Ron Wanttaja
Ron Wanttaja is a retired space systems engineer. Over a 40-year career, he helped design, build, test, launch, and operate 18 spacecraft, up to and including the International Space Station. He has owned a Bowers Fly Baby since 1996 and flew the original prototype for seven years before buying his own. He is married to romance novelist Lisa McAllister and lives just outside of Portland, Oregon.
Safety Is No Accident: Fatality Rates for Homebuilt Aircraft
The accident fatality rate for homebuilt aircraft is higher than the GA rate, but why?
Safety Is No Accident: Auto-Engine Conversions
Ron Wanttaja crunches the numbers to determine whether homebuilts powered by auto-engine conversions are inherently less safe than their traditional engine brethren.
Safety Is No Accident: Glasair and GlaStar
Ron Wanttaja examines the accident data for the Glasair and GlaStar designs and finds structural support may play a key role.
Safety Is No Accident: Zenith
Ron Wanttaja examines the accident data for two of Zenith Aircrafts most popular designs, the CH 601 and CH 701.
Safety Is No Accident: Canards
The appeal of canard-type designs hasn't faded, and the design was heralded as inherently safer because of its resistance to stalling. Ron Wanttaja reveals the veracity of that claim given the accident numbers.
Safety is No Accident: Avid and Kitfox
This month Ron Wanttaja looks at two similar designs, Avid and Kitfox, which have some major distinctions when it comes to the accident numbers.
Safety is No Accident: Lancair Designs
Author Ron Wanttaja uses NTSB data to illustrate how Lancair designs of all varieties stand in the ratings of aircraft accidents vis--vis other homebuilts.
Safety Is No Accident: Van’s RV series
It’s been a couple of years since we looked at how homebuilts generally fared in the accident statistics vis-à-vis certified aircraft. This time around we’ll look at the safety records of specific homebuilt designs, starting with the Van’s RV.
Homebuilt Aircraft Safety 1998-2008
Far be it from Ron Wanttajas experience to be complacent when it comes to aircraft accident statistics. In this article, he updates two previous articles on the subject of homebuilt aircraft safety and digs deep to find meaning and context for the numbers.
