he said.
Thats the most fun.
www.eaa.org69
COOL FLYINGJobs
GRAND CANYON
helicopter pilot
FOR MOST PEOPLE, its their first time in a helicopter and
first time in the Grand Canyon, Brandon Edeal said.
Youre giving these two things wrapped up in one package.
There is this aha moment when they get into the helicopter
and experience one of the great natural wonders of the
world. Its almost too much for them to take in. Taking off
from Boulder City, Nevada, Brandon flies his passengers
over the largest man-made lake in the western hemisphere,
Lake Mead, then S-turns over the Hoover Dam. Entering
the Grand Canyon from the west, they fly south of the
Colorado River. Landing on the floor of the canyon 4,000
feet below the rim, passengers sit at a picnic table and are
70 March 2017
served lunch and champagne. The ever-shift-
ing kaleidoscope of light, shadow, and color
depending upon the time of day and season
makes every flight in the canyon different. To
see the immense size of the canyon that is mil-
lions of years old and share that with people
from a perspective not everybody gets thats
the incredible part for me.
Different Native American tribes own
particular sections of the canyon, and the
Hualapai tribe controls the west rim.
Brandon flies A-Star AS350 and EC130 heli-
copters that carry up to six and seven
passengers, respectively, for Papillon, the
canyons largest operator, which has been
flying there for 50 years. The FAA, tour oper-
ators, and tribes collaborate to establish
prescribed routes and corridors for both
fixed-wing and helicopter operations. Certain
sections of the canyon are restricted no-fly
zones below 14,500 feet. Fixed-wing aircraft
fly at 5,500 feet MSL and are not allowed to
operate below the rim of the canyon.
Helicopters fly at 5,000 feet MSL (about 500
feet AGL) and are allowed to go below the
rim on certain routes. All pilots are required
to go through specific route training. Radio
calls with position reports are critical for
safety and separation. During peak season
there can be up to 100 helicopters operating
in and around the canyon. Its a high-traffic
area, but its safe and structured, Brandon
said. Being around that many moving heli-
copters and seeing how smoothly they flow in
and out of there every day is amazing.
Brandon served in the U.S. Army as a
Black Hawk crew chief. After the Army, he
earned his commercial helicopter and CFI
certificates, as well as CFII, advanced ground
instructor and A&P ratings. For him, every
day flying in the canyon is an exciting chal-
lenge with different weather conditions and
people. Hes observed that many people are
afraid of being in a helicopter. It is so awe-
some to see the change from fear to
excitement once we transition from hover
into flight, he said. I get to share the avia-
tion experience with people who have never
been in a helicopter before. There is no other
feeling like it. This is what Ive worked all
these years to do. Getting paid to do some-
thing I would do for nothing is awesome.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID TINGEY

VINTAGE BIPLANE barnstorming
ITS NOT A SIGHTSEEING tour; its a flight
experience, said Rob Lock, describing flying
passengers in his New Standard D-25 open-
cockpit biplane. At 600 feet off the ground, he
re-creates the enchantment of the golden age
of flight. Flying shallow, then steeper bank
turns, he follows with a lazy-eight. Flying low
and slow, his passengers peer over the side at
50 mph, wind whipping their faces.
Rob found pieces of two New Standard
D-25 biplanes in 1990. To his knowledge,
there were only two New Standards still fly-
ing, which made them very rare, but more
important was their size. At 6 foot 10, Rob
wanted an open-cockpit biplane with more
legroom than the Stearman he was flying.
Designed specifically for barnstorming, the
D-25 was capable of carrying four passen-
gers in the large front cockpit. After retiring
from professional basketball in 1996, Rob
went to Sun n Fun and saw an airworthy
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ROB LOCK
COOL FLYING Jobs
New Standard D-25 that was busy hauling can evoke that type of reaction? Im able to
rides. The planets had aligned. It was time use my biplanes to create a memory and
for him to restore the New Standards and go experience that will last a lifetime.
into the barnstorming business. Rob has commercial and A&P/IA certifi-
The movie The Great Waldo Pepper told cates. His latest project is restoring a Travel
the story of exactly what Rob imagined doing. Air E-4000 on a set of vintage EDO floats
He watched it 10 times. Tongue-in-cheek, he that he aims to have flying by the end of 2017.
decided to take on the persona of Waldo The total rebuild has proven quite a chal-
Wright, a mythical third Wright bother, and lenge. No one has flown an open-cockpit
named his enterprise Waldo Wrights Flying biplane on floats as part of a commercial
Service. Some people thought he was crazy to operation in the United States in decades.
take on such an outlandish project. For four Its not like you can go watch and see how
years, he poured his time, talent, and someone else is doing it. But to me, that is
resources into his dream. There was no where the fun is, Rob said.
other choice but for it to work, he said. The thrill of making something from
Rob has been in the barnstorming busi- close to nothing has been an amazing life
ness now for 17 years. He also offers a popular achievement for me. The New Standards
hands-on flight lesson in his World War II have opened doors and given me the oppor-
Stearman trainer. Due to the cost of insur- tunity to meet some pretty incredible people.
ance and operating the airplanes, he flies They have also fulfilled my childhood dream
year-round, based at Gilbert Field and Kermit of becoming a professional pilot and having
Weeks Fantasy of Flight in Florida in winter a very cool aviation job. Who knows where I
and the Air Zoo in Michigan in the summer. would be right now had I not been on the
I often hear, That is the greatest thing Ive lookout for a biplane big enough that I could
ever done in my life, Rob said. That is huge. fit in. Sometimes, fate has it all planned out
I mean, how many professions are there that for you. All you have to do is listen.
Beth E. Stanton, EAA 1076326, is a competition aero-
batic pilot and president of Northern California Chapter 38
of the International Aerobatic Club. She can be reached at
bethestanton@gmail.com.
www.eaa.org71
PHENO HOW MARK HOLT PUTS HIS GOOD FORTUNE TO GREAT USE

72 March 2017 PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM GLOWASKI

MENON
BY HAL BRYAN

www.eaa.org73
PHENOMENON
N
ormally, business jets really dont belong in
Sport Aviation.
Theyre useful, to be sure, and, to most of
us, indisputably vital to our economy. They
can be fun to fly, but theyre not flown for
fun. Its safe to say that many EAA members
will never fly or fly in one, and most will
never own one.
Its tempting to say, then, that Mark Holt,
EAA 426333, is not like most EAA members, but that wouldnt be
true. Hes actually a lot like pretty much every other EAA member:
resourceful, generous, easygoing, quick to laugh, and utterly and
incurably passionate about flying. He just happens to have the
resources that most of us could only dream of, and he devotes those
resources not only to flying and having fun, but to the noble pursuits
of supporting and inspiring wounded veterans.
His jet, on the other hand, is unlike any other business jet on the
ramp. Most airplanes like this are meant for just that serious busi-
ness and, lets face it, serious usually means boring. N100FZ,
Marks 2010 Embraer Phenom 100, better known as the Millennium
Phenom, is anything but. When it was parked on Boeing Centennial
Plaza at AirVenture Oshkosh 2016, its sci-fi livery caused more than
a few double takes, and always seemed to draw a crowd.
74 March 2017
At first glance, Mark looks like he should
be out working on an oil rig somewhere with
a steel girder thrown over one shoulder for
no apparent reason. Hes a bear of a man
with a ruddy complexion and a dash of gray
in an otherwise ginger beard. Its only on the
second and subsequent glances that you spot
the slight, wry smile and hear the big hearty
laugh that tells you that, if you like airplanes,
youve got a friend for life. And its not until
you see his airplane or at least his Star
Wars-themed flight jacket that you realize
that hes also a big nerd, in all of the best
possible ways.
Mark was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in
1955, and credits his dad for his love of aviation.
My father was in aircraft lease and
finance. He had a real fondness for aviation.
Growing up, I was always around airplanes,
he said. Life went on and I kind of got
away from aviation, but my dad never did.
In 1960, Marks parents put him in the
back of the family Cessna 170 and took him
 CLEAR LAKE, IOWA
To many, the Mason City Airport (KMCW) in Clear
Lake, Iowa, is tragically famous as the site of the
crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and
J.P. The Big Bopper Richardson, along with
pilot Roger Peterson. The accident happened
on February 3, 1959, when the three musicians
were on tour. Holly had hired Peterson to fly
them to their next stop in Minnesota in a Beech
Bonanza, which crashed shortly after takeoff at
night in bad weather. Singer Don McLean later
immortalized the event in his song American
Pie, referring to it as the day the music died.
Today, the Mason City Airport is a very different
place. Its got a clean, modern FBO, two large asphalt
runways in excellent condition, plus some very
usable grass, and its home to nearly 70 airplanes
with more hangars under construction. Simply put,
its one of those airports, where everybody knows
everybody (and borrows their stuff), everyones
hangar is open, and theres always a buzz of
activity, with EAA Chapter 94 hosting multiple events
throughout the year. The activity crescendos on the
third Thursday of every month when the grills come
out and the airport tenants host a fly-in barbecue,
serving hundreds of people who fly in in all types
of airplanes, and many more who drive in from the
surrounding communities.
The music may have died in Clear Lake, but
general aviation is alive and well.
on a fateful flying picnic to what was then
the Winnebago County Airport in Oshkosh,
a trip hes never forgotten.
Every time I smell 100LL and that one
distinct aroma that every airplane has of that
vintage, I instantly go back to that flight, he
said. This trip also sticks out in his mind
because, in preparation, he bought his first pair
of aviator sunglasses. I thought I was cool!
Mark also spent some time visiting with
a well-known airport manager in Oshkosh.
Steve Wittman was applying for a loan
for the Tailwind, and my father was the
only guy that believed in him enough to loan
him the money, and they became good
friends, he recalled, before downplaying the
name-drop. That and 5 bucks gets me a cup
of coffee anywhere.
The family moved to a farm in Postville,
Iowa, in the 60s to raise horses. There was a
chemical depot nearby, and one day, a rail car
sprung a leak and a fog of anhydrous ammonia
roiled over the Holts pastures, wiping out an
apple orchard and killing a few horses. The
family was devastated, but they packed up and,
using their insurance settlement, moved to
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM GLOWASKI, ERIN BRUEGGEN
Marks hangar is the ultimate pilot cave, decorated with memorabilia and set dressing that evoke his passion for all types of
flight, as well as his love of adventure.
Clear Lake, Iowa, in 1968. Marks dad refocused
his business to produce ingredients for animal
feed and, in this period, started flying a
Rockwell Commander and then a Cessna 310Q.
I flew with him on business trips, Mark
said. He would go out and call on custom-
ers, so I got to observe using a private plane
for business travel.
In 1973, the year before he graduated
from high school, Mark felt the call to serve
his country and took a deferred enlistment
in the U.S. Coast Guard. By the time he
graduated in 1974, the USCG had begun
downsizing, and as Mark describes it, he
wasnt necessarily fit for duty anyway.
I was WTF, way too fat, he remembered
with a laugh, I just said Im going to go on
to school, and ended up getting married and
having a family. Mark followed his fathers
footsteps into the animal feed business, even-
tually working for a U.S.-based agricultural
division of Danish bioscience company Chr.
Hansen. Mark was working with a product
that was used in the creation of silage, grass,
or other green fodder that is stored in airtight
conditions and used as feed during the winter
when cattle and other ruminants cant graze.
This was at a time when many farmers in the
United States were starting to move away
from the tall traditional silos and using low
and flat silage bunkers instead.
And they were mismanaging the heck
out of em, Mark recalled. We made a
product that helped silage ferment, [but] it
couldnt stop gross mismanagement. You
had all these factors; it had to be done right.
As farmers were struggling to learn to prop-
erly manage their silage bunkers, Marks
company would send scientists out to cus-
tomers farms to tell them what they were
doing wrong. As you might expect, this
didnt always go over very well.
All they would do is piss off the farmer,
and wed end up in litigation over some-
thing, and I finally said, Look, no more
scientists making the original call; well take
care of it, Mark recounted. And by we I
meant me. Company policy dictated that
someone needed be on-site no more than 48
hours, preferably within 24 hours, after a
farmer called for help. One day in 1992,
while he was working with a farmer in
Nebraska, a call came in that meant he had
to be in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the next day.
I drove home Thursday night, got in
at 11 oclock, got up at 4 in the morning, and
drove to Green Bay, he said. I swore I was
getting my pilots license. He bought a learn-
to-fly kit from Cessna and hit the books. He
hooked up with Lemoyne Ellingson, an ex-
naval aviator whod trained the Navys first jet
pilots while serving with JTU-1 in Pensacola,
Florida. Lem had a Cessna 172 based on a
grass strip in Northwood, Iowa, and Mark
started training with him right away. He has
especially fond memories of those days.
www.eaa.org75
PHENOMENON

Ill never forget the morning, it was the morning I soloed, riding my motor- staggering 90 percent became customers. By
cycle on a beautiful day no wind, sunny, and I thought how lucky am I? he this time, his Archer had turned into a
said. [I] get to ride a Harley-Davidson, which is analogous to flying on the Cessna 310, and Mark started using that to
ground, and Im going to go hop in an airplane and fly this morning. I just felt transport potential customers. This was
like the luckiest person in the world. He used his companys tuition reimburse- obviously considerably faster than driving,
ment program to get his ratings, and before long, he was flying to those and, in many cases, because he could go
all-important farm service calls. The airplane didnt just get him there faster; it direct to and from smaller airports, it was
influenced his relationship with his customers as well. faster than flying commercial.
You land an airplane in a guys hayfield, he said, have him hop in the right seat, The 310 eventually gave way to a Piper
give him your camera, put the strap around his neck, let him open the window, and Saratoga, but its low service ceiling made it a
take pictures of his farm; by the time you land that airplane you guys are best friends. poor choice for flying in potential icing con-
Mark bought a Piper Archer and from that moment on knew that aviation ditions, so Mark traded up to a Piper Malibu.
was going to be key to his success in business. I loved it, he said, but [after] the sec-
In 1998, he sold nearly everything, took out two mortgages on his house, ond go-around on cylinders on that engine, I
bought the feed-drying plant his father had started from their family trust, and said screw it. Mark was ready for a tur-
launched his own business to produce all-natural animal health products. Varied bine, so he bought a Daher-Socata TBM 700
Industries, eventually known as ViCOR, was born. and put 1,500 hours on it flying all around
When Mark was trying to sell to potential customers, he discovered some- North America in short order. After one
thing interesting, and powerful: If he could get them to come and tour his flight, however, a friend of his gave him
factory, most of them would buy from him. Of those who came for a tour, a some food for thought.

