|
Zenith Aircraft
Company's 19th annual OPEN
HANGAR DAY and Fly-In Gathering is scheduled for Saturday, September
18, 2010, at
the factory located at Mexico Memorial Airport in Mexico, Missouri. Aviation enthusiasts,
especially builders and owners of Zenith Aircraft kit planes, are invited to drive or
fly-in for the day. The Zenith
Aircraft kit production facilities will be open for factory tours and
Zenith's factory-demonstrator kit aircraft will be on display. Company
staff will demonstrate kit production and fabrication techniques used in
producing the all-metal kit aircraft parts made at the Zenith Aircraft
factory.
*** Click here to view photos and video clips from the
2009 Open Hangar Day ***
We have many
activities planned, including a series of hands-on educational and
informative workshops for existing
owners and builders, as well as new builders just getting started (or
just thinking of starting).
Beginning on Friday afternoon we'll present several workshops in the factory, continuing with
shorter seminars on Saturday morning.
Back by popular demand, we've scheduled an informal "Zenith banquet" dinner and
social gathering on Friday evening.
Following
are some of the participants and activities planned for the 2010 event.
Please RSVP now if you are
planning to attend.
Starting on Friday afternoon, September 17, the following
seminars have been scheduled. The seminars are one to two hours in length.
The seminar presenters will also be available on Saturday to answer questions. Group sizes are
limited - we strongly recommend you pre-register if you plan to attend the
Friday afternoon activities. Download
Schedule
A simple "hotdog and soda" lunch will be available at noon on
Friday, September 17, compliments of AmZac
Light Sport Aviation.
12:30
pm, Friday, September 17:
-
Painting Your Homebuilt: Mike Loehle of
Loehle
Aero Coatings will discuss aircraft painting, with in-depth
information on painting your Zenith aircraft using Loehle Aero Coatings
high quality aircraft finishes.
-
ULPower engines. A&P
mechanic / pilot Gus Warren will discuss and show you the new
lightweight ULPower engines from Europe.
2:00 pm, Friday, September 17:
-
Garmin
Avionics: Tim Casey, Garmin's sales manager for
portables, LSA, and Experimental Aviation Markets, will present
Garmin's GSX glass cockpit systems, and will be available to discuss
and answer questions on installing and operating Garmin avionics in
Zenith aircraft.
-
Rotax
aircraft engines
workshop, presented by Dean Vogal. Learn all about the
Rotax 912 series light aircraft engines, popular in the STOL
CH 701, STOL CH 750 and the Zodiac series aircraft. Dean Vogel
is a top-rated instructor in the Rotax
Flying and Safety Club (RFSC). He is a 1982 graduate of the USAF
Academy, and he spent a total of 14 years in the Air Force maintaining and flying jets. He then worked 13 years with Cirrus Design, helping to take the company from 10 employees to 850.
Dean Vogal has tremendous experience with maintaining and overhauling
the Rotax engines that are popular in so many Zeniths and
other Light Sport Aircraft. Dean and his company, Aero
Technical Institute, is the main training arm of Lockwood
Aviation in Sebring, Florida. (This is a two-hour
seminar).
-
Inspecting
and Pre-Flighting your Zenith Aircraft.
Mat Heintz (Zenair Ltd.) and
A&P mechanic / pilot Gus Warren will discuss and show you how to
thoroughly inspect your completed Zenith aircraft prior to your first
flight, and how to adequately preflight your aircraft before every
flight. This seminar is highly recommended to all builders,
owners and pilots of Zenith aircraft (especially second owners), and
will include an actual inspection using a itemized checklist. (In
front of the Zenith Aircraft factory).
4:00 - 5:00 pm, Friday, September 17:
-
How EAA Can Help You Build and Fly Your Own Aircraft - Charlie
Becker from the
Experimental Aircraft
Association hosts a seminar on EAA's available
resources to help builders, owners and pilots of amateur-built aircraft,
including the technical advisor and flight advisor programs, as well as
details on Sport Pilot / LSA rules.
-
Jabiru Aircraft Engines, presented by
Zodiac builder/owner Mark Stauffer of JabiruUSA. This
informative workshop will cover everything you've always wanted to know
about operating and maintaining the popular Jabiru aircraft engines,
including the 4-cylinder Jabiru 2200 and the 6-cylinder Jabiru 3300.
