The quest to build and fly my own airplane has become two-faceted. To build requires careful planning, time in the shop, and craftsmanship. But in order to fly the thing, a very different sort of thinking and skills must be developed. Thus, while both consume time, one does not cast boredom onto the other. These two different sorts of thinking and doing are actually a respite from each other.

Thus, when I’m not working at my day job, spending time with the family, or making repairs to our newly purchased home, I have been making progress on the Pietenpol. Scratch building an airplane is like building a kit airplane, except one must first make the kit. By that token, the completed parts in my kit now include:

• 32 wing ribs
• All tail feathers
• Most of the fuselage
• Elevator and rudder horns

The last two are in need of a dedicated article.

This post will be brief, but I will leave you with a video walk-around of the current status.