WOODINVILLE, Wash. — Seven employees at Dynon Avionics got together and talked themselves into creating a flying club. Since they work for a leader in avionics for homebuilt aircraft and LSAs, it was only natural that they wanted access to an experimental aircraft.
They were all hooked on flying, but it didn’t make economic sense to individually own and maintain an aircraft. They pooled their resources, built a Sportsman in two weeks via Glasair’s Two Weeks To Taxi program, and are now enjoying the results of their effort.
Ian Jordan, who headed up the construction group, said: “The build time was shared by all and it served as a great bonding experience for us. We all have considerable knowledge of what is in the airframe and a high level of respect for taking care of it. It’s really an ideal way to start a flying club.”
As soon as the Phase One flight testing was completed, the club members started lining up for check out rides and the group is now very active with their new Sportsman aircraft.
“Everyone is very enthusiastic about the plane and the club,” said Robert Hamilton, President of Dynon. “They’re all very eager to get on the schedule and log time in the aircraft. Other Dynon employees helped on the build, and it was a good educational experience. There are a lot smiles in the shop these days. The big question now is who gets to fly it out to AirVenture this summer.”
The Sportsman is a four-place aircraft that can be flown as a tricycle or taildragger, with tundra tires, on floats, on skis and with its folding wings it can be stored in a garage.
For more information: GlasairAviation.com, DynonAvionics.com
Photo: The Dynon employee flying club, known as the Swamp Creek Flyers, includes (left to right): Kirk Kleinholz, David Weber, Robert Hamilton, Ian Jordan, and Paul Dunscomb.