RV-8

Another project in our hangar is an avionics upgrade to an RV-8. This airplane is owned by a local pilot and is providing the opportunity to gain electrical and wiring experience. Ian Hengst is the Team Leader overseeing the project.


This photo is of Ian building the wiring harness for the RV-8's new radio "stack." If you look closely you'll notice the Ian is building the harness wire by wire.

This photo has Scott, Ian's "team," in the cockpit of the airplane. Scott's fabricating the new panel hardware, circuit breakers, and related internal connections to receive the new radios and upgraded avionics package.

No more than 2o% of our work may be performed on non-mission aircraft. When we do work on "commercial" projects like this this one, labor charges do apply. These labor charges are a source of income for the mission.

Along with the needed income, non-mission aircraft projects often provide different maintenance challenges than those found in typical mission airplanes. This variety helps round-out the experience gained by our apprentices so that they are more fully prepared for service on the mission field.