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.
Free Flight
Paul Dye visits the hallowed halls of flight and reflects on the bond that exists between aviators past and present.
Build It Better: The Choices We Make
Paul Dye debuts his new series on the myriad considerations that go into building and flying Experimental aircraft.
Free Flight
Expecting your avionics software to be free of bugs is unrealistic, but there is a way to avoid being bitten.
Free Flight
The words "test pilot" conjure images of steely-eyed derring-do, but the reality is often a world away from all that.
Free Flight
Thousands of hours of flight time in a pilots logbook are no guarantee of superior skill-or superior judgment.
Exploring New Territory
Venture out of your comfort zone every so often, because stretching can be fun.
Free Flight
Modern avionics, knowledge of the weather, a sturdy airframe and a cell phone make cross-country trips less of a gamble.
In Case You Missed It
Light Stuff
The Sport Pilot rules allow you wide latitude in changing categories of aircraft without a lot of re-training, opening up intriguing options for pilots interested in diversifying their flying. By Roy Beisswenger.
