Paul Dye
Paul Dye has been the Editor-in-Chief and Editor at Large. He retired as a Lead Flight Director for NASA’s Human Space Flight program, with 50 years of aerospace experience on everything from Cubs to the Space Shuttle. An avid homebuilder, he began flying and working on airplanes as a teen and has experience with a wide range of construction techniques and materials. He flies an RV-8 and SubSonex jet that he built, an RV-3 that he built with his pilot wife, as well as a Dream Tundra and an electric Xenos motorglider they completed. Currently, they are building an F1 Rocket. A commercially licensed pilot, he has logged over 6000 hours in many different types of aircraft and is an A&P, FAA DAR, EAA Tech Counselor and Flight Advisor; he was formerly a member of the Homebuilder’s Council. He consults and collaborates in aerospace operations and flight-testing projects across the country.
Just a Little Squeeze
The horizontal stabilizer on our F1 Rocket (like most RV-type aircraft) has a very thin profile—a symmetric airfoil with a finely pointed nose. Getting...
The Process
To the uninitiated, it looks like it’ll be done soon, doesn’t it? But “The Process” still has a long way to go.
Fear Not the Rivet Cutter
Kits these days are pretty good, as are their instructions. When they tell you to use an AD4-7 rivet in a particular hole, it's...
We Have a Fixture!
I needed a fixture – and I decided that I’d just “Go Big” ad make it out of steel. This baby isn’t going anywhere!
Crew Coordination, Working the Weather
Having a reliable and well-trained partner can help to evaluate not only a course of action—but the decision-making process that goes into that plan.
Twelve Volts Anywhere, Anytime
A handy tool to have in the shop, avoiding a bunch of random long wires that always seem to get in the way.
In Case You Missed It
Ask the DAR
RV-7A converted to RV-7, importing a Canadian ultralight to the U.S. and registering as an LSA.
What’s New
MGL Avionics announces its new XTreme EMS engine monitoring system, the RANS S-19 Venterra has joined the FAA’s official 51% eligibility list, and Wicks Aircraft Supply adds a new Dual XGPS150 universal Bluetooth Receiver to its product lineup.