Zenith
Aircraft Company's 20th Annual OPEN HANGAR DAY and Fly-In Gathering
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Mexico Memorial Airport, Mexico, Missouri
Zenith Aircraft
Company's 20th annual OPEN
HANGAR DAY and Fly-In Gathering is scheduled for Saturday, September
17, 2011, at
the factory located at Mexico Memorial Airport in Mexico, Missouri. Aviation enthusiasts,
especially builders and owners of Zenith Aircraft kit planes, are invited to drive or
fly-in for the day. The Zenith
Aircraft kit production facilities will be open for factory tours and
Zenith's factory-demonstrator kit aircraft will be on display. Company
staff will demonstrate kit production and fabrication techniques used in
producing the all-metal kit aircraft parts made at the Zenith Aircraft
factory.
We have many
activities planned, including a series of hands-on educational and
informative workshops for existing
owners and builders, as well as new builders just getting started (or
just thinking of starting).
Beginning on Friday afternoon we'll present several workshops in the factory, continuing with
shorter seminars on Saturday morning.
Back by popular demand, we've scheduled an informal "Zenith banquet" dinner and
social gathering on Friday evening.
Starting on Friday afternoon, September
16, several informative seminars will be scheduled. These free seminars are between one and two hours in length.
The seminar presenters will also be available on Saturday to answer questions. Group sizes are
limited - we strongly recommend you pre-register if you plan to attend the
Friday afternoon activities. **
Pre-registration form ***
A simple "hotdog and soda" lunch will be available at noon on
Friday, September 16.
Corvair
engine guru William Wynne will explain the "hows
and whys" of a successful Corvair auto conversion
installation in light aircraft.
NEW
Performing a proper Weight & Balance on a newly
built kit airplane is something every builder has to go
through. Zenith builder Mike Pruett of Scales4Planes.comwill show you how this can be done quickly and
easily. Mike will weigh an actual Zenith aircraft and
work through the Weight and Balance report for the aircraft,
using the light aircraft scales offered by Scales4Planes.com /
Weigh-Systems Inc.
2:30 –
3:45 pm, Friday, September
16, 2011:
Jabiru Aircraft Engines, presented by
Zenith builder/owner Mark Stauffer of JabiruUSA. This
informative workshop will cover everything you've always wanted to know
about operating and maintaining the popular Jabiru aircraft engines,
including the 4-cylinder Jabiru 2200 and the 6-cylinder Jabiru 3300.
NEWHow EAA Can Help You Build and Fly Your Own Aircraft - Charlie
Becker from the Experimental Aircraft
Association hosts a seminar on EAA's available
resources to help builders, owners and pilots of amateur-built aircraft,
including the technical advisor and flight advisor programs, as well as
details on Sport Pilot / LSA rules.
NEWViking
Aircraft's Jan Eggenfellner will attend with one of his
popular 110-hp Honda-based auto conversions. Viking Aircraft
offers low-cost complete firewall-forward packages of the Viking-110
engine for installation in Zeniths.
4:00 –
5:00 pm, Friday, September
16, 2011:
Garmin
Avionics
- Tim Casey from Garmin Avionics will talk about the G3X
“glass cockpit” system for kit planes and
light sport aircraft. The G3X
adapts
proven technology from Garmin’s top-of-the-line integrated flight
deck systems, in a package that fits
your paneland budget.
NEWSport
Pilot flight training. Buzzy Devoll of Buzz
Air Flight Academy will discuss Sport Pilot flight training as well as transition
training to Zeniths. Buzz operates both a STOL CH 750
and a ZODIAC CH 601 XL-B / CH 650 S-LSA aircraft in the scenic Reno /
Lake Tahoe area.
UL
Power North America - Robert
Helms from UL Power North America
will present details and answer questions about the UL Power light
aircraft engine, as seen
on Zenith's demonstrator CH 650 aircraft. The UL Power
engines are direct drive air-cooled lightweight engines featuring full
FADEC technology.
Zenith
Builders Banquet at the
Elks
Lodge (next to the airport).
This is a fun and informal buffet dinner gathering of Zenith enthusiasts, builders,
pilots and employees. Some great door prizes
will be awarded, including a brand new Garmin Aera
510 handheld GPS (valued at over $1,000). RSVP
soon as space is limited. Click
here to purchase your ticket(s) now, or RSVP
now and purchase the dinner tickets in advance in the Zenith offices.
Cost: $15.00 per person. Cash bar, opens at 5 pm.