6:00 –
9:00 pm,
Friday, September 17:
-
Zenith
Builders
Banquet at the
Elks
Lodge (next to the airport).
This is a fun and informal buffet dinner gathering of Zenith enthusiasts, builders,
pilots and employees. Some great door prizes
will be awarded.
RSVP
soon as space is limited.
Click
here to purchase your ticket(s) now, or purchase the dinner tickets in advance in the Zenith offices.
Cost: $15.00 per person. Cash bar, opens at 5 pm.
Note:
The above schedule is tentative and subject to change. Keep
checking this page for the latest updates. 09/19/2011
|
Saturday,
September 18, 8:00 am - 3:00 pm: The Zenith
Aircraft kit production facilities will be open for factory tours and
Zenith's factory-demonstrator kit aircraft will be on display. Company
staff will demonstrate kit production and fabrication techniques used in
producing the all-metal kit aircraft parts made at the Zenith Aircraft
factory, including cutting and
pre-drilling kit parts on the CNC router, forming and hand
finishing wing ribs and other kit parts, and aircraft aluminum
welding demonstrations. We'll also have aircraft kits and parts on
hand and special factory tours are planned.
Saturday
participants and activities include:
|
Hands-on
Workshop: Visitors will be given the opportunity
to "build their own" aircraft-aluminum binder for
their Zenith documentation, as well as a custom made wheel
chocks assembly project.
|
|
|
Charlie
Becker from the Experimental Aircraft
Association will attend and host a seminar on EAA's available
resources to help builders, owners and pilots of amateur-built aircraft,
including the technical advisor and flight advisor programs, as well as
details on Sport Pilot / LSA rules. |
|
|
Garmin
Avionics, the leader in light aircraft GPS and avionics systems,
will be on hand to show the latest
Garmin products for light sport aircraft including the new GSX
flight deck. Tim Casey, Garmin's sales manager for portables,
LSA, and Experimental Aviation Markets, will answer
questions on installing and operating Garmin avionics in Zenith
aircraft. |
|
|
A
representative from Aircraft
Spruce & Specialty will attend to hand out catalogs and
showcase some of the thousands of items offered by this homebuilders and
pilots superstore. |
|
|
Rotax
aircraft engines, famous for its popular 100-hp Rotax 912 ULS
engine, will be represented by Dean Vogal of Aero Technical Institute in
Sebring, Florida. |
|
|
HomebuiltHelp.com
offers a complete line of "how-to" videos available on
DVD, and will have the popular DVDs available for preview and
purchase. |
|
|
Gus
Warren of FlyWithGus.net
plans to fly in from Florida in a STOL CH 750 powered by a lightweight ULpower
engine, and will be on hand to show this modern new European aircraft
engine. Gus will also be available to answer questions about Sport
Pilot and Light Sport Aircraft (LSA), and professional builder
assistance. |
|
|
Mark
Stauffer, builder and owner of a Zenith, will represent Jabiru
USA, distributor of Jabiru engines, the line of lightweight
aircraft engines popular in many Zeniths. Mark will be available
to answer your engine installation, operation and maintenance questions. |
|
|
AmZac
Light Sport Aviation is a new builder assistance center located
in Mexico, Missouri. It was established to help builders get their
kit project completed and flying sooner, and to provide kit assembly
facilities to builders who do not have the needed space. Diane and
Billy Carter from AmZac Light Sport Aviation will attend with their STOL
CH 750 project to meet with builders and answer
building questions. |
AmZac Light
Sport Aviation
|
|
Jon Croke,
editor of the "Zenair
Newsletter," will be available to sell back issues of the
newsletter, renew your subscription, and interview builders and
suppliers for future issues of the builder newsletter. The official newsletter is published
six times per year, and each issue comes with a companion DVD. |
|
|
Mike Loehle of Loehle
Aero Coatings will discuss aircraft painting, with in-depth
information on painting your Zenith aircraft with Loehle Aero Coatings
high quality aircraft finishes. |
Loehle Aero Coatings |
|
Wayne Lanza
of Composite
Design will showcase the company's new Light
Sport Power Panel used by Zenith Aircraft Co. and supplied in the STOL
CH 750 instrument panel kit. |
|
|
Dynon Avionics
sent us a brand new glass
panel SkyView demo unit which we'll have mounted in a STOL CH 750
instrument panel, demonstrating this new next-generation glass panel
with 10" display. |
|
|
Russell
Lepre from FlightCrafters,
a leading provider of professional builder assistance and
quick-build kits, will attend to meet with builders and answer
building and flying questions.
