Announcing the AeroVee 2.0 Engine Kit!
02-26-07

	Sonex Aircraft, LLC is pleased to announce the long-awaited release of AeroConversions AeroVee 2.0 2180cc 80hp engine kit! AeroVee 2.0 is now the standard AeroVee engine kit, completely replacing the AeroVee 2002, with four upgraded features:
	20 Amp Alternator Improved Secondary Ignition System New Machined Oil Breather Plate Upgraded AeroCarb for push or pull actuation Same Great Price: $5,995
The two most significant enhancements can be found on the back of the engine, with a standard 20 Amp Stator Alternator which has been potted for added durability, and an Improved Secondary Ignition System with better electrical efficiency. The new Secondary Ignition System includes proprietary AeroConversions pickup modules (pictured above) and re-designed AeroConversions coils. Additionally, the AeroVee 2.0 includes a new Machined Oil Breather Plate that offers a lower profile installation for tight cowlings, more breather volume, and more durability than the previous PVC breather plate elbow. Also included is the upgraded AeroConversions AeroCarb, which was improved in 2006 to accomodate both push and pull-type throttle actuation and is designed to work with AeroConversions Throttle Quadrants. All these enhanced features ship as standard equipment on all new AeroVee 2.0 Engine Kits, at the same great price of $5,995!
Upgrade Parts Available: AeroConversions AeroVee 2.0 Upgrade Parts are available to existing AeroVee 2002 engine owners for upgrade to the 20 Amp Stator Alternator assembly, and the Machined Oil Breather Plate. Additionally, your AeroCarb may be sent-in to Sonex Aircraft, LLC for upgrade to work with AeroConversions Throttle Quadrants for $50:
20 Amp Alternator Upgrade: 20 Amp Alternator Upgrade ships with Potted Alternator Stator, Stator Plate and Magnet Ring. $500   Machined Oil Breather Plate Upgrade:   $35   Find Out More about the AeroVee Engine Kit

Waiex First Flight: Mike January
02-23-07

Congratulations to Mike January of Homosassa, Florida, whose AeroVee powered, Tri-Gear Waiex (S/N W0023) flew for the first time on February 23. "What a great feeling of satisfaction to complete and fly the first aircraft that you have built yourself and have even built the engine for," commented Mike. "My Waiex flew just as advertised and the new AeroVee cooling system was fantastic, not one temp even close to the to the upper end during all phases of flight. Thanks Sonex for the unequalled customer support you have provided and for the great design and kit. The aircraft is a thrill to fly. Thanks to Drew Waterworth for all the talks we had on the Waiex and for the visit. A special thanks to my good friend Bob Adams, Sonex 71, who introduced me to and recommended the Sonex family of aircraft and provided many flight hours in his aircraft, which made this flight a breeze. For all those still building, the first flight is worth the journey." Gold Wings are on the way!

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Sonex First Flight: Doug Kracht
02-21-07

Congratulations to Doug Kracht of Peterson, Iowa, whose Jabiru 3300 powered, Standard Gear Sonex (S/N 154) flew for the first time on November 16 of last year. "The Sonex flew very nice," reports Doug. Gold Wings are on the way!

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Sherrill Kendrick:

Congratulations to Sherrill Kendrick of Granite Falls, North Carolina, whose AeroVee powered, Tri-Gear Sonex (S/N 688) flew for the first time on February 10. "I flew for about45 minutes getting the feel of my new plane. It felt great," reports Sherrill. "Just think , I put every piece of this plane together my self. Tremendous satisfaction... This has been my fourth airplane project and the most satisfying one to date. Everyone at Sonex have been wonderful to deal with. They are 1st class in all respects. To those of you that are still in the building process, keep at it, it's the most fun and economical flying you can possibly do."

Samuel Girardeau:

Congratulations to Samuel Girardeau and his building partner Joseph Gilstrap of Greenville, South Carolina, whose Jabiru 3300 powered, Tri-Gear Sonex (S/N 899) flew for the first time on February 11. "Joseph Gilstrap is a senior in JL Mann high school in Greenville, SC. He is an excellent pilot and a very intelligent and level headed young man," writes Samuel. "Joseph is 17 and I am 70 years old. How's that for bridging the generation gap? The first flight was Feb 11, 2007 at Pickens county airport (LQK) in South Carolina. The flight went very well and my first landing was a 'greaser.' I might add, you ain't lived until you have flown a Sonex with the big engine. The takeoff will stand your hair on end. It's the closest thing to a fighter plane that I have ever flown. Thanks for an excellent airplane."

John Jensen:

Congratulations to John Jensen of Pomona, Queensland, Australia, whose Jabiru 2200 powered, Standard Gear Sonex (S/N 25) flew for the first time on February 16.

Gold Wings are on the way to Sherrill, Samuel, Joseph, and John!

