Latest project. The Teardrop Camper

Here are some photos of my latest project a Teardrop Camper.  

Mini Sonex Gathering

12/9/2015 My friend Frank and I flew up to Miami CO K81 today to eat at the world famous "We B Smokin Barbecue". We met up with a couple Sonex friends and ate lunch together.   Weather was amazing for December and calm winds. 

Beautiful weekend in Bartlesville, OK

What a great weekend in Bartlesville!  We departed Fayetteville about 3pm on Friday afternoon and arrived in Bartlesville an hour later. A big thank you goes out to the great FBO at KBVO for providing a curtesy car for our overnight stay at the must see/stay Price Tower designed by the famous Frank Lloyd Wright. We ate at Hideaway Pizza and Frank & Lola's Restaurant & Bar.  Both restaurants were very good!  We watched the beautiful sunset and views from the Copper Bar on the 15th floor of Price Tower while listening to live music.  Saturday morning we took a run around downtown area and then made our way to the 16th floor for breakfast.  Andrew was the waiter/cook who was a experience all his own.  He loved people and you could tell he loved his job. Some wonderful places we visited while staying in Bartlesville were the Phillips 66 Museum, Woolaroc Ranch, and the Price Tower! Bartlesville has some amazing aviation roots.

Flying Young Eagles

Had the privilege to take 4 Young Eagles flying today in my Sonex. For two of the Kids it was their first flight in an airplane.  What a joy it was to share those moments with them and show them the trill of flying. It was a great day!

Beautiful day to Fly!

Had a wonder flight this morning!  I stayed in the pattern at Fayetteville Drake Field (KFYV) and practiced about a dozen touch and goes.  I practiced some power to idle landings and made one 150 mph pass down the runway just for the fun of it.  On my last downwind leg I informed the tower that this would be a full stop landing. Well I thought it was going to be until I botched the landing and decided to make a go around.  The controller replied, " I thought this was going to be a full stop?"  I laughed and said, I thought so too.  You would think after all that practice I could stick a good landing.   You know what they say, practice make perfect.  Just another good excuse to go flying again!  :)

Sonex 367 flying with Onex 090 for the first time

08/20/2015 - Today I went flying with Frank for the first time in his recently completed Onex 090.   We took off from KSLG Siloam Springs, AR and flew to KGMJ Grove, OK.  It was a beautiful day to fly with clear sky's and temps in the low 80's. We had a good lunch in Grove at Drake Café and then headed back to Siloam Springs.

Onex 090 First day to fly!

08/11/2015 - My good friend Frank flew his Sonex Onex 090 for the first time today at KSLG.  The weather could not have been better for test flying a newly built plane.  I was not able to be there for Franks 1st flight he made earlier that morning, but I was able to go out that evening to watch him make a couple beautiful flights!  What an amazing accomplishment it is to fly a plane you built! Congratulations Frank!

Posted on Sonex Builders Forum - http://sonexbuilders.net/index.php

I got back from Oshkosh today - tired, sunburnt, and energized to finish my airplane!

Great seeing friends old and new.

I posted the photos I shot here:

Sonex Open House AirVenture 2015 is at http://sonexbuildersandpilotsfoundation.zenfolio.com/p978659488

SBPF Member Meeting Oshkosh 2015 is at http://sonexbuildersandpilotsfoundation.zenfolio.com/p941474564

SBPF Picnic at Oshkosh 2015 is at http://sonexbuildersandpilotsfoundation.zenfolio.com/p906701386

Give Flight Waiex Wing Project 2015 is at http://sonexbuildersandpilotsfoundation.zenfolio.com/p629898841

I set up the albums so the photos can be downloaded.

Blue skies
Robbie Culver
Sonex 1517
95% done and about 95% to go
Sonex Taildragger
Turbo AeroVee

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015 Video Highlights #OSH15

Sonex Foundation BBQ 2015

AirVenture 2015 Sonex Open House MassTaxi

Oshkosh AirVenture 2015

What an amazing trip to Oshkosh we had this year!  

The Saturday before Oshkosh we departed at 7:30am and arrived in Oshkosh at 4:30pm that afternoon after a 600 mile flight. 

We had weather to deal with most of the way up to Oshkosh this year but we managed to stay on the east side of the front of rain showers most of the way up until we had to divert due to a thunder storm.  Our stops along the way were at Mexico MO, Galesburg IL, Monroe WI, and West Bend WI.  At West Bend they offered to put our plane in an open hangar to wait out the thunder storm that were within minutes of arriving.  While we waited the storm out we used the courtesy car to go get lunch.  This was a great place to be grounded and the airport staff were wonderful.  After a couple hours the weather had improved and it was time to make our final leg of the trip to Oshkosh.  Within 15 minutes we were approaching Rippon for the Rippon/Fisk approach.  After we reached Fisk, the controller directed us on a 27 approach.  Now we were tuned in to the Oshkosh 27 approach controller for further direction.  "Silver low wing, Rock your wings!" The controller announced.  After a good rock of the wings we were on downwind for 27 just past the the gravel pit.  The controller started directing our way with rapid fire commands. "Silver low wing start your descent.  Silver low wing start your base abeam the numbers. Silver low wing clear to land orange dot."  While on base I noticed a Cherokee coming in on a low decent headed in our direction over the lake.  It was clear to me we were both not going to be able to land at the same time so I started a go around as I turned final above the Cherokee.  I am not sure the controller even saw the Cherokee until I started my go around.  Once the controller saw the Cherokee landing he started shouting "Silver low wing go around go around!"   The controller thanked me for making the go around and said he would work me right back into the downwind.  Once we were astablished on downwind the controller called our base at about the lakes edge.  Once again there was another plane coming across the lake for a strait in approach to 27.  This time is was a twin Beachcraft.  I slowed down as much as I could on base to allow the Beachcraft to get in front of me. "Silver low wing clear to land behind Twin Beach".  Slowing down on final as much as I could we were able to land behind the Beachcraft.  It wasn't my best landing ever, but we were safely down and very happy to be at Oshkosh!  

We camped by the plane for six nights and the weather could not have been better.  Not hardly a drop of rain the entire week and temperatures were in the low 80's and 60's at nite.  Great camping weather!

After a fun filled week of camping, seeing friends, meeting new friends, eating great food, and seeing some amazing planes, it was time to make our way home.  My how time fly's when you are at Oshkosh!   

Friday morning we packed all our things back in the plane and started our voyage home.  There were storms approaching from the west, so we needed to get an early start.  Once we made it down to Illinois we were clear of the threat of storms.  We made three stops along the way, Monroe WI, Quincy IL, and Lebanon MO.  We left Oshkosh about 7:30 am and arrive home about 4:30 pm. It was a great trip filled with lots of wonderful memories!