September 5, 2007: The Beginning
With some luck, this is the start of a new era for my flying hobby, specifically
building and flying "real" airplanes. The incredibly daunting events Lisa
and I have experienced the past year, plus some high expectations I've set for my career in the next year,
require that I engage in some thoroughly-distracting, stress free activity.
Lisa has locked on to ballroom dancing, but I need something more intellectual. Flying can keep me happy and sane. I've attempted to get back into real airplanes several times since selling
the Piper Cherokee, right now there are many reasons it could work out. I have to say the
WAF is great, too. ;-)
Over the years, I've enjoyed membership in the Experimental
Aircraft Association. I joined EAA Chapter 17
to enjoy the company of other aircraft nuts. I may join
AOPA again, it is a good group that is lobbying against the current
General Aviation user fee insanity in Congress along with the EAA and other
aviation groups. I guess it is clear that I like to join groups.
When I was actively flying in Texas, I was a member of the Texas Pilot's Association.
I was also a member of the Fort Worth Senior Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol.
Another great effort by the EAA and AOPA has been the
Light Sport Aircraft regulations and the
Sport Pilot certification. This is a great avenue for flying, whether
you are starting out or not. Although there are restrictions, the cost to
get certified is less, the operating costs of the aircraft can be less, a medical
is not required, and it is every bit as fun as "regular" flying. In fact,
my Cherokee only flew 110 mph, average, and I usually carried only one passenger,
day VFR. So the LSA allows higher performance with modern airframes operating
on regular gasoline, doing the kind of flying I would do the most.
At this point, desperate to go flying, I have two options:
ultralight aircraft and LSA. When I start building, I would prefer to
build an LSA. When I get an aircraft to fly, I'll add that information to
this section. It is possible that I'll just end up renting. As usual,
my experiences will go into my blog.
Some pictures and technical info will go here.
But what about building? I realize that the average project takes five years,
even from well-designed kits with some prefabrication (for example
Van's Aircraft kits). Given that I'm interested in LSA and there are
a proliferation of kit designs, it will take a while to sort out likely candidates.
To make things more interesting, I bought plans for the
KR-2S many years ago. It was a great fit for my intentions and needs
at the time, but it doesn't qualify for LSA. What to do with this investment?
Well, I could learn from Ken Rand's approach to aircraft construction and derive
my own LSA aircraft from that. The barrage of questions on the KRnet mailing
list sponsored by KRnet.org means that other
people would like to do something similar. Trouble is, the "radical" changes
to the KR-2 design take it completely away from the design goals of modern KR-2
builders. Every time LSA comes up on the KRnet mailing list, the regulars
throw a fit.
I intend to explore the concept of an LSA constructed "like a KR-2" and add that
material to this section of my Website. I hope my ramblings will help others
thinking along the same lines. Although I do have a good education for this
exploration, I offer it without any warranties or assurances of accuracy or flyability.
If you indeed want to take this approach into construction or "borrow" this information
for your own plans, please get professional help. Given that, I will be adding
my notes on the new design to this section as they are available. You are
invited to add to the discussion given a strict disclaimer of suitability for the
information for aircraft construction or flight. Just send me a note and I
will add whatever comments or links you like to the "new LSA" thread. I also
promise to come up with a name for this project ASAP!