Sonex Aircraft, LLC Participates in Preliminary
FAA NKET Evaluation Excercises
10-28-09

October 20th through 22nd Sonex Aircraft, LLC hosted nine members of the newly-formed FAA National Kit Evaluation Team (NKET) for a practice evaluation of their Sonex Aircraft Complete Kit, which was selected to be the first in a series of Experimental-Amateur Built aircraft kits evaluated under the new Amateur-Built Orders and Advisory Circular. This practice evaluation helped prepare the NKET for all future kit evaluations, now that the temporary moratorium on new kit evaluations has been lifted.

Although the Sonex, Waiex, and Xenos Aircraft Kits are grandfathered into the FAA Approved Kit list under the previous kit evaluation system, Sonex Aircraft offered to participate in this evaluation exercise to continue its ongoing leadership role in the formation and refinement of the rules governing Experimental-Amateur Built Aircraft construction.

For more information, informational links and more images, view our official Press Release covering the NKET evaluation excercise.

Waiex First Flight: Clifford Glenn Brown
10-23-09

Congratulations to Clifford Glenn Brown of Lexington, Kentucky whose Tri-Gear, AeroVee powered Waiex (S/N W0075) flew for the first time on October 19! "Thanks to the tireless and expert efforts of both Robert Eley, the pilot, and his helper Robert Bandy (both Sonex fliers with the ASA American Sonex Association, Crossville, TN), several items were fine-tuned and therefore made the flight possible," writes Glenn. "I am very pleased with the plane, the support from Sonex, my EAA169 members, ASA, other Sonex members I have met, especially to Roberts Eley and Bandy." Gold Wings are on the way to Glenn!

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Sonex First Flight: Cliff Runkle
10-20-09

Congratulations to Cliff Runkle of Knox, Indiana whose Standard Gear, VW powered Sonex (S/N 826) flew for the first time on October 13! "The center stick controls are a joy to manipulate while seated in the middle with near perfect visibility," writes Cliff. "Many thanks go to my lovely bride Denice for her support and my buddy Wally as well. I worked on it nearly every day for 30 months and usually not more than 90 minutes at a time. Inch by inch its a cinch." Gold Wings are on the way to Cliff!

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6th Annual Lodi Sonex Chili Feed a Success
10-19-09

Saturday, October 17th was a good day for chili eating and Sonex camradarie, with two chili-serving builder events taking place, one in Ontario, Canada (see story below) and the other in Lodi, Wisconsin. Lodi event organizer Leroy Brandt submitted the following report:

"Thanks to everyone who flew in or drove in to the Lodi fly-in last Saturday. It's a great country we live in where we can hold events like
this and fly and exchange information about airplanes that we build for education and recreation. We had four Sonex, two Challengers, one Arega (Wheeler Express), one 170, and one 172. I counted about 25-27 builders and their spouses at various times during the day. The weather was pretty good considering the type of year we've had. Less wind than last year, slightly low ceilings, and some sunshine was very welcome. I look forward to putting on this event again in 2010."

As always, Sonex owes a huge "Thank You" to Leroy Brandt, Terry Holek & Brian Heinmiller (Ontario BBQ organizers), and all other builder event organizers for keeping the grass-roots Sonex movement alive and well!

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9th Annual Ontario Sonex BBQ Changes to Chili
10-19-09

The 9th Annual Ontario Sonex BBQ on Saturday October 17th turned out to be a Chilli Bash instead of a BBQ, and was the group's most successful yet!  Four Sonexes flew in to the Brampton, Ontario airport (CNC3) for the event: Chris and Steve McNally (Sonex S/N# 327); Garth Knowles (Sonex S/N# 832); Ken MacLeod (Sonex S/N# 352); J. Davis (Sonex S/N# 325); and Brian Heinmiller's Sonex (S/N# 134) taxied in from his hangar on the field.

Approximately 35 people attended (including Craig Ritson and family, Mike and Mrs. Stoddard and Jack Sanders who drove more than 3 hours from the Rochester, NY area to attend). The five Sonexes generated quite a lot of interest on the field, and supplied motivation for those still building.

