By William Batten, EAA Lifetime 781915
In December 2020, I made three big life decisions. I decided to retire, I sold my Velocity (I really liked that aircraft but did not build it), and I decided to build my own experimental aircraft. Building my own aircraft had been a dream of mine for years, but seemed impossible while I worked full time.
Selecting which experimental aircraft to build proved to be much more difficult than I thought. I began my research and filled several Excel spreadsheets with data and comments, but could not decide on which model to build. I attended SUN ‘n FUN and AirVenture, but no joy. I wanted side-by-side seating since my grandchildren would certainly be flying with me as they got older. A two-seater would be perfect as a retirement aircraft — I rarely had more than myself in the Velocity. I was leaning toward a composite aircraft, but tried to stay open-minded for my final decision.
I’m very active in our local EAA chapter and was aware that one of our other members had built a Sonex 17 years ago. Dan walked me through his build and answered a lot of questions about the airplane. I was also aware that one of our other members had started building a Sonex in his garage. I didn’t know Larry very well but used this as an excuse to get to know him better and learn about his build progress. Larry was meticulous about every aspect of building. I quickly realized that he had a lot to offer me as a fellow builder and mentor, and could teach me about working with aluminum. I finally felt at peace about building a Sonex as it met most of my criteria regarding performance and economy. So there it was, 16 months after selling the Velocity, I’m planning to build a Waiex. As soon as Larry discovered that I had decided to build a Waiex, he introduced me to James, who also lives in Columbus, Indiana. Turns out James had ordered his Sonex kit about four months earlier.
So, Larry, Dan, James, and I began meeting once a month for coffee and to bounce ideas off each other as we were planning our builds. One day Matt (a UPS pilot) showed up at our coffee and said he had seen our posting on Facebook about the Sonex coffee.
So, now we meet twice a month to share our progress and get new ideas — all five of us in the same town — Larry, James, Dan, Matt, and Bill. How cool is that?! Did I mention that we just met Chuck in Anderson, Indiana, who is also building a Sonex?
Last, but not least, James is building his Sonex in my hangar (no available hangars at our airport) right next to my project. So, every day we work side by side building our projects together. It’s great to have someone look at a drawing with you, or just give a helping hand when you need someone inside the fuselage and someone outside of the fuselage.
So, we have a bit of a phenomenon occurring here in Columbus, Indiana — the Southern Indiana Sonex Builders.
I don’t know which aspect of this is better — all building similar experimental aircraft, or the camaraderie that has developed. Either way, I will never forget the summer of 2023 and I’m grateful for the new friendships.