Paul Dye
Paul Dye, KITPLANES® Editor at Large, 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.
Three Seat AirCam – Not an April Fool's Joke!
As reported in a press release last week, AirCam is unveiling their new three-seater at Sun 'n Fun this week, and we got our...
Florida Treasure Hunting
When most people think of searching for gold and booty in Florida, they naturally think that they are going to need a boat, and...
Sun 'n Fun 2019 – the Pre-Show
One of the advantages of having a media badge at a large aviation event is that I get to wander around the grounds unmolested...
Yup… It Flies!
The little jet actually does just what it is supposed to do - and it looks good doing it!
We've now made three flights in...
Paul Dye's SubSonex N958PD: Successful First Flight
SubSonex Serial #21 (N958PD) made its first flight out of the Dayton Valley Airpark in Nevada on the 24th of March, 2019. Winter kept...
It's a Plane!
There's a new jet in town - N958PD, the Subsonex kit formerly known as "the project" received its airworthiness certificate today after a thorough...
And Just Like That… It's Done
It's finished! Well, mostly finished... as finished as an airplane, or a paint job, can ever be. Painter John Stahr put the final touches...
Fine Print
When I was young, dreaming of being old enough to solo, then old enough to get my private, I carried around an FAR/AIM book...
Details, details, details…
The fifth day started bright and early with the limbering up of the spray gun and the deployment of white - the final major...
Now–In Living Color!
Work continued on the jet's paint job on Tuesday--and a long day it was. The detailed layout was completed the day before, so it...
In Case You Missed It
All About Avionics: Flight-Control Systems
As the industry matures, the sheer variety and capabilities of autopilots for Experimental/Amateur-Built aircraft are flourishing. By Stein Bruch.
One Builder’s Headache is Another’s Project
Sometimes picking up a project that needs a little work is just the ticket for (re)building satisfaction.
