First Flight: July 4, 2005

   Jim Stransky started construction of his new Sonex aircraft immediately upon returning from Oshkosh [AirVenture] in 1999. After working at a leisurely pace for six years, his Sonex flew for the first time on July 4, 2005. 

   Mr. Stransky built his Sonex at home using two of the three bays of his garage, his wife got to keep her car parked in the third while he parked outside. The cowl and fiberglass parts he purchased directly from Sonex, but the rest of the plane he constructed from raw materials. Although he cut and riveted all of the aluminum parts himself, Jim says the Sonex is a simple design for a builder. Everything fit nicely onto a 4’ X 12’ workbench and there were no special jigs or tools required. 

   When asked why he picked a Sonex, Jim stated that he was on a limited budget and Sonex gave him the “biggest bang for the buck”. The kit was “builder friendly” and the finished product offered nice performance. With his VW 80HP Conversion Engine, Jim can cruise at 135 MPH, burning only 4 gallons of fuel per hour. All total, Mr. Stransky figures he has about $13,000 invested in his Sonex, not bad for such a fine aircraft. Jim states that Sonex has the spirit of homebuilt aircraft with their “reality check”, they believe that an aircraft should not cost more than a good used car. Sonex throws a Builder’s Party every year at Oshkosh during AirVenture and again during Sun ‘N Fun in Florida. But Jim emphasizes that the best part of Sonex is their excellent factory support. 

   Jim was prepared for the first flight of his Sonex thanks to Dave Ross, his instructor, who trained him for his tail dragger endorsement, took extra time to help him prepare for the first flight and flew “chase” for him on the big day. Jim also owes Don Paolucci a debt of gratitude for allowing him to practice take-offs and landings in Don’s RV-7 the morning of the special day. Don sat right beside him giving him pointers he would need later that day. 

   Mr. Stransky had not flown much during the six years before completion of his Sonex. He and his partner had to sell their plane when his partner moved out of the area. Jim’s new Sonex would be its replacement. During those six years, Jim continued to take his biennial flight reviews and in the two months prior to the first flight of his Sonex, Jim worked very hard with his instructor, Dave Ross, to shake the rust off. 

   Unfortunately, the first flight in his Sonex was not as much of a rush as one would think. Jim was so concerned with not making any pilot errors, that he was unable to enjoy the moment. Even though the first flight was uneventful, it wasn’t until the second and third flights that Jim finally realized, “I’m flying in an aircraft that I built myself!” 

   Jim Stransky enjoyed the whole experience of building his Sonex. The experts of EAA Chapter 50 really helped him through the whole process. You’ll have to ask him about his “N” number sometime . . . he’ll tell you it’s the number of hours it took him to build it!