COBA is the official organization for Canard enthusiasts. Combining the Central States Association (CSA) newsletter with the EZ.org community, the Canard Owners and Builders Association (COBA) is represented by it's membership base, website, this Podcast, Newsletters and canard gatherings and events. We are run and managed by a team of canard builders and owners who want to strengthen the Rutan-inspired aircraft community. Membership is $42 per year, and includes the quarterly CSA newsletter mailed to your address as well as full access to the resources of CanardOwners.com.
Welcome to the fourth episode in season 5 of Canard Cast, produced by Terry Fulwider! We have a special treat for you in this episode, our first Velocity owner and builder! Steve Cabiroy served in the Navy spending his first 12 years as a mechanic running the nuclear propulsion system on a submarine. His next assignment was as a supply corps officer where he was involved in towing the battleship USS Wisconsin as well as the USS Lexington aircraft carrier. He retired from the Navy as a Lieutenant after 21 years of dedicated service. Steve started his company, Net Trek Inc, in 1997 and still runs it to this day. In 2007 he and his wife, Susan, designed their current home to be high performance, or as some would call Green. It has zero energy bills! Steve and Susan began building their Velocity XL RG kit in January of 2016 and finished in December of the same year. He began building the Velocity a second time in 2019, but we’ll let Steve tell you about that in his own words. N735D is hangered at kilo foxtrot yankee Juliet in Virginia. Steve and Susan live near Richmond, Virginia and have two daughters and three grand children. Let’s get to the story of Steve Cabiroy and N735D, his beautiful Velocity XL RG. List of 3D printed parts Steve's YouTube Channel Cover photo by Mark Riley
Ryszard Zadow, known also as Richard to many, was interested in flying from birth. Fanned by aviation stories retold by his parents and watching crop dusters deftly maneuver above the orange groves, in his childhood home state of Texas, Ryszard continues to pursue his lifetime passion for flight. Ryszards mother and father supported his interest in aviation. He remembers one notable adventure in which his father brought him to a Confederate Air Force air show when the CAF was still based in Harlington, TX. When Ryszard was 15, a local celebrity named Al Cisneros, hometown hero and school alumni was visiting the students and signing autographs at St Joes (Go Bloodhounds). Encouraged by his mother to go speak with the decorated Vietnam War veteran and Blue Angel pilot. Al signed Ryszards program. Ryszard moved up through the cadet ranks in the Civil Air Patrol and persevered toward earning his pilot license by any means possible. He built time at Weiser Air Park and solo'd at the David Wing Hooks Airport in Houston in his late teens. He earned his private pilot license while attending University at Texas A&M where he helped found the A&M Skydivers club and personally flew jumpers. Ryszard joined the Army National Guard and earned a commission in January 1983 with the Navy. Among his many accomplished roles for the military, Ryszard flew as a Radar Intercept officer on F-14 Tomcats and eventually completed his career as an A-4 Adversary instructor. He left the Navy after Desert Storm in the early 1990's and accepted a position as a pilot for TWA and later Southwest Airlines. To his great delight, Ryszard one day found himself on the flight deck of a Southwest 737 flying with his childhood hero Al Cisneros! Ryszard remains close with Al to this day and describes him as an Uncle. Ryszards Canard experience goes back almost as long as his career. In 1983 Ryszard purchased the MILLETT VARI-EZE N930L. Many years later, he had the opportunity to purchase the Cozy Jet N722 "Kerosene Dreams" built by Greg Von Richter and flew it on a return to Oshkosh. These days he’s slumming around in a Berkut N9041H named the Mississippi Queen. Ryszard’s commitment to the Rutan canard community runs deep. In 2014 Ryszard established the 501c3 organization known as the Rutan Aircraft Flying Experience (pronounced "raa-fee" for short). In his own words, Ryszard: "founded RAFE to spread the word about the mission and tell the story of the dedication, the commitment and the spirit poured into the aircraft designed by Burt Rutan and built by the Owners." With primary bases of operation in Ellington, TX and Covington, TN, Ryzard recently retired from Southwest Airlines and now dedicates himself to the development of RAFE full time. He lives on a house-boat in Key-mah, TX, mostly because he wasn't able to find a suitable aircraft to live in, yet. Visit RAFE on the web! https://www.rutanaircraftflyingexperience.org/