The event was organized by Terry Holek and Brian Heinmiller whose spouses Melanie and Nancy prepared a lot of the food.  When the event was over and expenses paid, the donations jar still contained $200 which was split between the local RAA chapter which officially sponsored the event and a local food bank.

J. Davis taxis his Jabiru 3300 powered Sonex.	Attendees inspect Ken MacLeod's red checkered Sonex.
Chris and Steve McNally with their Sonex at the event.	Garth Knowles taxis his polished Sonex Aircraft

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Sonex First Flight: Stephane Bergeron
10-19-09

Congratulations to Stephane Bergeron of Mirabel, Quebec, Canada whose Standard Gear, VW powered Sonex (S/N 485) flew for the first time on October 17! Gold Wings are on the way to Stephane!

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New Sonex Video Tip: Preparing Rotationally Molded Fuel Tanks for Installation
10-09-09

Click to Watch Video

The latest in the EAA Hints for Homebuilders video series discusses preparation of Sonex Aircraft Rotationaly Molded Cross-Linked Polyethelyne Fuel Tanks for installation.

There is also a full set of downloadable Fuel Tank Installation Tips available on our Instruction Sheets page. For those that have trouble with preparation of their fuel tank fittings, Sonex Oops Fittings are available.

You can see a complete index of Sonex-relevant EAA Hints for Homebuilders videos on our Sonex Video Tips page.

Sonex Aircraft Holds 43rd Builder Workshop!
10-06-09

Jeremy Monnett buzzes the workshop crowd in the Sonex Sport Trainer, smoke-on!

Sonex Aircraft hosted another large group of enthusiastic current and prospective builders at our 43rd Sonex Aircraft Builder's Workshop on October 3-4. The group constructed sample Sonex metalworking projects, received detailed informational sessions about Sonex, Waiex and Xenos Aircraft, engine options, AeroConversions products, and all other aspects of building, owning and operating Sonex Aircraft.

Despite some less-than-ideal weather, there were opportunities to display Sonex Aircraft prototypes in a few fly-by's on both days. Guest speakers included Charlie Becker, of EAA headquarters staff, and Bob Mackey, administrator of the EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan. A Saturday evening session included a briefing on Sonex Aircraft Hornets' Nest Research and Development projects, along with a guest video-chat appearance by Tony Spicer of "Right Seat with Tony Spicer" DVD fame.

The Sonex Aircraft Workshop continues to be an extremely valuable experience for our builders, saving them time, money and answering many frequently asked questions in the building process. Sonex Builder Workshops are held several times per year at the Sonex Aircraft, LLC facilities in Oshkosh, WI, and significant kit discount incentives are offered for attendees. Our next Sonex Workshop will be held February 6-7, 2010. Sign-up Today!

Jeremy welcomes workshop attendees with opening remarks for the weekend.	John Monnett gives a rib building demonstration to the workshop crowd.
Workshop attendees get to work on their sample metalworking projects.	The group takes a break to watch Jeremy perform fly-by's in the Sonex Sport Trainer.
Attendees check-out Kerry Fores' Sonex "Metal Illness" after he performs some fly-by's.	Jeremy assists a builder in demonstrating solid riveting techniques for the main wing spar.
Kerry gives a presentation about how much fun builders have flying their Sonex Aircraft.	John describes the process of squaring and skinning the wings, along with other Sonex build tips.

Learn More About Sonex Builder Workshops!

Sonex First Flight: Fred Bucklin
10-06-09

Congratulations to Fred Bucklin of Norman, Oklahoma whose Standard Gear, AeroVee powered Sonex (S/N 1053) flew for the first time on October 3! "I think the smile will remain for several days," reports Fred. Gold Wings are on the way!

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ASA Gathering a Success Despite Rain
10-02-09

The 6th annual American Sonex Association (ASA) Fly-In in Crossville, TN was held last weekend, September 26-27. Despite rainy weather across most of the country preventing 9 of the planned 18 aircraft from attending, the event was considered a success by organizers and attendees alike! The weather did break on Saturday afternoon such that some flying could be done. A total of 65 people attended the ASA event this year. The images below are provided by Michael Crowder, Randy Schwartz and Norm Schultz. For more images and information from the event, go to the ASA Web Site.