VETERANS AIRLIFT COMMAND

The Veterans Airlift Command (VAC) is a 501(c)(3)

nonprofit organization that provides free air
transportation to wounded veterans and their
families. The aircraft owners and pilots are
volunteers, and the organization relies on private
donations and corporate sponsorships to support
their mission. Founder Walt Fricke was injured
flying a helicopter during the Vietnam War when he
was just 19 and spent seven months in a hospital
in Kentucky. He didnt really start recovering until
his parents and fiance flew in to be by his side,
and that experience stuck with him. Nearly 40 years
later, he founded the VAC in 2006, and since that
time more than 2,000 pilots have flown thousands
of wounded veterans on missions of compassion
and mercy.
Marks STOL 182 is not your average Skylane.

76 March 2017
 One day, we landed here, and we had a
bunch of farmers in it, he said. My
banker came walking over, and he saw one
[big] guy after another getting out of that air-
plane. And he looked at me and goes, Flew
that airplane over Lake Michigan, huh?
Single engine? If youre going to haul that
many customers, you need two motors. Im
just sayin.
SPECS
AIRCRAFT MAKE & MODEL:
2010 Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100
LENGTH: 42 feet, 1 inch
WINGSPAN: 40 feet, 4 inches
HEIGHT: 14 feet, 3 inches
MAXIMUM TAKEOFF WEIGHT: 10,582 pounds
EMPTY WEIGHT: 7,132 pounds
FUEL CAPACITY: 2,804 pounds
SEATS: 6 (2 crew, 4 passengers)
POWERPLANT MAKE & MODEL:
2 Pratt & Whitney PW6 17F-E
THRUST: 1,730 pounds per engine
CRUISE SPEED/FUEL CONSUMPTION:
405 KTAS, 668 pounds per hour
Thats when he bought the Phenom. For
the next few years, the jet was the backbone
of the business, moving employees around,
transporting Mark to meetings and confer-
ences, and, of course, bringing in customers
for those all-important plant tours. At this
point, the most daring thing about the air-
planes appearance was a bold green stripe
down the fuselage that broke up the other-
wise all-white livery. He also made good use
of his hangar, which, with its kitchen and full
bar, conference table, and creative adventur-
ous-expedition-themed set dressing
imagine a pilot cave built by Disney
Imagineers proved perfect for entertain-
ing and closing deals.
In 2014, citing long-term human health
concerns, the FDA announced a voluntary
ban on the routine use of antibiotics in live-
stock, except where necessary for the
animals health under the care of a veterinar-
ian. At the time, it was anticipated that ban
would become mandatory by 2018. Marks
company ViCOR, with its line of all-natural
animal health products, which had grown to
80 employees and had customers in 75 coun-
tries, suddenly became very popular.
Mark was inundated with offers to sell,
but it was the Church & Dwight Company
Inc., owners of Arm & Hammer, among other
brands, who made him the one he just
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM GLOWASKI, ERIN BRUEGGEN
couldnt refuse. But there was one
asset they didnt want: the jet.
I didnt want to give it up, he said. I
loved flying that jet. So Mark started looking
around for other business opportunities,
some way to justify owning the Phenom,
when a friend of his called him out.
He said, Mark, do you really want to get
another job? You won the lottery! Why dont
you just enjoy your life? Mark recounted.
So I bought a farm, like a moron. More
importantly, however, he kept the jet and
started looking seriously at how to use it.
Thats when he met Walt Fricke, EAA
9010853, T-28 pilot for the Trojan Horsemen
aerobatic team and the chairman, CEO, and
founder of the Veterans Airlift Command.
When Walt told him about the VACs
mission to provide transportation for
injured or disabled veterans, Marks
response was characteristically short and to
the point: Well thats cool! He knew that
he wanted to be part of it, and that he didnt
want to do it in just any boring old jet. He
started thinking about paint schemes, and
initially decided on doing a black and gray
digital camouflage, inspired by a Navy
F/A-18 hed seen recently. Then, based on a
recommendation from Wipaire, he reached
out to John Stahr, EAA 714251, of Artistic
Aviation in Eugene, Oregon.
www.eaa.org77
PHENOMENON
John, a wizard with an airbrush, didnt ask him what color he wanted or any-
thing along those lines. Instead, he asked Mark to tell him how he feels when
flying the Phenom.
I feel like I just left the starship Enterprise up in orbit, and Im descending
to the planets surface in a shuttle, Mark responded. From there, the two men
launched into a pop-culture brainstorming session about their mutual apprecia-
tion of Star Trek and Star Wars. They exchanged ideas, then, with the help of
Ken Kaminski Flying Colors Aviation in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the airplane
was prepped for paint. John spent the next 10 days lying on his back on a scaffold
working his magic. Mark refused to look at the work in progress.
Thats like going in and watching somebody get their liver replaced, he
said. Hope to see you when you get out! When it was finally time for the
unveiling, Marks initial two-word response was as emphatically enthusiastic as
it is unprintable. The airplane was truly transformed, covered in details and an
inside joke or two from nose to tail, and all of it airbrushed by hand.
The Phenom now had laser cannons and faux damage from phaser blasts.
There are exhaust ports on the wings, and the fuel filler cap calls for either Jet A
or dilithium crystals. The engine nacelles offer a glimpse of the matter/antimat-
ter reaction taking place in the airplanes dual warp cores. Every surface is
covered with conduit and access panels and fasteners artistically rendered with
a depth that makes it nearly impossible to figure out whats real and whats paint.
The vertical stabilizer features an X-wing on one side and the Millennium Falcon
on the other, though both spacecraft have a Phenom cockpit grafted on.
78 March 2017
The entry door proudly displays the seal
of Star Treks United Federation of Planets
above a warning placard that reads Caution:
Airlock Engaged. Under the cockpit window
on the left side, the name Han Red Solo
Cup is stenciled, a nod not only to Star Wars
Han Solo, but also to Marks workplace nick-
name of Red Leader, not to mention the
post-flight drinkware of choice in his hangar.
Sharp eyes will also spot a flux capacitor that
looks like it was plucked straight out of the
DeLorean from Back to the Future. Mark
didnt forget his initial idea of a military-
inspired livery, either, as the airplane also
sports star and bar insignias as well as
D-Day invasion stripes.
Marks friend Doug Rozendaal, after his
first look at the unconventional new paint
job, said, I cant believe you did this. I can
believe you did it, but I cant believe anybody
would do this! Doug admits he was skeptical
at first, but says that Mark pulled it off and
now calls the design spectacular.
ABLE FLIGHT

Able Flight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

that was founded in 2006 by Charles Stites. As
stated on its website, Able Flights mission is
to offer people with disabilities a unique
way to challenge themselves through flight and
aviation career training, and by doing so, gain
greater self-confidence and self-reliance. Each
year, it awards full-ride scholarships for multiple
students to travel to a partner university in
Indiana or Ohio where they attend an accelerated
sport pilot training program. In addition, it offers
multiple other aviation-related scholarships to
people with disabilities.
When not flying veterans in the Phenom, Mark splashes around the country in his beautiful 1957 de Havilland Beaver.

The one thing that Mark didnt anticipate The idea that I can throw a fishing pole Marks dedication to the VAC cause con-
was the impact of the striking new scheme in the Beaver I get in it, I listen to it pop to tinues to grow, and at the time of this
on his flight times. life, and I just feel like Im a bush pilot in the writing, hes already scheduled multiple
I thought it would make the plane Alaskan wilderness, he said, a tad wistfully. additional missions. Hes also hoping to
faster, he said, facetiously, [but] it added an Marks love of flying stems from the things it expand his efforts and fly in support of dis-
hour to every fuel stop! Mark says the air- enables him to do. abled kids, making plans to fly with them at
plane has been a hit wherever he takes it, I think what really excites me about avi- air shows and offer other opportunities to
especially at its debut appearance at ation is the possibilities that it opens up; its inspire the youngest among us.
Oshkosh in 2016, 56 years after that first visit all about adventure and experience, he said. So, if you should happen to see the
in the family 170. With that, the airplane was Its just the idea that I can do it, so I do. It Millennium Phenom out and about, cruising
truly mission ready. opens up a whole new world for me. at warp speed, know that Marks not just
Marks first flight for the VAC happened Of course, one of those things its enabled hauling spice on the Kessel run; hes trans-
a month later, when he transported a U.S. him to do is to support those who serve his porting a very important passenger, flying
Marine Corps sergeant and his daughter country in ways he couldnt have imagined him or her (back) to a better future.
home to Wisconsin from Greenville, Texas. when he chose college over the Coast Guard
The Marines spine was shattered, and he 40 years ago. Hal Bryan, EAA Lifetime 638979, is a total nerd. Hes also
suffered a traumatic brain injury when an I always felt like I left something on the senior editor for EAA digital and print content and publica-
enemy combatant detonated an IED under table when I didnt go into the military, he tions, co-author of two books, and a lifelong pilot and
the mine-clearing vehicle he was driving. said, so I view VAC as my way of serving aviation geek. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
When they got to their destination, Marks those who have served us. at halbryan or e-mail him at hbryan@eaa.org.
passenger mentioned in passing that hed
always wanted to learn to fly, but didnt
Helmets are provided for passenger
think he could afford it. Mark connected the
use at no extra charge.
man with Able Flight, and hes expected to
begin flight training with a full scholarship
soon, if he hasnt already.
Mark doesnt just fly the Phenom these
days. Rounding out the fleet are an immacu-
late 1957 de Havilland Beaver on amphibious
floats and a 2004 Cessna 182. True to form,
its not a typical 182; its a Wipaire Boss con-
version with a 300-hp Lycoming IO-580 and
massive 29-inch tires. This airplane rotates
at 25 knots and climbs at 35, and Mark uses
it for desert flying adventures, local hops,
and any time he just needs to jump in and fly.
As for the Beaver, Mark embraces the
romance of flying a classic floatplane into a
remote lake to do a little fishing.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM GLOWASKI, ERIN BRUEGGEN www.eaa.org79

FEATURE

SKY TE S I M P L I F I E D
JOHN ROBERTS AND HIS HIGH-TECH APPROACH TO A 40-YEAR-OLD DESIGN

BY BUDD DAVISSON

80 March 2017 PHOTOGRAPHY BY TYSON RININGER

The Skyot is most often compared to the Bcker
Jungmiester in the way it does precise aerobatics. www.eaa.org81
 THIS IS
IN FACT, IT IS THE TALE of a man with very
new age skills and experience coming face
to face with a truly old-fashioned machine
that, strangely enough, embodies other-
worldly complexity. The short version is that

MORE
he beats that complexity into submission
with electronic digits. The even shorter
story is that you cant stop a man like John
Roberts, EAA 371145, who is really passion-
ate about a specific flying machine. Hes

THAN A
going to make it happen, no matter what.
Oh, and one other thing: He not only
made it happen with his own airplane, but
he developed a concept that will make a dif-
ficult-to-build airplane doable for mere

TALE
mortals, and in the process helps support a
childrens home. The dimensions of this par-
ticular tale keep growing and growing.
Theoretically, John is retired. Never
mind that he puts in more time working

OF NEW
now than most people do in the prime of
their careers. Thats just his nature. And
the Pete Bartoe-designed Skyot kicked
that natural do things bent into high
gear. However, first we have to define the

MEETING
Skyot. (Pronounced Sky-yo-tee, accent on
the yo if youre from the West, Sky-yo-
tay, accent on the tay if from the far
Southwest, or Sky-yoat if youre from the
East. Or something like that. Its hard to

OLD.
remember which.)
The Skyot is one of those designs that
has flittered around the edges of the home-
built community since the 1970s, when
Bartoe, a professional engineer, introduced
it. From a public relations point of view, the
airplane was an instant success, garnering
several magazine covers, lots of stories, and
some very complimentary pilot reports.
However, from a building point of view, it
went nowhere fast, and engineer/builder
John, of Clover, South Carolina, can tell
you why.
I ordered a set of plans from Pete Bartoe,
and when I received them, I immediately
understood why there were only 12 regis-
tered Skyots after nearly 40 years. Whew!
Talk about dense, he said. These plans are
quite a challenge for even experienced blue-
print readers. It seems that the more
The landing gear was important the information is, the deeper it is
reportedly designed to give buried. However, I also realized that the
vintage looks and John Skyot was an exquisite airplane, and I
modified it to give tunability. wanted one!