Welcome to the second episode in season 5 of Canard Cast, produced by Terry Fulwider! Today’s conversation is with Long EZ builder and internet blogger, Ary Glantz. Ary took his first flight at the age of 13. That flight ignited a passion that took him through Embry Riddle University where he graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering. After graduation he worked with Cessna and Bombardier before landing his dream job with NASA. He currently works at the NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia where he lives with his wife and three year old son. Ary’s Long EZ build started in 2013 and has been documented in great detail on his blog. His blog is one of the great resources available to the new canard builder, essentially a step by step guide to building a Long EZ. Enjoy Terry’s much anticipated conversation with Builder, Blogger, and Engineer, Ary Glantz! http://aryjglantz.com https://www.youtube.com/@aryjg
Welcome to season 5 of Canard Cast, produced by Terry Fulwider! Today, Terry speaks with Dave Berenholtz. Dave lives in Melbourne, Australia and is based at the Leongatha airport - YLEG. He began flying gliders in 1986 just to have something to do. Dave moved from gliders to a small gyrocopter and that is when his love of flying started to grow. Aviation fever truly took hold when a LongEZ showed up at the airport one day. Dave was awestruck and went on to own and fly that very airplane for 20 years. A love of long distance flying led him to build a LongEZ capable of round the world flight. After 13 years and 17,000 hours of building, he is now in the testing phase and gaining confidence in the airframe that he lovingly crafted. Let's listen to Terry’s conversation with Dave Berenholtz, owner and Pilot of LongEZ VH-XEZ. https://alongwayroundtheworld.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@daveberenholtz335
We continue our discussion about safety in part two of this important series. Marc Zeitlin and Izzy Briggs talk about landing gear, paint color, and the importance of understanding every system that is installed in your aircraft.
Safety is an important topic in all areas of aviation. Marc Zeitlin (Burnside Aerospace) and Izzy Briggs (BlackSky Composites) dive into typical issues seen with canard type aircraft and give their thoughts on a few recent incidents and what we can learn from them. Be sure to check back in December for Part 2 of this discussion!
We welcome Canadian native, Scott MacLean, producer of the YouTube Channel “Canard Boulevard” and owner of Cozy Mark IV N797DL. Among Scott’s aviation influences, his father was an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic who instilled a love of aviation in his sons. In 1991 Scott earned his multi, commercial, and instrument ratings. Scott’s interest in canard aircraft sparked at the 1998 Oshkosh airshow during a visit to the Velocity booth. Investigating the canard options further, Scott eventually settled on the Cozy design and purchased a Cozy MkIV shortly after. Scott stables N797DL just south of Cleveland at 1G5 Medina Municipal Airport in Medina, Ohio. Scott’s immediate family includes his wife and adult son and daughter. Scott’s internet fame with our canard community comes with his popular YouTube channel, Canard Boulevard, boasting eight thousand subscribers and over one hundred and fifty videos focused on Canard aircraft and related aviation adventures. Scott also hosts two other very popular YouTube channels about Honda Goldwing motorcycles and another to express his passion for synthesizers and the unique music they make. When Scott isn't making music, flying, or wrenching you will find Scott continuing his 35-year career doing battle with the forces of commerce through his profession in Information Technology. Enjoy this conversation with our guest Scott MacLean as we learn more about his adventures and his Cozy MkIV N797DL. https://www.youtube.com/@CanardBoulevard https://www.youtube.com/@ScottsSynthStuff https://www.youtube.com/@GoldwingDocs
Steve Franseen is a third generation pilot and a 2nd generation canard pilot. He lives in Denver, CO with his wife and two kids and is based out of Rocky Mountain Metro airport. Steve first solo'd in June of 2011 and currently holds instrument and commercial ratings. He is working to add his commercial multi soon. Steve's daily flier is a beautiful Cozy mkIII which he uses for anything from cross country travel, to flying formation with his buddies, or simply "getting off the planet for a while." Steve shows off his unique plane to the public any chance he gets and is fostering a love of aviation in his two young children. For the last 15 years, Steve has been managing a company he founded that specializes in sound, stage and lighting. His company handles over 300 concerts a year. Steve has designed and built multiple trailer stages that he uses in his business with the skills and principles that he learned growing up wrenching on homebuilt aircraft. We mentioned he was a second generation canard pilot. His father built Vari-eze N86EZ that currently lives with the Rutan Aircraft Flying Experience. Let's talk to Steve about his Cozy N434DS.
