Gary Zilik - aka "Good Guy Gary" checking out my fuselage. I wonder if he was calling someone to tell them about my work? Hmmm... I think not.
Scott's a good guy!
Scott & Deb Mills. Great people! Hanging out in my shop during their visit to our home.
Gary & Carolyn standing beside my RV-7A fuselage. Great people!
Just as the shutter was snapping this picture, Gary realized that leaning on the fuselage is not a good idea! It was sliding away from them. Another foot or so and my tail would have crashed to the floor. Yikes!
The group photo, before I took them back to the airport.
Luke & Andria with little baby Savanna Kathryn Swayze, after helping serve breakfast. Savanna was born a month later on Sept. 28th!
Gary & Carolyn's beautiful RV-6A.
Scott & Deb's fabulous RV-9A.
Fueling up before taking off for the day's flying.
Taxiing away.
Taking off as a 2-ship.
As they circled around, a jetliner came into the field of view!
Friday night at Homecoming 2009 in Independence. We attended a hanger dance. Since my dance partner stayed home, I got to hang out with Rosie and Doug Reeves!
Saturday... lots of great planes on the ramp. I love this paint job!
Another beautiful brand new RV.
Gorgeous paint job!
Another beautiful paint job!
Check out that metallic paint! I love it.
This plane was amazing! Besides the incredible paint job, note the interesting wing intersection fairing. But the most notable thing is that you don't see a single rivet. Anywhere on the plane. Who knows how many hours this guy spent filling every single rivet.
I don't know where his wheel pants are.
Not a single rivet visible anywhere! Not even on the flaps or ailerons.
There's that unusual wing intersection fairing.
This RV showed up from California, I believe, powered by a Mazda rotary. See anything unusual about the "smiley face"?
Look closer... the "smiley face" isn't centered on the cowl! Why is it offset like that? There must be a good reason.
A brand new unpainted RV-7A. The very shiny spinner caught my attention.
Beautiful spinner!
This is how I intend to secure my hinge pins, when the time comes. Nice. Beautiful. Clean.
A beautiful yellow paint job.
Another fabulous paint job. Wow!
This guy from Idaho had this brand new RV-7 for sale. He was showing us his modified seat back brace. He made an extra one that's smaller. A simple pull of the pin and he can change back to the original one.
He had the original one with him, to show the difference.
This guy said it's his 4th RV, and it's for sale so he can build another one. Wow. I know of at least one prospective buyer that came from Texas to check it out. I don't know if they made a deal or not.
Joe Blanc from Vans was teasing us about how much he was going to charge us to sit in the RV-7A for a bit. And a surcharge to shoot the pictures! I don't know why Ed was hiding from the camera.
Hanging out in Van's demonstrator RV-7A with my good buddy, Ed Lynn, talking and dreaming about the day our RV's will join the others on the ramp. Ed is also building a 7A and is close behind me on his fuselage.
This is as close as we came to an airplane ride this Homecoming. It's hard to feel left behind.
Interesting checkerboard paint job.
Scott & Deb Mills returning from the coast, executing a perfect touchdown.
Gary & Carolyn were close behind, repeating the perfect performance.
The 5-ship that returned from the coast, taxiing in.
That's Jerry VanGrunsven's yellow & white RV-8A in the lead.
Scott & Deb back to the pumps for some fuel.
Lots of activity surrounding the refueling.
Sean & Mercedes came in this gorgeous metallic grey RV-7A.
Check this out! I like it much better than the standard "Not a Step" warning sticker on the flaps.
One example of the beautiful homes found at the Independence Airpark. This couple hosted both the Ziliks and the Mills. This guy has enough room in his hanger for his airplane, Scotts RV-9A, his huge motorhome, his wife's car, and room to spare. Gary's RV-6A spent the night outside, but fine nonetheless.
Another beautiful airpark home.