82 March 2017 PHOTOGRAPHY BY TYSON RININGER

John Roberts wanted to build the airplane so badly that he digitized all of the plans for the Skyot and developed CAD/CAM programs for suppliers to quickly manufacture parts that had
previously been difficult for homebuilders to build.
John had just finished an RV-7 and had
an empty workshop, which is a temptation
too strong for many builders to resist.
While looking for my next project, I
stumbled across the Skyot PIREP on www.
AirBum.com, John said. Further research
led me to www.Skyote.org, Mike Kukulskis
excellent Skyot resource site. I soon real-
ized that the Skyot was a very special
airplane. Professionally designed, +9g, -6g,
aerobatic, and light-sport pilot eligible.
Great early flying reports from Davisson and
Hoover made it that much more tempting.
Not only that, but it looked great in pictures.
Still, no one I knew had ever seen one! I
wanted one.
Do we see a recurring theme here? He
wanted one. But, he went at it differently
than most homebuilders do. Rather than
cleaning off the bench and ordering in a
ton of tubing and sheet metal of various
types, he listened to his prior experience
and let it guide him. In his case, it was his
experience and personal way of attacking
projects that took him down the fabled
path less traveled.
Remembering how he first evaluated the
project he said, It was obvious that building
a Skyot using traditional saw, sand, drill These plans are quite a
methods would be a monumental fabrication
project. The Skyot requires the fabrication challenge for even
of more than 600 flat stock components using
11 different material thicknesses and three
experienced blueprint
different material types. However, I also readers. It seems that the
knew that the use of CAD and water-jet cut-
ting of flat sheet components could save many more important the
hundreds of hours of tedious fabrication information is, the deeper it
while yielding quality and accuracy not
achievable by manual methods. is buried. However, I also
Learning to use computer-aided design realized that the Skyot
(CAD) was a bucket list item for John that
hed missed out on when it first began gain- was an exquisite airplane,
ing popularity, but the Skyot project offered
a reason to learn.
and I wanted one!
I have actually become somewhat com-
petent with 3-D CAD, he said. The
exquisite, but elusive, design hidden in the
prickly plans has been magically revealed, Johns plan was to create models and
and components for the full airframe are components for two aircraft one for him-
readily available. What was once a massive self and one for his friend Glenn Bridges
fabrication job for the Skyot builder is now but after Glenns plane flew, he began
a reasonable assembly project. thinking bigger.
www.eaa.org83
 I [began] to consider requests to make
parts available for other Skyot builders, he
said. There is a certain strain of engineers/
designers who feel compelled and take pride
in working exceptionally hard to simplify
and systematize things to make it easier for
the next guy. In spite of my attempts to
resist, this lifelong compulsion prevailed, so
here we are in the middle of some kind of
hybrid business model combining the past
and the future. Maybe such a model can
breathe life into the Skyot, which is a really
exceptional airplane.
John decided to allow the CAD files used
to make components for his plane to be used
by the shops to make components for
other builders.
These components, however, are avail-
able only to owners of legitimate, original,
unused, registered Skyot plans, which are
available from Pete Bartoe via Aircraft
Spruce. CAD files are not shared with build-
ers, but I do provide a 100-plus or minus
page plans supplement, he said. For Skyot
builders, the price of admission to have the
use of my work is a direct contribution of 5
percent of the component cost to a very wor-
thy cause: The Epworth Childrens Home of
Columbia, South Carolina. I have been
involved with Epworth for many years and
can attest to the life-changing services pro-
vided to children and families.
Although an interest in aviation had
always been part of Johns life, he didnt
seriously get into it until in his early 40s. He,
like so many others at that stage of life, was
busy raising a family and growing a business.
Eventually learning to fly, he worked a series
of airplanes (a Cheetah and several A36
Bonanzas) into his business. When he
looked over the fence that separates sport
aviation from the more serious cross-coun-
try type, he found himself the owner of a
Waco YMF and a series of homebuilts
including the RV-7A he built along with a
friend, Les Kanna, which was the precursor
to the Skyot.
There is little to no doubt that the way he
looked at the Skyot was very much affected
Top to bottom:
Wood or metal propellers can be used.
The Skyot can use engines in the 85-115 hp range.
Fold-down doors give access to the form-fitting cockpit
Dozens of flying wires (tie rods) give a clean, but light structure.
84 March 2017
by his professional background. To a certain
extent he appears to have viewed the air-
plane as a challenge to take what he knew
how to do in manufacturing and apply the
principles to homebuilding.
The concept of developing matched hole
parts through CAD/CAM was really fasci-
nating to me, he said. We hadnt made very
many Skyot components when I started
assembling things. I wanted to start putting
parts together because I was interested and
excited to see if it all worked. Of course,
the beauty of modeling components in 3-D
CAD is that they can all be test fit in virtual
model space; virtual model space is great,
but I wanted to see them in real-world
workshop space.
As part of the project, he had given his
CAD data for the fuselage to Don VanRaay of
VR3 Engineering, which produces the pre-
cut, pre-fit tubing kits for a number of rag
and tube airplanes. The fuselage for the
Skyot is much more complicated than
expected because no corners were cut in
designing it to be as light as possible. To this
end, Bartoe utilized the same structural con-
cepts the designers of the Bcker series of
aerobatic biplanes did: They took full advan-
tage of the fact that two smaller tubes can be
arranged in such a way that they are lighter
than a single bigger tube doing the same job.
This saves weight at the cost of increasing
the parts count of the fuselage considerably
and means far more tubing joints to be prop-
erly dressed and welded than a normal
biplane of that size would require. The VR3
tubing is CNC cut to exact dimensions so
the tubes literally click together.
Within the first year I had developed a
3-D jig for the VR3 fuselage tubes, and Dale
Doane of Doane Precision Frames had TIG
welded my fuselage, John said. Dale has
subsequently developed precision tooling
for the 4130 tubular fuselage, landing gear,
and tail feathers. I had also developed
waterjet-cut wing spar drill jigs and had fab-
ricated a complete set of spars. These
provided the perfect real-world test bed for
all of the fittings, tabs, and brackets that
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TYSON RININGER
would ultimately be attached to the fuselage
and spars. I had about 80 percent of the
waterjet-cut components on hand by the
end of the first year. Those were custom cut
by Jonathon Pritchard of Pritchard
Technologies to my DXF CAD files. The
remaining challenge was to develop meth-
ods to accurately bend many of the
components so that they remained matched
hole after bending. With the help of 3-D
CAD and my RV-7 building partner, Les
Kanna, I now have purpose-built bending
tooling and provide the bending service for
those who want it after buying the flat parts
from Pritchard.
The outrigger landing gear is reputed to
have been designed by Bartoe simply
because he liked the old-timey appearance.
And it does have a certain look to it. The
design calls for a traditional bungee cord
shock system in the vertical tubes, but John
wanted to have a tunable shock system
with improved reliability. So, he designed a
shock strut that uses urethane die stripper
donuts in compression. The design allows
for adjustable spring rate, preload, and ride
height, none of which were available in the
plans design. Right now, John said, the deck
angle is 14 degrees, which is steeper than we
see today but not an unusual angle for some-
thing designed to look very 1930ish. Part of
this angle comes from the Grove 600-6
wheels that are stopped by Grove brakes
with bolt-on axles. The tiny airframe makes
the 600-6 tires look bigger than usual, all in
keeping with its historical look.
The wings of the Skyot are not what is
normally expected on a biplane: the struc-
ture is entirely aluminum with a little 4130
steel mixed in (tip bows, etc.). The construc-
tion is more or less traditional for aluminum
wings, but the 7.19-degree sweepback (note
the accuracy Bartoe designed to) compli-
cates every joint.
According to John, The Skyot uses a
fabricated five-piece aluminum main spar in
which the web is sandwiched between
upper and lower/front and rear 90-degee
aluminum angle caps. The aft three-piece
SPECIFICATIONS
(As measured on N88NX)
LENGTH: 16 feet, 3 inches
WINGSPAN: 20 feet
HEIGHT: 6 feet, 8 inches
WING AREA: 123 square feet
CABIN WIDTH: 20-1/4 inches
CABIN LENGTH: 39 inches seat back to rudders,
25 inches seat back to panel
MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT: 975 pounds
EMPTY WEIGHT: 656 pounds (full electric with
starter and alternator)
USEFUL LOAD: 319 pounds
FUEL CAPACITY: 15 gallons (No. 88), 12 gallons
(per plans)
SEATS: 1
POWERPLANT MAKE & MODEL: Continental
O-200
HORSEPOWER: 110
PROPELLER: Sensenich 72-inch diameter by
42-inch pitch (climb prop)
CRUISE SPEED: 90 knots
ENDURANCE AT 65 PERCENT ESTIMATED:
2 hours, 15 minutes
ENDURANCE AT 50 PERCENT ESTIMATED:
3 hours
TOP SPEED (VNE): 137 knots
LANDING SPEED: 50 knots
TAKEOFF ROLL: 300 feet
RATE OF CLIMB AT GROSS: 1,200 fpm
Plans are available at
www.AircraftSpruce.com.
spar has a web, with upper and lower
90-degree caps on only the aft side. For No.
88, I made CAD models locating holes in the
spars to create waterjet-cut steel drill jigs
that run full length on each panel. All five
spar parts were sandwiched between the jig
plates, and then every hole in each spar
assembly was drilled in one session.
Top to bottom:
The 600-6 tires look big on such a tiny airframe.
The airplane is perfect for fun flying.
The flying wire/landing gear attach points are strong, light,
easy to inspect and delightfully funky.
www.eaa.org85
 John said Pritchard now offers a
TechBuilt spar with the holes waterjet
cut in each component making the drill
jigs unnecessary.
The waterjet-cut spar fittings match up
and Cleco to the spars ready for drilling up
86 March 2017
to final size, he said. The NACA 2412
(modified) ribs come preformed from Pete
Bartoe via Aircraft Spruce. They are
formed by Usher Precision in Forest Grove,
Oregon, which forms ribs for a number of
kit companies.
The wings and fuselage use Ceconite and
Stewart Systems waterborne paint/adhe-
sive system, but the ailerons use Oratex
iron-on covering and Stewarts paint.
When it came to the engine, John ini-
tially installed a Jabiru six-cylinder model
but became concerned about cylinder head
cooling, so he changed over to a Jack Moore
(Waxhaw, North Carolina) custom-built
O-200 that uses C-85 pistons and a C-90
cam. He reports it to be smooth with very
little oil consumption, runs cool, and looks
good poking out from behind the hand-
formed aluminum nose bowl.
Johns good friend Bob Cabaniss made
the first flight at Rock Hill Airport in
South Carolina in March of 2016. Then
John took over.
Since Skyot No. 88 had already been
around the patch a few times before my first
flight, I already knew that she had good man-
ners, so there was no fear of the unknown,
John said. I knew every component, nut,
bolt, screw, fitting, wire, goof-up, slip-up, do-
over in the airplane. Also, since I designed it
to fit me, I was very comfortable in the cock-
pit. Taxiing out, it all felt weirdly familiar, like
it felt a thousand times before in my dreams.
John said the Skyot bordered on being a
group project and credited his friends who
helped along the way, like Les and Glenn, as
well as the craftsmen-like metal-working
wizard Johnathon Pritchard and Dale who
contributed their work to the build.
I cant possibly recognize all who contrib-
uted to the success of this effort and
befriended me along the way, John said add-
ing Mike Kulkulski, Tom Dubrouillet, Bob
Cabaniss, and Dave Novak to the list of con-
tributors. He also thanked his wife, Julia, for
not divorcing me over just one more airplane.
The Skyot, 40 years an orphan, looks as
if it may be changing its status: theres a high
probability that more than a few reading this
would like a cute-as-a-bug, fully aerobatic
biplane that is LSA-compliant and features
both professional engineering and terrific
handling. But take note: The line forms on
my right.
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.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TYSON RININGER
 SPIRIT OF AVIATION
MOBILE E XPERIENCE
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Virtual Reality. Build Activities. Flight Simulators.

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Milwaukee, WI July 4-9 Milwaukee, WI July 15-16 Oshkosh, WI July 24-30

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Tour schedule subject to change without notication.
 A M AT E U R - B U I LT
A C C I D E N T R E P O R T: 2 0 1 6
88 March 2017
BY RON WANTTAJA
THE EXPERIMENTAL
AMATEUR-BUILT
(E-AB) accident rate during the year 2015 turned out to be
almost identical to 2014. Figure 1 (Page 90) shows the annual
number of accidents for the past 10 years. Fatal accidents
dropped by a bit in 2015, but as can be seen in the plot, the
amount of variation is pretty typical.
Certainly, the trend is headed slightly downward over the
full 18 years of my E-AB accident database. The homebuilt
world has seen a 20 percent drop in accidents since 1998, but
since the overall U.S. accident rate dropped by 35 percent over
the same period, theres no cause for celebration.
CAUSES
Figure 2 (Page 90) shows the distribution of accident causes in
2015. These include:
Pilot miscontrol: 38.1 percent. These are accidents due to
errors in basic airmanship: losing control on takeoff or land-
ing, stalling, etc.
Pilot judgement: 15.9 percent. This includes fuel exhaustion/
starvation, continued VFR into IFR conditions, buzzing, etc.
Mechanical failure: 13.6 percent. Accidents precipitated by
mechanical failure, where the failure cannot be attributed to
errors in construction or design.
Undetermined engine failures: 13.0 percent. Cases where the
engine quit, but the NTSB was unable to determine whether
it was a mechanical or pilot-related cause.
Builder error (2.3 percent) and maintainer error (4.0 per-
cent). Cases where errors in construction or maintenance
triggered the accident.
Other: 13.1 percent. Combination of other, occasional
accident causes.
The results for 2015 correspond fairly
closely to previous years, with the exception
of builder error. Typically, each year sees an
average of 10 accidents attributable to errors
made during construction. 2015 saw only
four cases. A good trend; lets hope
it continues.
The rate of undetermined engine failures
is higher than a typical year: 13 percent ver-
sus about 9.5 percent. However, over a
quarter of the 2015 accident investigations
hadnt been completed by press time. In
many cases, the NTSB factual data is suffi-
cient to attribute a specific cause, but in
some cases, only the bare fact of a loss of
engine power is known. Its likely some of
the current undetermined cases will fall into
another category once the NTSB final
reports are released. These undetermined
cases arent always mechanical issues with
the engine itself, as they could be due to fuel
or carburetor heat management issues.
COMPARISON: BUILDER FLOWN
VERSUS SUBSEQUENT OWNERS
In 2012, the NTSB released a landmark study
on E-AB safety. NTSB analysts identified the
safety record of purchased homebuilts (those
owned by someone other than the original
builder) as a particular concern:
The NTSB concludes that purchasers of
used E-AB aircraft face particular chal-
lenges in transitioning to the unfamiliar
E-AB aircraft. Like builders of new E-AB
aircraft, they must learn to manage the
unique handling characteristics of their air-
craft, but they must also learn the systems,
structure, and equipment without the first-
hand knowledge afforded to the builder.
Lets compare the accident rate for
builder-flown and purchaser-flown E-AB
aircraft. Well look at all E-AB accidents in
the 1998-2015 time frame.
www.eaa.org89
EAB ACCIDENTS & FATAL ACCIDENTS FIGURE 1
2005-2015 TOTAL ACCIDENTS
240 233
219
208
200
212
212
FATAL ACCIDENTS PROCESS
188 The basic source of the data is the
184 177 downloadable NTSB accident data-
bases. The accidents flagged by the
151
NTSB as homebuilt are cross-ref-
71 erenced with the FAA registration
54 55 55 database to determine the actual
52 49 47 51 56 39 certification status of the aircraft.
30 The purpose of flight entry in the
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 accident database is used to weed
out air show, racing, and other uses
FIGURE 2 not typical of personal E-AB opera-
OTHER tions. The accidents not flagged as
homebuilt are also checked to
13.1% detect common homebuilt types.
MAINTAINER ERROR Those certificated in categories
BUILDER ERROR 4.0% other than E-AB are eliminated, as
2.3% are foreign-registered aircraft, or
MAJOR CAUSES accidents occurring in other coun-
38.1% PILOT MISCONTROL tries, where the NTSB does not
UNDETERMINED
LOSS OF POWER
13.0% OF E-AB ACCIDENTS provide cause data. Most unregis-
IN 2015 tered aircraft are also eliminated, as
they are usually ultralights. However,
the 2015 data did include two aircraft
13.6% that were common E-AB types that
15.9% would not qualify under Part 103.
MECHANICAL FAILURE These were included.
PILOT JUDGEMENT Totals presented are about 10
percent lower than the official tally.
After the E-AB aircraft have
FLIGHT HOURS FIGURE 3 been identified, the NTSB data is
examined to determine the cause of
12 the accident. The NTSB narrative
BUILDER report is used to determine the first
11 major event (the initiator) of each
PURCHASER accident. This conclusion may differ
10
from the NTSBs final probable
9 cause ruling. For example, if the
engine fails and the pilot stalls dur-
8
PERCENTAGE OF ACCIDENTS

ing an attempted forced landing,

NTSB probable cause will be pilot
7
error. As amateur-built aircraft have
6 a greater tendency toward mechan-
ical issues, tracking the initiators
5 rather than NTSB probable cause
results in better understanding of
4
hardware problems.
3 The initiators are tracked in 51
separate categories. Where more
2 than one factor is involved, these
subsidiary factors are also recorded.
1
The accidents are maintained in a
database currently covering 18 years
0 50 100 150 200 250 (1998 to 2015, inclusive).
FLIGHT HOURS

