News Release: Zenith Aircraft’s Annual “Homecoming” Open Hangar Days & Fly-In is on September 20 & 21, 2024, in Mexico, Missouri

Mexico, Missouri – Zenith Aircraft Company will be hosting its 33rd annual Zenith Homecoming / Open Hangar Days & Fly-In this September 20th & 21st at its factory at the Mexico Memorial Airport in Mexico, Missouri.

The annual fly-in event is a homecoming for Zenith Aircraft customers from across the
U.S., with many Zenith customers flying in to central Missouri, with their completed Zenith kit aircraft (whose parts and components were all made at the Zenith Aircraft factory in Mexico, Missouri). The Open Hangar Days & Fly-In event include two full days of activities, with educational seminars and workshops, an aircraft show, contests, social activities, as well as a Zenith banquet dinner on Friday evening. This year we'll be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the low-wing Zenith CH600 series designs by aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz, and we'll be showcasing our newly expanded Zenith Aircraft kit factory and hangar showroom. Factory tours (of the modern kit aircraft factory), aircraft building and flying demonstrations, and other activities are planned for all visitors.

On the first day (Friday, September 20th) educational seminars begin in the morning and take place throughout the day featuring various airframe (the aircraft fuselage, wings and tail), engine, avionics seminars, with suppliers like Dynon and Garmin avionics, Corvair and Viking auto engine conversions, and more participating. The knowledge gained from these educational seminars gives the individual aircraft kit builders an opportunity to learn more about the choices they have in building and finishing their own aircraft. Charlie Becker,  EAA’s Director of Chapters & Homebuilt Community Manager, will speak about government issues affect sport aircraft owners and builders, including MOSAIC, task based phase 1 flight testing, LODA, Basic Med and fuel issues. There will be additional seminars and panel discussions on topics of interest to Zenith builders and flyers, including flight safety (transition training and first flight preparedness). Friday’s activities conclude with the popular Zenith Aircraft banquet (catered BBQ from Pig Up & Go), held outdoors in front of the Zenith Aircraft factory with the planes (weather permitting), with special guest speakers and entertainment.

Saturday's schedule is packed full of activities including:
    • Ribbon-cutting ceremony (at noon) of the Zenith Aircraft factory expansion
    • Tours of the newly-expanded Zenith Aircraft kit production facilities,
    • Zenith aircraft “show” with many categories and prizes,
    • Seminars on Zenith aircraft kit construction and maintenance,
    • STOL and other flying demonstrations at the airport
    • Dinner (fried chicken) and awards ceremony starting at 4:30 pm
    • Great camaraderie throughout the day with lots of hangar talk and food!

Hands-on building projects in the Zenith factory are being planned, including a “women’s only introduction to aircraft building” workshop class. There will be Zenith Aircraft presentations on aircraft kit construction, as well as representation from more than a dozen vendors of products and services for Zenith customers (avionics, engines, insurance, etc.).
The Zenith Aircraft Homecoming – Open Hangar Days and Fly-In is a popular annual event for Zenith customers and aviation enthusiasts.

For more than thirty years Zenith Aircraft Company has been manufacturing “easy to build and fun to fly” aircraft kits designed by aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz. Zenith Aircraft continues to be the number one brand of light sport aircraft in the United States (based on actual FAA registrations numbers). Zenith Aircraft produces kit aircraft for the DIY (do it yourself) sport aviation market, with superb short take-off and landing capabilities demonstrated by the STOL CH 701 and STOL CH 750 models, as well as economical two-seat cross-country cruisers: The high-wing Zenith CH 750 Cruzer and the sleek low-wing Zenith CH 650. With builder choices in mind, all Zenith aircraft kits are designed to offer builders a wide variety of suitable engines, avionics, and custom kit options. Zenith Aircraft builders typically build their own airplanes in 400-500 hours from a complete kit, or can choose to build from component kits, quick build kits, or scratch-build from plans (blueprints) only. The STOL CH 750 Super Duty, a larger short take-off and landing (STOL) airplane with a rear jump seat, is the latest model from Zenith Aircraft.

The annual Zenith Aircraft Homecoming – Open Hangar Days and Fly-In event is a great way for Zenith Aircraft’s customers to meet with each other to share their love of building and flying, and to get to know the factory staff, while also learning about building, maintaining and flying their airplanes. While area hotels sell out well in advance of the event, there will also be free camping available at the Mexico airport. Further details are available on the Zenith Aircraft website, with a detailed seminar and events schedule (to be published closer to the event date): https://bit.ly/zen24-homecoming

Zenith Aircraft Company: https://zenithair.net

News Release: Zenith Aircraft’s Roger Dubbert is the 2024 recipient of the Spirit of Flight Award

Press Release

Zenith Aircraft’s Roger Dubbert is the 2024 recipient of the Spirit of Flight Award

EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, Wisconsin – Roger Dubbert, the demo/test pilot at Zenith Aircraft Company, was named the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Spirit of Flight Award. The award was presented at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh convention during the EAA Homebuilder’s Dinner on Thursday, July 25th.

The Spirit of Flight Award, sponsored by Scaled Composites, was established by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) and Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in 1996 to recognize an EAA member who has made a significant contribution to the spirit, technology, manufacture, safety and flight test of sport aircraft. Roger Dubbert was recommended for the award by EAA, and the board of SETP voted its approval of the EAA nomination.