*** RSVP
now for the above seminars, workshops and banquet ***
Note:
The above schedule is tentative and subject to change. Keep
checking this page for the latest updates. 07/26/2013
Saturday,
September 17, 2011, 8:00 am - 3:00 pm: The Zenith
Aircraft kit production facilities will be open for factory tours and
Zenith's factory-demonstrator kit aircraft will be on display. Company
staff will demonstrate kit production and fabrication techniques used in
producing the all-metal kit aircraft parts made at the Zenith Aircraft
factory, including cutting and
pre-drilling kit parts on the CNC router, forming and hand
finishing wing ribs and other kit parts, and aircraft aluminum
welding demonstrations. We'll also have aircraft kits and parts on
hand and special factory tours are planned.
Saturday
participants and activities include:
(As of today, some of the participants listed below have yet to confirm
their attendance this year)
Hands-on
Workshop: Visitors will be given the opportunity
to "build their own" aircraft-aluminum binder for
their Zenith documentation, as well as a custom made wheel
chocks assembly project.
Charlie
Becker from the Experimental Aircraft
Association will attend and host a seminar on EAA's available
resources to help builders, owners and pilots of amateur-built aircraft,
including the technical advisor and flight advisor programs, as well as
details on Sport Pilot / LSA rules.
Dynon Avionics
sent us a brand new glass
panel SkyView demo unit which we'll have mounted in a STOL CH 750
instrument panel, demonstrating this new next-generation glass panel
with 10" display.
Robert Helms
from UL Power North
America will be on hand to show this modern new light aircraft
engine, as seen on Zenith's demonstrator CH 650 aircraft.
A
representative from Aircraft
Spruce & Specialty will attend to hand out catalogs and
showcase some of the thousands of items offered by this homebuilders and
pilots superstore.
Mark
Stauffer, builder and owner of a Zenith, will represent Jabiru
USA, distributor of Jabiru engines, the line of lightweight
aircraft engines popular in many Zeniths. Mark will be available
to answer your engine installation, operation and maintenance questions.
Aumie and
Buzz Devoll of Buzz
Air Flight Academy (located outside of Reno, Nevada) will be
attending to discuss Sport Pilot flight training as well as transition
training to Zeniths. The flight school operates both a STOL CH 750
and a ZODIAC CH 601 XL-B / CH 650 S-LSA aircraft in the scenic Reno /
Lake Tahoe area.
Corvair
Engine guru William Wynne of FlyCorvair.com
will attend to show the affordable Corvair auto conversion installation
popular on many Zeniths
Scales4Planes.com
- Zenith builder Mike Pruett will show his light aircraft weighing
equipment and show builders and owners how to properly weigh their
aircraft and compute a proper "weight and balance" for their
aircraft.
Garmin
Avionics, the leader in light aircraft GPS and avionics systems,
will be on hand to show the latest
Garmin products for light sport aircraft including the new GSX
flight deck. Tim Casey, Garmin's sales manager for portables,
LSA, and Experimental Aviation Markets, will answer
questions on installing and operating Garmin avionics in Zenith
aircraft.
Viking
Aircraft produces a low-cost Honda-based 110-hp engine, and
offers complete firewall-forward packages of the Viking-110 engine for
installation in Zeniths.
Viking
Aircraft
HomebuiltHelp.com
offers a complete line of "how-to" videos available on
DVD, and will have the popular DVDs available for preview and
purchase.
George Happ from Matco
Mfg., maker of light aircraft wheels and brakes used on many
Zeniths, will be on hand to discuss the company's products and how to
best install and operate them on your Zenith.
American
Light Sport Aircrafters (AmLSA) is a new builder assistance center located
in Mexico, Missouri. It was established to help builders get their
kit project completed and flying sooner, and to provide kit assembly
facilities to builders who do not have the needed space. Diane and
Billy Carter from AmLSA will attend with their STOL
CH 750 project to meet with builders and answer
building questions.
American Light
Sport Aircrafters
Jon Croke,
editor of the "Zenair
Newsletter," will be available to sell back issues of the
newsletter, renew your subscription, and interview builders and
suppliers for future issues of the builder newsletter. The official newsletter is published
six times per year, and each issue comes with a companion DVD.
Wick's Aircraft Supplies will hand out catalogs and showcase some of the builder supplies offered by Wick's
(aircraft building materials and hardware, tools, and accessories).
Zenith
Aircraft kits, options, and parts will be on display and available to
order.
