They build and fly their own aircraft. They don’t worry about destinations. And they live just up the street. So what is it that propels them?

By David Madison

It’s cool and dark in the barn and it takes my eyes a few moments to adjust from the bright sun outside. Far in the corner a retired tractor hosts a bird’s nest tucked close to the rusted exhaust stack. The tractor seems completely at home here, but what grabs my attention is the airplane.
The farm of Harry Winterhalder in Deep Creek, just south of Salmon Arm, was once a busy dairy operation. However, Harry decided that it was time to reflect on life and do those things he always wanted to do but never had time for. Flying was at the top of his list.

Harry is one of many ultralight pilots who are active in the Okanagan-Shuswap. He is typical of the breed, kindred spirits of the Wright brothers. They hearken to the early days of aviation when flyers went aloft with the wind whistling through wires supporting cloth-covered wings and flew wherever they chose without the direction and regulation of government bureaucracy. They might be seen as anachronisms in the 21st century, yet the group is growing larger.

Many might wonder what would prompt perfectly sane grown men and women to consider learning to fly, then build their own airplanes. No one questions building a boat or a birdhouse — but an airplane, capable of rising many thousands of feet above the earth, is something else. Gravity does not take kindly to being defied and offers no tolerance for carelessness.

Freedom is the word used most often with these flyers. Mankind has looked skyward since our species started walking on two legs. The fascination of a bird’s ability to ignore the physical barriers of water and mountains has drawn great minds such as Leonardo da Vinci, who made many sketches of wing designs and showed a good understanding of the physics of aerodynamics. Unfortunately, he had no means of powering his inventions, being 400 years too early for the gasoline engine.

Right Place, Flight Time
Harry Winterhalder, 71, was born at the right time. Like the Wright brothers — he had access to engines and was drawn by the common desire to experience the freedom of flight. In 1983 Harry discovered a pilot in Lumby who had a small kit-built “rag-and-wire” airplane on which he gave lessons. Harry took a couple of hours of dual instruction (none involving actual takeoffs or landings) before his instructor moved away. It was enough to set the hook and Harry began to pursue his dream.

He escaped many of the regulations that were to follow in later years requiring such bothersome details as licensing and training. Harry’s first solo flight was truly a learning experience — not much different from the Wright’s or Canada’s McCurdy 100 years ago. Obviously his longevity is a testimony to his quick learning.

Today Harry’s farm has a strip of short, well-tended grass that runs across the alfalfa field beyond the sheds and barns. It’s about 15 metres wide and 180 metres long; short by airport standards but long enough to accommodate the half-dozen ultralight airplanes that are tucked into the farm buildings.

Bill Hansen and Gord Newnes are among the local pilots who keep their airplanes at Harry’s, avoiding the formality common around paved airports. There’s no need for radios to get air traffic clearance here.

And it’s more than flight that draws these people. “We get together several times every week to talk airplanes,” says Harry. “When someone has a problem with their plane or if someone is building one of the kits we are all ready to help. It’s a close and friendly group with a strong common interest.”

Bill is in his early 70s. Although his aviation background began with a few lessons in Victoria, BC, in the early 1970s, it was interrupted by about 20 years of work and family commitments. Then he made a decision. On his 60th birthday he drove home from Alberta with six large cardboard boxes in the back of his pickup truck. Each contained components needed to build a Chinook ultralight airplane.

Since Bill operated a Christmas tree farm, it was February before he had spare time to unpack the boxes. But by June his airplane was complete and took to the air for the first time. He’s been flying ever since.

By comparison, 47-year-old Gord Newnes is a new kid at the airstrip. He too owns a Chinook, which he bought in kit form from Aircraft Supply and Parts (ASAP) in Vernon, the Canadian distributor of these planes. The family-owned business operates a factory in Alberta making the components.

“I took about 400 hours to put the kit together,” says Gord. “But I’m sure it could be done faster. I was really pleased with how they made sure everything I needed was in the boxes.” He says the total cost for the project, including engine, was about $36,000.