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February Workshop a Success Despite Weather
02-07-07

Despite frigid temperatures and drastic wind chills that kept Sonex factory aircraft grounded for the first time in 34 workshops, the February Sonex Builder Workshop was a huge success yet again. Over 60 attendees enjoyed basking in the glow of everything Sonex for the two day hands-on seminar. February Workshop attendees were fortunate to experience a special treat: Sonex engineer and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works lead engineer Pete Buck was the key note speaker at the EAA Chapter 252 banquet held Saturday evening in the EAA AirVenture Museum's Eagle Hangar. Pete's fascinating presentation discussed declassified projects from the Advanced Development Programs (ADP, Skunk Works®), which is responsible for some of the world's most innovative technological advances in aviation and space travel. The next Workshop is scheduled for May 5-6, 2007.

Sign-up for the Next Sonex Workshop!

Waiex First Flight: Gerhard Schapp
01-29-07

Congratulations to Gerhard Schapp of Big Bear City, California, whose AeroVee powered, Standard Gear Waiex (S/N W0036) flew for the first time on January 20. "We were in the air for 2hrs with perfect performance," reports Gerhard. Gold Wings are on the way!

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See the New Sonex Ad Campaign!
01-25-07

Sonex Aircraft, LLC is proud to unveil its new advertising campain. Beginning in February, 2007, new display ads will be running in select aviation magazines as part of a new campaign spreading the word about how Sonex Aircraft offer the Best Performance Per Dollar in the kit aircraft industry. Each magazine ad references a specific web page that expands upon the story told by each advertisement.

View Sonex Ads  

Sonex Named ANN's Best Sport Pilot Kit!
01-23-07

The aviation news web site Aero-News.net has just awarded Sonex Aircraft, LLC with the distinction of "Best of Breed" for 2006 in the category of Sport Pilot qualified aircraft kits! Aero News Network expanded its 2006 Best of Breed awards to include awards in five categories: GA Piston Single, GA Piston Twin, SA Experimental Kit, E-LSA Kit, and S-LSA Ready To Fly.

Aero News editors regarded the award for Sonex Aircraft as a "fairly easy choice this time, despite this category being populated by some truly outstanding aircraft," citing the aircraft's "simplicity of construction, playful nature and foremost -- its amazing affordability," as the major factors meriting the award.

Read the Aero-News.net Best of Breed article here!

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First Customer-Built Xenos Takes Flight!
01-22-07

Congratulations to Craig Jones of Austin, Minnesota, whose AeroVee powered Xenos (S/N X0011) flew for the first time on January 21!. Xenos #11 is the first customer-built Xenos to be completed and flown! "At 4:20 PM Xenos 11 took to the air and flew the patten without missing a beat," reports Craig. This long-awaited event represents a proud day for all of us here at Sonex Aircraft, LLC. Gold Wings are on the way, Craig!

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Sonex First Flight: Beven Dryden
01-22-07

Congratulations to Beven Dryden of Brisbane, Australia, whose AeroVee powered, Tri-Gear, Dual Stick Sonex (S/N 693) flew for the first time on January 20. "It  climbed out strong and smooth, all instruments were reading in the green and when I levelled out at 1500 ft I was doing just over 90 knots," reports Beven. "It was a very rewarding experience." Gold Wings are on the way to Beven!

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February Workshop Special Opportunity:
Sonex/Lockheed Skunkworks Engineer Pete Buck to Speak at Saturday Evening Banquet!
01-19-07

Workshop attendees and local Sonex customers have a special opportunity during the February Sonex Builders' Workshop, Feb 3-4, 2007: Sonex Engineer Pete Buck will be the Guest Speaker at the EAA Chapter 252 Annual Banquet, held the evening of February 3 in the EAA AirVenture Museum Eagle Hangar! In addition to working on the engineering of the Sonex, Waiex and Xenos, Pete is a lead engineer at the legendary Lockheed Martin Skunkworks. Pete will share details of declassified projects from the Advanced Development Programs (ADP, Skunk Works®), which is responsible for the integrated “front-end” development of new and innovative technologies, new product, and derivative programs in support of Air Power as well as the integration of air and space assets. In addition, Pete will be present during the entire Sonex Workshop, helping Sonex staff answer your questions.

If you have not already reserved your space for the February Sonex Builders' Workshop, or are signed-up for the Workshop, but have not yet reserved space for the Banquet, contact us immediately, as time is running short! orders@sonexaircraft.com

Sonex First Flight: Richard Kindig
01-19-07

Congratulations to Richard Kindig of Seneca, South Carolina, whose AeroVee powered, Tri-Gear, Dual Stick Sonex (S/N 928) flew for the first time on January 11. This is Richard's second Sonex project, and he took delivery of the kit for Sonex #928 in June of 2006, only seven months ago!! Gold Wings are on the way to Rich!