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Group shot of the ASA Crossville attendees!	Event organizer John Davis speaking to the crowd.
John Davis going for a ride with Robert Frost.	4 of the 9 planes in attendance preparing to go home on Sunday.

Sonex First Flight: John Holmgreen
10-01-09

Congratulations to John Holmgreen of Clinton, South Carolina whose Standard Gear, Jabiru 3300 powered Sonex (S/N 1255) flew for the first time on September 28! Gold Wings are on the way to John!

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Waiex First Flight: John Murr
09-29-09

Congratulations to John Murr of Lancaster, Pennsylvania whose Standard Gear, Jabiru 3300 powered Waiex (S/N W0055) flew for the first time on September 26! "At the end of the runway I advanced the throttle slowly and started rolling down the runway," reports John. "I remember correcting with some right rudder then all of a sudden I was 50 feet in the air! Man this plane flies nice! I can't believe how she grooves! Thank you to Sonex and all its employees for a wonderful aircraft and thank you to everyone on the list [Sonex Discussion Groups] who has helped me over the last three years!" Gold Wings are on the way to John!

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Sonex First Flight: Xavier Fernandez Mumbru
09-22-09

Congratulations to Xavier Fernandez Mumbru of Sant Feliu De Codines, Spain whose Standard Gear, Jabiru 3300 powered Sonex (S/N 1088) flew for the first time on September 1! Gold Wings are on the way to Xavier!

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Tony Lewis Reaches 1,000 Hours!
09-21-09

Congratulations to Sonex builder and pilot Tony Lewis (S/N 447), who recently passed 1,000 hours flight time on his Tri-Gear Sonex airframe! Tony first flew his Sonex on January 4, 2003 and has been a huge part of the grass-roots Sonex movement ever since, flying all over the place in his Sonex, capturing the attention of many future builders at fly-ins, pancake breakfasts, FBO's, etc.

After flying over 800 hours with an AeroVee Engine in his Sonex (including from his home in Winter Haven, Florida to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 3 times), Tony decided to switch over to the 3300 Jabiru Engine and moved his AeroVee to a friend's Sonex (Sonex S/N 858), which made its first flight in January of 2008. After the engine switch, Tony commented that his friends flying RV's now have to hurry to their airplanes when they see him taxiing out.

Our thanks go to Tony and several other high-time Sonex Aircraft pilots in the customer fleet for attracting so many other pilots to the Sonex line of aircraft, and having a great time in the process! "Now the next goal is 2000 hours before I reach 80 years old," writes Tony.

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Sonex First Flight: Jay Gibbs
09-21-09

Congratulations to Jay Gibbs of Weatherford, Texas whose Tri-Gear, AeroVee powered Sonex (S/N 1230) flew for the first time on September 20! "[First flight] was exactly 13 months and 2 days and 620 construction hours from receiving the plans and kit," reports Jay. "The flight went flawlessly... I would like to thank my wife for all her patience over the past year and Sonex for designing such a great airplane. I still can't get the smile off." Gold Wings are on the way to Jay!

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Sonex First Flight: Robert Carson
09-21-09

Congratulations to Robert Carson of Highland Village, Texas whose Standard Gear, Jabiru 3300 powered Sonex (S/N 1033) flew for the first time on September 20! Gold Wings are on the way to Robert!

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Sonex First Flight: Dan Wright
09-17-09

Congratulations to Dan Wright of Spring Hill, Florida whose Tri-Gear, AeroVee powered Sonex (S/N 1250) flew for the first time on September 15! Gold Wings are on the way to Dan!