Today Izzy and I speak with Nate Mullins, founder of 3:23 Composites LLC. Nate grew up in Spokane, WA and spent his teen years building countless RC aircraft. He also formed a band and toured the country, eventually landing in Nashville, TN. Nate continued to chase the music business but also worked as a business banker. Here’s an interesting tidbit, he worked for the Hobby Lobby RC superstore designing and testing new RC aircraft. 2010 was a big year for Nate, he got married and started his flight training. That is when his passion shifted from music to aviation. He earned his PPL in 2011 and worked as the airport manager at the Springfield, TN airport, M91. That’s when he decided to build a LongEZ and N316NM was completed in 2014. Nate recognized a need in the industry for quality composite services so in 2016 he founded 3:23 Composites LLC. 3:23 provides mobile composite services as well as custom parts for the Rutan line of aircraft. Nate is currently in the process of designing an all new tandem canard with the goal of jet performance on a piston budget. https://323composites.com https://www.facebook.com/323composites/
Defiants have gotten quite a bit of press in the last year and CanardCast is continuing that trend as Terry interviews Vernon Asper, builder and owner of the Lycoming equipped Defiant N22VL based at KDKX in Knoxville. I met with Vernon last October at the Hangar Hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas as part of a gathering of Defiants. He had flown N22VL in to meet with five other Defiants we cobbled together in an attempt to break the known record of seven Defiants in one location set back in the early 1990’s. At that event Vernon and I also joined a small party on a short ground excursion to the location of the Mooney Aircraft Factory location in nearby Kerville, Texas. Born and raised in PA, Vernon later moved to both Hawaii and to Massachusetts to attend school then on to Mississippi to serve in his career an oceanographer. He has spent more than 1300 days at sea all over the world, including 20 trips to Antarctica and dives in 3 different submersibles. Vernon is well versed in academics holding the trifecta of a Bachelors from Messiah College of PA, a Masters from the University of Hawaii and Ph.D from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Vernon’s first introduction to flight was in Hawaii in 1979 and he began taking flight lessons in MA in 1980 where he earned is private pilot license. He pretty much only flies his Defiant except when a flight review instructor demands that he uses a school plane since his Defiant doesn’t have rudder pedals on the starboard side. Vernon married in 1977 to Lindell who earned her license in 1984. He has two Daughters and four granddaughters. Alicia with granddaughters Daphne and Penelope live in Belgium and Jennifer with granddaughters Maddie and Grayson who live in Knoxville, TN. Enjoy the interview! Check out Vernon's YouTube channel! https://youtube.com/@ivarsman?si=NPx3h2-Lb6oDpBHk
We continue season 4 with Izzy's conversation with Tyson Bradley. Tyson is a captain in the 36th Airlift Squadron of the United States Airforce and flies the C130J. He graduated from the Air Force Academy where he served as an instructor pilot in the TG16A and DG1000 sailplanes. Tyson has had the opportunity to fly many interesting aircraft since becoming a pilot including the T6, T38 , and a 1937 Taylorcraft. He became interested in homebuilts and was able to fly a Sonex as well as a Defiant before purchasing his Cozy MkIV, N244CZ. Tyson was born and raised in Nashville but now lives in Abilene, TX with his dog Luna. Luna is a husky and flies along happily in the back seat. He shares many of his flying adventures on his Instagram page. Let's learn a little more about Tyson and Sally, his Cozy MkIV, N244CZ. Follow Tyson on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/charliezuluviews
Today Izzy speaks with the founder of Jet Guys, Robert Harris. Robert was "invited" to join the army early in life and then retired from Northwest Public after twenty years. He has been an airframe and powerplant mechanic for over 40 years. Robert's canard journey began long ago when he built his Rutan VariEze. He enjoyed the project so much that he started "The EZ Hangar," a company aimed at providing support, services, and education to the growing canard world. The EZ Hangar grew and is now known as The Jet Guys, based in Covington, TN at the M04 airport. The Jet Guys work on more than just jets, staying true to their canard roots. Robert's crew can rebuild your existing canard aircraft or even help you get your own project across the finish line. If you find yourself in Robert's shop you will hear classic rock tunes playing in the background while he enjoys his favorite Marie Callender's lunch. Who knows, maybe you will even catch a glimpse of the custom "horseless carriage" that he built. But that's a story we will have to get to another day. For now, let's jump into the middle of Izzy's conversation with Robert about canards and N86LE, his Long-EZ lovingly named "Purple."
