Glastar & Sportsman Flyer Index (under construction)
2nd Quarter 2010
The Seatbelt Debate: What Does Service Bulletin 69 Mean to You? By Marc Cook Glasair Aviation has released a comprehensive Mandatory Service Bulletin on seatbelt attach points. What does it mean to you?
GSAI Flight Deck: It’s the Little Things By Marc Cook Ownership of a GlaStar or Sportsman is a constantly interesting thing. One of the true benefits of building, as opposed to buying a Mooney or something, is that you can update and improve as you go. Plus there’s that feeling of charting new territory. Both are rewarding.
Pilot Training: First Steps into a GlaStar By Alan Negrin This article is aimed at the new builder who may have little or no time in a GlaStar or Sportsman. Pilots who are new GlaStar and Sportsman flyers should not underestimate the need for quality transition training, especially if you are accustomed to flying any legacy single engine aircraft—Cessna 172 or 182, Piper Cherokee, Warrior or similar aircraft.
MacGyver Moments: Alaska Jury Rig By Nick Reid With everything packed into the Sportsman we put on our headsets, hit the starter and— nothing happened. Not a click, not even the dim glimmer of a light on the panel. Dead.
Mission of Mercy: Bush Flying and Bush Fixing By Dave Prizio and Ted Setzer Bush flying makes many extraordinary demands on pilots and airplanes. Some of these demands include maintaining your plane in top condition and fixing what you break. The concept of expecting to break an airplane as part of its “normal” use is alien to most of us, but when you constantly fly in and out of rough bush strips hacked out of the jungle your definition of normal changes.
Regional Events: Virginia Regional Festival of Flight By Dee Whittington The 2010 Virginia Regional Festival of Flight attracted nine GlaStar and Sportsman builders, a record number for the event.
Avionics Shop: Installing a Dynon SkyView EFIS By Ken Wiley When doing a project like this in an already flying airplane, it is good to combine it with an annual condition inspection because everything from the engine to behind Bulkhead A has to be exposed.
Avionics Shop: Further Evolution of N30KP’s Panel By Marc Cook Earlier this year, I spent more than a few pages describing the Garmin G3X installation in my Sportsman, and tapped a few keys of discontent with the single-screen setup. Now the single screen is two, with the addition of a GDU 370 and the temporary removal of the Grand Rapids Horizon HX EFIS.
A Blast from the Past: Poverty, Pine Cones and Peer Pressure By Ted Setzer As any good business school (or dental school) student knows, diversification is the key to successful business growth. And you thought Stoddard-Hamilton was only a pioneering force in the composite kitplane industry…! Builder Tips: Landing Gear Steps By Ted Setzer For a few dollars of raw materials and a little labor you can add a set of lightweight, aerodynamic steps to the taildragger gear strut fairings.
Maintenance Tips: Top Deck Repairs By Ted Setzer Wing-folding exercises on GlaStar and Sportsman aircraft often leave a cosmetic crack or worse on the top deck where the main spar joins the cage.
1st Quarter 2010
AOPA’s Nall Report: Homebuilders Get a Black Eye. Do We Deserve It? By Marc Cook
GSAI Flight Deck: The Value of Community By Marc Cook
First Flight: Rob Griesdale Sportsman C-GRGX
Insurance Beat: The Basics By Scott “Sky” Smith
Safety Report: Sportsman Loss-of-Elevator Accident By Marc Cook
Flying Safely: Landing Without the Elevator—Can It Be Done? By Marc Cook
Travels with Arlo: Winging It in the Northwest By Arlo Reeves
More Travel: Smiley Creek 2009 By Dave Hulse
A Blast from the Past: Spy Shenanigans For Ted and the Gang By Ted Setzer
Maintenance Tips: Starting a Fuel-Injected Lycoming By Ted Setzer
Maintenance Tips: Lycoming Nose Seal Replacement By Marc Cook
4th Quarter 2009
Superior Air Parts Returns to the Living, by Marc Cook Returning from the brink of extinction, Superior Air Parts is on the path to rebuilding its business and supplying the Experimental aftermarket. First Flight: EAA 106 Builders Group, GlaStar N106GL Our GlaStar, which was Kit #5127, is now the flying airplane N106GL!
New Products: Perihelion Design Titanium Flap Ratchet Handle available again; Ted Setzer-designed towbar and spreader bars still available.
Regional News: Columbia (CA)'s autumn fly-in was the only one spared weather demons this year. Here's a report on this great event.