Today Gord sits proudly in his pristine little airplane and tries to juggle family and work so he can lift off from the alfalfa strip more often. “It’s not about going anywhere in the plane,” he explains. “It’s all about just flying low and slow and watching the world below slide past.” No one tries to justify the practicality of this type of flying. The world of ultralight airplanes transcends logic and reaches to the adventurer-poet that lives within.

Straighten Up and Fly Right
Up the road a few miles from Harry’s farm is the Salmon Arm Airport or CZAM in the Ministry of Transport’s codes. Here John McDermott serves as airport manager and operates the airport fuel facilities for the City of Salmon Arm. John left a job as an executive with a produce wholesale company in Alberta and was bitten by the airplane bug.

He runs Lakeland Ultralights and provides flight instruction for people who want to join this fraternity of aviators. An experienced pilot with over 3,500 hours in the air, John is also a skilled airplane builder who has assembled several kits for clients. His hangar is a pilot’s heaven: clean, well lit and filled with tools. A partially complete Challenger occupies centre stage. John built his own plane, a speedy Sonex, a couple of years ago.

“Some people think that these small airplanes can be built and flown without any supervision or
regulations. That just isn’t so,” he says, dropping four thick binders on the table. “Those of us who build airplanes used to joke that the weight of the paperwork had to equal the weight of the airplane before it could fly. I’m not so sure that is a joke anymore.”

The binders contain pages of curriculum for Transport Canada’s Pilot Permit Ultra-light Aeroplane. It’s hard to argue against the government being involved in making sure all pilots have a firm understanding of the rules of the air (like the basic rules of driving) and the factors that influence an airplane in flight.

Pilots need to know how an airplane flies and the speeds at which things happen — takeoff, climb, cruise, approach, landing and stall. Stall is a biggie. It’s the point where the wings no longer create enough lift to keep the plane in the air — often noted by a slight buffeting, the nose of the airplane pitching downward and the pilot shouting, “Oh s*#t!”

“The intention is to make flying safer,” says John, “but sometimes it really raises the level of frustration as you have to jump through the hoops. I think the results are for the better though. For example, when you build a kit airplane like the Chinook or Challenger you must follow the manufacturer’s exact specifications and procedures to have it qualify as an advanced ultralight that can allow you to carry a passenger. That’s a big part of this sort of flying — to share the experience with someone else,” he adds.

For those who think they’d like to give it a go themselves, John says the first thing a potential ultralight pilot should do is, research, research and research. “There is lots of information out there on various websites. Transport Canada’s Civil Air Regulations change from time to time so get the most current. If you are planning to build, research more so you understand the differing categories that apply to ultralight airplanes. Learn about the kits that are out there and check on the level of support each provides to builders.”

On this score, John says, “We in the Okanagan are living in an ultralight paradise because we have companies located right here that distribute around the world — both for engines and airplanes.”

Paradise indeed, outside his office several ultralights on amphibious floats taxi out to fly off to some sandy beach on the lake. What could be better?

Ultralight, Ultra-high
“Nothing could be better,” says Glenn Ashton of Kelowna, who flies for the “pure freedom, to be able to lift off the ground and fly anywhere. The views are incredible and flying low over the fields and rivers is thrilling.”

Glenn keeps his Beaver airplane at Harry’s field and doesn’t mind the drive to Deep Creek to fly it. At 45, he’s another of the youngsters in the ultralight group. Bitten by the same bug that got John and the others, he made a mid-life career change to take on training as an aircraft maintenance engineer and is now a certified jet-engine mechanic with Kelowna Flightcraft.

In his spare time Glenn has built several ultralights. The latest was purchased through Aircraft Sales and Parts (ASAP) in Vernon. “ASAP is the main source of the Beaver kit in the world and the engines — Rotax — are also located right at the Vernon airport,” he says, adding that he chose this kit because it’s very stable and flies fast.

Glenn recommends ultralight airplanes for several reasons including versatility. “If you put it on floats you can go everywhere,” he says. “They are like the sport bike of the sky.”