Terry Fulwider was born in Calamus, Iowa and grew up in Waco, Texas. Terry has two grown children with his wife Lynn, and they now care for two cats and two dogs. They married at the 8A1 Guntersville airport aviation museum in 2013. After developing his musical career in Nashville over 20 years, he now makes his home Albertville, Alabama since 2014 where he works supporting the IT infrastructure at a poultry processing company. Terry’s Music career is grounded in his talent as a guitar player and his experiences playing the on the Honky-Tonk Highway in Nashville. Terry’s also gone on tour with well known American country music singer and songwriter Joe Diffie with whom Terry recorded a live album at Billy Bob’s in Dallas Texas. Terry also toured with country soul singer Billy Joe Royal whose song Down in the Boondocks became a hit in the 1960’s. Terry now has his own band and operates a recording studio in his home. He continues his service through music as a worship leader for his church. Terry’s hobbyist interest in mechanics took flight in his late teens though the restoration of his 1966 Chevelle with the help of his father and continues today with a project to refresh an earlier restoration of a custom 1968 Mercury Cougar. In 2008 Terry’s aviation engagement reached a significant milestone when he earned his PPL at Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport (KMQY). Terry is beginning the ambitious effort of building a Rutan LongEZ and is using OpenEZ LongEZ Plans to build Serial Number 0001 of the Fulwider LongEZ. In preparation for this episode, Terry shared with me a story about a time when he was listening to podcasts on a long drive and discovered the CanardCast episodes. He recalled the rewarding feeling of getting a chance to hear the voices of the people he’d been reading about online and through his research in the process of reviewing the plans and preparing his LongEZ build. I found this exciting to hear as it reinforced one of the goals for the CanardCast project. Terry’s interests and experiences all come together now: Media production and Sound Editing, mechanical vehicle restoration, Rutan canard builder, Pilot and IT Services support to perfectly cradle his new role at COBA. Let’s get to know our new producer, Terry a little more in the first episode of Season 4 of CanardCast!
Lochie Ferrier is a young test pilot who lives in Oakland, CA with his lady friend Cassidy, an accomplished pilot in her own right, as well as their Canard type-rated Labrador, Kane. His Cozy Mark IV N656TE built by Dr. Thane Ostroth is based at Hayward Municipal KHWD. Born in Armidale, Australia, Lochie moved to Canberra (Kan-brugh) Australia when he was 12, and then later to the United States in 2014 to attend college at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he earned an Aerospace Engineering Degree. He received his undergraduate in 2019 and is presently working towards his Masters in the area of flight testing. Lochie’s flown prototypes for the electric aircraft company Beta based in Burlington, Vermont including their electric design “Alia” for over 100 hours. He is presently working at Magpie Aviation in Hayward, CA. Although Lochie is new to the Canard Community and only recently began operating a Cozy Mark IV, his reach for the sky began in his youth where he learned to fly gliders back in Canberra.
Long EZ builder and canard driver Ken Miller chats about his experiences with host David Williford. Ken is an A&P with an I/A and has extensive experience with Canard aircraft. Ken was born in Glenwood Springs, Colorado in May of 1951 but considers himself a Texan having moved to Hartley, Texas in the Panhandle with his family when he was just a baby. Ken is a middle kid with two older brothers and one younger sister. The oldest brother earned his pilot’s license. Ken worked at his fathers tractor dealership in Hartley, and overhauled irrigation well engines in their spare time. In his senior year at Hartley High, Ken was the starting center in basketball, made all district and ranked very high in scoring and rebounds aided by his 6’ 5” frame. Ken went on to Texas Tech College in Lubbock until the summer of 1972 when he struck out for Dallas. There he shared a home in the Dallas suburb of Arlington with his older brother where he started flight lessons at Arlington Municipal Airport (KGKY). He flew both Cessna 150’s and 172’s and soloed with just six hours of total flight time. In 1980, with a fresh pilot license in hand, Ken started searching for his own airplane and was inspired by a friend who had just completed a Vari Eze. It was then he was bitten by the canard bug quickly partnering with an engineering friend to complete Long Eze plans #35 in just three years; FIRST fight on July 5th, 1984. Ken flew that Long EZ for 5 years before moving to Florida with his fiancé, Diane. Diane and Ken met at Addison airport where she was taking flight lessons. Once in Florida, Ken and Diane built their own Long EZ (N6KD), incorporating many enhancements. They flew N6KD all over the US., landing in most of the 48 states and with many wonderful flying adventures. Let’s listen to a few!
