By Chris Demopoulos, EAA 753405
This piece originally ran in the November 2025 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
I began flying in 1999 to satisfy my lifelong curiosity and built-up desire. Recently retired from decades of national competition in the adrenaline-pumping arena of motorcycle racing, I had solid mechanical skills and plenty of risk management experience. Having been considered a lifetime “motorhead,” I began my obsession with fast vehicles by building and flying model airplanes in my youth. School projects included studies on engines, propulsion, and the aerodynamic forces of flight. So, the progression from building and racing cars and motorcycles to restoring and flying an airplane seemed natural to me.
Pilot training introduced me to a multitude of interesting people and their flying machines here in northwest Indiana. I was a private pilot by fall of ’99 and had been renting the standard stock of training airplanes for two years when I met Howard and his sun-faded and tired-looking 172H, 3832R. He and his airplane were both well past their prime, and Howard, age 84, felt it was time to sell. We talked several times and then he handed me the keys and said, “Well, you check it out and go fly it around for a while and tell me what you think it’s worth.” Really? At the time I had no clue the transformation from “ramp rat” to an Oshkosh award winner would take 11 years of dedicated learning, heartbreak, hard work, and as much fun and enjoyment.
In September 2001 I became a Cessna owner, and 32 Romeo was about to become a labor of love for my entire family. Fate would have me in a fully equipped hangar space, surrounded by “airplane nuts” in short order. I revealed my restoration goals to Mr. Meyers, an accomplished and notoriously picky A&P/IA mechanic, and to my delight he didn’t run away and hide! Instead he was on board as the “chief” for 20 of my 25 years of ownership. Randy, equally as skilled and particular, has since taken over for the retired Mr. Myers.
G&N Aircraft, located at my home base (05C), built us a smooth-running new engine with all new accessories, and virtually everything else directly or indirectly attached to the engine and firewall was made like new or was new. Next up was the instrument panel. As with the powerplant, everything in the panel was inspected, replaced as needed, or repaired to like new and recertified. A local avionics shop assisted with removal of the automatic direction finder and Apollo LORAN radios and then installed a slide-in Apollo GX-55 VFR GPS. It also repaired and recertified the ILS receiver and nav indicators. The new glareshield, lower skirt, and trim console were painted satin black to match the refurbished instrument overlay panels. Everything received new labels and placards, and 32 Romeo’s panel now looked and functioned better than new.
The panel has undergone three upgrades in subsequent years including twin AV-30-Cs to replace the steam gyros, ADS-B In/Out, a Garmin 430W, and a TruTrak autopilot — all making cross-country and IFR much safer and relaxed.
During the restoration’s various phases, I was flying as often as possible, and an unpleasant encounter with a deer during a landing put a serious dent (pun intended) in the progress. Not to be discouraged, I hired a highly skilled group of craftsmen who put 32R back together as good as or better than new.
I flew the airplane for three years without a “unified” paint job. When I finally tired of the embarrassing remarks and my hangar situation allowed, I built a spray booth inside it and spent three-and-a-half years perfecting the skills to complete a show-winning DIY Imron paint scheme application. I disassembled the entire aircraft and painted all the parts separately and reassembled it with a new DIY interior finish, replacing every cable, nut, bolt, washer, and screw front to back.
At AirVenture 2012 I flew into Oshkosh and was awarded Outstanding Single-Engine Airplane (under 160 hp). Then at AirVenture 2013 after completing the wheelpants restoration and a few other details, I was awarded the Bronze Lindy for the Contemporary Vintage category! After 20 years of fairly reliable service, I decided to upgrade the engine to a 180-plus-hp Lycoming L-series O-360-A4M with a PowerFlow tuned exhaust via an Air Plains 172XP STC kit. What a transformation! Flights with family over the Rockies, Smokies, and Adirondacks, flights to Lake Placid, to Seattle and San Francisco, and to Pensacola, and numerous other trips over the past 24 years have all been pure joy. Today 32 Romeo, thanks to dedicated care, maintenance, and some awesome upgrades, looks pretty much as good (or better actually) as “he” did winning the Lindy in 2013. Much thanks to Robert Meyers, Randy Illic, Bob Aulf, Dennis Wyman, and most of all to my faithful and endlessly patient wife and partner in this dream come true.
Attention — Aircraft Builders and Restorers
We would love to share your story with your fellow EAA members in the pages of EAA Sport Aviation magazine, even if it’s a project that’s been completed for a while. Readers consistently rate the “What Our Members are Building/Restoring” section of the magazine as one of their favorites, so don’t miss the chance to show off your handiwork and inspire your peers to start or complete projects of their own. Learn more ->