From the beginning
Well, I would go back further but...I won't. This is the second of 2 airplanes that my dad, a commercial pilot, and mom, a private pilot, built. It was completed when I was 4. I really have had flying in my blood since birth; that's the only way I can explain it.
Enter the Titan
I finally acted on my desire to fly and got my private pilot's license in August of 2002. The next logical task was to build a plane of course! This is a Titan Tornado S (N429PY) that I built from a kit. Build time was 440 hours and was completed in 13 months. It seated 2 and would cruise at 104kts (120mph) and was a fun little airplane; little being the operative word. As my family grew, I decided to sell this and build a larger plane.
Finding a purpose
In my search for a larger plane that could fit my entire family, I zeroed in on the Bearhawk. It is a 4 place airplane that can also carry 120lbs of cargo in the rear. I plan to build a jump seat that can go in this area to seat an addition person. It has an all-aluminum wing, steel tube and fabric fuselage and can be built from a kit, scratch or a combination of the two. I finished the wings in the spring of 2012 and put them in storage. When we had been in Ionia, MI for about 9 months, I started on the fuselage. I was able to complete the finish welding before Christmas of 2014. But then reality set in. I realized I wasn't going to finish it before going to Africa so I sold the entire project to a father/son team from Idaho. I have complete confidence that they will finish the work I started and Bearhawk #783 will fly.
UPDATE! Bearhawk Serial #783 HAS FLOWN!! The guy who purchased it from me just sent me photos and video of this successful first flight and subsequent flights (Spring of 2019). It brought a tear or two to my eyes. How fun to see this bird in the air and someone enjoying the fruit of my labor!
UPDATE! Bearhawk Serial #783 HAS FLOWN!! The guy who purchased it from me just sent me photos and video of this successful first flight and subsequent flights (Spring of 2019). It brought a tear or two to my eyes. How fun to see this bird in the air and someone enjoying the fruit of my labor!