Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Providence (Nov 09/01) - Ted and Colin Milewski not only have a passion for flying, they also build the machines they pilot.

Ted acquired an assembled plane, built from a Seawind kit, in a trade with an American last year. He has since logged 40 to 50 hours on it.

"It's a delight to fly. It's like sitting in a greenhouse. The wings are behind you. You can certainly see very well out the front, the visibility is just great, " said Ted, who has been a pilot for over 40 years and flying in Fort Providence since 1968.

He was so impressed with it, he recently purchased a kit for himself. Made mostly of fibreglass, the plane weighs 1,500 kilograms, seats four and can travel 2,240 kilometres when fully fuelled, he said. The aircraft is sleek and seamless, without rivets. It is also amphibious, with the engine and propeller placed overhead so the spray from the water doesn't interfere with it.

He has his kit -- retailing for around $60,000, not including the engine or radio -- stored in his hangar in Vernon, B.C. The wings still have to be attached to the fuselage. The tail and canopy have yet to be affixed as well.

The original model he acquired has a 200 horsepower engine, allowing him to cruise at 225 km/h. The latest kit he purchased came with a 300 horsepower engine, which is supposed to reach 320 km/h.

Being pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers, Ted and his son, Colin, have no hesitation flying a homemade plane.

"We certainly have confidence in what we put our hide into," said Ted, laughing.

Colin nearly completed a do-it-yourself, single-seat helicopter a few years ago, but the company he purchased it from went out of business before he obtained the final part -- the tail rotor gear box.

He said building the helicopter was rather simple, much like piecing together a model plane.

"It was a very sharp-looking machine. I've seen them fly, I know they fly," he said.

Having earned his helicopter pilot's licence, Colin still has plans to fly his own chopper.

"I've got the helicopter bug in me," he said.