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Sonex Aircraft in the News: Sonex CEO Jeremy Monnett Interviewed on Airplane Geeks Podcast
09-16-09

Sonex Aircraft, LLC General Manager and CEO Jeremy Monnett recently gave an entertaining interview with Rob and Max of the Airplane Geeks Podcast radio show. Jeremy gave some insight on current aviation news from his perspective as a former Boeing employee, talked about the benefits of building your own Sonex, Waiex or Xenos aircraft, answered questions about Sonex Aircraft LLC's Hornets' Nest Research and Development projects, and even played a little word association game. The interview is now archived for download from the Airplane Geeks web site.

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Sonex First Flights: Jim Ballenger and Pete Pearson; A Tale of Two Sonexes
09-16-09

Congratulations to Pete Pearson of Chesapeake, Virginia whose Standard Gear, Jabiru 3300 powered Sonex (S/N 1051), and Jim Ballenger of Virginia Beach, Virginia whose Standard Gear, Jabiru 2200 powered Sonex (S/N 760) both flew for the first time on September 12! You can Read More about their projects in the Sonex Flying Stories pages of our web site. Gold Wings are on the way to both Jim and Pete!

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Sonex Flying Stories: Stuart Trist Crosses Australian Outback in a Sonex
09-16-09

Australian Sonex Builder Stuart Trist (S/N 181) recently took a cross-country adventure that many might think twice about, a trip across part of the Australian Outback in his Sonex! You can read an account of his journey in the story: Big Country, Small Plane: 2,400 miles across the Australian outback in Sonex #181 (1.10mb PDF File)

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Sonex First Flight: Robert Kolodji
09-14-09

Congratulations to Robert Kolodji of Aitkin, Minnesota whose Standard Gear, AeroVee powered Sonex (S/N 923) flew for the first time on August 30! Gold Wings are on the way to Robert!

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Sonex Aircraft in the News: New Onex Design Featured in JetWhine Aviation Blog
09-11-09

Scott Spangler of the JetWhine aviation news blog paid the Sonex Aircraft facilities a visit recently to learn more about our Hornets' Nest Research and Development projects unveiled at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009. This week's blog post covers the new Onex single-place aircraft design concept. Last week, Spangler reported on the SubSonex and E-Flight ESA concepts.

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Waiex First Flight: Kirk Snader
09-09-09

Congratulations to Kirk Snader of York, Maine whose Standard Gear, Jabiru 3300 powered Waiex (S/N W0041) flew for the first time on September 9! "Wow did it climb," writes Kirk. "I kind of knew the 3300 would preform, didn't have that much of an idea it would go like that though." Gold Wings are on the way to Kirk!

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Waiex First Flight: Tim Stearns
09-09-09

Congratulations to Tim Stearns of Janesville, Wisconsin whose Standard Gear, AeroVee powered Waiex (S/N W0052) flew for the first time on August 22! "It was one of the most thrilling moments in my life, I guarantee you," writes Tim. "Certainly one small step for man kind, but a giant leap for a man. Pure JOY!" Gold Wings are on the way to Tim!

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E-Flight Progress Continues: 5 New Videos Posted
09-08-09

Impressive progress continues to be made on the E-Flight Electric Aircraft project, as the E-Flight team nears completion of the integration of the E-Flight Electric system in the Proof-of-Concept Waiex airframe. 5 new videos have been posted today as part of the latest E-Flight Progress Update.

Find More Information About the E-Flight Initiative!

Sonex Aircraft in the News: Hornets' Nest R&D Projects Featured in JetWhine Aviation Blog
09-03-09

Scott Spangler of the JetWhine aviation news blog paid the Sonex Aircraft facilities a visit recently to learn more about our Hornets' Nest Research and Development projects unveiled at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009. This week's blog post covers the E-Flight Initiative and ESA aircraft design concept, along with the SubSonex jet aircraft concept. Look for another post next week about the Onex single place aircraft concept.

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Sonex Aircraft in the News: Jeremy Monnett Featured in FlightTime Radio Interview
09-03-09

Sonex Aircraft CEO and General Manager Jeremy Monnett was the featured guest on the August 15 edition of FlightTime Radio, an internet broadcast aviation radio show. Many Sonex Aircraft topics were covered, including the newest Hornets' Nest Research and Development projects. The interview is now archived for download from the FlightTime Radio web site.

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