Building a plane

By Mary Alice Garrett

This story originally appeared June 29, 2011 in The News Journal of Wilmington, Delaware.

Two longtime friends have gone from building Apollo space systems together to constructing their own lightweight aircraft. John Smoyer and Don Shaffer, both retired engineers, recently finished building two airplanes.

The first was built in the basement of Smoyer's Hockessin home over a five-year period. In addition, Shaffer built a second plane by himself in six months, sometimes commuting from Oxford, Pa., in a day to an airplane factory in Hedgesville, W.Va., and sometimes staying overnight.

The two met in 1968 while working on Apollo space systems for Thiokol in Elkton, Md. Smoyer, an aerospace engineering graduate of Penn State, later worked for RCA and Scott Paper Co. Shaffer spent most of his career with Thiokol, becoming general manager and vice president. He holds a degree in aeronautical and mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a MBA from the University of Delaware.

Over the years, Shaffer and Smoyer remained best friends.

"We just like to work together," Smoyer said. So when Smoyer decided in September 2006 that they needed another project, Shaffer agreed.

The result was a $20,000 kit to build a light sport aircraft with the model name "Escapade."

Along with a loyal group of aviation-loving retirees and a teen neighbor, Smoyer and Shaffer worked on the kit craft two days a week.

"It occurred to me I wanted something that would go a little faster," said Shaffer, who lives in Oxford, Pa., and he decided to build a fiberglass plane capable of 140 mph. He and his wife, Mary Lou, recently flew it to Kitty Hawk, N.C., and Niagara, N.Y.

Shaffer joked that the jointly owned plane took longer to build "only because there were two engineers doing it." But they didn't just follow the instructions while building. They questioned, researched and tested and believe they've got a stronger and safer aircraft as a result, Shaffer said.

They added an over-voltage protection system and a back-up battery. They also learned about fabrics and ironing, because the aviation-grade polyester had to be ironed after it was applied, to shrink it, but before it was painted.

Shaffer was in Kitty Hawk this month when Smoyer and friends moved the fuselage of the kit plane out of his Vallebrook home. Because of size constraints, the wings were added later at New Garden Airport, just across the line in Toughkenamon, Pa.

Even though Smoyer had lain awake worrying how to get the plane out of his basement, things came off without a hitch.

Smoyer and his volunteers first removed a basement door and framework so they could ease the 400-pound plane through the door's 57-inch-wide opening.

"Are we ready to go?" Tom Reed asked before slowly helping to guide the plane tail-first over the threshold. Once outside, an overhead winch was attached to the fuselage to elevate the front.

After attaching the wheels, the volunteers rolled the plane through neighbors' backyards to a waiting SUV with a trailer, owned by friend Larry Webberking of Glen Mills, Pa.

"This is the 21st airplane I've hauled," Webberking said. "I have five guys who owe me rides."

With Smoyer and Jimmy Reagan, 17, at the nose and three men at the rear, they steered the plane down a neighbor's driveway to the street and trailer, and then covered the plane with tarps held in place with bungee cords.

After the 17-minute ride to New Garden Airport, it took only five minutes to back the plane off the trailer and into a hangar, its new and permanent home.

"I feel a big relief," Smoyer said, once the plane was inside.

Smoyer shook hands with his volunteers, who included Reed of Yorklyn and Henry Heckroth of Hockessin, a tennis pal who also flies with the Del-Penn Flyers Club out of New Castle Airport.

Others who helped were members of the New Garden Chapter of Experimental Aircraft Association and friends, including Pat Lopez of Brandywine Hundred, Joe Callahan of Drexel Hill, Pa., Gordon Wosak of West Chester, Pa., and Eunice Reed of Yorklyn. Bob Balderston, another Hockessin tennis player, helped paint the plane bright yellow and white.

Reagan plans to work in aviation. As a EAA scholarship recipient, he refuels aircraft at New Garden and has started his own business washing and waxing planes. He expects to have his pilot's license soon, and to attend Kent State University, where he plans to major in airport management.

Next, Shaffer will fly the small plane 40 hours to meet Federal Aviation Administration requirements to prove the craft is airworthy.

After that, Smoyer hopes to take flying lessons in it to complete his pilot's license.

He said he's always loved airplanes, especially what's under the fuselage. "What better way to learn about it" than to build one, he asked.

Shaffer said he expects to "just enjoy" flying both planes. He plans to fly his own plane to Dayton, Ohio, soon to visit the Air Force museum there.

But while Shaffer and Smoyer are hitting the skies, Heckroth seemed to speak for all the volunteers when he said, "I don't know what we're going to do for fun now that we're through."