90 March 2017

BUILDER FLOWN OR PURCHASER FLOWN?
I use three basic criteria for deciding
whether an accident aircraft was owned by
the builder or a subsequent owner at the
time of the accident:
Manufacturers name on the FAA regis-
tration versus the owners name in the
NTSB report. If the plane is listed as a
Jones RV-6 and the owners name is
Smith, its likely a purchased airplane.
Pilots total time in type versus the air-
craft total time. If the aircraft has 500
hours and the pilot just 10 hours in type,
obviously its a purchased homebuilt.
NTSB narrative data. Sometimes the
NTSB report indicates whether the pilot
had purchased the airplane or held the
repairman certificate.
None of the criteria were compatible
with full automation. For instance, the FAA
registration may list Fred Q. Jones as the
builder, but the NTSB report may say that
the owner was FQJ Enterprises. Similarly,
the recording tach on an aircraft may
include ground test time that the builders
flight logbook doesnt include. So it takes
some manual consideration. The process is
PILOT MISCONTROL ACCIDENTS
25%
22.5 %
PERCENTAGE OF PILOT-MISCONTROL ACCIDENTS
20%
20.9 %
20.7 %
15%
10%
5%
0 Purchaser-flown E-ABs stand out in acci-
Stall
certainly not perfect. But with 3,700 acci-
dents to work with, weve got some leeway.
The results were interesting. Only about
350 could not be resolved under the above
rules, the rest fell into one or more of the
above categories.
Even more fascinating, the built versus
purchased split came out almost even. About
1,700 accidents were classified as builder-
flown under my criteria, compared to about
1,600 for buyer-flown.
PILOT EXPERIENCE
Figure 3 shows the basis for the NTSBs
concern. It shows what percentage of the
total accidents occur with a given pilot
time in type.
The accident rate for purchased home-
builts is almost 40 percent higher in the first
five hours! The predominant error for both
cases is pilot miscontrol: errors in basic air-
manship. In the first five hours, more than
half (52 percent) of the purchased home-
built cases are pilot miscontrol, versus 44
percent of the builder-flown accidents.
Overall, about 37 percent of builder-
owned E-AB accidents are due to lapses in
the pilots stick and rudder skills.
Undershoots, overshoots, loss of directional
control on takeoff and landing, and stalling
too low to recover.
BUILDER
23.7 %
BUYER
15.6 %
14.9 %
13.3 %
11.6 %
8.4 %
7.2 %
6.9 %
4.5 %
Winds Takeoff Landing Misjudged Bad Flare
Directional Directional Approach or Bounce
Control Control
Looking at the pilot miscontrol data in
depth, though, stalling isnt the issue. As
Figure 4 shows, the main areas where pur-
chaser-flown homebuilts differ from
builder-flown accidents relate to loss of con-
trol of the aircraft during takeoff and
landings, especially when crosswinds/gusty
winds are involved.
Curiously, the rate of systems mismanage-
ment accidents is higher for the builders. These
include failures to lower landing gear, improper
flap or propeller settings, working the mixture
or carburetor heat at the wrong times, and a
smorgasbord of hitting the wrong switches.
To some extent, this could be explained
by the builders improving the human fac-
tors on their aircraft as experience is gained.
The bugs are out by the time someone
purchases the airplane.
OTHER FACTORS
When a single factor like pilot miscontrol is
so high, it can tend to overwhelm the others
and make it more difficult to detect the dif-
ferences. Well get around that by looking at
these other factors as a percentage of the
total non-miscontrol cases.
Figure 5 (Page 92) shows the results.
Much of it is expected. The fact that builder
error occurs more often in the builder-owned
cases is primarily because the airplanes are
brand new. In the first five hours, mechanical
issues of all sorts are involved in about a third
FIGURE 4 of the builder-owned aircraft versus 25 per-
cent of the purchased ones. Overall, almost
twice as many builder-error accidents occur
during the time the builder owns the aircraft
than with later owners.
From the accident data, the median pur-
chased homebuilt has about 250 hours on it,
which means most are past their teething
pains by the time the second owner takes over.
Mechanical failure of the engines is
another standout for the builder-owned cat-
egory. This is, again, probably related to
problems occurring relatively early in a
8.6 %
homebuilts life. They may not be directly
attributable to builder error, but its likely
5.8 %
something in the installation wasnt compat-
ible with longevity.
dents related to the pilots judgement: fuel
Systems
exhaustion, fuel starvation, and maneuver-
Management
ing at low altitude.
www.eaa.org91
 Fuel exhaustion involves running com-
pletely out of gas, and fuel starvation is
when the aircraft had fuel, but the pilot was
unable to configure the fuel system to feed it
to the engine. Seems logical that the builder
of the airplane would have a better under-
standing of consumption and fuel
system control.
The saddest statistic is that of maneuver-
ing at low altitude buzzing, low passes to
the runway with abrupt pullups, flying up box
canyons. About 5 percent of these accidents
occur in the first five hours of ownership of
purchased homebuilts. In two of those cases,
the new owner tried to perform low-level aer-
obatics in his or her brand new airplane.

NON-PILOT MISCONTROL ACCIDENTS FIGURE 5 SUMMARY

How many homebuilts are no longer owned
by the original builder?
Builder 10.7 % BUILDER
Its not easy to tell. A rough check indi-
Error 6.9 %
BUYER cates that of the 28,079 homebuilts
registered in January 2016, about 11,128 of
Maintenance 6.7 % their manufacturers names match the
Error 8.4 % owners names. Thats about 40 percent.
However, this rough process doesnt take
Undetermined 14.8 % into account the variations seen in both the
Loss of Power 16.5 % manufacturer and the owners names. Its
likely a bit higher.
Engine 12.3 % In any case, we do know its an active
Mechanical 7.0 % market out there. Annually, about 2,000
E-AB aircraft change hands. Thats 2,000
Fuel 5.8 % pilots facing a new challenge every year.
System 5.6 % Probably the hardest thing for E-AB
purchasers to understand is that theyre
Landing 3.3 % not in the Part 23 world, anymore. The
Gear/Breaks 5.1 % planes we learned to fly in, all the
Cessnas and Pipers and Mooneys we fly
7.1 % until our first homebuilt, handle basically
Other
Mechanical
the same. Maybe one is lighter on the
7.8 %
controls, but they all behave in the same
predicable fashion, dictated by Part 23
Fuel 4.5 %
and its predecessors.
Exhaustion 8.0 % Not so in the E-AB world. They can
behave quite differently from production
Fuel 1.6 % aircraft, and all too often, that bites
Starvation 3.1 % recent purchasers.
When you received your private ticket
VFR to 2.2 % years ago, your instructor probably told you
IFR 2.1 % that you now had a license to learn.
Homebuilts are the pop quiz your CFI never
Manuevering 5.5 % anticipated. Buying or building, get a check-
at low alt 10.0 % out before your first flight.

Inadquate 2.9 % Ron Wanttaja, EAA 275698, is the author of two avia-
Preflight tion books, Kit Airplane Construction and Airplane
3.4 %
Ownership, as well as two young adult historical novels
0 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% and numerous magazine articles. He owns a 1982 Bowers
Fly Baby and maintains a webpage for devotees of the
PERCENTAGE OF NON-PILOT MISCONTROL ACCIDENTS design at www.BowersFlyBaby.com.

92 March 2017
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94 March 2017
 96 What Our Members Are Building/Restoring101 Gone West102 Members/Chapters in Action

Celebrating
500 Hints
This March EAA will have amassed
500 Hints for Homebuilders videos
in its online collection. The Hints
for Homebuilders video series was
introduced in 2008, and nine years
later is still filming new tips from
experienced homebuilders on an array
of building subjects, from composite
and tube-and-fabric construction to
electrical and hardware hints. Hints
videos are a great way to pick up
different skills throughout your build
process, and even repeat builders
can find handy ways to improve their
tried-and-true methods. Learn more
at www.EAA.org/homebuilding.

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www.eaa.org95

MEMBERCENTRAL
WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE BUILDING/RESTORING
Summer Breeze
Florida Breezy
MY BREEZY JOURNEY began back in 2008 with my first trip to
AirVenture with a fresh A&P certificate at age 22. As soon as I saw
the Breezys giving rides on the flightline I knew I had to experience
the thrill. I waited in line each day as long as I could but was never
able to get to the front. After returning from that trip I spent all my
free time trying to find the bits and pieces I would need to build my
own. A few years later, a friend called and mentioned he may have a
partially completed fuselage he would be willing to trade for work
on his Breezy in south Florida. I immediately took him up on the
offer, but little did I know it would be a few more years before I
could actually start building.
My mechanical experience began with parents who let me take
everything apart and not necessarily put it back together, but my avi-
ation mechanical knowledge is largely from the talented crew at
American Aero Services and the constant guidance and patience
from some of the most talented mechanics and restoration experts in
the country.
96 March 2017
When the opportunity arose to be a crew
chief for the Collings Foundation bomber
tour, I began my nearly three-year tour turn-
ing wrenches and flying some of the rarest
aircraft in the world, and in the process met
friends who would help define my aviation
career. Mark Henley of the AeroShell T-6
team kindly let me fly his Breezy so I could
decide if I had the guts to finish my own;
after all, Id heard that the width of a Breezy
seat is inversely proportional to the altitude
flown. Sure enough, it was one of the most
exhilarating flights of my life.
After passing the torch for the duties of
crew chief on to the next volunteer, I began
the process of assessing the Breezy project
and fitting the parts I had and determining

what I would need. Since I had no drawings
I went to Aircraft Spruce and called the
number listed. Mrs. Unger picked up the
phone, and when I asked to speak to Carl
Unger, her only response was, Is this about
the Breezy drawings? After a brief conver-
sation and the check going in the mail, I was
the proud owner of authentic Carl Unger
drawings. The tubing in the fuselage needed
some repairs and the front and rear seats
needed to be fabricated, so work began with
a rolling frame and purchase of a worn-out
Continental O-200. After tearing down the
engine and shipping the associated parts out
for inspection and machining, I could con-
centrate on the big picture: I needed wings.
I began the long search for decent Piper-
type wings on all the aviation classifieds and
auction houses but quickly realized that the
wings I could afford would need complete
rework and covering. After calculating the
cost, I decided I might as well build wings
from scratch so I could trust what I would
be flying under.
D&E Aircraft is right down the road, so I
purchased a Super Cub-type wing kit with
aluminum spars and ribs. The wings went
MEMBERCENTRAL
together incredibly well, and about six months
later I was ready to attempt my first Poly-Fiber
covering. I now have incredible respect for the
show-winning finishes that appear at Oshkosh
every year. With seven coats of Aero-Thane, I
hope I never have to do any repairs!
The first flight went well except for a
weak radio, but the thrill came back immedi-
ately. Once the radio was figured out I could
actually hear the tower asking where the
rest of my airplane was. After the required
40 hours of flight testing, it was time to start
giving rides as the Breezy was meant to. I
had given 75 rides in the aircraft after flight
testing when it was time to leave for
Oshkosh. Everyone thought I was a bit crazy,
but it would be my flight of passage. A
Breezy is meant to give everyone the thrill of
aviation and ignite the spark of homebuild-
ing. The original designers intended it to be
that way. Traveling 1,000 miles over three
days to see 10,000 friends Ive never met
turned out to be the most memorable event
of my life to date.
Whitney Coyle, EAA 736036; New Smyrna Beach, Florida
E-mail: wcoyle3@gmail.com
AIRCRAFT SUBMISSIONS
Share your craftsmanship with EAA Sport Aviation
readers worldwide! Send us a photo and descrip-
tion 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 guide-
lines on how to get the best photo of aircraft, visit
www.EAA.org/sportaviation.
Mail: EAA Publications, Aircraft Projects,
P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
E-mail: editorial@eaa.org
www.eaa.org97
MEMBERCENTRAL
WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE BUILDING/RESTORING
CALIFORNIA VANS RV-6
FINALLY! AFTER A 29-YEAR, four-month, and
five-day construction period, RV-6 serial No.
20133 took to the air for the first time on
September 2, 2016, in Visalia, California.
N581BL has VFR steam gauges, a Garmin
295, and a Tetra II EGT/CHT all of which
are brand new. We added an Advanced
Flight Systems AOA indicator and a JPI Fuel
Scan FS-450. It has a Hartzell constant-
speed prop, an IO-360-Exp from Ly-Con, a
Rod Bower fuel-injection system, a Light
Speed Plasma III in place of the right
TEXAS SONERAI
AFTER SELLING MY SECOND RV I faced a
dilemma: I needed a low-cost, high bang-for-
the-buck personal plane that could perform
sport aerobatics, operate off my grass strip, and
fit in my garage. It needed to be a proven
design with an accessible parts trail and fun!
The answer came in the form of the Sonerai II.
I began searching and found arguably one
of the nicest examples ever built. As it turned
out, N994SP had been crafted by a dedicated,
meticulous builder named Scott over a 10-year
period. Hed established a website and was a
forward-thinking ambassador for the type.
Sadly, two years ago he succumbed to a termi-
nal illness, and his gorgeous S2L was sold. I
traveled to look it over, and when I saw the
little blue machine languishing in his hangar, I
knew 994SP needed to be in my garage.
98 March 2017
magneto, and a Vetterman exhaust. We also
added a Flyboy Accessories Supertracks can-
opy track extension that makes it so much
easier to use the baggage area and get on and
off the wing by using the rails as handholds.
My thanks to the previous five owners/
builders: Joseph Demercurio, Gary Rudolf,
Ralph Bookout, Rod Bower, and John Lichty.
During the 13 months that I have owned
N581BL, I have had unlimited access to the
generosity and assistance of my hangar mate
John Mason along with Ty Sundstom, Rod
First came an extensive condition inspec-
tion followed by the purchase and flight
home. All went well, and the first flight
proved to me the merit of the design. A 250
nm one-leg flight home using a tad more
than 6 gallons of fuel was impressive, espe-
cially given a 10-gallon total capacity! After
getting it home my tinkering began in ear-
nest, eventually becoming a six-month
inspection, which included a new engine
and a weight-reduction program. The origi-
nal VW engine was removed, and a newly
completed Great Plains engine was pur-
chased outright. I also replaced all the hoses,
lines, and much of the wiring in 994SPs sim-
ple electrical system. To keep it in line with
the original model, minimum frills for maxi-
mum performance was my goal.
Bower, and John Lichty. Also, thanks to Ken
Tunnell of Ly-Con for his assistance during
the initial engine startup.
Lastly and most importantly, a very special
thanks to my longtime friend, David Howe, for
his expertise, incredible skills, and absolutely
unlimited and unselfish help, guidance, time,
and direction. Without him, I would have
never been able to take it on its first flight.
Denny Grundy, EAA 583239; Trabuco Canyon, California
E-mail: denngrun@aol.com
The end result was a new 32-pound
lower empty weight, a dialed in CG, and an
extremely smooth and strong running pow-
erplant. The flight characteristics are in a
word, stellar. Sport aerobatics on a budget is
an understatement, but the best part for me
is the simplicity. Im enjoying this little air-
plane as much or more than any I have flown
or owned in the past.
Rob Ray, EAA 344216; Sanger, Texas
E-mail: smokyray@rocketmail.com
 MEMBERCENTRAL

