SBaircraft
Observer
In this thread, I'll share pictures and details about my favorite adventure vehicle; an airplane + motorcycle combination.
Background: I love aviation but it didn't take long to grow tired of the same old fly-in restaurants. I wanted to fly to museums, beaches, trail heads and climbing crags; I needed an airplane with door-to-door capability! After finishing college, I found my first engineering job in Florida. I saw plenty of motorcycles on my way to work every day. Eventually, I thought, "Bingo! Why not modify an airplane to carry one of those?"
I was 10 months into my engineering career and it seemed like a great idea to quit my job and start designing a motorcycle belly pod. I began building the prototype in my garage and it quickly grew into a full-time business. Eventually, I got to enjoy some extraordinary adventures with the prototype. However, there was one problem... I wasn't making enough money to build one for myself! Eventually, I started a second and more lucrative business. It's been a long road, but I'm finally back to building my very own adventure airplane. When it's finished, I'm looking forward to expanding my radius of living and enjoying adventures all over the west coast. My Chevy Express camper van takes me on many adventures in northern California, but it's a game-changer to have a 1,000 mile range for day trips! The long-term goal is to plan a leisurely 6-month trip around the world. The airplane will allow me to hop from one country to another and the motorcycle will allow me to explore each destination.
Background: I love aviation but it didn't take long to grow tired of the same old fly-in restaurants. I wanted to fly to museums, beaches, trail heads and climbing crags; I needed an airplane with door-to-door capability! After finishing college, I found my first engineering job in Florida. I saw plenty of motorcycles on my way to work every day. Eventually, I thought, "Bingo! Why not modify an airplane to carry one of those?"
I was 10 months into my engineering career and it seemed like a great idea to quit my job and start designing a motorcycle belly pod. I began building the prototype in my garage and it quickly grew into a full-time business. Eventually, I got to enjoy some extraordinary adventures with the prototype. However, there was one problem... I wasn't making enough money to build one for myself! Eventually, I started a second and more lucrative business. It's been a long road, but I'm finally back to building my very own adventure airplane. When it's finished, I'm looking forward to expanding my radius of living and enjoying adventures all over the west coast. My Chevy Express camper van takes me on many adventures in northern California, but it's a game-changer to have a 1,000 mile range for day trips! The long-term goal is to plan a leisurely 6-month trip around the world. The airplane will allow me to hop from one country to another and the motorcycle will allow me to explore each destination.