Kerry Fores
Kerry Fores was born and raised in Oshkosh, WI and was interested in homebuilding by age 12. Between 1998 and 2003 he scratchbuilt and polished a Sonex, which he named Metal Illness. Kerry logged nearly 500 hours in Metal Illness and was awarded Plans Built Champion at AirVenture 2006. Kerry is retired from a 21-year career at Sonex Aircraft, most of it dedicated to supporting builders.
Little Buddy, You Can Fly
As a design matures, more and more “upgrades” and “improvements” are thrust upon successive builders by those who have gone before. What they are thrusting, really, are opinions.
Beyond the Stats
Shoppin’ for a project, are ya? Here are some truths: Factory-stated build times are bare minimums. Double them and then toss that number out...
Inserting Bolts, Installing Nuts
I never set out to write a hardware trilogy, yet here we are. A little ditty on washer usage begat a column on bolt-length...
Length Matters
Last month I wrote about AN washer usage. This month I’ll take on AN bolts—specifically, their grip length. Riveting stuff, huh? No? Somewhat captivating?...
AN960 Washers, the Penny and My Thoughts
Not a week (sometimes a day) went by during my Sonex career that I wasn’t asked about washer usage on threaded fasteners. Often, a...
Get Bent
I harbor two writers within. A technical writer who favors brevity and a creative writer, an essayist, who wants to engage your senses and...
Self-Debriefing Your AirVenture Experience
Every flying lesson ends with a debriefing. What worked, what didn't, where can improvements be made? If you recently attended The Big Show in...
AirVenture’s Last Day
AirVenture is an organism that obeys no calendar. The Friday prior to this year's opening the airport was as full as I've ever seen...
Thick Wallet?
This is one of many vendors at AirVenture offering a solution to those whose wallet is too thick. This vendor, however, is the only...
In Case You Missed It
Dollars and Sense
In my decades in aviation, I have come across individuals representing a wide financial...
Mind the Gap
An ill-fitting joint where the wing joins the fuselage doesn't leap to mind as a foremost source of induced drag, but the effects can be significant.