Pilots Joe Meyeres (left) and Paul Thomson talk Saturday on the tarmac at the Miami County Airport. (Photo by Brian McCauley / bmccauley@miconews.com)
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Red fox shows up at Airport Day
Pilot builds Kitfox with powerful radial engine and antique look
By Brian McCauley, bmccauley@miconews.com
Joe Meyeres can see it now.
The metallic rumble of a 110-horsepower radial engine will resonate across the blue skies of central Kansas as he navigates his recently completed Kitfox experimental aircraft toward his small hometown of Beaver.
After six years of work, Meyeres has finally completed the unique plane, which was flown for the first time last month. Now, the Olathe pilot can enjoy showing it off, and that’s something he’d love to do for the few residents of Beaver, which sits north of Great Bend near the intersection of U.S. highways 40 and 281.
“It’s a town of about 20 people,” Meyeres said. “I’d love to land on the highway and taxi into town.”
Beaver residents will have to wait, for now, as Meyeres is yet to complete the necessary training and flight hours to earn the endorsement needed to fly a tail-wheel aircraft. Still, it didn’t stop him from giving Miami County residents a glimpse of his special plane Saturday during Miami County Airport Association’s Airport Day.
Friend Paul Thomson volunteered to fly the plane for Meyeres, as Thomson already has the required endorsement. He said tail-wheel aircraft handle a bit differently than nose-wheel aircraft, and the first 40 hours of flight on Meyeres’ experimental craft have to be done solo.
Thomson jumped at the chance to fly the plane, which weighs about 700 pounds and typically would only be equipped with an engine sporting about 65 horsepower.
“It’s kind of a kite,” he said with a laugh. “But it climbs like a bat out of hell.”
Parked at the Miami County Airport, the Kitfox caught the eye of quite a few spectators who noticed its reddish color, wood-style propellers and exposed radial engine.
“It looks like it’s leaking oil,” one passerby stated while pointing to a dark puddle below the plane.
“Ya, that’s pretty typical of those engines,” Meyeres said. “They mark their territories.”
Although he has yet to fly his plane, Meyeres has already begun to personalize the interior of the small craft. A 93-year-old friend of Meyeres has taken particular interest in the plane, and recently while visiting with her, Meyeres noticed a fox magnet on her refrigerator. She was more than happy to give up the fuzzy piece of decor, which now sits inside his plane’s cabin.
“I told her it’s got to be the first passenger,” he said.
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The metallic rumble of a 110-horsepower radial engine will resonate across the blue skies of central Kansas as he navigates his recently completed Kitfox experimental aircraft toward his small hometown of Beaver.
After six years of work, Meyeres has finally completed the unique plane, which was flown for the first time last month. Now, the Olathe pilot can enjoy showing it off, and that’s something he’d love to do for the few residents of Beaver, which sits north of Great Bend near the intersection of U.S. highways 40 and 281.
“It’s a town of about 20 people,” Meyeres said. “I’d love to land on the highway and taxi into town.”
Beaver residents will have to wait, for now, as Meyeres is yet to complete the necessary training and flight hours to earn the endorsement needed to fly a tail-wheel aircraft. Still, it didn’t stop him from giving Miami County residents a glimpse of his special plane Saturday during Miami County Airport Association’s Airport Day.
Friend Paul Thomson volunteered to fly the plane for Meyeres, as Thomson already has the required endorsement. He said tail-wheel aircraft handle a bit differently than nose-wheel aircraft, and the first 40 hours of flight on Meyeres’ experimental craft have to be done solo.
Thomson jumped at the chance to fly the plane, which weighs about 700 pounds and typically would only be equipped with an engine sporting about 65 horsepower.
“It’s kind of a kite,” he said with a laugh. “But it climbs like a bat out of hell.”
Parked at the Miami County Airport, the Kitfox caught the eye of quite a few spectators who noticed its reddish color, wood-style propellers and exposed radial engine.
“It looks like it’s leaking oil,” one passerby stated while pointing to a dark puddle below the plane.
“Ya, that’s pretty typical of those engines,” Meyeres said. “They mark their territories.”
Although he has yet to fly his plane, Meyeres has already begun to personalize the interior of the small craft. A 93-year-old friend of Meyeres has taken particular interest in the plane, and recently while visiting with her, Meyeres noticed a fox magnet on her refrigerator. She was more than happy to give up the fuzzy piece of decor, which now sits inside his plane’s cabin.
“I told her it’s got to be the first passenger,” he said.