Maintenance Tips: Dennis Vanatta's simple jacking point angles might make future maintenance much easier. Product Test: TCW Tech's Backup Power System, by Marc Cook. This backup battery system can provide 4-amp-hours of backup power for radios and instruments, but that's just the start. Geek Squad: Build an APRS Tracker, by Marc Cook. Here's one way to let your wife know where you're flying. Bonus: It has an on-off switch.
Repair Station: Glasair Aviation conducts a substantial in-situ cage repair. A photo essay describes the process.
Sitting Pretty: Oregon Aero Vs. Glasair Vaition Factory Seats, by Marc Cook. After four years with the OA seats, Cook trades for the soft touch of the factory's Sportsman seats.
Interior Modifications: Martin Baumer describes in great detail his child's seat for the GlaStar.
Builder Tips: Creating shorter-than-standard pop rivets, by Ted Setzer.
Maintenance Tips: Why a triplexer is not the answer for GlaStars with a Garmin 430 and SL30...and just one nav antenna, by Marc Cook.
3rd Quarter 2009
The FAA’s “51% Rule” Is Finally Released: And the News Is Good, By Marc Cook The FAA, after a long, long wait, finally published the document that had the entire homebuilt industry holdings its collective breath. Bottom line for those currently building GlaStars and Sportsman aircraft is clear: You have not been dramatically impacted. Even if you have used commercial assistance and must follow the new rules, there is enough leeway for legitimate builders to complete the aircraft without undue stress.
Upping the Instrument Ante. But Is It Worth the Cost? By Marc Cook Garmin G3X modular EFIS reviewed. Comparison with other stuff, lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
First Flight Report. Loren Mann, Glastar N7625M Many years after receiving my kit (#5816), GlaStar N7625M is now flying. I have a few minor tweaks still to do but it ran and flew well. (No heavy wing).
Insurance is Really Risk Management By Scott “Sky” Smith, Skysmith Insurance Questions I’m asked all the time: Why should I buy insurance? Is it required? Well, no, most states don’t require insurance.
Brat Power (or, Our Oshkosh) At Oshkosh AirVenture this year, we had the daddy of all GSAI Brat Roasts, thanks to Dan Dudley’s tireless efforts. According to Dan, we served more than 120 brats and consumed a full two kegs of the foamy stuff.
Flying It Back Country Safari By Alan Negrin Ten years ago a small band of intrepid aviators decided it would be fun to spend a few days camping and flying in the back country of Idaho. There were five airplanes that first year and about 15 people.
Maintenance Tips: Dynon Oil-Temp Probe Calibration By Marc Cook Despite having a dedicated ground line from the instrument to the engine case adjacent to the temp probe, the oil-temp indication has always dithered and been sensitive to other electrical loads in the airplane.
Maintenance Tips: Repairing Wheelpant Damage By Ted Setzer If the air pressure gets low, the tires tend to bulge out more decreasing the gap. A “firm” landing with not enough gap can result in the tire catching the edge of the pant, dragging it along and damaging it. New Products: Towbar & Spreader Bar
GlaStar/Sportsman Service Letter 8 Subject: Main Landing Gear Retaining Bolts
2nd Quarter 2009
How Much Power Do You Need? By Marc Cook
The Big Yank By Marc Cook
New StarGate portal at GlastarNet ...and a whole new Glastar.org!
Supplier News: Garmin International service bulletin, #0921
First Flight: Steve Apfelbaum, N154AZ
A Totally Unofficial Sportsman Weight-Loss Program By Ted Setzer
Flying (Or At Least Landing) With the Falcons By Dale McClure
Maintenance Alert: Tim Rittal’s Exhaust Surprise
Maintenance Alert: Beware the Keyhole
Incident Report: Gear Leg Whoops! By Richard Eastman
From the NTSB: A Chilling Tale
4th Quarter 2007
Like the Phoenix, C-FNYS Dave Prizio and Tim Winger
Power Flow vs. Stock Exhaust, Dave Prizio We have all heard of so-called performance improvements promised by various accessories and modifications that somehow never paid off in the real world. Is the Power Flow exhaust system another one of those, or does it really work? That is the question.
Most Thankful Thanksgiving Ever, Steve Tillinghast The modified NSI Subaru engine began an intermittent hiccup at 4,500 feet. I began a climb and started an effort to sort out the problem.
A Hard Lesson Learned, Tim Rittal It happened so fast I never had a chance to react. I was in total disbelief of what had just happened and now I am hanging upside down in my shoulder harness.
Picassa Photo Sharing Arlo Reeves
Spinning the GlaStar, Arnie Clarke When I heard that Arnie had been doing some spin testing on his GlaStar I asked him to write about it for us.
