Bill Wilson
Bill Wilson adds his newly built Onex to the other 21 aircraft that he has owned since beginning his aviation career in 1969. He is a retired TV newscaster, businessman and Navy Reserve Captain. As a flight instructor he does seminars around the USA helping rusty pilots return to flying.
![R.T. Searfoss shows off his magnificent workmanship in the Pietenpol Air Camper he built over the span of 12 years. There is much to love in classic tube and fabric aircraft which harken back to an earlier time of aircraft construction. Masterful craftsmanship is everywhere you look in R.T.’s work. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/unnamed-2.jpg?w=324&h=160&crop=1 "Choosing Your Aircraft Construction Material")
Choosing Your Aircraft Construction Material
Walk through the rows of aircraft at any fly-in, and you’ll quickly notice that homebuilt airplanes are as different as the people who created...
![Pat McKiernan has found that he and his dad who built this beautiful RV-7 simply learned to enjoy the build. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Builder.jpg?w=324&h=160&crop=1 "Life Lessons From Building an Airplane")
Life Lessons From Building an Airplane
People begin building aircraft for many reasons. Some dream of flight in an airplane they assembled with their own hands. Others are attracted by...
![The best builders learn to combine both mindsets. They build like engineers but think like future mechanics. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_0037.jpg?w=324&h=160&crop=1 "Building vs. Fixing")
Building vs. Fixing
Somewhere during every aircraft project, a builder faces a quiet moment of truth. It might happen while drilling a hole in a structural member,...
![Lowell Farrand spent years serving as an FAA DAR and is in the EAA Hall of Fame. He offers sound advise to builders. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed-4.jpg?w=324&h=160&crop=1 "Think Like a Builder")
Think Like a Builder
When a project moves outside your knowledge base, knowing when to bring in help is the mark of a smart builder.
![Author Bill Wilson takes a break from measuring and cutting the Lexan windshield during his Onex build. [All Images Credit to Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-2.jpg?w=324&h=160&crop=1 "Think Like A Builder")
In Case You Missed It
Design Process: Slots and Slats
Opening a properly shaped slot between the lower and upper surface of the wing...
Hearing Things
A stowaway cat reminds us: strange noises matter. Learn how to listen for sounds that can signal trouble in flight before they become real problems.
More Than You Bargained For
It doesn't take a fortune to get a homebuilt aircraft completed and flying, and we look at a few designs that prove the point. By Marc Cook and Mary Bernard.
The Cost to Build
When a kit airplane or plans purveyor provides an estimated cost to complete a project, consider it with a wary eye that's tempered with real-world experience.