 Peter, a resident of Denver, Colo., and his brother Tom, from Idaho
Falls, Idaho, landed their RV 9A experimental plane at the airport
on what was obviously a busier day than usual.The airport, which
handles on average 19 flights a day, bustled with activity as the
second annual Airport Daze events took place.
The Strong brothers, who stopped to fill up and stretch their
legs on their way back from visiting relatives on the East Coast,
were happy with their choice. Not only because of the price of a
gallon of aviation fuel, but because the affable 50-something
brothers enjoyed meeting so many others enthused in the art of
flying small planes.
Their decision to make Lincoln and Logan County their midpoint
stopover was far from scientific, with both brothers laughing that
they liked the FAA location designation of AAA when they were
deciding where to stop over before flying back home.
Tom, a pilot for 10 years, explained why the word "Experimental"
was stamped in large print across the back wall of the cockpit of
his bright orange airplane.
It is because he built the plane from scratch himself. Although
the FAA must inspect the final result of a kit plane assembly, they
do not certify it as air-worthy, and thus the experimental
nomenclature must be on the aircraft. In order to be approved for
flight but not guaranteed for flight by aeronautical officials, at
least 51 percent of the build must be done by the owners themselves.
In the case of Tom Strong's plane, the four-year, 1,600-hour build
was accomplished entirely by himself, "with a lot of help, manuals
and conversations with other builders."
When asked if flying a plane he had put together made him
nervous, he said no: "I know every nut and bolt, every wire, every
connection in this plane was done by me. I have more knowledge of
how this plane was put together than I would a plane I bought from a
manufacturer."
The "kit planes," which are becoming more and more popular,
afford an air enthusiast the ability to buy the parts, either all at
once or over time, to build planes such as the RV 9A model. This
allows the enthusiast to have the full experience of not only flying
but building the craft they intend to use in their passion.
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This two-seater plane carries a low profile with long wings that has
made it a favorite of small-craft enthusiasts, not only for handling
but also fuel economy. "The plane can go 160 knots at about 8,500
feet, which is pretty good for any small plane," Tom advised. The
plane hits the scales at less than 1,100 pounds, which makes it a
favorite for handling on the ground as well as in the air.
"There are a lot of things you can add to the plane," Tom relayed
-- "bigger engine or special equipment -- but I built this with just
what you need to fly and nothing else. I do have a GPS, of course."
Peter wanted to brag a little. "I was told this was the Cadillac
of RV planes," he said.
When asked what differences the brothers saw in flying around the
Rockies compared with the Midwest, Tom had one quick observation to
make: "Back home, visibility is much greater than through the
Midwest and East Coast. At home I can probably see 50 miles or more.
Here I would imagine it's half that much." Tom also explained that
back home, while flying around the great mountains, he has taken the
small plane up to 13,000 feet. "Any higher than that and I would
need oxygen," he said.
As the brothers taxied to the runway to take off for home,
conversations around the hangars could be heard. A man from Florida
asked a stranger where someone in charge was. The stranger laughed
and said he was from Iowa and didn't know who to direct the man to.
A woman walking by also laughed and told the two men not to ask her,
as she too was from Florida.
It seems that more than just the Strong brothers turned their GPS
units to 40.16 N, 89.4 W on Sunday.
Maybe next year people who only need a car will stop by and see
for themselves what our local Heritage In Flight Museum and the
Logan County Airport have to offer. But be careful. You might find
yourself catching the flying bug, especially on a perfect spring day
when the urge to touch the sky can be so strong.
[By MIKE FAK]
Readers can find more of Mike Fak's writing at
www.searchwarp.com
and www.problogs.com.
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