(April 1st, 2022) I finally completed my Fiber Fighter (a highly modified Long Ez). It’s my own design and build. Burt liked my idea but didn’t understand why, because he didn’t think it was as efficient as his design. I said Burt your plane is only 24” wide it’s efficient enough! With my design it will no doubt have some added drag. He said why are you doing it then? I told him “because it’s cool!” Then he said to be prepared for the long build. He was right and I was prepared. I made lots of poster board, fiberglass, carbon, and foam mock-ups. Tested many different layup schedules by bending, twisting, and banging with three different resin systems. I’ve worked as a Master Mechanic in the Flight Test business at Mojave Airport, and as a contractor at NASA on some really awesome programs since 1985. I really learned a lot from the Engineers and Pilots I worked/flew with too. After I did my four years as an Aviation Structural Mechanic in the US Navy, and went to a two year A&P technical school at Northrop University in Inglewood, Ca. I already knew I wanted to get into the High Performance Flight Test business so I headed out to the High Desert in California where “Flight Test is Best” and hired on with Tracor Flight Systems Inc. at Mojave Airport. I wrote letters to my family saying I think this is the place where my Dream and my Goal could happen! The Dream being to get a flight in a Jet Airplane(Fast Mover)and my Goal was to get my pilot license and eventually build and fly my own airplane. Well, after 12 yrs at TFSI as a civilian crew chief, I had flown in the T-33 Silver Star, F-100 Super Saber, and over 300 hrs. In the F-4 Phantom ll! Now I’m 61 and finally completed my Goal of building an Airplane (with my own “Cool” modification). I used my own engineering systems: EBE- Eye Ball Engineering. CSE-Common Sense Engineering, which among other things consisted of lots of 2” green masking tape, plumb bobs, string, lasers, levels, tape measure, measurement & weight scales, and triple checking every measurement. I retired 3 yrs early, after 10 years on the Spaceship Two program(6 yrs. W/ Scaled Composites and 4 more with TSC- The Spaceship Company) just to get it completed. It flies great and straight and I can actually say I’ve lived an Outstanding life in the Flight Test aviation business, married a very dedicated Aerospace Professional and we both raised two Top Notch Sons who have also accomplished great things in the Aviation business. To all our friends and x-coworkers, Keep on “pushing the envelope” in whatever you pursue! U ROCK!!