Aug. 15--Mike Riley is afraid of heights, but that doesn't stop him from enjoying the view from the sky as an airplane pilot.
"It's an unbelievable world, looking down on everything," said Riley, who flies a light sport aircraft he built last year from a kit. "It's beautiful."
The 66-year-old Riley's hand-made airplane is so impressive it was awarded the grand champion prize in the ultralight and light sport aircraft division at the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, which occurred July 29 to Aug. 4.
"This whole thing has been a Cinderella story for me," Riley said of his award. "To achieve these results are overwhelming."
Riley, the owner of Sport Rider in Altoona, always has had an interest in aircrafts and has been building model airplanes for six decades. However, he was afraid of heights and feared going into a small plane.
Then he met Scott Walby, an area firefighter who built his own plane. About five years ago Walby gave Riley a ride in his airplane, prompting Riley to decide to build a plane of his own.
At first they took off but stayed within a few feet of the ground, until Riley got more comfortable being higher up.
"I got to ride with the right person," Riley said.
Riley built his first plane in 2010 from a kit he ordered from Illinois-based Quad City Ultralight Aircraft Corporation. It took him about six months to build.
"I'm a get-it-done sort of person," Riley said, noting some airplane builders tinker for years on their projects. "It was my desire to get it done and get flying."
Building that first plane cost Riley about $28,000. He was surprised to win a reserve grand champion award at the Oshkosh show in 2011 in recognition of his work.
In 2012 Riley built another plane, finishing the eight-month project in October. That venture cost about $35,000.
Walby helped with the first plane, particularly with painting it. But Riley did the second plane entirely himself.
Walby said he wasn't surprised Riley's plane was selected as the best at the Oshkosh show.
"It's his attention to detail," Walby said. "He did a nice job of putting it together and painting it."
Riley said he was graded in several categories and was told he won because of his quality workmanship. He made sure to have independent inspectors check his airplane for safety.
"I took that to heart because your life depends on it," he said.
Riley's plane weighs 530 pounds empty. It can haul twice that weight, including fuel.
"I weigh 190 pounds, so I can put someone 200 pounds in the back seat, no problem," he said.
Riley said he tries to get up in the air at least once a week. He usually flies 25 to 100 miles at a time. He plans to fly his plane to Moline, Ill., for the 30-year anniversary of the Quad City Ultralight Aircraft Corporation next month.
Even five years after learning to fly, Riley said he still fights his fear of heights. And as much as he enjoys flying, he said he isn't about to try performing air stunts in his plane any time soon.
"This plane is not aerobatic," he said. "It's strictly go up, and come back down."
Vetter can be reached at 715-723-0303 or [email protected].
Copyright 2013 - The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
