It was great to see you, Harvey, Jim, and Dean on Saturday. What an awesome turnout! Every time I push out the Waiex for display at an event at Mojave I am taken back by the attention that it gets.. and even when it is parked next to aircraft like Boomerang, the GP-5, or P-51s, or whatever else decides to show up that day. I think it is for two reasons - first, people love to look at projects with the cowling off, etc - and two, I think that the Sonex family represents such a practical, obtainable goal in a lot of people's minds that it is a real attention getter.
But I did vow to myself that that was the last time I am going to push my airplane a half mile down the ramp.. the next time she will be under her own power for sure! I need to stop working so much and just get Waiex #142 done.
Other than all of the world records that were set last week, (
http://www.mojaveflyin.com/2014/04/after-action-report.html) There were generic nominations for awards, from which one or more of four prizes could be won for the Best Design, Best Build, Best Test, and over-all Best Experimenter of the year. My custom instrument panel was nominated, and although I did not win I did take home second place for the Best Build of the year! I lost to Kevin Eldredge who deveolped a 409 cubic inch conversion for the Lycoming 360 (
http://www.ace-performance.com).. I was truly humbled to have been nominated and didn't feel bad about losing to Kevin!
All in all it was a great event! Check out some of the photos and make your plans to come back next year! (
http://www.mojaveflyin.com/2014/04/bob-morgans-photos.html)
I especially like this one, my friend Bob told me to stand next to Jim's awesome looking Waiex and make the face of "contemplation of what I will do with mine when it is completed in the near future"