Experimental doesn't mean exotic

By Andrew Fish / Leader Staff

Until recently when I would hear the term "experimental aircraft" the image that came to mind was of aircraft with bizarre wing geometries constructed of exotic Star Trek-like unobtainium based alloys and possibly capable of defying the laws of physics as we know them. The pilots of course would possess a mix of Chuck Yeager skill and gonzo billionaire mystique. Though the only place, in my mind, to see experimental aircraft would be in an isolated corner of the California desert or Nevada … never in rural northwest Montana.

Why the desert? Well, they're experimental aircraft and therefore must be pushing the envelope. Sometimes the envelope rips and you buy the farm, hopefully without taking out people on the ground.

Turns out that I was dead wrong.

And I have an active imagination.

A recent visit to the Polson airport in search of a story revealed that if it weren't for the Federal Aviation Administration mandated "experimental" sticker on the aircraft, it would be difficult to distinguish an experimental aircraft from a non-experimental one.

Hawkeye Hughes, a former military pilot and current pilot of an experimental aircraft domiciled in Polson, explained that experimental is an FAA category of aircraft.

All aircraft require an airworthiness certificate from the FAA in order to legally fly in the U.S. A typical aircraft, such as a Cessna, tends to have a standard airworthiness certificate. To earn this certificate, the manufacturer must go through a lengthy and costly process. An experimental aircraft, on the other hand, receives a special airworthiness certification. One of the key requirements for an experimental aircraft is that the original owner must construct 51 percent or more of it. Experimental aircraft cannot be used for commercial service, either.

Hughes and many other pilots of experimental aircraft are members of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Most commonly known as the EAA, the association was founded in 1953 by Paul Poberezny in Milwaukee, Wis.

The EAA is best known for its world famous Airventure fly-in held every year in OshKosh, Wis. The event attracts nearly a million visitors and more than 10,000 aircraft every year. The association's mission is "providing aviation access to all who wish to participate." The EAA publishes magazines, helps sponsor fly-ins around the nation and sponsors other activities, such as its Young Eagles events.

Young Eagles is a program that takes kids ages 8-17 for a free airplane ride with a volunteer pilot. Local coordinator Bud Radtke said that the program was started in 1992 with the goal of flying one million kids by the end of 2003. That goal was reached in October 2003, he said. He quoted local pilot Chuck Jarecki when explaining why the pilots volunteer, "As Chuck said at the St. Ignatius fly-in, the looks on the kid's faces is all the reason you need."

One of the other EAA members I met at the airport was pilot Konrad Akland. He took me to his hangar to show me his two experimental aircraft. The one we spent the most time discussing was his Pitts S-1S. The Pitts is designed for competition aerobatic flying. It's a diminutive biplane with lots of control surfaces, a high power-to-weight ratio and a high roll rate. Roll rate describes how quickly an airplane can roll through 360 degrees. The Pitts can do it in an amazingly-fast second. It's nimble, he says. "The old joke is that if you want to turn left, " explains Akland. "Just turn your eyeballs left and it will follow."

As I asked him about the aerobatic maneuvers he performs, Akland described the feeling of pulling 4Gs as not too bad but pulling two negative Gs as being really uncomfortable. A G represents the force of gravity. Stand on the earth's surface at rest and you'll be feeling 1G. As an airplane performs tricks, the force of gravity is being multiplied. In the case of a positive G, you feel extra weight pushing down on the surfaces of your body. In the case of a negative G, you begin to feel weightless and blood rushes to the head.

I asked Akland what possesses him to fly an aircraft upside down, through loops and other maneuvers. "If you have to ask, you won't understand," he said.

It's true, I think. But I'm a reporter and I had to ask.

Akland's other experimental airplane is an RV-6. The RV series of aircraft are kits manufactured by Van's aircraft and are extremely popular with homebuilders. Akland says this is because they offer what is called "total performance." What he means by this is that the RV-6, for example, may not be the fastest airplane around nor the most maneuverable, but it does perform well in all categories. It does everything from sport aerobatics to long-distance flying well. It's speedy, but gets good fuel mileage. And it fits two people quite well.

Hughes is in the process of building another Van's aircraft, the single-seat RV-3. But his current favorite is his Skyote biplane, which is even smaller than Akland's Pitts. I asked him what its primary purpose is and he told me that if you see a biplane, it's typically used for aerobatics.

I should interject something here, in case it's not yet obvious — I'm an aviation geek. I love aircraft, flying and even the smell of jet fuel. Meeting with these guys changed my concept of an experimental aircraft pilot. It turns out that they're a bunch of friendly, average folks. They responded to my enthusiasm for aviation with friendliness and a willingness to answer all my questions. Especially when I asked what motivates people to build experimental aircraft.

Hughes was rather blunt, "All good airplanes are experimental." He explained that in terms of aircraft design, there haven't been many changes to non-experimental designs since 1946. As aircraft companies became more financially conservative, they weren't as willing to go through the standard airworthiness process for each new design and began to worry about litigation. He gave the example of Cessna models and said that's why they all seem to look alike. However, many advances have been made in the experimental aircraft category. Hughes said the main reason for this is the category allows the aircraft builders to try out new things to see how they work. As they fly their machines, builder-pilots can customize the airplane to suit their needs.

Hughes showed me the RV-3 he is building and talked about the misconceptions regarding experimental aircraft. He said that pilots without experience building and flying homebuilts often get the idea that they're poorly built. He said in fact the workmanship is usually excellent. And, there is a reward for building your own aircraft. "The idea is that it's a learning experience for the person building the plane."