kitplane

With spring finally here and new builders reading their planes for first flight, new owners getting ready to ferry their newly-purchased Sonex home, and the rest of us thinking about knocking the rust off on our own proficiency, it's time to discuss Transition Training. The Sonex Builders and Pilots Foundation published a training syllabus designed to guide pilots through the process of gaining proficiency to fly their Sonex airplanes, and satisfy their insurance requirements so they can obtain insurance coverage. We review the syllabus, talk with a new Sonex pilot who recently used the syllabus for his own Sonex transition, and offer some practical advice to those looking to train in the future.

Sooner or later it will be time to fly your new Sonex, and there are a few things that you'll want to keep in mind as you prepare for the big day. We speak with two pilots that recently passed that milestone and hear their advice for taking flight.

Each Sonex builder or owner will eventually reach the point where it's time to sell the plane. We discuss a rent experience where an owner sold the plane and hear about the thought process and logistics of how that played out.

The Sonex is a great handling, easy flying sport plane, that flys with absolutely no bad habits. We cover the techniques used on a typical pattern flight, discuss the speeds and performance a pilot will commonly see, and lay down the foundation for flying a Sonex pattern with precision.

Non-builder owners of experimental aircraft show a disturbing trend in the accident data, sometimes running into problems within the first few hours or even the flight home with their new airplane. Experience has highlighted many of the common problem areas a second owner may encounter, and we cover some key advice to keep you out of the NTSB database.

The plane is at the airport and ready to fly, but what items should a builder consider as they make the transition from a builder to an operator? We discuss the objectives, considerations and key info needed for effective project closeout.

One of the great aspects of homebuilt aircraft is the ability to customize and tailor our planes to our own interests and requirements. We speak with builder Jake Logan about his Sonex project and the custom features and modifications he implemented.

Electric power for homebuilt aircraft continues to make great strides to becoming available and practical for homebuilders of average means. Gabe DeVault walks us thru his current aircraft project as he creates an electric powered Xenos.

Sonex airplanes have always been known for light and responsive handling, but sometimes pilots want even more! For pilots wanting superior roll control, Sonex offers the "Acro Aileron" option. We describe the modifications necessary, the pro's and the con's, and help answer whether that option is right for you.

Tim Allen of AllenFlight speaks with us about his wingtip extension modification, and hear about the installation process and results he's achieved.

'90% done, 90% to go!' Every homebuilder is confronted with this truth as they near the end of the project and must accomplish a multitude of little things that have to be completed to finish out the project. We speak with a Sonex builder about running the last mile to his first flight.

It's been some months since our last conversation with Sonex Aircraft, and we thought it was time to catch up on the latest happenings. Join us to find out what's been happening at the factory and what to expect from Sonex in 2020.

Builders and pilots are always looking for ways to improve the performance and reliability of our engines and aircraft, and ensuring your aircraft's propeller runs smooth and vibration-free is a simple way to do both. We talk with manufacturer DynaVibe and cover the methodology and process of dynamically balancing your prop to help you get the smoothest engine around.

The holiday season is upon us, and this is a good time to brush up your Christmas wish list. We've put together a few items that we think would be great ideas to enhance your building and flying experience, whether you're looking for suggestions to offer friends and family for what to get for you, items that you might like to treat yourself with, or that extra special something for your project to show it how much you care!

Fitting the cowling is always a challenge, but with patience and the proper techniques it can be accomplished with minimum frustration. We cover our favorite tools, techniques and best tips to help you thru this portion of your build.

The canopy is one of the most challenging construction tasks in a Sonex project, and that’s true of most homebuilts. The job can be repetitive and time consuming, and the risk of cracking the plexiglas is always there. We’ll discuss how to tackle this intimidating task, and explain the tools and techniques that set you up for success and keep you out of the “cracked canopy club”.

Every pilot wants more power in their airplane, or may decide to try out a different engine for various reasons, and over the years a number of pilots have decided to conduct engine swaps to do just that. We’ll cover some considerations to keep in mind when replacing engines on an already-flying airplane.

AirVenture is over, and we're missing it already! The gang reviews some of our highlights from the show, and challenges encountered along the way.

AirVenture 2019 Days 1 and 2 were a blast! Here are a few samples of the things we did, people we talked to and events we enjoyed after the show.

AirVenture is here! Join us for some quick highlights from the weekend before the official start of the show.