Paul Dye
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 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.
Aviators By Design Announces "Soar Like an Eagle" Campaign
Organization to raise funds to complete student-built Zenith CH750 aircraft. Aviators By Design, Founder and President, Jerry Graf announced today that the organization is kicking...
Editor’s Log
As Paul Dye takes the helm at KITPLANES, he looks forward to covering this exciting time in the Experimental aircraft community.
Nobody’s Perfect
Nobody's perfect. Neither is any airplane or airplane part—there’s always a tolerance from perfection, and that’s OK, as long as you understand the art of repair.
Something Wild
When a homebuilder has a vision for a unique paint scheme on his RV-3, he assembles a team that can bring it to life.
Build It Better: Hope Is Not a Plan
There are always unknowns in any human endeavor, but in aviation, we must think about the ways we can minimize them.
Free Flight
To fly or not to fly? Often it depends on the weather, which can be uncertain. That’s why it’s good to have IFR clearance, and crucial to have a backup plan.
Build It Better: Building a Team
Sometimes working alone in your hangar is exactly what you want. But other times a helping hand is called for, and then it helps to know you’re part of a worldwide homebuilding community.
Go With the Flow…
When you build your own airplane, you get to design the cockpit you've always wanted, from the ground up. But facing that blank slate can be challenging and calls for a thoughtful approach.
Van’s RV-14
The latest RV prompted quite a buzz. So what exactly is different about this roomy two-seater—and how does it fly? Taking off from the Van’s factory in Oregon, Paul Dye samples the new design.
Flight Testing
Organize your test program beforehand, and you not only maximize your use of time, but also understand your airplane far better than someone who is just running the hours off the clock.
In Case You Missed it
Effect of Fairings on Speed
Compared to the high cost of horsepower, reducing drag is a much less expensive way to go faster.