However, he also has some words of caution. “If you build your own, pay attention to detail and follow instructions exactly. Take the proper training to learn to fly it. Understand your own limitations — not everyone is cut out to be a pilot and you don’t want to discover this when you are fighting some turbulence at 1,000 feet.”

Safety is paramount. Glenn has a ballistic parachute upgrade on his plane. “This is a parachute that you would deploy if the plane broke up in the air,” he explains. “It allows the whole airplane to float back to earth safely. You would only use it if there was some catastrophic failure of a wing,” he say,s with apparent conviction that it will never be used.

How Much for How Much
Glenn figures he burns about 10 litres of fuel per hour, covering roughly 120 kilometres. He spends about $180 a year for liability insurance for his single-seat Beaver and $50 a month for the hangar rental. Compared with a typical general aviation craft such as a Cessna 172, this is a bargain. The Cessna 172, costing close to $300,000 new, would suck up around 32 liters per hour and run in the neighbourhood of $3,000 for insurance.

It’s the Journey that Counts
At Harry’s farm in Deep Creek the only sounds are from the birds circling high above the alfalfa fields. The soft summer wind rustles the canvas blinds that cover the front of a hangar. Harry wipes some dust off his Rans S7 ultralight and talks of summer plans.
“A group of us are thinking of heading up to Whitehorse with our airplanes,” he says. “One of the guys has a gyrocopter and the rest have Chinooks and Challengers. It will be a slow trip, but we don’t care. In fact we don’t really care if we get there at all. It’s not the destination that matters — it’s just a heck of a lot of fun on the journey.”

I Want it … ASAP
Aircraft Sales And Parts (yup, ASAP), located at the Vernon airport, is the place to go for ultralights. At this facility, kits are assembled as they’re ordered and distributed throughout the world. Boxes of airplane components leave here for such diverse destinations as Australia, Dubai and England.

“The components are all made at our factory in Saint Paul, Alberta, where my husband’s dad and his brother live,” explains office manager, Paulette Holomis. “It’s a family business. They like Alberta and we love living here — so we continue to bring all the parts here. We have been doing this for 20 years now.”

Paulette says that anybody who’s interested in buying an aircraft should begin with the training. “Many of our customers already have a pilot licence so they are off to a good start, but anyone new needs to get the licence first …. It is possible to get the theory part of the program through correspondence. The Ministry of Transport sets the minimum required flight times, but this should be stressed — it is a minimum.”

With the basics covered, the customer must make some decisions on the type of airplane to buy. “This Chinook Plus Two has the large Rotax 912 engine so it can carry two people and work well on floats,” Paulette says. “It’s very possible for most to build this from the kit. We provide good instructions and a DVD to assist. As well, everything except the most basic tools is in the kit.”
DIY-challenged?

“We can have it built for you for about $7,000 to $8,500 extra. So for a bit less than $50,000 this airplane is ready to go.”

Gee, $50,000 sounds like a lot … but it would hardly buy a nice boat … and I could fly this on skis in winter too … and fuel for a boat costs a ton … and this could get to the upper lakes … and it’s cheaper than most cars to run — hmmm.

Front-and-centre in the showroom a nice Chinook two-seater, with the largest Rotax engine, is sitting on a set of Full Lotus amphibious floats (made next door). This machine will go anywhere. Imagine heading into the sunset to land on the water by a quiet beach or on a golf-course airstrip. I want one!

Power Up
Vernon airport is home to Rotech Research Canada Ltd., the Canadian distributor of the popular Austrian built Rotax engine used in many ultralights. The history of this engine’s aeronautical application goes back many years to one Vernon man, Ron Shettler, who saw the potential of the Rotax engine for small airplanes and secured the North American distribution rights. Bombardier had used the engine in its snowmobiles and he reckoned that this proven design needed only a few modifications to serve as an aircraft power plant.

Today’s Rotax engines come in various sizes depending on the airplane and have a proven record of reliability. The Vernon facility provides owners with training on the maintenance of their engines and offers repair and overhaul service. The Rotax shop is located directly across from Aircraft Sales And Parts (ASAP) — the builders of two popular ultralight models.

