William Wynne

"The Corvair Authority"
5000-18 HWY 17 #247
Orange Park, FL 32003

Zenith Open House Sept. 19, 2009
Corvair College #16 Registration Almost Full
Products Pages Updated
Applications On Home Page

I am an invited guest speaker on Saturday, September 19, at the Zenith Aircraft Factory Open House in Mexico, Mo. Their Web site at www.ZenithAir.com contains many more details on the event. I am driving out and plan on arriving mid-day Friday. We will have the usual collections of Manuals and DVDs as well as a selection of parts from our catalog. Although the event is focused on Zeniths, I would encourage anyone to come and tour the factory. It is an impressive facility, and the Heintz family runs a very hospitable organization. In between speaking engagements on the schedule, I will conduct a parking lot inspection/tour of any core or component part that builders would like me to get a look at. It is an excellent in person opportunity to learn more about the Corvair in a relaxed but productive setting.

Both Louis Kantor and David Coberly are planning on flying in their Corvair powered 601 XLs. You can see photos of their aircraft at our all-Zenith Web site, www.ZenVair.com. Of particular interest to Zenith 750 builders will be Louis' installation. Although his aircraft is a 601, I specifically configured it in the format we will be using for 750 installations. It now has 80 flawless hours on it, including an appearance at Oshkosh 2009. If you are planning on attending and have any questions or would like a specific part, please e-mail me by Thursday morning.

Corvair College #16

Corvair College is coming up Nov. 6-8, 2009, outside Columbia, S.C. This is Ed Fisher's hangar, the same host who brought everyone Corvair College #12 last year. We're planning a very productive and intensely fun College. ZenVair 601 builder Ken Pavlou graciously set up an Online Registration Web page as an entry point for the event. We are expecting six Corvair powered aircraft to be on hand, including Mark Langford and Joe Horton's KRs, Dan Weseman's Cleanex, P.F. Beck's Pietenpol, Louis Kantor's 601, and a mystery pilot.

Due to space limitations, we are restricted to 48 guests. I highly encourage anyone interested in Corvairs, from beginning through running engines, to attend this event. A number of Corvair experts will be on hand to assist builders and share what they know. These include Roy Szarafinski of Roy's Garage, and the king of Corvair cores, Larry Hudson. It promises to be a very rewarding event. As we write this, there are less than 10 spaces available so I encourage people to act quickly. When the registration closes, everyone registered will receive details on the program, local accommodations, etc. There is a $49 meal plan available that I would highly encourage all people who are registered to purchase. There are many expenses to hosting a College beyond food, and I'm sure everyone wants to ensure that Ed and Val Fisher understand that their efforts are appreciated.

Products Pages Updated

We've recently updated our Products Page. It now includes items such as light weight Black Propeller Hubs, Short Gold Hubs, and new Universal Stainless Exhaust. Check back for more improvements.

Applications On Main Page

On our Home Page we are in the process of updating our applications. For instance, if you are interested in Pietenpols, there is now a Piet link on the home page with a briefing on the Corvair for that application, suggested installation and information about people who are currently building and operating the same application. While this information is currently on our Web site, we're reorganizing it to make it much easier for fans of a particular design to get a quick take on Corvairs in their application. Check out the links on Zenith 601/650s and 750s, Pietenpols and more to come. We're going to continue this in the coming weeks.

Corvair College #16: November 6-8, 2009
White Plains Airport, Gilbert, S.C.

CC#16 will be held at White Plains Airport in Gilbert, S.C., Nov. 6-8, 2009. Our hosts will be Ed and Val Fisher, above. These are the same hosts and location as CC#12. You can learn more about Ed's work in aviation by looking at his Web site, RaceAirDesigns.com.

Over the years, Corvair Colleges have evolved to be a very high quality experience packaged in a single weekend format. I have always noticed that the second event held at any location is particularly good because it benefits from the experience gained in the first. CC#16 has a number of things going for it that indicate it will be a very rewarding experience for all who attend. Successful Corvair builders and pilots like Mark Langford, Dan Weseman, Joe Horton and P.F. Beck have already told me they are planning on attending. Additionally, our main core supplier, Larry Hudson, will be coming from Indianapolis with core engines. Roy Szarafinski will also be on hand to display his fifth bearing and provide technical assistance. It is a good opportunity to learn a lot and meet many of the luminaries of the Corvair movement in a relaxed social setting.