ARIZONA CESSNA 170

I BOUGHT 2584C IN 1988. It was flying, but
the panel, seats, interior, carpet, and head-
liner all needed attention, and it had no
radios. My friend Ray Nevins redid the door
and side panel; Jim Walden of Walden
Aviation removed the engine and had Lycon
of Mesa, Arizona, major the engine; and I
stripped the interior. I also rewired the
plane, had the instruments rebuilt, and
installed a new headliner, carpet, tail wheel,
and exhaust. And then, after a little more
than four years, it was flying again.
Shortly after, it finally got a transponder
and comm radio. Then in 2003 I had a
Garmin GNS 430 and an audio panel put in
and used it to get my instrument rating. In
2005, Brian Wolfe disassembled the plane,
did a lot of sheet metal work and new rig-
ging, and painted the plane. Finally, in
March of 2013 the seats were done in Las
Cruces, New Mexico, by Exclusive Air. After
25 years, 2584C was complete.
In November of 2013 I received a letter
from Harold Lee who had owned the plane
in the 70s. Hed removed the data plate
back then and had just found it and
enclosed it in the letter, putting the final
touch on 2584C. The plane has always
taken me wherever Ive needed to go, and
in 2016 it took us to Oshkosh. It is a good
airplane and a joy to fly. I thank all the indi-
viduals who have brought this airplane to
its present shape.
Gene Moreman, EAA Lifetime 626101; Willcox, Arizona
E-mail: gmoreman@gmail.com

FLORIDA VANS RV-7A

BUILDING OUR RV-7A WAS an eight-year helped with many final details. Last but not December 30, 2012, and Ive never looked
effort, completed in 2012. I was in a quan- least, my son Alex helped with bucking riv- back. After 300 hours and four years the
dary about what airplane to build. At our ets, hanging the engine and prop, and plane was painted in 2016.
EAA Chapter 66 breakfast, I got a ride in an moving it to Punta Gorda for final assembly.
RV-8; after that I was sold on RVs and We selected a Lycoming O-360 as the pow- Tom Kracmer, EAA 739359; Fort Myers, Florida
ordered the tail assembly in March of 2004. erplant, with 180 hp. First flight was on E-mail: tkracmer@juno.com
Sam James was my tech counselor and made
some positive recommendations and several
inspections. Going was slow and steady with
the construction in my garage and the stor-
age of the wings and fuselage in our dining
and living rooms. Many thanks to my wife,
Anne, for her patience and understanding.
Tom Irlbeck mentored me through the
entire project and assisted with the flyoff.
Vic Babyak and his wife, Carol, helped me
install the wings and weigh the plane. Ray
Romeu, Ned Rose, and Larry McClure

www.eaa.org99
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100 March 2017


Gone West
Not alone into the sunset but into the company of friends who have gone before them.
ALABAMA
Alton Graham (EAA 9094), Elberta
ARIZONA
James Gastineau (EAA 1079302), Glendale
Kenneth Milentz (EAA 152351), Payson
John Thompson (EAA 48083), Tucson
Rev. O. Ray Williams (EAA 853676), Yuma
CALIFORNIA
Andy Andersen (EAA 370372), Riverside
Robert Baker (EAA 862733), Dana Point
Robert Critchlow (EAA 519248), Lancaster
Les Fiscus (EAA 573776), Orland
Rodolfo Isaad (EAA 1037906), Northridge
Jack Keller (EAA 882883), Pacific Palisades
Ann Kruse (EAA 1013562), Chula Vista
Richard Mann (EAA 547597), Novato
Lawrence Moore (EAA 1028662), Lodi
Roger Olson (EAA 52365), Arbuckle
Lester Reinig (EAA 150846), Boonville
Ken Steward (EAA 759325), Daly City
COLORADO
Michael Craven (EAA 676405), Elbert
Jim Grumbles (EAA 38298), Loveland
Barry Hicks (EAA 328504), Grand Junction
CONNECTICUT
Kenneth Terrio (EAA 395911), Higganum
FLORIDA
Steven Kassan (EAA 116161), Ocala
John OConnell (EAA 150610), Leesburg
David Peterson (EAA 278017), Polk City
Edwin Shearer (EAA 453641), OBrien
Larry Carl Smith (EAA 368390), Davenport
Robert Larry Tilton (EAA 1040394), Dunedin
GEORGIA
Jeffrey Bowns (EAA 1227173), McDonough
Joseph Irvin (EAA 262916), Flowery Branch
William Neville (EAA 304644), Portal
Lynnford Zinkel (EAA 777933), Loganville
IDAHO
Richard Inman (EAA 708035), Juliaetta
ILLINOIS
Randy Cagnoni (EAA 214479), Rockton
Gilbert Dailey (EAA 240842), Rantoul
Jim Delaney (EAA 228004), Winthrop Harbor
Michael Dimiceli (EAA 685046), Lena
R. Jeff Huber (EAA 494697), Chicago
Edward Moricoli (EAA 1055412), Woodstock
James OBrien (EAA 98749), Dixon
Henry Schwemlein (EAA 1133576), Mendota
INDIANA
Ralph Benning (EAA 700521), West Lafayette
Bob McCammon (EAA 474431), Sullivan
IOWA
John Siembieda (EAA 113668), Des Moines
KANSAS
David Swanson (EAA 878426), Overland Park
KENTUCKY
Frank Gray (EAA 129257), Benton
Raymond Thompson (EAA 47532), Louisville
John Trump (EAA 1103800), Lexington
MASSACHUSETTS
Robert Epperly (EAA 439022), Worthington
MINNESOTA
Don Bartley (EAA 305696), Austin
MISSISSIPPI
Fred Gossett (EAA 1138583), Scooba
Mickey Whittenburg (EAA 415), Kiln
MISSOURI
Fredric Fish (EAA 765302), Dexter
MONTANA
Mark Melotz (EAA 1105482), Missoula
NEBRASKA
James Snyder (EAA 212975), Sutherland
NEW JERSEY
John Nusbaumer (EAA 1117611), Newport
NEW MEXICO
James May (EAA 149541), Albuquerque
NEW YORK
Thomas Mitchell (EAA 45149), Elba
NORTH CAROLINA
William Struck (EAA 1134292), New Bern
Raymond Whitt (EAA 179600), Gastonia
MEMBERCENTRAL
OHIO
Roger Bullock (EAA 132077), Bellbrook
Myron Joe Gerber (EAA 90841), Norwalk
George Kramer (EAA 157664), North Lima
Vernon Lawson (EAA 528327), Tipp City
William Newnham (EAA 240142), Gahanna
Dean Putnam (EAA 133866), Canton
Paul Zielazienski (EAA 1105563), Elyria
OKLAHOMA
Gene Chase (EAA 10522), Tulsa
PENNSYLVANIA
Kay Basiago (EAA 1019187), State College
Robert Greenall Sr. (EAA 1085279), Tamaqua
George Heimbach (EAA 1169445), Bethlehem
TENNESSEE
Buiel Chafin (EAA 203322), Collierville
TEXAS
Gregory Barber (EAA 116218), Farmersville
Pat Burgess (EAA 1105999), Mineola
Capt. Eugene Cernan (EAA 456102), Houston
Joe Floyd (EAA 117040), Dallas
Henry Graeber (EAA 788684), Boerne
Marvin Jensen (EAA 420767), Granbury
UTAH
Donald Brock (EAA 200759), West Valley City
Glenn Smith (EAA 601105), Eagle Mountain
WASHINGTON
Howard Alexander (EAA 33411), Spokane
WISCONSIN
William Bordeleau (EAA 39), Germantown
D. Henrich (EAA 287216), Portage
Lowell Buzz Holcomb (EAA 312988), Mazomanie
Peter Holzhauer (EAA 121033), Brookfield
David Peterson (EAA 546482), Bristol
Daniel Williams (EAA 479978), Whitewater
AUSTRALIA
Ron Hartwich (EAA 1019730), Hamilton, Victoria
CANADA
Jack Hatkoski (EAA 158801), Dwight, Ontario
Richard Pulley (EAA 15285), Brampton, Ontario
IRELAND
Joseph Collins (EAA 694626), County Tipperary
www.eaa.org101
MEMBERCENTRAL
MEMBERS/CHAPTERS IN ACTION

Chapter 534 Flies

Aviation Explorers
BY TED LUEBBERS, EAA 875984

EAA CHAPTER 534 AVIATION EXPLORERS got to fly in airplanes on January
21, 2017, at the Leesburg International Airport in Leesburg, Florida.
Chapter 534, the sponsor of Aviation Explorer Post 534, provided
two airplanes and pilots to conduct Young Eagles orientation flights
for them. They were also given more intense instruction on compass
and situational awareness as well as the proper approach procedures
to the airport prior to their flight. They then had a better under-
standing where they were while flying and how to return to the
airport properly. While in the air, each had an opportunity to take
control of the plane under the watchful eye of the EAA pilot.
This is the second year that EAA Chapter 534 has sponsored
an Aviation Explorer Post, and it has grown from five members a
year ago to eight members currently.
Along with the support of the EAA chapter
members, the post enjoys the strong sup-
port of the parents.
The chapter has been conducting a
ground school course for the young people,
and they periodically get to fly with the
chapters pilots. The majority of the young
explorers have indicated their desire to one
day become private pilots, and Chapter 534
is doing all it can to help them realize
that dream.

EAA MEMBER FLIES PLANE POWERED BY PLASTIC WASTE

JEREMY ROWSELL, EAA 1199409, took
a step toward creating a new type of
alternative jet fuel with the first flight
of his Vans RV-9A powered by a fuel
containing 10 percent recycled plastic.
The flight, dubbed On Wings of Waste,
traversed the 500 miles between
Sydney and Melbourne, Australia,
capping the four-year project.
Rowsell worked with Plastic
Energy to create the fuel he used
through a process called thermal
anaerobic conversion, which melts
the plastics and therefore doesnt
release the toxic emissions created by
burning. According to the On Wings
of Waste website, the goal of the proj-
ect is to raise awareness and
encourage others to get involved in
reducing our carbon footprint, reduc-
ing waste, and cutting energy costs.

102 March 2017

 MEMBERCENTRAL

AIRPORT RENAMED TO HONOR EAA MEMBER

BY MARIE A. FASANO, EAA 635640

THE PILOTS AND GREATER COMMUNITY of

Payson, Arizona, wanted to find a way to
honor Rich Henry, EAA 553213, for his
lifelong contributions to aviation in the
area, so they set out to rename the airport.
Richs love affair with Payson started
at age 10 when his family first visited the
area. In 1966, he became a pilot, and
would fly into Payson, and when he and
his family moved to the community, living
at the airport was his goal.
In 1977, Rich got permission from the
Payson Airport Board to start Payson Air.
It included a flight school, an airplane
maintenance business, and a charter and
scenic flight service. His responsibilities
included keeping the airport open 24/7,
clearing the runway of snow, and provid-
ing security. An old green school bus and a
shed held his mechanic shop.
Since that time, Rich has been an inte-
gral part of the development of Payson
Municipal Airport, especially from 1977 to
1992, when he and his wife lived in a with his Cessna 210, to give free flights to
trailer at the airport. youngsters through the Young Eagles pro-
Rich said, We were always available to gram. If the day turned too windy, Rich
pilots flying into Payson. At night I would offered any child waiting the chance to
keep the UNICOM by my bed and talk to make an appointment to fly another day.
pilots who were lost or having difficulty. He always said, If the families took
During his time in Payson, he taught the time to come to the airport, some-
people to fly, gave flight reviews to hun- times from many miles away, then I want
dreds of pilots, and worked as an A&P/IA to make sure the kids got a flight.
on more than 3,000 airplanes, increasing In 1990, Rich was formally selected as
the number of pilots in Payson and bring- airport manager and finally received a
ing pilots and planes to the town. salary from the town. For the previous 13
In 1978, Rich and his wife, Doris, years, although he was the manager of the
opened The Crosswinds restaurant at the airport, he made his living from his air-
airport, using an old trailer. They put in a plane maintenance, instruction, fueling,
portable toilet, cut openings in the trailer and running the restaurant. Although he
for windows, and put in a septic tank. can no longer fly for medical reasons, Rich
Rich brought a 1,000-gallon water tank continues to work on airplanes in his han-
and pressurized it to deliver water to the gar home at 89 years of age.
restaurant. With Richs encouragement, Several local pilots, including Bob
local businesses and Payson pilots Pearson; Paul Pitkin, EAA 108174; and
donated supplies and labor to build con- Marie Fasano, EAA 635640, put forth
crete steps on the west side of the Richs name to the town council. In
restaurant down to the tie-down area on addition, they gathered hundreds of sig-
the ramp. natures from townspeople and pilots on
In 1983, Rich was instrumental in start- a petition. The town council quickly
ing the nonprofit Payson Pilots agreed, and now the airport is officially
Association to offer education for pilots. known as Payson Municipal Airport
For many years he was the first in line, Rich Henry Field.