The Need for Speed
Ultralights are great, but there are others in the build-it-yourself category that offer more speed — something topping the 150 kilometres per hour (flat out) that these planes can deliver.
Jerry Peter, a machinist by trade who lives with his wife Linda on a vineyard in Lake Country, has been playing with airplanes for over 20 years. He owned a small Grumman two-seater production airplane, but about 12 years ago decided he wanted something a bit faster. His choice was to build a plane in his basement and he selected a kit from Van’s Aircraft in Oregon. The kit, a model called an RV-6, took several years to construct and the final coat of paint had just gone on when Jerry was transferred to a new job in Windsor, Ontario.

He and Linda headed east in the RV-6 and over the next decade, until Jerry retired, they used it to cross Canada from Ontario to the Okanagan some 13 times. The little RV, powered with a 150-horsepower engine, can scoot across the sky at over 300 km/h. After retiring from the Windsor job, Jerry and Linda returned to their home in Lake Country and parked the RV-6 at Kelowna airport. The plane has all the radio and navigation equipment necessary to go into the largest airports and its performance rivals production airplanes costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“It’s a great little plane,” says Jerry. “It can get us to Vancouver almost as quickly as Air Canada and it doesn’t use a lot of fuel on a per-mile basis. It gets off the ground in less than 500 feet and can land in about the same, so it is a great short-field airplane. That’s something that most faster planes sacrifice.”

It’s a bird, it’s a plane …
Rupert Gruen’s white Pelican is a sophisticated two-person homebuilt that he keeps in a hangar at Kelowna International Airport. It’s a high-wing, tricycle landing gear airplane with a 115-horesepower Rotax turbocharged engine.

This economical little craft can cruise along at 220 kilometres per hour while using about 25 liters per hour of fuel with a range of over 700 kilometres. The Pelican is the product of eight years and 1,500 hours of work for Rupert who teaches technology education at Kelowna Secondary School.
Like other builders of more complex airplanes, Rupert has some good advice. “Never cut corners. Safety is paramount to everything else,” he says. “Do lots of research — there is lots of stuff on the web. Visit air shows and fly-ins and talk to other builders at length. Remember too that there is a cost in time, money and relationships.”

How much did it cost?

“Too much,” says Rupert. But the rewards must be there and he’s quick to credit the support of others, like his wife Cheryle. “Without her, I could never have finished this project. I also had lots of support from my co-owner Phil White and from the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) and RAA (Recreational Aircraft Association) — both organizations for people who build airplanes.”

For Rupert the attraction of building is clear. “As a builder it’s really rewarding. The sense of achievement is awesome. It’s a wonderful learning experience and the flying is that much more rewarding because I built the airplane and know every nut and bolt that went into her.”

Just for the Challenge
Jim Jewell of Kelowna is also a fan of the speedy RV-6. He’s built the tricycle-gear model (RV-6a) that has a nose wheel instead of a tail wheel. But Jim doesn’t have a pilot’s licence.

“I had worked in the auto industry as a mechanic for years, so I was familiar with machinery,” he says. “I enjoyed working with my hands and had been involved with building radio-controlled model airplanes. When that novelty began to wear off, I looked for another challenge like building a large boat. My health wouldn’t allow too much heavy work, so a friend mentioned I might build an airplane. That started me looking at kits and the RV-6a seemed perfect.”

Building one of these is not an overnight project. Jim put about 5,000 hours into construction. “You need to have a good relationship with your spouse if you are going to build a plane, otherwise you can get AIDS — airplane induced divorce syndrome. It takes a lot of time and you need to be aware of that. I am really fortunate that my wife fully supports my interests.”

Supportive for sure. But why put all that time into constructing an aircraft he can’t fly. Jim says, “It was the dream of building something so complex. I really enjoyed the building process and all the people I met during this. When I flew with the test pilot who took the plane up he couldn’t find anything wrong at all. It flew beautifully in all maneuvers. That is the best testimony to the workmanship I put into it.”

