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Starting at the Zenith kit aircraft factory
in Mexico, Missouri on Saturday morning (April 5, 2008) our trip took us
to Sun'n Fun in
Lakeland, Florida about 1,000 miles (or 1,600 km.) away. |
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Day One: Mexico, Missouri (KMYJ)
to Sikeston, Missouri (KSIK)
to Mussel Shoals, Alabama (KMSL)
to Jasper, Alabama (KJFX).
Day Two: Jasper, Alabama (KJFX) to Bessemer, Alabama (KEKY)
to Tuskegee, Alabama to (06A)
to Eufaula, Alabama (KEUF).
Day Three: Eufaula, Alabama (KEUF) to Cross City, Florida (KCTY)
to Lakeland, Florida (KLAL). |
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View from the STOL CH 701 cabin |
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Flying over the
Missouri River |
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The Missouri River covered by morning fog |
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View from the STOL CH 701. The full
clear bubble door provides great downward
visibility. |
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View over the nose, heading SE toward Sikeston, Missouri |
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View of the basic instrument panel and
center "Y" control stick - smooth air allows for hands-free flying... |
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Approaching the mighty
Mississippi River with its shores overflowing |
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A bit of road... |
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Stranded farm in the muddy waters of the Mississippi |
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View of the STOL from behind over the flooded Mississippi valley fields
in southern Missouri |
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View of the STOL CH 801 |
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Flooded fields in the Mississippi River valley
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The STOL CH 701 and STOL CH 801 in Sikeston, Missouri (KSIK), 200 miles
into our trip. |
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Continuing on into Kentucky... |
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Flying over a dammed river |
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Day Two: |
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First signs of poor weather: Low ceiling with light rain |
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Refueling stop in Bessemer Alabama (KEKY) |
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Brief landing in Tuskegee, Alabama, where we joined up with two Ercoupes
enroute to Sun'n Fun. |
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Poor weather prevented us from getting into Florida and we spent the
night in Eufaula, Alabama, the "deep south." |
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Nice view of the STOL CH 701 cabin |
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A view of the Gulf Coast in northern Florida |
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Flying the Lakeland approach into
Sun'n Fun:
Following Interstate 4 westbound from Lake Parker. |
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Arrival on the Sun'n Fun grounds at Lakeland, Florida (KLAL), taxing by
the row of
F16 Thunderbirds |
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Sun'n Fun: April 8 - 13, 2008 |
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The Zenith display at
Sun'n Fun |
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The
AMD Zodiac XL (yellow) and
Patriot aircraft in the LSA Mall at Sun'n Fun. |
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In the sheet metal workshop at the Sun'n Fun fly-in, a
STOL CH 701 kit
was under construction during the six days of the fly-in.
The non-profit group Spirit of Hope, headed
by Burl Nelson, plans to donate the completed STOL CH 701 aircraft to a
missionary organization. |
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Assembling the STOL CH 701 wing at the Sun'n Fun workshop (from standard
kit parts) |
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Burl Nelson of Spirit of Hope, the sponsor of the kit. |
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Building the STOL CH 701 rudder tail section |
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Demonstrating the STOL CH 701 assembly. |
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The wing nears completion... |
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Jim Hoak (left), a Zodiac CH 601 builder and longtime sheet-metal
workshop volunteer, shares his skills on the
horizontal tail section of
the STOL CH 701 kit. |
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The rear fuselage section of the STOL CH 701 (turned on its side).
(Special thanks to builder Ron Lendon for sharing many of the above
six photos).
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Inside the rear fuselage assembly
of the STOL CH 701 |
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Drilling and riveting the rear fuselage |
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STOL CH 701 rear fuselage and horizontal tail frame, flat on the
workbench |
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Blind riveting the STOL CH 701 rear fuselage
assembly together. |
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The STOL CH 701 workshop area at Sun'n Fun. |
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Once again, the annual
builders' BBQ he on April 10 was a great success, hosted by the
www.ch601.org
and www.ch701.com
webmasters.
(file photo from previous year) |
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Smile! |
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Bob and Russell of
Flight Crafters
with their STOL CH 701 project. |
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The Return Trip Home: The first day we only made it one hour
north: From Lakeland (KLAL)
to Dunellon, FL (X35) |
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Monday, April 14:
The first day we only made it one hour north: From Lakeland (KLAL)
to Dunellon, FL (X35),
but we made it the rest of the way to Mexico, Missouri on the second day
(nearly 1,000 miles in one day in the STOL CH 701!) |
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The STOL CH 801's aging
Lycoming O-360 engine needed a
replacement starter. Thanks to the folks at
Superior Air
Parts who were able to supply us with a new starter. |
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Zodiac CH 601 taxiing out, passing
by an Aerocar flying car. |
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Taxiing out of Lakeland |
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Heading back home |
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On our way back we stopped in to visit
Steve
Saint and his excellent crew at
I-TEC (Indigenous
Peoples Technology and Education Center, Inc.) in
Dunnellon,
Florida, where we had the chance to try out their amazing prototype
4-wheeled powered parachute / all-terrain vehicle designed for use in
the jungles of South America. Due to high winds, we spent the rest
of the day and night in Dunnellon. |
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Day Two: Dunnellon, FL (X35)
to Thomasville, GA (KTVI)
to Eufaula, Alabama (KEUF)
to Jasper, Alabama (KJFX)
to Sikeston, Missouri (KSIK)
and back home to Mexico, Missouri! |
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Despite an early morning departure, we were facing headwinds...
Thankfully the headwinds diminished as we headed north into Georgia.
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Following a meandering river in central Florida. |
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Flying the STOL CH 701:
Notice the fixed leading edge wing slat. |
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Flying over scenic Lake Martin in Alabama. |
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Lake Martin |
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Back to the flooded plains of southern Missouri. |
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Tail winds push us home past the Missouri River. |
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On final on Runway 18 at Mexico Memorial
Airport (KMYJ) just before sunset. |
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Click here to view photos of
the 2007 Sun'n Fun fly-in |
... Previous
STOL CH 701 Photo Gallery
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Note: Many of these images show customer-built aircraft,
some of which have been modified without the designer's specific approval. Modifications
will affect the specifications and performance of the aircraft.
The
Zenith literature package is easily the most complete package I
have received from any light aviation company, and I’ve seen
many other good ones among the hundreds I have studied. Lots and
lots of information is presented with some lovely graphics. The
literature alone is impressive, but the volume of information will
keep you reading for hours. You can get a good idea of what you're
buying without ever leaving your chair."
