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.
Stole it!
We're spending a few days in the Idaho back country, and stopped by the Kitfox headquarters in Homedale before heading in to the mountains....
Three-Hour Rudder
The trapezoidal box arrived from Mexico (Missouri) a few weeks ago, but we just recently had the time to open it up and begin...
Five-Hour Phase One
Yesterday I completed the shortest Phase 1 flight testing program I have ever done - it was for a neighbor's ELSA RV-12, an airplane...
Old Dog… New Trick?
So I opened a fresh box of Tempest oil filters today, and on top of the filters was the notice that you see in...
Single-seat Economics
I love flying single-seat airplanes. In fact, for pure, unadulterated aeronautical fun, it is hard to beat a single-seater. Since they are generally smaller,...
Necessary Tedium
There comes a time when you realize that your assortment of aircraft hardware has reached a point where you have to hunt and peck...
Six in Six
One of the problems with living in a beautiful western mountain setting is that it is hard to maintain instrument currency. Back on the...
In Case You Missed It
Staying in the Game
It’s never been easy to afford flying, and it’s getting harder. As costs continue to rise, here are innovative ways to stay in the air.
All About Avionics
Sophisticated and capable audio systems used to be less common in Experimental aircraft, but now many pilots want expanded capabilities. There are ways to go about choosing and installing such systems that will alleviate unnecessary instrument noise and allow for the best audio quality possible. Avionics expert Stein Bruch walks you through the considerations and offers his top three tips for avoiding problems.
Static Port Location and Altitude Calibration
Often a challenge, accuracy depends on three things: location, location, location.