www.eaa.org103
MEMBERCENTRAL
MEMBERS/CHAPTERS IN ACTION
WORLD WAR I AIRPLANE COMES HOME FOR RESTORATION
IN THE EARLY 2000s, when Don Funke, EAA
652318, and a group of friends were discuss-
ing the history of aviation in their hometown
of Ithaca, New York, they could only have
dreamed that 15 years later they would be
close to completing the restoration of a World for the project. But it doesnt cost any-
War I airplane. That airplane is a Thomas-
Morse S-4B Scout that the group hopes to
have flying by the 100th anniversary of serial
No. A-4358s first flight in summer 2018.
Going back more than 100 years gives a
picture of the beginnings of vibrant aviation
activity in the town of Ithaca. Two brothers,
William and Oliver Thomas, moved to the
area in 1914 with dreams of manufacturing
airplanes. In 1917 they partnered with the
Morse Chain Company to form the Thomas- of the same tools and materials and machin-
Morse Aircraft Corporation.
After successfully fulfilling an order for
100 B-model Scouts, the government put in
another large order for the improved C
model. In all, more than 600 World War I
trainers left the factory in Ithaca, making
the Thomas-Morse Aircraft Corporation the
largest supplier of World War I aircraft in
the U.S. behind Glenn Curtiss.
Don and his friends then realized all three recently finished covering the wings, and
manufacturing plants used by Thomas-
Morse were still standing and in nearly the
same condition as they were 100 years ago.
He said finding that encouraged them to take
the project seriously. They formed a non-
profit called the Ithaca Aviation Heritage
Foundation to support the project and set out
to find an airplane. This search presented a
special set of challenges, though. Don and his
104 March 2017
friends had no money saved and no airplane
to trade should they find the rare piece of
history they were looking for.
Realistically, we were dreaming, said
Don, who is now director of restoration
thing to dream.
The group found that there were only 12
Scouts left, half in museums and half under
private ownership. Through what Don calls
divine intervention, the
San Diego Air and Space
Museum had just recently
removed A-4358 from its
museum because its age
was beginning to show.
The Ithaca Aviation
Heritage Foundation was
able to acquire the air-
plane, affectionately
nicknamed Tommy, and
brought it back home to
be restored. What was
already a special restora-
tion was made even more
so when the organization
found out it would be
able to use the original three Thomas-Morse
factories as space to work on the restoration.
For the most part a lot of it was done in the
main plant, which has since closed, Don said.
But we spent almost three years there restor-
ing the airplane that we acquired, using some
ery to restore an airplane that was built there
in the same floor space 100 years later.
The Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport
has also been a great supporter of the proj-
ect, providing Tommys restoration crew
with a heated shop.
Much of Tommys restoration is now
complete. Volunteers for the project, includ-
ing some members of EAA Chapter 811,
the original Le Rhne rotary engine has
already been hung. The foundation is work-
ing with the FAA to get Tommy certified as
an exhibition experimental. Don said he
expects that groundwork will begin in late
2017 and that Tommy will be ready to fly on
its 100th birthday in 2018.
To follow the remainder of Tommys resto-
ration, follow the links at EAA.org/extras.
WELCOME,
NEW LIFETIME MEMBERS
Cheryl Aldridge (EAA 1229548), El Paso, Texas
Roy Aldridge (EAA 1229547), El Paso, Texas
Kenneth Buechel (EAA 191824), Chilton, Wisconsin
Alan Cornyn (EAA 480462), Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada
Debi Cornyn (EAA 585308), Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada
Michael Crowder (EAA 643415), Cary, North Carolina
Donnie Davis (EAA 851442), Owasso, Oklahoma
Timothy Davis (EAA 1227436), Windermere, Florida
Brand Fortner (EAA 1228298), Durham, North Carolina
Steven Houck (EAA 1229262), Fairbanks, Alaska
Jennifer Jacob (EAA 556718), Rutland, Vermont
John Jeffery (EAA 537443), Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Faith Meitl (EAA 1227407), Oberlin, Kansas
Stephen Murley (EAA 349005), Boerne, Texas
Doug Range (EAA 651064), Burrton, Kansas
Judy Range (EAA 1084695), Burrton, Kansas
Jacob Shavit (EAA 692044), New York, New York
Joseph Shirley (EAA 1228530), Loveland, Ohio
Parker Stockdale (EAA 1227395), Fort Lauderdale, Florida
John Taylor (EAA 143004), Spotsylvania, Virginia
Michael Thompson (EAA 1048132), Vancouver,
British Columbia, Canada
Seth Wallander (EAA 1133393), New Holstein, Wisconsin
Christopher Webb (EAA 749293), Brooklyn, New York
Thomas Wiedenbeck (EAA 1205335), Oregon, Wisconsin
Barbara Wiedenbeck (EAA 1228915), Oregon, Wisconsin
WELCOME, NEW CHAPTERS
EAAs local chapters are about people, bringing
together individuals interested in learning more
about aviation as well as sharing their own
knowledge. To find a local chapter and get involved
in grassroots recreational aviation in your own
backyard, see EAA.org/chapters.
IAC 777 (restart)
Las Vegas, Nevada
Tommy Suell
tsuell@hotmail.com
Warbirds Squadron 39
Williamson, Georgia
Steve Seal
sealsteve@hotmail.com
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF LOWER
W I N A 2 0 17

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www.eaa.org105
EXPERIMENTER
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
Bing 64 Carburetor
Part 3: Idle circuit
BY CAROL AND BRIAN CARPENTER
IN PART 2 OF THIS ARTICLE, we talked about the starting carburetor
(choke) system. We can run the engine at lower rpm settings only on
the choke system, but as soon as we reset the choke system to the off
position, the engine is now running on the idle circuit only. We often
use this as a troubleshooting exercise. If the engine runs with the
choke partially on but dies as the choke is placed in the off position, it is
an indication that the idle circuit is the culprit. It is absolutely essential
that the idle circuit be set up and functioning properly. We use the idle
circuit on every flight, and it is a surprisingly important system within
the carburetor. Aside from the practical aspects of having a properly
operating idle circuit, there are many correlations with the idle circuit
malfunctioning and other engine problems, ranging from increased
maintenance to engine stoppage and even engine failure.
If you follow our articles on a regular basis, you already have an
insight into our underlying premise that all successful
troubleshooting, maintenance, and operation comes
as a result of a solid foundation of the theory and
physics surrounding the subject matter.
With that being said, lets dig into
the theory of the idle circuit.
Figure 1
106 March 2017
With the slide (piston) completely
closed, the vacuum present at the main fuel
outlet is not sufficient to draw the fuel up
from the main jet, through the mixing tube
and needle jet, and into the diffuser and
throat of the carburetor. At low power set-
tings we need to supplement the fuel-air
system with an auxiliary fuel-air system
consisting of an idling air jet, idle jet,
bypass, idle outlet bore, and an idle mixture
screw. (Figure 1)
The idling air jet is located on the inlet
face of the carburetor and restricts the vol-
ume of air that can enter the idle mixture
circuit. Manufactured from brass, it is
pressed into the body of the carburetor and
is normally not considered a replaceable
component. The orifice size is approxi-
mately 0.020 inch in diameter. An orifice
this small is easily plugged with contamina-
tion, which is one reason it is located inside
of the air cleaner.
The idle jet is made from brass. (Figure
2) The jet size used on the Rotax 912 idle jet
is a number 35 that designates the orifice
size as 0.35 mm. The jet is inset into the
body of the carburetor inverted with the
head of the jet facing down into the float
bowl. This draws fuel through the jet orifice
into the body of the jet. The body of the idle
jet consists of eight radially drilled holes in
the body. This acts as a fuel atomization
chamber that mixes the incoming air from
the idle air jet with the fuel from the float
bowl. This mixture is excessively rich and
will be used to supplement the air that is
coming through the carburetor, past the
throttle valve.
The idle mixture screw (Figure 3) is also
manufactured from brass. The idle mixture
ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF CAROL AND BRIAN CARPENTER
 CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT
Mike Berg, Eleva, WI
screw works in conjunction with the idle 1947 AERONCA L-16A
outlet bore to create an adjustable needle
valve. The fuel and air transitioning through
the idle mixture screw and idle outlet bore
have already been mixed. Allowing more of
this already excessively rich mixture into
the carburetor will result in an enrichened
fuel-air ratio at idle. If you came up through
the ultralight ranks, operating a two-stroke
engine, you may be familiar with the idiom
we used to remember which direction to
turn the idle mixture screw: in richen,
lean out. This works for the Bing 54 slide
Superflite Products Used:
carburetors used on the Rotax two-stroke
SF102 Fabric, System VI Fabric Primer,
engines. However, the Bing 64 constant
SF2445 Lemon Yellow Superthane Topcoat
velocity (CV) carburetors are exactly the
opposite. To enrichen the mixture we need
to screw the idle mixture screw out or
counterclockwise, and in or clockwise to
Figure 2 lean out the mixture. (Figure 4)
The bypass is located at the six oclock
position in the throttle body just under the
800.323.0611 FAX 618.931.0613 SALES@SUPERFLITE.COM
throttle valve. These are two very small
(approximately 0.020 inch) holes, nearly WWW. .COM
invisible, located coincidently just at the
position where the throttle valve makes
contact with the body of the carburetor.
These holes work in conjunction with the
idle outlet bore. The venturi effect created
by the position of the throttle valve in rela-
tion to these two holes will vary the
pressure within the bypass and internal pas-
sageways helping to regulate the mixture at
the very lowest of throttle settings. (Figure
5) During overhaul, failure to ensure that all
of these passageways are open and free from
contamination will inevitably result in an
Figure 3 engine that idles poorly.

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EXPERIMENTER
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
Troubleshooting the idle circuit and its
effectiveness occurs from idle up to about
25 percent throttle setting. (Figure 6) This
also shows that the jet needle and the nee-
dle jet have some effect down as low as 15
percent throttle setting. If the engine is
running poorly at idle, but improves as the
throttle is advanced past the 15 percent
throttle setting and then runs properly
from 25 percent up through the mid-range
and beyond, this would be an indication
that the problem is related directly to
something within the idle circuit. An
engine that will not run at idle but will run
with the application of choke is an indica-
tion the idle circuit is running lean. The
most common, and probable, cause is that
the idle jet has a blockage. It is not uncom-
mon for old fuel to evaporate leaving a film
or obstruction in the orifice for the idle jet.
Remember that the idle jet used on the
Rotax 912 is 0.35 mm that is about the
thickness of a business card and
becomes blocked very easily. Replacing the
jet with a new jet, or even cleaning the old
jet is the easiest way to troubleshoot. But
remember, if the idle jet has become
blocked with debris, the more important
question is what caused the blockage and
why and how did it occur. Most of the time
when we find junk in the idle jet, we are
Figure 5
108 March 2017
concerned with how it got there. The stan-
dard procedure would normally include
flushing the fuel tanks, replacing fuel
lines, and replacing or cleaning the fuel
filter. If contamination is present, and you
simply clean the jet without addressing
the root cause of the problem, it is likely to
re-contaminate in short order.
If the engine is running rich at idle,
there are several culprits that may be con-
tributing to the problem. However, there
are only two areas that usually affect a rich
mixture at idle only: improperly adjusted
idle mixture screw or blocked idle air jet.
If the engine is running rich at throttle
settings other than idle, it probably has
nothing to do with the idle mixture screw
or the idle air jet. The idle air jet can be
inspected visually for contamination, or by
blowing compressed air through the idle
jet. This is normally done with the carbu-
retor disassembled and on the workbench.
The adjustment of the idle mixture screw
can be set to the settings specified in the
Bing manual, or if you have a Rotax
engine, the Rotax maintenance manual
also specifies the settings for your particu-
lar engine. For most engines using the CV
carburetor, the setting for the idle mixture
screw is 1.5 turns out. This means that you
screw in the idle mixture screw until it
makes contact with the carburetor
body, then turn out or counter-
clockwise 1.5 turns. If you
find that you need to adjust
Figure 6
it different from the book settings for it to
operate correctly, there is probably some-
thing else that is askew. Keep in mind that
there are literally thousands of Rotax
engines operating with stock jet settings.
They all work perfectly. We have never
seen a Rotax engine that needs to be set up
differently than the recommended set-
tings. The engines are identical. As such
there is no reason that one engine would
need special settings. If you find a condi-
tion where it appears that you need a
different setup from stock, it is usually a
symptom of a larger problem. The engines
work as a symphony of different subsys-
tems, all working in harmony with each
other. The subsystems within the engine
and carburetor cannot be isolated from the
bigger picture. For example, doing carbu-
retor synchronization on the engine
without first ensuring the idle mixture
screws have been properly adjusted is a
waste of time. Making adjustments to one
subsystem has an effect on all other sys-
tems. The good news is, once you
understand the subsystems within the car-
buretor, it is really quite easy and simple
to keep them operating correctly.
Carol and Brian Carpenter, EAA 678959 and 299858,
owners of Rainbow Aviation Services, have co-authored two
aviation books and team teach the Light Sport Repairman
Workshops. Brian is a CFII, DAR, A&P/IA, and the designer of
the EMG-6 (an electric motorglider). Carol is an SPI, PP, LSRM,
and FAAST representative.
ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY OF CAROL AND BRIAN CARPENTER
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EXPERIMENTER
ULTRALIGHT WORLD

The Tukan trike passes over

the field with my hands
stretched out in the breeze.

A Humbling Experience
Weight shifting for a fixed-wing pilot
BY JONATHAN ARNEY

The Ultralight Chapter 95
fly-in attracts ultralight
and light-sport aircraft of
many kinds.
EACH YEAR IN AUGUST, Ultralight Chapter 95 has a fly-in weekend at
Long Acre Farms in western New York. This is one of our major chap-
ter events of the year, and it attracts ultralight and light-sport pilots
from all over western and central New York. The airport we fly into is
a turf strip that is privately owned by Long Acre Farms, and the event
coincides with the opening of the Long Acre Amazing Maize Maze
and Corn Roast. It draws lots of people to see
a corn maze, the farm animals, fresh corn on
the cob, and aircraft of all kinds. The pilots
entertain themselves with flying activities
such as the bomb drop, toilet paper cutting,
spot landings, and a poker run.
One activity that was particularly popu-
lar among the pilots in 2016 was the
exchange of rides, and I took advantage of
the opportunity to take my first ride in a
trike. Now, I considered myself to be a pretty
good pilot. I soloed back in 1963, flew lots of
different single engine land aircraft, a couple
of ultralights, and a sailplane. So, I thought I
was well-prepared to hop into a trike and fly
it. Easy! Heck, it didnt look much different
from a paper airplane, and I was also a good
paper airplane flier! But the experience was
more humbling than I expected.