Customer Projects:
Existing Zenith Aircraft builders and owners enjoy sharing
information and details about building and flying their aircraft,
and will be available to discuss construction, finishing (paint,
upholstery, avionics, alternative engines, etc.) and flying their
aircraft creations. Builders and pilots: Bring your photos to share with
fellow builders, and let us know if you would like some indoor
space for a display or presentation.
Other
products and services for Zenith builders and flyers. (Contact
us if you are interested in showcasing products or services that are
of interest to Zenith builders and flyers).
Factory demonstrator
aircraft:
The popular CH
650, STOL CH 701,
STOL CH 750 and STOL
CH 801 factory demonstrator aircraft will be parked at the
factory. Demonstrations fligths may be available by prior
arrangement.
Food
and refreshments: Local EAA chapter 1225 will provide a hot
lunch at noon on Saturday, September 18. Zenith will also have
complimentary coffee available in the morning.
Note: Zenith will be
holding a Rudder
Workshop on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 15 & 16 (his workshop
is now full).
Accommodations:
Due to the large number of visitors to Mexico on September 16 &
17, local
hotels may fill up quickly. There are numerous additional hotels in the general area, as well as camping
sites. Click here for additional information on accommodations.
We can help you to carpool if you are flying in and need a ride to and
from a local hotel. Let us know how we can help you.
Zenith Builders and Pilots:
Owners of completed Zenith Aircraft are encouraged to fly-in for the
activities and to show off their completed project to fellow
builders (we will provide tie-down space and help facilitate ground
transportation if possible). Let us know of any special needs
or requirements.
If flying in, please bring your own aircraft tie-downs, especially
if staying overnight. If flying in with your Zenith plane, please
park your airplane as close to the Zenith factory as possible on
Saturday. We'll try to position and group all Zeniths in front of
the factory for the group photo at 10:30 am. If driving in,
please bring yourself a folding (lawn) chair if possible. We will
have chairs and picnic tables, but we sometimes run out...
There is no charge to attend the Open Hangar Day or any seminars,
with the exception of the banquet dinner on Friday evening.
Check this page for the latest updates and schedule. Please contact
us if you have ideas, requests or capabilities to make the
20th annual 2011 Open Hangar and Fly-In Gathering both a fun and
educational event.
Note to builders: You can arrange to pick-up parts at the Open
Hangar Day if the parts have been ordered, paid for and
confirmed prior to the Open Hangar Day.
Hundreds of
builders and enthusiasts attended last year's Open Hangar Day in Mexico,
Missouri. The gathering is an excellent opportunity for owners and builders
of Zenith Aircraft kits to meet each other and to tour the Zenith Aircraft
facilities.
Located in
scenic mid-Missouri, all pilots and aviation enthusiasts are invited to
drive or fly in to attend Zenith Aircraft Co.'s annual ‘Open Hangar and
Fly-In’ day. For more information on attending, please call Zenith
Aircraft at (573) 581-9000 or the Mexico Airport at (573) 581-0162.
Gus
Warren discussed and showed how to thoroughly inspect a Zenith aircraft prior to your first flight, and
how to adequately preflight your aircraft before every flight.
This seminar included an actual
inspection using a itemized checklist. Gus, who is also an A&P mechanic and flight instructor, answered questions about Sport
Pilot and Light Sport Aircraft (LSA).
Thanks to great weather, several dozen Zeniths flew in to the Open
Hangar day.
Workshops and seminars kept builders busy all day.
EAA chapter 1225 volunteers cook pork steaks for lunch....
Owners of completed Zenith Aircraft flew in for the activities and to
show off their completed projects to fellow builders.
Friday evening Zenith banquet - the dinner buffet was enjoyed by more than 135 builders and Zenith employees on
Friday evening prior to the Open Hangar Day. (Note: the event is
now held indoors)
Builders and their planes pose in front of the Zenith
factory for the traditional group photo: Join
us and be part of our annual Zenith Group Photo at 10:30 on Saturday
morning. We'll try to include as many Zeniths as possible in the
group photo.
Mark Townsend presented a workshop on building your own Zenith from plans-only, covering the tools, materials and skills needed to build
your own Zenith plane from just a set of blueprints (as opposed to the
kit).
Builders
were given the opportunity
to "build their own" all-metal binder for
the Zenith plans set.
Zenith Aircraft
Company 1881 Airport Road, Mexico Memorial Airport
Mexico, Missouri, 65265 USA.
Tel: 573-581-9000 (Mon - Fri, 8-5 Central),
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