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.
Sometimes, Ya’ Just Gotta’ Fly
It was almost ten o’clock last night when the text came in from an airpark neighbor—“$2.99 per gallon Avgas at Yerington tomorrow from 0700...
Terrified? Or Just Happy to Be Here?
To quote a great aviation movie from the 1960’s “‘E’s not supposed to carry passengers!”
Dee Child flies Race 60, a Glasair that is obviously...
More than just “Busy”
As Tom Wilson reported on Friday, it was starting to get busy at the Reno Air Races… well Saturday it went from “busy” to...
Clever Stuff
See that? No, not the polished tie-down ring (how many milli-knots do you think that gets him?), I’m talking about the pitot tube on...
Reno After Hours
When the racing is done, Reno is still here and if you have a pit pass, it’s worth sticking around for the “night life.”...
Things Heating Up at Reno
We’re not going to identify which airplane these plugs came out of, but when you’re pushing the edge of what an air-cooled engine can...
Dynon is On the Field!
Dynon Avionics has, for the past several years, sponsored a tent in the Sport Class pits that serves as a briefing center, hospitality pavilion,...
Racing Costs Money
No, it’s not a blown-up Merlin on a Mustang being frantically changed by a team of twelve guys in the Unlimited pits. But for...
“Pre-Reno”
I love the first couple of days of the Reno Race week—no “paying customers,” low traffic - and lots of time to meet up...
In Case You Missed It
Common Cents
Home equity loans, building loans, credit cards: These are only a few of the ways that one can finance an airplane building project. But beware: Each option has its benefits and disadvantages, and the wise builder will consider these carefully before signing on the dotted line; by Dave Higdon.
Power, Scotty, I Gotta Have More Power
“I canna give ye more, Cap’n. The dilithium crystals are already overloaded.”
—Star Trek
This month’s...
25th Anniversary: The Glasair-Lancair Wars
The origins of Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft precede Lancair Aircraft by a few years, but once Lancair entered the game, competition was not only fierce but also productive; by Marc Cook.
Hawking That New Engine
After 20 years the long-gestating DeltaHawk diesel is suddenly hotter than Jeff LaVelle’s turbos on a 400-mph lap.