110 March 2017 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JONATHAN ARNEY

 David Engle, EAA 675909, was my pilot in command, and he
was very kind and encouraging as he introduced me to his
Tukan trike and the operation of the controls. He described the
features of the trike and the Rotax 503 that powers it. Then he Throttle-Body
led me through the preflight checklist. Finally, he described For 30-125hp
4-Stroke
again the operation of the controls, fit me into a helmet, and Engines
strapped me into the rear seat. I felt prepared. I understood all
about weight-shift control. I was enthusiastic and ready to fly.
David taxied out and went through the preflight, and we took
off. I was startled by how quickly the Tukan trike left the ground,
but other than that, it seemed pretty straightforward. David Included in AeroVee Price!

climbed to pattern altitude and took me around the field, always

describing what he was doing and asking me if I was okay. After
a few minutes of letting me become accustomed to the flight, he
took the trike up to 3,000 feet and demonstrated some maneu-
vers. Turns to the left and right, figure eights, turns about a

LEADING EDGE AIR FOILS

point, etc. Then he announced it was time for some stalls. So, he

LLC
eased the trike to a higher and higher angle of attack, and it
reached a point where it simply mushed. It never broke the
stall the way my fixed-wing experience taught me to expect. The Central USA independent SERVICE CENTRE
Wow, this trike was sure a nice-flying machine. Easy to fly!
Then I had a chance to take the controls. The first mistake I Repair, Overhaul, Maintenance
made was to pull back on the bar. Suddenly I was in a dive, and I A P Technicians on Staff
responded by pulling back more! After David shoved the bar for-
ward and got us level again, he gave the bar back to me. Okay, I Non-Destructive Prop
remembered he had told me to push forward to go up and back Strike Inspections
to go down. (Strictly, to push to decrease airspeed and to pull
back to increase airspeed.) Okay, I knew that, but my muscles
Large Inventory of ROTAX

SPA57
clearly hadnt learned the lesson. Embarrassing! Engine arts
Next came turns. When David said to go left, I pushed the bar
left, and when he said go right, I pushed right. Of course, the Check Our Our Easy-to-Use
trike actually went the opposite way. Push left to go right, and
push right to go left. Egad! I knew that, too, but I didnt do that. WEB STORE at leadingedgeairfoils.com
My muscle memory was having a bad senior moment. 1216 North Road, Lyons, WI 53148
1.800.532.3462

Well-briefed and strapped in, we are ready for my first trike flight.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JONATHAN ARNEY www.eaa.org111

EXPERIMENTER
ULTRALIGHT WORLD

No matter how many different aircraft you

have flown, you need to ride with an instructor
anytime you want to learn to fly an unfamiliar
aircraft. This is important especially when that
new aircraft is of a different type.

David reminded me to think of my body as the stick, but

that didnt help much. After several tries and carefully keeping
my mind on it, I did manage to do some successful turns to a
heading. But it sure was an embarrassing experience. It took
concentrated thought to turn the trike the correct way some-
thing I do without any thought at all in my Kolb. What a
humbling experience.
But the humiliation wasnt over yet. David demonstrated the
wonderfully short landing and roll-out characteristics of his
trike. Then he told me to put my feet on the pedals and taxi back
Trikes are great, but to the tie-down area. No sweat, I told myself and confidently
its hard to teach began my taxi roll. I pushed on the right pedal to go right, but
old dogs new tricks. the trike veered left. Egad! I then recalled David pointing out
how the front wheel steering link was set. Like the up, down,
left, right controls, the front wheel was also set up for wrong
way steering. One final humbling experience for the overconfi-
dent Kolb pilot.
INTERACTIVE | EDUCATIONAL | MOBILE I learned an important lesson from this trike ride. No matter
how many different aircraft you have flown, you need to ride
with an instructor anytime you want to learn to fly an unfamiliar

EAA Webinars What would you like to learn?

aircraft. This is important especially when that new aircraft is of
a different type.
What all this boils down to is that muscle memory isnt the
same as conscious memory. For example, I know how to play the
piano, but I cant play the piano. I know that all you do is push
EAA offers a series of free live webinars the keys down in the order specified by the sheet music and
moderated and presented by aviation music happens. But knowing in my conscious brain doesnt
experts on a variety of topics. immediately translate to being able to play the piano. That takes
practice and instruction. The same is true with a new airplane.
It takes an instructor to work with you to make sure you are safe
to go solo. For me, this was especially true in making the transi-
tion from my fixed-wing aircraft to the trike.
David, ever the wise and patient instructor, knew exactly
Register today! what Id been through and said I actually did okay for a first-
EAA.org/webinars time trike pilot. He encouraged me to continue with trike
instruction. One of these days I just might do that, but for the
moment Ive decided to stick with the wings that are bolted
on and the controls that move in directions I have grown
accustomed to.

EAA Webinars are supported by
Jonathan Arney, EAA 776256, soloed in 1963 when he was a junior in high school.
He is a private pilot with SEL, glider, and instrument ratings. He has served as an officer
with Ultralight Chapter 95 for more than a decade and has served for two years on the
EAA Ultralight & Light-Sport Aircraft Council. He owns an E-LSA Kolb FireStar and a 1946
Aeronca Chief, which he has flown to Oshkosh from his home in Rochester, New York.

112 March 2017 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JONATHAN ARNEY

 Lend a Hand.

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www.eaa.org113
EXPERIMENTER
SHOP TALK
Shop Consumables
Buy for the future, not just the present
BY BUDD DAVISSON
ITS AMAZING HOW FATE so often conspires against builders of all fla-
vors and has us running short of seemingly minor bits of
sometimes-unrelated stuff that stops our progress cold. This invari-
ably happens just when were psyched because were about to make
major progress on a project. Most often its late on Saturday after-
noon, and we cant find the exact 10-32 screw that will allow us to
yell, Hey, this is finally finished! This is the very definition of frus-
tration. There is, however, a way to avoid this.
One solution is to purposely overbuy on consumables. My atti-
tude on buying shop consumables has become, If I need one, Ill
probably need it again in the future. So, Ill buy two. Plus, I probably
wont be able to find it when I need it so Ill buy three.
DEFINE YOUR NEEDS
So, what kind of stuff are we talking about and how much is enough?
Im positive everyone reading this has a different definition of shop
consumables based on what kind of projects theyre working on. Im
just as certain that everyone who is building an airplane is also con-
tinually working on other projects. I know very few builders who
arent builders to the core and may be working on cars, boats, or
whatever parallel to their airplane project. So, most of us have a con-
tinuing, ever-widening need for shop stuff. In my case, Im generally
working wood and steel, so my stuff leans in that direction. Others
may include composites, aluminum, etc.
On the hardware side of my stuff-acquisition program, I simpli-
fied it to a certain extent in that aircraft hardware is used on my hot
rod projects as well as my aircraft work. So, Im heavy in aircraft
hardware, but Im also well-stocked in hardware store grade 5 nuts
and bolts.
114 March 2017
AVOIDING THE I CANT FIND IT SYNDROME
For a long time, when I needed something, I
knew I had it, but I didnt always know
where it was. As Ive gotten older, however,
some sort of rudimentary organizational
logic has worked its way to the surface,
crude though it may be.
Like so many others, Im of the out of
sight, out of mind mindset. So, my stuff
organization involves keeping everything in
sight and in a given area that never changes.
That area may later turn out to be not the
best place for it, but if its moved, itll never
be seen again. Every builder should have a
system that works for them that will proba-
bly be wildly different than mine and
certainly will be better. Also, given that my
shop space is very limited, storage methods
have to take advantage of nooks, crannies,
the ceiling, and spaces under tools.
KITS ARE MORE PREDICTABLE
The upside to building something like an RV
is that the stuff required list has been vetted
many times over. That, however, does not
eliminate the need to buy more consumables
than you think youll need. Especially if
youre a hardcore builder and have other
projects under way.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BUDD DAVIDSON
A SHOPPING LIST
What is listed below is not aimed at building any specific thing. It just lists materials that are nice to have around for last-minute needs.
NUTS AND BOLTS
Every project has demands for certain
types of screws and bolts, so what is listed
here is aimed at the broad spectrum most
projects need. It should be pointed out
that Aircraft Spruce and others have vari-
ous types of screw and bolt kits that are
good values, when priced against buying
piecemeal. So, look at those closely. Also,
and this is important, all of this doesnt
have to be purchased at one time. Buy,
when needed or when convenient, but
overbuy each time. It may take several
years to get up to this level.
A typical inventory level might be:
50 each size and length, stainless,
truss head, AN526C machine
screws in numbers 6, 8, and 10 sizes
starting at 3/8-inch long up to 5/8-
inch long. Twenty percent can be
countersunk heads.
20 each size, stainless machine
screws 1-inch long, which can be
shortened for special uses.
20 each, AN3 bolts, 5/8-inch long to
1.5 inches long.
20 each, AN4 bolts, 5/8-inch long to
1.5 inches long.
Enough washers for two each of
the bolts.
Enough nuts for one each of the bolts.
Nyloc nuts for half of the bolts.
Storage for this kind of hardware is
important. There are all sorts of little filing
drawer cabinets available for storing this
many bolts and screws. They, however, take
up space. Multiple layers of the inexpensive
multi-pocket plastic tray affairs work well
and are available everywhere, including
your local hardware store. The filing organi-
zation doesnt have to be terribly complex.
Just sort them by diameter and keep the
sizes in the labeled bags they came in.
RIVETS
Rivets are super cheap, take up almost
no space, and are easy to shorten. So,
unless youre building an aluminum air-
plane, where specific sizes and numbers
are known, and you only have rivets
around for the occasional rivet job, a
tenth of a pound each of various sizes
and types is all that is needed. For refer-
ence, there are 4,100 AN426AD-3-4
(3/32-inch diameter 1/4-inch long) riv-
ets in a pound ($32). So, 400 (0.1 pound)
would be $3.20. If only having them for
occasional use is the goal, 400 rivets is a
lot of rivets. Also, because they are so
easily shortened with the right tool, if
you arent building an RV or something
similar, you dont need many sizes. The
normal rivet cutter wont cut rivets
shorter than about 3/16 inch so buy a
few short ones (3/16 inch) and a bunch
of longer ones (1/2 inch) with the intent
of cutting the long ones to size the few
times they are needed. The selection
could include 3/32-inch and 1/8-inch
rivets, both flat and rounded heads.
SPECIALTY FIXED NUTS
Even if not building an airplane, its hard
to appreciate the applications and utility
of the various types of easy-to-use spe-
cialty nut variations. This includes the
slip-over, U-types of Tinnermans that let
you use PK screws (essentially sheet
metal screws) and Monadnock that use
machine screws. The typical U-type
Tinnerman is about 25 cents each where
the Monadnocks run $1-$2, so you cant
inventory many of those, but when they
are needed, nothing works better.
Riveted nut plates run about 45 cents
each so having 10 or so of those in the
three usual sizes (6, 8, 10) always on
hand isnt too expensive.
SCRAP/SHORT LENGTHS OF TUBING
This may be something unique to the
stuff I do, but I dont think so: Having
lots of short lengths (18-24 inches) of all
of the small diameter 4130 tubing always
laying around is handier than youd
think (0.058 wall will accept the next
size tubing down). The same thing
applies to 4130 flat stock: I always keep a
foot-square piece of the normal thick-
nesses around. Dont be tempted by the
grab bags of mixed tubing being sold. Its
usually bigger and heavier than
youll use.
ODDBALL CLECOS
When buying Clecos, always include a
half-dozen or more of the edge-grip
variety and a few of the big, honkin
3/16-inch ones. A half-dozen of those
are super handy for holding bolted
pieces together.
DRILL BITS
Buy lots of bits to include No. 30, No. 40,
3/32-inch, 1/8-inch, 1/4-inch, and, if
youre doing any threading, the sizes
appropriate for the screw size youre
tapping holes for. Knowing how to
sharpen bits is handy, but its a skill I
cant seem to master.
ANGLE HEAD GRINDER DISCS
If you dont have an angle head grinder
(4 inches or 4-1/2 inches), get one.
Theyre indispensable! Then lay in a
supply of cut-off discs and flapper sand-
ing discs. Youll suddenly wonder how
you ever lived without it.
SHOP ROLL ABRASIVE CLOTH
Theres nothing handier than having
rolls of 1-inch wide shop roll abrasive
cloth at hand. Get it in multiple grits.
There are 50 yards in a roll, so you wont
buy it very often.
If you only dip into your oversupply
of consumables once or twice, the aggra-
vation they avoid will make you glad you
made the investment. Trust me!
Budd Davisson is an aeronautical engineer, has
flown more than 300 different types, and has pub-
lished 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.
www.eaa.org115
Worlds Greatest Aviation Celebration | July 24-31 | EAA.org/Tradition
EXPERIMENTER
HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS
G OT A
HINT?
Want your own
EAA Sport Aviation
contributor hat? Well
send you one if you
submit a hint that we
run in this column.
Send your tips to
editorial@eaa.org.
118 March 2017
BILL OF MATERIALS
Two 18-foot lengths of square tubing will be
enough to make the table with some left over
(note that 24 feet is a standard length, and your
supplier may not sell partial lengths). Youll also
need one 8-foot length of 1-by-1 angle and a
2-by-2 foot piece of 1/8-inch plate in addition
to the tabletop. Depending on where you source
your materials, this welding table can be built
for less than $400.
MATERIALS NEEDED
Tabletop: One 30-by-48-by-3/16 inch plate
or sheet
Frame verticals: Four 30-inch long 2-by-2-
Mobile by-1/8 inch square tube
Frame horizontals (long): Four 40-inch long
Welding Table 2-by-2-by-1/8 inch square tubes
Frame horizontals (short): Six 18-inch long
2-by-2-by-1/8 inch square tubes
BY STEVE GLAESER, EAA 735293; NORTH VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA
Gas bottle shelf:
One 8-by-22-by-1/8 plate or sheet
WHEN YOU HAVE A PROJECT that involves fabricating small weld-
(shelf bottom)
ments, the benefits of a welding table become clear. If shop space is
at a premium, then a mobile welding table may be the solution. The One 6-by-22-by-1/8 plate or sheet (shelf side)
table can be customized to fit your specific needs, and building it Two 10-inch long 1-by-1-by-1/8 angles
can provide valuable welding practice. (shelf supports)
This mobile welding table brings the welder, tools, and even gas
bottles along for the ride. Inspired by a few internet searches, the
Tool chest support:
table includes a three-drawer intermediate tool chest for my Two 18-inch long 1-by-1-by-1/8 angles
welding tools and shelves for the welder and two gas bottles. For (horizontals)
mobility, the table rides on three (not four) casters, one swivel and
two fixed (my garage floor is nowhere near flat or level).
Two 12-inch long 1-by-1-by-1/8 angles
The tabletop is 30 inches by 48 inches and is supported by a 2-by-2
inch square tube frame. The top is just over 37 inches high and over-
(verticals)
Lower shelf: One 22-by-44 plywood or
hangs the frame by 4 inches on three sides. The height and overhang chipboard (any thickness will work)
allow me to sit or stand comfortably when welding (consider this
when determining your table height). The tool chest is supported by a Misc. items:
structure made from 1-by-1-by-1/8 angle that is welded to the frame; Intermediate tool chest
self-tapping screws keep the tool chest in place. The gas bottles sit on
a shelf made from 1/8-inch sheet supported with 1-by-1-by-1/8 angle
Two 4-inch casters (fixed)
(top side) and gussets (bottom side). The casters are fastened to pieces One 4-inch caster (swivel with brake)
of 1/8-inch plate welded to the frame (nuts are welded to the pieces of Self-tapping screws (tool chest attachment) as
plate), and the welder sits on a chipboard shelf. required
How stable is the table? With the fixed casters placed at the cor-
ners near the welding gas bottles and the swivel caster placed in the
1/4-20 fasteners (caster attachment)
middle of the opposite side, this table does not have any tipping ten- as required
dencies. The swivel caster has the only brake and is enough to keep
the table from wandering away while you are trying to work.
 6 3
Centering Round Stock
BY TRACY BUTTLES; EAA 839196; KAUKAUNA, WISCONSIN
USE THIS TRICK TO center a piece of round stock in the drill press.
Use a small steel ruler and balance it on the stock to be
drilled. Run the point of your drill bit down to just touch the
ruler. Adjust the stock to balance the ruler.
Pilot Hole Size
BY TRACY BUTTLES; EAA 839196; KAUKAUNA, WISCONSIN
DRILLING A THICK PIECE of material is much easier if you use a
small pilot hole. The easiest way to find the smallest and most
efficient pilot hole size is to use calipers to measure the thick-
ness of the web of the drill bit and use that dimension.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF TRACY BUTTLES
N 33 30 W
Lowering barriers to
MODERN AVIONICS
EAA is offering the Accessible Safety STC for
type-certied aircraft. Qualifying aircraft can y
with the modern EFIS-D10A or EFIS-D100.
To see if your aircraft qualies
or for more information, visit EAA.org/AccessibleSafety
Save on purchases at Aircraft Spruce
with the EAA Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card!
Enjoy these benets:
> Up to 10% off eligible net purchases with Aircraft Spruce & Specialty1
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additional cost to you. EAA Visa Cardmembers have already helped contribute
over $750,000 to projects like the museum and youth programs.
Apply today at EAA.org/Visa.
Account must be open and in good standing to earn and redeem rewards and benets.
Upon approval, please refer to your Rewards Program Rules for additional information.
1. Some restrictions may apply. Visit www.aircraftspruce.com/eaaDiscountGuide.
html for a list of discounts. 2. Subject to credit approval. To earn the Cash Rewards
Bonus, purchase must be made within 90 days of account open date. Please allow
6-8 weeks after qualifying purchase is made for account to be credited.
The creditor and issuer of the Experimental Aircraft Association Card is U.S. Bank National
Association, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. 2016 U.S. Bank National Association
www.eaa.org119
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120 March 2017