(Zenith Aircraft photo)

Roger Dubbert leads an illustrious career at Zenith Aircraft Company, a leading kit aircraft manufacturer, where he has been the demo pilot for the past 25 years (he has been employed at Zenith since 1993).  Dubbert has flown thousands of introductory/demonstration flights to prospective amateur kit builders over the years, introducing many new and experienced pilots to sport aviation. Dubbert has been Zenith Aircraft's test pilot for several new designs, including the Zenith CH 750 Cruzer and the STOL CH 750 Super Duty, where he performed the first flights and oversaw the flight test programs. Roger has also performed flight testing for ASTM Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) conformity, as well as flight tests of airframes with new engine installations. Roger has also performed numerous first flights of Zenith amateur-built kit airplanes in various configurations and with various engine installations, including the first flight and flight test of his own personal amateur-built aircraft, a STOL CH 701 in 1998. Roger not only has extensive flying and flight testing experience, he also heads customer service at Zenith Aircraft Company where he supports and helps thousands of customers to successfully build (and then fly) their Zenith kits. Roger educates and shares his knowledge of flying (and aircraft building) with popular videos shared on social media.

(Zenith Aircraft photo)

Roger Dubbert was featured in Kitplanes magazine in 2017 as the factory demo pilot with the most number of flights given. Roger was a key leader of the 2014 "One Week Wonder" project at EAA AirVenture 2014 where a complete Zenith kit was built in just seven days. Roger subsequently transition-trained Jeffrey Skiles to perform the first flight in the One Week Wonder aircraft (a few days after the AirVenture show).

Roger Dubbert has been the "cover model" of Zenith, having been featured on dozens of magazine covers (flying air-to-air formation with photo planes) over the years, most recently on the cover of the April 2024 issue of Aviation et Pilote (France) and the July 2024 issue of Kitplanes magazine. Roger is a true sport aviation ambassador, taking up many passengers on their very first light airplane ride (including Young Eagles flights) to transitioning experienced pilots (including military and airline pilots) into light aircraft. Dubbert, who was born and raised in Mexico, Missouri, is popular and well liked by the entire Zenith and sport aviation community (and pretty much anyone who knows him) due to his unrivaled expertise, and his kind and friendly nature.

Zenith Aircraft Company, based at the Mexico Memorial Airport, will be hosting its 33rd annual Zenith Homecoming (Open Hangar Days and Fly-In) at its newly expanded production facilities at the airport on September 20 & 21.

Zenith Aircraft Hosts Fly In to Summer Open House

By Carmelo Turdo

Zenith Aircraft Company held their Fly In to Summer open house on Saturday at their Mexico, MO Memorial Airport facility. Those new to Zenith Aircraft toured the factory and checked out the aircraft on display, including the low-wing, bubble canopied CH650 and the very popular, slatted-wing CH750 STOL that can take off and land from almost anywhere. Current builders and owners traded stories and picked up tips of the trade learned through their own experience. 

Zenith Aircraft Company owner, Sebastien Heintz, was on hand to meet with visitors throughout the event. He is optimistic about the experimental and light sport aircraft market, and the demand for Zenith products remains strong. Zenith Aircraft recently completed an expansion of their factory that will allow additional space for kit manufacturing, builder construction stations and a showroom for new aircraft and exhibits. Heintz believes that the expansion of the light sport aircraft category as defined in the pending MOSAIC regulations will expand access to aviation, and that current light sport aviation aircraft types will still provide the best combination of economy, performance and modern avionics available into the future. 

Zenith demo aircraft were parked outside of the factory hangar, and more were flown in by their owner/builders. Special guest National STOL Series Sport Class pilot Justin Tisdale arrived with his CH750 STOL No. 18 with an un-cowled Viking 130 engine and Alaska bush tires. 

The Zenith Aircraft Company was formed in 1992 to manufacture kit-built aircraft in their Mexico, Missouri facility featuring the Zenair designs from Chris Heintz. In addition to the excellent design of the aircraft models offered in kit form, the company maintains generous customer service and building assistance programs that make the purchase and building processes more successful. Advanced technology manufacturing techniques have made the parts relatively easy to assemble, and the numerous hands-on workshops give ample opportunity for new kit owners to assemble one sub-assembly at a time as they progress through the building process.  Each aircraft is designed to offer ease of assembly, fuel economy and desirable flight performance envelope.  

The Aero Experience thanks Zenith Aircraft for hosting their summer open house and fly-in, and we look forward to visiting with them again later this year. 

Zenith Aircraft Holds Annual Homecoming Open Hangar Days and Fly-In

By Carmelo Turdo

Zenith Aircraft held their 32nd Annual Homecoming Open Hangar Days and Fly-In event on September 15-16 at Mexico, MO Memorial Airport. Zenith aircraft owners from around the country gathered to share their experiences and learn more about their specific aircraft model from factory specialists and fellow builders. From the low-wing Zodiac to the high-wing Cruzer and STOL variants, there was something for everyone.  

The Aero Experience visited the Zenith Aircraft factory on Friday morning, and here we present an overview of the hangar activity and aircraft on display. Product exhibitors were arranged inside the hangar, and Zenith aircraft owners attended a series of discussions covering various topics on building and flying their aircraft. The aircraft featured in our selection below illustrate why Zenith is the most popular brand of light sport aircraft in the U.S.