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Paul Dye

Paul Dye
772 POSTS 18 COMMENTS
Paul Dye, KITPLANES® Editor at Large, retired as a Lead Flight Director for NASA’s Human Space Flight program, with 40 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 that he built, an RV-3 that he built with his pilot wife, as well as a Dream Tundra they completed. Currently, they are building a Xenos motorglider. A commercially licensed pilot, he has logged over 6000 hours in many different types of aircraft and is an A&P, EAA Tech Counselor and Flight Advisor, as well as a former member of the Homebuilder’s Council. He consults and collaborates in aerospace operations and flight-testing projects across the country.

Morning Brief

If you think that Reno Racing is just a bunch of guys that hop in their planes and go ripping around the pylons, then...

Reno From Home

We all know that the best way for an aviation enthusiast (especially a homebuilder) to watch the Reno Air Races is in person, with...

RARA and Other Trivia

Wednesday morning greeted the assembled racers and spectators with smoke. Lots of smoke. And not the kind smoke that comes from smoke oil on...

Oil Filter Anti Drainback Valve

For those of you using 48108-2 oil filters on an angle adapter, here’s a bit of trivia for you. Not everyone knows that these...

The Slow Failure

Mechanical fuel pumps are pretty reliable, in general. I know folks who will disagree, having replaced them early in the life of an engine,...

Fighter Squadron

An RV Builder by the name of Charlie Derk posted this opioid online, and when I looked at it, I realized that it looked...

Wrapped

RV builder/owner Tony Kirk took no chances when the predicted storm came though on the first Saturday night of AirVenture. He followed the lead,...

Van’s on Top

A utility-first airplane turns Van’s design chops upside down.

Trying on the Two-Seater

I am probably one of the higher-time SubSonex JSX-2 pilots around, so it was with great interest that I dropped in at the Sonex...

We Owe Paul Better

I rarely, if ever, do public service announcements, but I was on the AirVenture grounds early the other morning, and saw something that would...

In Case You Missed it

Gyroplane Safety

by Ralph Taggart Most sport gyroplanes aren't beautiful or even cute, but there is no...

2014 Plans-Built Buyer’s Guide

Not everyone starts with a kit. By Paul Dye and Mark Schrimmer.

Your Head, Your Heart, Your Hands and the Truth

Three chords and the truth. That’s how songwriter Harlan Howard, who, with Hank Cochran,...

Analysis Tools

We don't use slide rules anymore. Back in the day, they were handy...