Vividia Articulating USB Video Borescopes from $199.98
0 to 180 degree articulating camera
Bright LED lights to see in the dark
Work on PC, Android, iPhone*, iPad*
Ideal for engine and wing inspection
Four models: flexible, rigid, semi-rigid
LED & CONVENTIONAL aircraft lights
AEROMEDICAL
FAA Medical Problems? We specialize in helping pilots when FAA
Medical Certificate problems occur. Professional and affordable. ARMA
Research, Inc 920-206-9000 www.ARMAResearch.com
AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS
Eighteen years manufacturing AOAs www.riteangle.com 360-260-0772
BOOKS
HANDS ON my quest to be a commercial pilot. The BookPatch.com
HANDS ON in search
WORLDS MOST POPULAR Aircraft Design Books @ www.aircraftdesigns.
com 831-621-8760
ENGINES
Engines starting at $200 - guaranteed Kawasaki, Rotax, 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
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Custom Lycoming & small Continental engines overhauled or outright.
www.RandBAircraft.com 540-473-3661
Revmaster Engines for Sport Aircraft. Proven reliability since 1968.
Complete R-2300 85HP. Die cast. RevFlow injector carb 30-42mm.
Revmaster Aviation 760-244-3074. www.revmasteraviation.com
Kawasaki package - save 50% - engine, reduction drive, carburetor,
and exhaust. 0-time, 64 lbs., 40 HP. Contact J-Bird - (262) 626-2611
MISC
Carbon fiber cowls for non-certified PA 18 aircraft. Selkirk Aviation,
208-664-9589. www.selkirk-aviation.com
Windshields-Windows-Canopies for experimental aircraft. Custom
jobs welcome. airplastic@aol.com, 937-669-2677
Holy Cowls - RV & Mustang II, www.jamesaircraft.com 850-342-9929
Landing Gear-Wittman type rod gear since 1969. Contact Harmon
Lange 503-397-1478, www.harmon@langair.com
Aircraft wires from Bruntons of Scotland. Certified wires featuring
stronger rolled threads. AN665 stainless terminal assemblies. Call for
quote. Steen Aero Lab, (321) 725-4160. www.steenaero.com
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: www.
Glen-L.com/EAA
FLOATS BY ZENAIR 750# to 2500# straight & amphib kits www.
zenairfloats.com
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
PARACHUTES
Pennsylvania Parachute Company-Pilot Emergency Parachutes www.
pennsylvaniaparachute.com 610-317-2536
PLANS/KITS
Aircraft 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.
SONERAI PLANS - Sonerai I, Sonerai II Original & Sonerai II Stretch. Many
pre-fab parts available. Contact SoneraiWorks LLC, Phone: 414-581-1442,
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Zenith CH801 Project For Sale 30% Completed. Near Boulder Colorado.
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CLASSIC HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT PLANS - Cozy Mark IV $500 Christavia MK-1
$375 Christavia MK-2 $289.95 Christavia MK-4 $275 Starduster One SA100
$115 Super Starduster SA101 $158.95 Starduster Too SA300 $250 Starlet
SA500 $125 Acroduster Too SA750 $125 V-Star SA900 $195 Acrolite 1B $295
Wittman W10 Tailwind $195 Wittman V-Witt Racer $95 Baby Great Lakes
$295 Super Baby Great Lakes $295 Buddy Baby Lakes $275 One Design $376,
Skyote $595. Aircraft Spruce (951) 372-9555, www.aircraftspruce.com
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
Murphy Rebel Part built, in CAL. ALL+ parts make offer, Leave Msg
805-499-0013
PROPELLERS
www.PerformancePropellersUSA.com Two & Three Blade Multi-
Laminate Wood composite propellers for up through 300 HP. 713-417-2519
MT & Hoffmann Propellers for aerobatic, homebuilt & production aircraft.
Call for quote. Steen Aero Lab, (321) 725-4160. www.steenaero.com
REAL ESTATE
Couch to Cockpit in 60 SECONDS! Fredericksburg, VA - Dogwood Air Park,
5 mi outside of SFRA, custom home, hangar, paved, lighted 4K runway,
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804-837-8075 http://www.aviatorshotline.com/content/couch-cockpit-
60-seconds
Live on a beautiful Arizona airpark. www.azaviationproperties.com
WANTED
Donate your plane, RV or vehicle to leave a significant legacy! A charity
that provides mission/medical services to remote areas of the world.
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www.eaa.org121
 Vero Beach, FL and
Long Beach, CA*
March 2-5
B17 ights also available
at Long Beach location

Pompano Beach, FL
March 9-12

Palm springs, CA*

March 16-19
*Indicates liberty tri-motor

Visit eaa.org/fordmarch
or call 1-877-952-5395
to reserve your flight.

Master the Art of Instrument Navigation

If youre ready to take your ying to the next level,
then its time to join the IMC Club.

Join a community of pilots Monthly chapter meetings Improve your prociency and
willing to share experience, present you with engaging safety through education,
promote safety, and help ight scenarios and real-world experience, and mentorship.
improve your IMC ying skills. decision making situations.

Visit EAA.org/IMC to join or start an IMC Club in your area. Presented by

122 March 2017

 AT YOUR SERVICE: ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE AD INDEX

SPORT AVIATION PAGE WEBSITE PHONE SPORT AVIATION PAGE WEBSITE PHONE

Aero Aviation Company 51 www.aeroinstock.com 800/362-3044 EAA Young Eagles 45, 94 www.youngeagles.org 877/806-8902

AeroConversions 111 www.AeroConversions.com 920/231-8297 EAA Young Eagles Raffle 105 http://www.eaa.org/Yeraffle 800/236-1025

AeroShell 35 www.aeroshell.com 713/241-6161 Evolution Aircraft Company 41 www.evolutionaircraft.com 541/923-2233

Aircraft Spruce & Specialty OBC www.aircraftspruce.com 877/477-7823 Ford Motor Company 15, 49 www.ford.com 800/392-3673

ASA 29 www.asa2fly.com/supplies 800.ASA2FLY GRT Avionics 44 www.grtavionics.com 616/245-7700

B & C Specialty Products 33 www.bandc.info/SAV 316/283-8000 HTP America Inc 103 www.usaweld.com 800/872-9353

Better Aircraft Fabric 51 www.betteraircraftfabric.com 907/229-6792 J.P. Instruments 23 www.jpinstruments.com 800/345-4574

Boeing 7 www.buildsomethingbetter.com 206/655-1131 John Deere IBC www.johndeere.com/gator 309/765-8000

California Power Systems 36 www.cps-parts.com 800/247-9653 Leading Edge Air Foils, LLC 111 www.leadingedgeairfoils.com 800/532-3462

CubCrafters, Inc. 43 www.carboncubex.com 509/248-9491 Lockwood Aviation Supply/Rotax Service Cntr 44 www.lockwood.aero 800/527-6829

Daher 25 www.tbm850.com 954/993-8477 Lycoming 9 www.lycoming.com 800/258-3279

Dynon Avionics IFC www.dynonavionics.com 425/402-0433 MT-Propeller 40 www.mt-propeller.com 386/736-7762

EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2017 116,117 www.eaa.org/tickets 920/426-4800 Poly-Fiber Aircraft Coatings 3 www.polyfiber.com 800/362-3490

EAA Aviation Insurance/Falcon 93, 100 www.eaalowerrates.com 866/647-4322 Pygmy Boats 103 www.pygmyboats.com 360/385-6143

EAA Air Academy Camps 100 www.airacademy.org 888/322-3229 Randolph Aircraft Products 21 www.randolphaircraft.com 800/362-3490

EAA B-17 94 www.b17.org 800/359-6217 Remos 21 www.remos.com 49-3973-225519-0

EAA Chapters 30 www.eaa.org/Chapters 800/564-6322 Rotorway 47 www.rotorway.com 480-961-1001

EAA Ford Tri-Motor 122 www.flytheford.org 800/564-6322 Sigtronics Corporation 48 www.sigtronics.com 909/305-9399

EAA Founders Innovation Prize 30 www.eaa.org 800/999-3712 Sky-Tec/Hartzell Engine Technologies 27 www.skytecair.com 800/476-7896

EAA IMC Club 122 www.eaa.org/IMC 800/564-6322 Sonex Aircraft, LLC 40 www.sonexaircraft.com 920/231-8297

EAA Merchandise 107 www.shopeaa.com 800/564-6322 Stemme AG 37 www.stemme.info 803/726-8884

EAA Spirit of Aviation Mobile Marketing Unit 87 www.eaa.org/mobile 920-426-6530 Sun n Fun Fly-In 2017 53 www.sun-n-fun.org 863/644-2431

EAA SportAir Workshops 51 www.sportair.com 800/967-5746 Superflite 107 www.superflite.com 800/323-0611

EAA STCs 119 www.eaa.org/STC 800/564-6322 Superior Air Parts 39 www.superiorairparts.com 800/277-5168

EAA Sweepstakes 2017 109 www.eaa.org/sweepstakes 800/236-1025 Tempest 2 www.tempestplus.com 800/822-3200

EAA Visa 51 www.eaa.org/visa 800/564-6322 Trade-A-Plane 111 www.trade-a-plane.com 800/337-5263

EAA Webinars 119 www.eaa.org/webinars 800/967-5746 Trutrak Flight Systems/AFS 36 www.trutrakap.com 866/TRUTRAK

EAA Women Soar-You Soar 113 www.eaa.org/womensoar 920-426-6859 Vans Aircraft, Inc. 31 www.vansaircraft.com 503/678-6545

EAA WomenVenture 2017 105 www.eaa.org/womenventure 920-426-6859 Wag-Aero 40 www.wagaero.com 800/558-6868

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 2017 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.org123
EAAS ATTIC
Historic Headgear
ONE OF THE MOST RECENT ADDITIONS to EAAs collection, this helmet
was donated to the museum by NASA legend Gene Kranz, EAA
Lifetime 429257, when he spoke at EAAs Wright Brothers Memorial
Banquet in December 2016. This P-3 type helmet was used by the U.S.
Air Force beginning in 1953 and was nearly identical to the earlier
P-1A/B hard shell designs used by the Air Force, except for the addition
124 March 2017
of a permanent visor for windblast protection.
Kranz wore it during the Korean War, when
he flew F-86 Sabres as part of the 69th Fighter
Bomber Squadron. The raised torch and light-
ning bolt marking on the back of the helmet
was the insignia for his group.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN BRUEGGEN
 What you do matters. Why you do it
matters more. See the stories of Gator
owners across the country.
Official Utility Vehicle Provider of the EAA

JohnDeere.com/Gator
Before operating or riding, always refer to the safety and operating information on the vehicle and in the operators manual. John Deeres green and yellow color scheme, the leaping deer symbol and JOHN DEERE are trademarks of Deere & Company. 15-64053
 July 24 - 30
Buy your AirVenture Oshkosh 2017 tickets
today! Visit EAA.org/Tickets

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