Yup, you read that right. That is how Kurt Dugger refers to his PPG, or powered paraglider. The Darkhorse 450 was a fundraising effort in 2019 for the Darkhorse Lodge in Western Tennessee, and will be back bigger and better with more flying lawn chairs for 2020. Darkhorse Lodge Direct from their website: Darkhorse Lodge will be a retreat for combat veterans of all branches of service to come to relax, fish on Kentucky Lake, enjoy area activities and communicate with…
It took a few weeks. The schedule was always full, or the weather was pretty much always garbage. Nothing that would lend itself to pulling the plane out of the garage. Therefore, when I finally had the free time and a clear day over 40° F, the mission to breathe new life into the Sonex was on! (A buddy being available that day was a great bonus.Nothing like an extra set of hands moving even a light aircraft up and…
Or build a plane for that matter… I came across this article that was posted on the Sonex Builders forum: I’ve met many people who say that flying is something they’ll do when they’re retired, but so few get to. Why wait? Larry Long shows us we can achieve our dreams any time in life if we’ll just get started and do it. I’m sure there were naysayers, but it didn’t matter. I’ll let General Aviation News tell the whole…
While we wait for the Sonex project to come together and take us on new adventures, it’s good to reflect on the one’s we’ve already experienced. One of my all time favorites, is when I got to combine my passion for aviation with my heart for the people of Western Alaska in 2013. I’ve been serving the youth and families of Alaska since 2009. I started on the road system in the town of Moose Pass, then found myself out…
I needed a new logo for my YouTube channel, but where do you go? I spent way too much time creating my own without a very good result. Fine for the moment, but I kept my eyes and ears open for the right solution. And then Electroneum Ltd. launched AnyTask. AnyTask is a “gig economy” platform connecting people in the developed/ banked world with developing/ unbanked regions. A Buyer purchases a task with a credit card, and upon satisfactory completion,…
When I was searching for an airplane to purchase, I knew I wanted to do more with it than just “bore” holes in the sky. But if I’m honest with myself, that was always the point behind finally getting my pilot’s license. Seeing a need, with a solution, inspired me to change the narrative in my head from “I can’t” to “how can I?” So back to our aircraft purchase. I never thought I could afford one, until I once…
Ok, not spring. However it sure felt like it the day I got to give the Sonex a good thorough cleaning. January in the Northeastern US, and it was over 60° F! What an absolutely gorgeous day! The dust and crud added up after several years, even while being hangared. This was the natural first step in getting her ready for her big debut back in the air. And man does she shine! From a distance, still needs a full…
When I set out to buy an airplane, I knew one thing for certain. I only wanted something ready to fly, so I could be in the air ASAP. After all. that is where pilots “long to return.” Not to mention, my wife made it clear that I didn’t have time to build a plane right now with raising our son. What did I get instead? A project. No big deal I thought, I’ve been bringing old cars and motorcycles…
How do you bring an airplane home that hasn’t flown in years? Easy! Take the wings off and stuff it into a box truck. How hard could it be? There, that wasn’t too bad was it? Lessons learned: Take more cushioning materials than you think you’ll need. Wrapping your aircraft in dirty laundry isn’t cool. U-Haul can cancel or change your reservation at any time. Be prepared for it if you schedule a one-way trip. Or go with the flow…
My new You Tube channel is finally launched here. I’ve been learning a lot in the last 2 weeks since launching this blog. For starters, if I’m going to do this, it’s going to take REAL effort to do it right. There just isn’t enough time in the day to do it all, as I’m sure you know. While my wife and child are sleeping, here I am tapping away on this keyboard. I don’t want to lose the quality…