Dave Prizio
Dave Prizio has been plying the skies of the L.A. basin and beyond since 1973. Born into a family of builders, it was only natural that he would make his living as a contractor and spend his leisure time building airplanes. He has so far completed four—two GlaStars, a Glasair Sportsman, and a Texas Sport Cub—and is helping a friend build an RV-8. When he isn’t building something, he shares his love of aviation with others by flying Young Eagles or volunteering as an EAA Technical Counselor. He is also an A&P mechanic, Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR), and was a member of the EAA Homebuilt Aircraft Council for six years.
Becoming a Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR)
The long road to issuing airworthiness certificates.
Preparing for Your First Flight
The paperwork, the plane, and the pilot must come together for success.
Dry Tappet Clearance
A flat (standard) tappet disassembled into its various parts. Note that the tappet body (shown on right) cannot be removed without splitting the...
Torque Plates
Torque plates are installed before any cylinders go on at the Lycoming engine school. Then they are removed one at a time just...
In Case You Missed It
Flight Testing
Personnel roles, emergency contingencies, communications-there are many moving parts involved in the first flight of a homebuilt. Paul Dye catalogs them and offers a sample flight plan that worked for him.
Lancair ES-P
Robert Simon had the distinction of building the first Lancair ES-P to fly. But the process wasn’t without its challenges. The ES-P employs the cabin design and structure of the pressurized, retractable Lancair IV-P, but has a larger wing and fixed gear. During the build, Simon also deviated from the base design with changes that required factory support to accomplish. Not only did he learn much, he ultimately got the plane he needed; by Dave Higdon.