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150th Sonex Aircraft Completion:
Joel Fuller's Waiex #14 Flies!
01-16-07

Congratulations to Joel Fuller of Minneapolis, Minnesota, for completing the 150th Sonex Aircraft to take flight! Joel's AeroVee powered, Standard Gear, Dual Stick Waiex (S/N W0014) flew for the first time on January 13. "The plane handles great. It has a nice balance between responsiveness and stability," Reports Joel. "The only other taildragger I have flown is a Cub, and all I can say is that the Waiex is way way easier to land and taxi (and start, and take off, etc.). Everyone told me this would be the case, and they were right. I don't think I really looked at my flight instruments during the whole flight, I just did everything by feel." Gold Wings are on the way to Joel!

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Two "Cool" New Products from Sonex!
01-12-07

Sonex Aircraft, LLC is pleased to announce two new cooling baffle products to improve cooling on Sonex, Waiex and Xenos engine installations.

A Reminder about Sun 'n Fun 2007
01-11-07

As the New Year begins, we've received a few "see you at Sun 'n Fun" notes from our builders and prospective customers, and we would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that Sonex Aircraft, LLC will not be exhibiting at the 2007 Sun 'n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida.

The Sonex exhibit team observed a drastic drop-off in Sun 'n Fun attendance in 2006, following several years of more gradual decrease in qualified homebuilt consumer attendance. We feel the show is no longer providing an adequate return on the significant investment in time and resources required to maintain a presence as an exhibitor.

We will re-issue this notice a few more times this Spring. For a complete listing of upcoming events, please see our Sonex Events Page.

A Great Year: 2006 In-Review!
01-11-07

We are extremely pleased to report to our customers, friends, and family that 2006 was another banner year for Sonex Aircraft. Another record sales year followed strong growth for the company in every measurable category for all 8 years the company has been in existence. We are extremely encouraged for a strong 2007 with an order board that fills up more every day and a buzz turning into a roar throughout the Aviation Community about the Best Performance Per Dollar our entire product line delivers.

There were many highlights and milestones achieved in 2006 that are worth noting...these include but are not limited to:

Sonex Customer and Employee Flight Achievements:

• Forty-One Sonex and Waiex Customer First Flights during the 2006 calendar year!
• A Bronze Lindy award for Sonex Employee Kerry Fores’ Metal Illness along with articles on his Cross-County Adventure in EAA’s Sport Pilot Magazine and a cover shot in Ultraflight Magazine.
• A Second “Best Overall Aircraft Award” for Lynn Jarvis’ Sonex at the Natfly, 2006 Australia’s Recreational Aviation Air Show.
• A High-Profile Article on Drew Waterworth’s “Red Hot” Waiex in EAA’s Sport Aviation.
• A 3rd Place, Custom Built Metal award for Waiex builder Lou Pappas at the 2006 Copperstate Regional EAA Fly-In.

• Small Business Success Story Award: Sonex Aircraft, LLC was presented with a Small Business Success Stories award for Unique Products. These awards were presented to small businesses in which creativity and innovation are keys to their success.
• Expanded Sonex Workshop Schedule for 2007: This comes as a response to record attendance at our workshop series for 2006. If you’re strongly considering a Sonex aircraft, or know someone that is, the very best first step they can take is attend one of our Builder’s Workshops here in Oshkosh.
• New Homecoming Fly-In: Sonex Aircraft, LLC launched a new and successful Sonex Homecoming Fly-In Event which will again be taking place in June 9th, 2007.
• Major Sales Benchmark: 1,000th Sonex Plan Set Sold.
• New Financing Available: Financing is now available on Sonex Aircraft Kits from two Companies.
• New Web Site and Web Store: The new SonexAircraft.com web site has been a tremendous asset to the Sonex Aircraft Community with a searchable builder database and the compilation and presentation of more and more Sonex Information Every Day. The Sonex Web Store has saved thousands of hours of order processing time which continues to keep the Industry-Leading Sonex Business Model as efficient as possible. This saves the entire Sonex Community time and money and allows us to continue to offer the Best Performance Per Dollar aircraft kits and engines available at any price.
• Sonex Education Initiative Launch: The Sonex Education Initiative gives incentives to any schools or other education groups to use Sonex, Waiex, or Xenos aircraft and AeroVee Engines as teaching tools to inspire Youth in Aviation.
• New Products launched in 2006 include:
  -AeroConversions Throttle Quadrant
  -AeroConversions Throttle Quadrant ST
  -AeroConversions Trim System
• Expansion of Sonex Aircraft, LLC Facilities: 2006 saw the opening of a new Sonex Flight Center and a new 5600 square foot Part Distribution Warehouse. The latest Sonex expansion is also allowing us to do more with less and will allow the facilities and staff to operate at optimized efficiency for years to come.