![The alternative to bending down as the propeller is pulled through the compression stroke is to keep the back straight and bend the knees slightly, stepping away in a crouch. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IMG_1519-scaled.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Manual Starting Methods")
![The newly-restored F-24 enjoying the morning sun. [All Images Credited to Mike Davenport]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC_0001.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Golden Age Revival")
![[Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AdobeStock_176619176.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Instructional Inflexibility")
![sideview shows the Better Half with the full VW case. [Credit: Legal Eagle Airplane]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Milholland-V-Twin_Side-View.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Better Half VW")
Reinventing the Wheel
Do you really need to spend your time coming up with a better solution when the one provided is more than good enough?
The Dawn Patrol
Dick Starks recounts the tall tales and travails that The Dawn Patrol encountered at this years Salute to Veterans Airshow.
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.
Record Opportunities
Disqualified from flying under the U.K.s strict aeromedical requirements, Steve Wood has nonetheless made a life of piloting his own airplane and promoting aviation while acquiring numerous world records along the way.
Product Review: Inogen Aviator
Marc Cook flies with the new Inogen oxygen system for aviation and offers a clear-headed appraisal of the systems benefits.
The Dawn Patrol
When the rains came to Oshkosh, it wasn't enough to get the intrepid Dawn Patrol coterie down. Dick Starks says thanks for the memories.
Free Flight
Filing IFR gives you the flexibility to take advantage during fluctuating weather conditions rather than being at the mercy of them.
Down to Earth
Amy Laboda has watched her first homebuilt (Kitfox) aircraft and her second daughter come of age in a way that illustrates some parallels between the two.
News from E-Mag, Levil, and Sensenich
E-Mag offers an electronic mag for the IO-540, Levil has a PC-based EFIS, and Sensenich introduces a composite ground-adjustable prop for the RV crowd. Edited by Mary Bernard.
Around the Patch
Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook discusses the many virtues of Kifoxs new Super Sport, which will be powered by a Rotec radial.
In Case You Missed It
Archive: October 1996
Our cover subject for the October 1996 issue was Bobby Cox’s highly modified Pitts...
Testing, Testing, Can You Hear Me Yet?
We’ve come a long way from the Narco Omnigator (vintage 1958 or so) to...