Airplane Camping in a Sportsman Alan Negrin
Hazardous Chemicals, Dave Prizio As you build and maintain your GlaStar or Sportsman you will likely use a number of hazardous chemicals. Knowing how to handle these chemicals safely and what to do in case of an accident can protect you from serious harm or even save your life.
No Carburetor Shortage, Dave Prizio Precision announced earlier this month that it was suspending manufacture and distribution of the carbs and parts after it was unable to obtain product liability insurance.
Stringfellow Accident Jim Stringfellow’s GlaStar, N33CP, suffered substantial damage when it flipped over while landing at Williston, Florida. He suffered minor injuries in the incident.
GSAI FlightDeck
Builder Tips Stewart Systems Paint, By Loren Mann An Easier Way to Install Bulkhead B, By Jim Miller Door Handle Tip, by Tom Fleming
Maintaining Your Plane Dynamic Balancing Extends Power Flow Warranty, By Tyler Reed The Yearly Condition Inspection, By Dave Prizio
First Flights
Regional News 4th Mid-Atlantic GlaStar/ Sportsman Fly-in, By Dee Whittington Merritt Island Florida Fly –In, By Bobbi Lasher Cheeseland Fall Colors Fly-in, By Steve Salmon Columbia Fly-in, By Dave Prizio SoCal Holiday Fly-in, By Dave Prizio
2nd Quarter 2005
Alaska or Bust!, Dave Prizio The rest of the story, 1st on a motorcycle and then the GlasStar
Service Bulletin 51: Wrong aluminum extrusion
My 2 Weeks at the CAC, Barry Brocato At least a year and half work in 2 weeks time
North to Alaska, Harry DeLong Harry loves to fly low. Lots of scenery and wild animals
Back from Alaska, Alan Negrin Two factory Sportsman and Dave Amenti’s GlasStar 346# of gear in one and 320# in the other Sportsmen. It was the most spectacular flying adventure Alan has done in 3000+ hours and 21 years of flying
Sun ‘n Fun Report, Dave Prizio Lycoming Clones, the death of steam gauges and Power Flow Eshaust
New Engine Choices, Dave Prizio A comparison of the IO-390 to some other Lycoming engines. Other offering Superior, Teledyne Mattituck, Titan Kit Engine, and the Aero Sport Power offering
Mullins’ Budget Panel, Dave Prizio An inexpensive panel using a Dynon EFIS Regular Columns
GAI FlightDeck, Dave Prizio Sun ‘n Fun, Alaska and a minor incident
Builder Tips Aerocet Float Bracket, Door Post Tip, Scott 3200 Taiwheel weak ears on arm assembly Another Leaking Door Fix, Brake Bleeding and a Heavy Duty Leading Edge Boot
First Flights David Codding became the first owner to fly his (CAC) Sportsman; Another GlaStar has taken to the air in Europe by owner Erik Vertenten; GlaStar N899KA built by Mark Kiedrowski with a NSI AERO Subaru EJ2.5 flies; GlaStar N125GS by George Stevens flies with the LOM engine; Glastar N733MR by Montgomery L. Rogers flys with a SP-360 with an Aymar-Demuth 70-66 prop; Sportsman #2 flies with a Lycoming IO-360-X184 weighing 19# more than a 0-360-A1F6 with a Hazrtzell HC-C2Y-1B/F8477 80” CS prop.
1st Quarter 2005
GlaStar Baja Tour, Charlie Burton Flying with four GlaStars over spectacular terrain, touching the whales, and landing at remote strips were just a few of the highlights of the Baja Adventure.
MT Prop for Superior XP-360, Nick Reid Three MT Props for the XP-360, 2 blade alum, 3 blade composite, 2 blade composite
I Got My Private Ticket in my Own GlaStar, Jim Kimninger Not the norm, but a lot of varied experience to get my wings
Bush Flying, Ted Setzer Having flown the Sportsman to Alaska and some off-field gravel landings, perhaps I have learned something worth sharing.
Short Field Technique, Michael Crowell Airspeed control to avoid the high sink that can occur. Deep the sink rate at no more than 200-300fpm.
GlaStar v. Sportsman: Differences and Improvements, Alan Negrin Many structural changes were required for the Sportsman to achieve the desired increase in utility and gross weight. Good information to compare the GlaStar to the Sportsman.
Builder Tips Getting off adhesive tape from Plexiglas Solar powered battery charger Protecting your door dogs Elevator Gap Seals Cabin gear step for the GlaStar Exhaust coating for heat reduction in the engine compartment Aluminum door brace – at higher airspeeds the leading edge of the door tends to bow out. Trim tab Fortes Generators
Regional News Rough River Fly-in Soutwest; Electronic Mags to improve performance Flying in Spain and Portugal