I have said it many times, but it bears repeating that many of the successfully flying Corvair pilots trace their first attendance of a Corvair College to the beginning of the most productive period in their build. Our long-term statistics prove that builders who attended a College are more than twice as likely to finish their project within 36 months.

In consumer society, we are constantly bombarded with the message that you should buy things instead of building them. To press this point, marketing agents do a good job of making anyone feel doubtful about their own abilities to accomplish anything. Corvair College is an outstanding opportunity to break free of this mentality in the company of like minded people. I have worked in experimental aviation for 20 years. The single most important thing a builder can do to increase the odds of being successful is adopt a mindset of a self reliant individual. The College is a place where builders can come and learn and have fun in an environment of fellow builders who all have chosen the path of using their own hands to create their destiny in aviation. A single weekend in the company of positive people will contrast very strongly with the people who sadly think that they can experience the spirit and rewards of homebuilding solely by opening their wallets.

CC#16 has two differences that builders need to be aware of: The Dining Plan and the attendance limit. First, the College is still free, like every one I have ever held. But, when using the online registration, builders can read about the dining plans that Ed and Val have put together. While Ed's new hangar is located 50 feet from the runway, there are no restaurants nearby. Ed and Val did a spectacular job last year providing food from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning, including a catered dinner on Saturday night. A number of people left Ed with generous donations, but he was substantially upsidedown on the event. Ed and Val put a lot of hard work into these events, and we are organizing the dining plan this year to ensure that they can plan logistics and cover costs. We used this system for Corvair Colleges #14 and #15, and builders enjoyed it as it allowed everybody to stay focused on work and fun. A speical thanks to Corvair builder Ken Pavlou, who donated his time to develop and run the online registration at the https://corvaircollege16.wufoo.com/forms/corvair-college-16-registration/ Web page. It should be noted when you sign up that Ed and Val will rapidly be sending the order into the caterers. You're not required to attend if you sign up, but we have no refund process.

We will limit the amount of builders to 48. This number does not include the hosts, staff or pilots flying in. I do expect the registration to close very quickly. By giving us a paragraph on the status of your project, it will allow us to better target the presentations and physical organization of the event. The event will have something for everybody, from the earliest beginner to the returning pilot. This will undoubtedly be the best organized College we've had to date.

Here is my standard College disclaimer:

This is a private event held at a private facility for the benefit of people who are there to learn and have fun. In the past nine years, literally hundreds of people have attended Colleges, and 99% of them had a great time. We don't allow any talk of politics or religion. I do not allow people to attend who are planning on commercially benefiting from doing so. We reserve the right to remove anyone who is detracting from the experience of rank and file builders. The above words should come as a comfort to anybody who is looking forward to an exceptionally friendly, positive experience.

Anyone who has an interest in building and flying their own Corvair engine is welcome. You need not be a Manual owner to register. However, to get the most out of the experience, the more homework you do before you arrive the more you will learn when you get to Corvair College. The people who make the most educational progress are people who have already read the Manual, and in many cases, watched the DVDs. After going through this material, you can arrive armed with a list of questions and procedures you'd like to see in person.

As the event grows closer, we will publish far more detailed lists of what to bring, where to park, etc. For now, we'd like to get registration under way. We look forward to seeing you at Corvair College.

Last Friday night, I drove 150 miles south to the Merrit Island Bird Sanctuary to be 10 miles from the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center. At 11:59 p.m., the shuttle left right on time, as captured in the above photo. It was the last night launch ever in the 25 year history of the shuttle program. At 10 miles, it's bright enough on a moonless night to read fine print. The sound arrives after 30 seconds. There are large events in aviation like this launch, not to be missed. Corvair College #16 is a tiny event in the panorama of aviation, but potentially a very large one in your own personal story. In the final analysis, it is more important what you will personally do in aviation than the history you will read about or witness. If 2010 is to be your year in aviation, then Corvair College #16 is your milestone event.