![Careful planning and determination will get you to your goal of building and flying your own airplane. [Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pulsar-Sunset.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Last Bits")
![[Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AdobeStock_262642207_AGCuesta.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Winging It")
![Lowell Farrand spent years serving as an FAA DAR and is in the EAA Hall of Fame. He offers sound advise to builders. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed-4.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Think Like a Builder")
![The 160 hp turbocharged Rotax 916iS is a four-stroke piston engine with redundant electronic fuel injection and ignition. [Credit: BPR Rotax]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PIC_916-iS_iSc-2.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "2026 Engine Buyer’s Guide")
![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=265&h=198&crop=1 "Manual Starting Methods")
Down to Earth
When a big storm is coming, timing is everything. If you’re going to get out of the way, do so early. By Amy Laboda.
Free Flight
EFISes provide a tremendous amount of information and extend the capabilities of todays homebuilt aircraft, but only if you take the time to learn how to use them properly.
Letters
Keen on KeensertsI just read Steve Ells’ article on threaded inserts . Good info. I did wonder why there was no mention of Keenserts,...
Legal Eagle XL
Sometimes slow and steady wins the race, especially when you want a leisurely wind-in-your-hair, no-fuss flight. The plansbuilt Legal Eagle XL answers that call.
Bearhawk LSA
Simple and light—very light: The Bearhawk LSA is the latest addition to the Bearhawk family, the culmination of decades of design experience.
Firewall Forward: Exhaust Systems
Besides venting engine exhaust, an exhaust system must heat the cabin and warm the carb. Some crucial rules must be heeded, no matter what kind of system you choose.
Flight Testing
You've planned; you've prepared. Now we look at how to conduct your first flight in a homebuilt aircraft.
Build It Better: Play by the Rules
Some rules are made for you, and some rules are made by you. Those personal rules create a higher level of safety for you and your passengers, and they are the mark of professionalism in a pilot.
Maintenance Matters
No one wants to experience a faulty mag drop (especially with a nervous passenger on board). Steve Ells offers some tips on how to reduce misfires and maximize ignition-system performance.
