Powering Your Plane Book: Knowledge and Skills at Builders’ Fingertips

April 7, 2016 - Installing an aircraft engine for safe and effective operation is the goal of the new Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) addition to the organization’s extensive line of how-to master materials, the book “Powering Your Plane” by Dave Prizio.

Prizio, an experienced aircraft builder and member of EAA’s Homebuilt Aircraft Council, guides readers through a thorough step-by-step process to install a Lycoming-type engine on an experimental amateur-built airplane. This new volume builds on EAA’s easy-to-follow guides written by the late Tony Bingelis 30 years ago, which became the definitivee how-to manuals for aircraft building and are still available through EAA.

“Tony Bingelis guided me and inspired me with his writing as I began my first airplane building project more than 25 years ago,” Prizio said. “The desire is to work with EAA to build on his wonderful work and update the knowledge and skills needed to safely and successfully complete an airplane.”

Prizio’s book has numerous illustrations and photos that help builders maneuver through the challenges and intricacies of engine installation. EAA member Dick Koehler, a Tony Bingelis Award winner for his contributions to the homebuilding community, assisted with the technical editing.

Powering Your Plane adds to the enormous list of EAA resources available for those who build or restore aircraft. Those resources include books, DVDs, local SportAir Workshops, the monthly Experimenter section of Sport Aviation magazine, and the popular Hints for Homebuilders online video series that has attracted more than 3 million views over the past decade.

“EAA has long been the leader for information specifically for those who build and restore aircraft, going back to our founder Paul Poberezny, who set the standard more than 60 years ago,” said Charlie Becker, EAA’s director of chapters, communities, and homebuilt community manager. “This latest publication adds to the long tradition of EAA members helping members sharing knowledge and information to promote safe and fun flying.”

The spiral-bound book is available through EAA’s online store as well at the EAA AirVenture Museum gift shop in Oshkosh. It’s also being sold at the EAA tent at this week’s Sun ’n Fun Fly-In at Lakeland, Florida.