![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
Amy Laboda discusses her approach to getting instrument re-current and describes the many tools available to help you en route.
Free Flight
Acknowledging risk and taking steps to minimize it are safer than denying that it exists.
Alternative Energies
Dean Sigler checks in on the Green Flight Challengers of 2011 who didn’t make it to the competition to see what they’re up to now.
Light Stuff
If your homebuilt aircraft requires more assembly than actual fabrication, what does that mean vis-a-vis the FAA’s 51% rule? Roy Beisswenger looks into it.
Letters
Doug Reeves' "Unusual Attitude" article in the February 2012 issue provoked a lot of responses. Here's a sample.—Ed.
Safety…in Numbers
Doug Reeves directed us all to...
Something to Do
Upon his retirement, Jim Shy embarked on a lifelong dream of building his own airplane. But before he even decided on a design, he bought a place to keep it: his own airport.
Buzzwords: Maneuvering Speed
Ed Kolano unravels some of the misconceptions of the oft-misunderstood term, “maneuvering speed,” and explains the implications for pilots of homebuilt aircraft.
Maintenance Matters
In Part 2 of his discussion, Steve Ells delves into more detail about patching, repairing or replacing aircraft aluminum.
Build It Better: When 1+1 Does Not Equal 2
Paul Dye explains how to achieve unlike (or dissimilar) redundancy on the various systems in your homebuilt.
In Case You Missed It
Letters
Engine Assembly Sealants and LubricantsI enjoyed Dave Prizio's article, "Choosing the Right Sealant" ....
Dan’s World
Sometimes its surprising to see homebuilt aircraft kits languishing in garages or hangars or workshops. Especially the quickbuilds, which raises the question of whether there's something about buying a QB kit that leads to procrastination. Columnist Dan Checkoway ponders the question, looking to his own experience for an answer.
Builder Profile: Orange Appeal
Marc Cook profiles a rookie Copperstate show winner: a spectacular F-1 Rocket with a distinct Harley vibe.