Jim’s airplane may soon be for sale as he looks for another challenge. His investment in time and the kit cost will push the price close to $100,000 but the buyer will get a meticulously-built craft with a 180-horsepower engine that can exceed its 320 kilometre per hour speed. In addition, it has the best in modern flight instruments and an autopilot to ease the workload on long trips.

Jim is quick to point out that there is much more to aviation than actually flying. “There is a real camaraderie among pilots and airplane enthusiasts,” he says. “When the weather is bad we gather in the hangars for ‘hangar flying.’ When we fly, the flying clubs everywhere are ready to offer assistance. It’s like being part of a very supportive community.”

Pushing the Envelope
Len Aune is an experienced pilot who has put over 1,200 hours of flight time on his Cessna 172. The Cessna is a great, docile airplane that can carry four people, but it’s not all that speedy. Len wanted a plane that could carry him and three passengers — far and fast. The BCIT instructor also wanted something he could build at his airport campus workplace, teaching students about airframe structures.

“I wanted to be able to use the kit to help my students learn the skills they needed,” he says. He selected an RV-10 kit from Vans Aircraft and found a partner to help with the financial burden. The kit alone costs close to $40,000 and then you need an engine, instruments, radios and other bits.
For three years various classes helped Len do the intricate work that this plane demands. The end result flew for the first time in June 2008, under the command of test pilot Colin Jordan. Colin, who has thousands of hours with commercial airlines and captains intercontinental jet transports, was delighted with the airplane’s performance.

Len loved it too. “When I was being checked out in the plane, I was astounded by the power,” he says. “I felt as if I was just along for the ride. It has an impressive takeoff and terrific climb rate and gets to altitude in a hurry.”

When he built the RV-10, Len added an oxygen system so everyone onboard could breath at high altitudes. This feature, along with the big turbocharged engine, allows the plane to skim the cloud tops at over 25,000 feet while doing 350 kilometres per hour. The cockpit glows with the same screens you’d expect on the newest jets and with the GPS linked to the autopilot it’s possible to select a destination and let the airplane fly by itself while burning less fuel than most SUVs on the ground.

But this is no kit for novices. “This airplane is not your mom and dad’s Chevrolet,” he says. “It takes continual training and learning to fly it well. It’s also costly. My partner and I have about $180,000 invested in it and our cost for insurance runs about $5,000 per year.”

Len advises newbies to start small, get involved with other builders and join groups like the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), Recreational Aircraft Association (RAA) and the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA). “Flying brings people together to talk about airplanes and the issues of building. We all learn from each other.”

Len’s RV-10 is at the far end of the spectrum of homebuilt airplanes. This category requires very strict supervision by the Ministry of Transport during the construction phase. Because it can carry passengers and has the performance of a factory-built airplane, it must meet very high standards. “Not everyone has the aptitude for this sort of undertaking,” he says. “You have to have a high level of patience and the ability to stick with the project for a long time.”

Anyone who is entertaining this type of project would be well advised to speak to one of the many owners of high-performance homebuilt aircraft. There are some excellent kits available and a flying community that will welcome you into the fold and help you research your possible choices.

USEFUL WEBSITES
To fly an ultralight aircraft a person must have a commercial or airline transport licence, a private pilot licence, a recreational pilot permit or an ultralight pilot permit. These licences and permits are issued by Transport Canada based on proven training qualifications.
www.tc.gc.ca/civilaviation/menu.htm

The Ultralight Pilots Association (UPAC) is the national voice for ultralight owners and pilots. It was formed in 1984. For the best information on regulations and training curriculum, order the Ultralight Information Manual (2006) from the website.
www.upac.ca

ASAP in Vernon is online at www.ultralight.ca

Vans Aircraft, developer of the RV kits, has a lot of useful information for those considering a sophisticated homebuilt aircraft.
www.vansaircraft.com

The Recreational Aircraft Association is online at www.raa.ca