|
FlightCrafters |
Chuck
Preston from Kitplanes
magazine will be on hand to answer questions about the
popular magazine dedicated to homebuilt aircraft. |
|
|
George Happ from Matco
Mfg., maker of light aircraft wheels and brakes used on many
Zeniths, will be on hand to discuss the company's products and how to
best install and operate them on your Zenith. |
|
|
Viking
Aircraft Engines makes a Honda-based 100-hp engine conversion
for light aircraft. Jan Eggenfellner is planning to fly-in a
Zodiac CH601HDS powered by one of his new conversions.
|
Viking
Aircraft Engines
|
|
Scott Wicks of
Wick's Aircraft Supplies will hand out catalogs and showcase some of the builder supplies offered by Wick's
(aircraft building materials and hardware, tools, and accessories). |
|
|
AeroLEDs,
the latest
LED (light emitting diode) aircraft lights, including wingtip mounted
strobe / nav lights as well as an assortment of new landing
lights.
|
|
|
Zenith
Aircraft kits, options, and parts will be on display and available to
order.
|
|
|
Customer Projects:
Existing Zenith Aircraft builders and owners enjoy sharing
information and details about building and flying their aircraft,
and will be available to discuss construction, finishing (paint,
upholstery, avionics, alternative engines, etc.) and flying their
aircraft creations. Builders and pilots: Bring your photos to share with
fellow builders, and let us know if you would like some indoor
space for a display or presentation.
Other
products and services for Zenith builders and flyers. (Contact
us if you are interested in showcasing products or services that are
of interest to Zenith builders and flyers).
|
Factory demonstrator
aircraft:
The popular
Zodiac, STOL CH 701,
STOL CH 750 and STOL
CH 801 factory demonstrator aircraft will be parked at the
factory. Demonstrations flights may be available by prior
arrangement.
Food and
refreshments: Local EAA chapter 1225 will provide a hot lunch at noon on Saturday, September
18. Zenith will also have complimentary coffee and donuts available in the
morning.
Note: Zenith will be
holding a Rudder
Workshop on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 16 & 17 (prior
registration is required for the Rudder Workshop).
Accommodations:
Due to the large number of visitors to Mexico on September 18, local
hotels may fill up quickly. There are numerous additional hotels in the general area, as well as camping
sites. Click here for additional information on accommodations.
We can help you to carpool if you are flying in and need a ride to and
from a local hotel.
|
Zenith Builders and Pilots:
Owners of completed
Zenith Aircraft are encouraged to fly-in for the activities and to
show off their completed project to fellow builders (we will provide
tie-down space and help facilitate ground transportation if
possible). Let us know of any special needs or requirements.
If flying in, please bring your own aircraft tie-downs, especially if staying overnight.
If flying in with your Zenith plane, please park your airplane as close to the Zenith factory as possible on Saturday.
We'll try to position and group all Zeniths in front of the factory for the group photo
at 10:30 am. If driving in, please bring yourself a folding (lawn) chair if possible. We will have chairs and picnic tables, but
we sometimes run out...
There is no charge to attend the Open
Hangar Day, with the exception of the banquet dinner on Friday evening. Check
this page for the latest updates and schedule. Please contact
us if you have ideas, requests or capabilities to make the
fall 2010 Open Hangar and Fly-In Gathering both a fun and
educational event.
Note to builders: You
can arrange to pick-up parts at the Open Hangar Day if the parts have
been ordered, paid for and confirmed prior to the Open Hangar Day.
|
Hundreds of
builders and enthusiasts attended last year's Open Hangar Day in Mexico,
Missouri. The gathering is an excellent opportunity for owners and builders
of Zenith Aircraft kits to meet each other and to tour the Zenith Aircraft
facilities.
Located in scenic mid-Missouri, all pilots and
aviation enthusiasts are invited to drive or fly in to attend Zenith Aircraft Co.'s
annual ‘Open Hangar and Fly-In’ day. For more
information on attending, please call Zenith Aircraft at (573) 581-9000 or the Mexico Airport at (573) 581-0162.
|
