For as long as I can remember I have dreamed of flying. For a short period when I was a child, a friend of the family shared his piloting experiences with me taking me on a few short cross country flights. Things change, life happens and flying seemed as if it would never be a reality for me. Fast forward to 2004, my wife got me a flying lesson for my 35th birthday. It reignited the passion for flying and made me realize that no matter how long it takes, I will become a pilot and I will own my own aircraft. Now mant years later I have my private pilot and A&P tickets. I wanted to build a plane with my own two hands. I felt the Zenith CH701 was the right plane for me to build and fly.

The CH701 fits the bill for me in every way except I am skeptical of blind rivets, and my interpretation of a high quality aircraft is flush rivets. So I am dimpling, or counter sinking as required, the entire outside of the plane and using the rivets I know, love, and trust, flush solid AD rivets, everywhere possible. Make no mistake of thinking that this is an attempt at increasing the speed of the CH701 as it is not. If I wanted a faster aircraft I would not have chosen the CH701. I chose the CH701 for its short take off and landing characteristics, low stall speed, great safety record, all metal construction, explicit plans and build instructions, builders support, and that I can have the highest quality parts I can build.