Today we have a special interview. We were able to record some conversations immediately following a pilot’s debriefing immediately following his first flight in a Cozy at Mojave Air and Spaceport. We will also get to listen in to his report home to his wife after is successful solo. Antonio Becerra is a Director and Cinematographer from Oregon. Antonio fell in love with photography as a 12-year-old who learned the art of developing photos from his father. He later earned a Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in the areas of Photography, Film Studies, and Education from Oregon State. This former adjunct professor of photography at Oregon State University follows his passion for visual storytelling all over the country and his work appears in countless publications including The New York Times and Time Magazine. An accomplished director and cinematographer, Antonio has created dozens of TV commercials in 9 states, and photographed the ad campaigns for 15 current members of Congress. His company is Alteza Films. https://www.altezafilms.com/ Today Antonio enjoys capturing aerial images and traveling to work sites in his Cozy IV N48AD formerly known as N287R. Antonio is new to Canards and Aviation with 100 hours and is currently pursuing his instrument rating. Antonio speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese, and currently resides in Corvallis Oregon.
Good Day and thank you for joining us for CanardCast, Episode 2 of Season 3! This is an interview from a different perspective in which we get to see a little of the canard experience from the viewpoint of our kids. In this interview, 24 year old Sarah Williford and her Father David Williford reminisce over some past father-daughter canard moments with the StaggerEZ N909EZ including memories of past flying lessons, animal runway incursions, "turns around a point" lessons, weight and balance vs minimum equipment list for her college dorm, instrument flying....well, sort of...if you count waking up in clouds. Sarah is the youngest of two, her older brother Ryan is a student pilot. She is a Graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University. She is an elementary teacher of music and is the kind of daughter every father can be proud of. Let's listen in!
In this episode, we will get to know your CanardCast host David Williford and his aircraft N909EZ a little better. David Willford joined the Canard Owners and Builders CanardCast team as Host last season. David is now the care taker, pilot and restorer of a very special three place pusher canard with unique staggered seating arrangement as well as a dizzying array of builder enhancements based at McKinney National KTKI. StaggerEze, built by Steve Wright, won Grand Champion Plans Built at Sun and Fun in 2005. Steve Wright also earned the Rutan Designer’s Award for his, Built “to the plans” Vari-Eze N9091A in 1986. David and his wife Ginger of 32 years live in a Dallas suburb called "The Colony" and have two adult kids, 27 yr old son Ryan and his daughter 24 year old Sarah who teaches elementary school music in the DFW area. David is retired from a successful career in Information Technology. Following this interview, you can find CanardCast Episode 2 simultaneously released where David and his daughter share a conversation on the topic of canard flights. I conducted this interview with David in-person at his home studio and workshop in Texas. I hope you enjoy this episode and all the rest coming in Season 3!
On this edition of CanardCast, I have the distinct pleasure of interviewing not one, but two great canard drivers and canard instructors! Mr. Jim Springer is not only an amazing canard aviator, but has now organized the first sponsored, Canard Formation Flying Clinic! This clinic was just held a couple of weeks ago. With lot of help from others, I can tell you this formation flying clinic was a sterling success. In addition to Jim, I’m also talking to Sir Ryszard Zadow. He is President of the nonprofit RAFE. That’s the Rutan Aircraft Flying Experience. Ryszard has over 34,000 hours flying with over 23,000 hours multi engine. He has extensive hours flying formation. One of his favorite expressions is, “You brief your flight and fly your brief”. I like that. During this dual interview, we are in a conference room at the airport in Covington, Tennessee. (Which is on the top side of Memphis.) Please forgive me for the audio quality on this one. I’ll go bask and improve it soon, but I want to get this CanardCast published now. Also, please lessen closely to hear an amazing Long EZ fly by during the interview!
On this addition of CanardCast, we depart from our usual format of interviewing someone for you and instead, just present you with a conversation that took place the large comfortable guest area at the Fernandez Bay Resort on Cat Island with a cool breeze flowing thru and the white sand and surf just steps away.
