CHRISTINA EICHELKRAUT / PVT Members of Pahrump's Experimental Aircraft Association club gathered in Phil Shallenberger's hangar for their regular meeting. To the left is a K-35 Bonanza, next to a Cessna 150 on the right. At right, Phil Shallenberger, a member of Pahrump's local Experimental Aircraft Association chapter 1160, is preparing to restore this 1946 Ercoupe to its former glory. CHRISTINA EICHELKRAUT / PVT Members of Pahrump's Experimental Aircraft Association club gathered in Phil Shallenberger's hangar for their regular meeting. To the left is a K-35 Bonanza, next to a Cessna 150 on the right. At right, Phil Shallenberger, a member of Pahrump's local Experimental Aircraft Association chapter 1160, is preparing to restore this 1946 Ercoupe to its former glory. Advertisement

For many of the members of Pahrump's Experimental Aircraft Association, they learned to fly (and still love flying) at a very young age.

When Charlie Wagner was growing up during World War II, he would walk a block down to Van Nuys Airport in Van Nuys, Calif. and spend much of his time watching the planes.

"I was enamored with the P-38," he said, speaking of twin-engine fighter plane of the time. "I thought that was the greatest plane ever. Sometimes I got lucky and could watch them taking off."

When he was staying at his grandma's house, he would gaze longingly at a crop-dusting plane his uncle had there.

"I spent hours drooling over this derelict airplane," Wagner chuckled. "It was tempting me."

So it's not surprising that Wagner joined a flying club at his college in Indiana in 1961 and earned his license, later going on to a 30-year career doing engineering work for NASA.

Wagner's story is similar to several other members of Pahrump's EAA Chapter 1160.

Phil Shallenberger got his wings in 1969 but began flying when he was 7 or 8 years old.

"I was hooked right away," Shallenberger said. "I was an airport bum as a teenager."

Not too many years after Wagner was watching planes at Van Nuys Airport, Warner Owens was a 15-year-old "gas boy" fueling aircraft.

For every 10 hours he worked, he received an hour of flight instruction.

Although Owens joined the Air Force at 17, and flew sporadically with other guys, a 25 to 30-year hiatus resulted in him finally earning his license at the still spry age of 60.

Today, the three men, along with other pilots and flight enthusiasts, all meet regularly (often in each other's hangars) to discuss aspects of flying, help each other build planes, or just share in a common passion.

"Some of us fly factory, some us build them, but we're all trying to get together to learn to fly," Howard Watson said.

The "experimental" part of the EAA's name can be slightly misleading.

The Federal Aviation Administration simply labeled any home-built aircraft with that moniker.

What it really means, Wagner explained, is any plane that can be built and flown "without meeting 8,000 pages of regulations."

In reality, the aircraft are far from experimental in any real sense. Hundreds of kits are sold and flown every year.

"These designs are proven," Wagner said. "A lot of people have built and flown them."

He added that if everyone with home-built aircraft got together and formed a company, it would be one of the largest corporate entities in the world.

And, as another member is quick to point out, the Wright brothers' first plane would be deemed an experimental aircraft today.

The Pahrump chapter of the EAA is actually part of the national organization, but one can participate in local meetings without being a national member.

Pahrump's EAA members don't just work on their own planes. They also host several community events to educate others interested in flying.

One of the better known examples is the Young Eagles Fly-In, at which community youth are invited to take a short flight at Calvada Airfield and learn about aviation.

Right now Wagner, who is the club's program coordinator, said he is hoping to expand the organization and possibly add programs that could include guest speakers or presentations on other members' projects.

Not all experimental airplanes are assembled from kits, however. Vintage aircraft also fall under that category, and as a result often times planes are restored.

Shallenberger, for example, has a 1946 Ercoupe sitting at the back of his hangar waiting to be brought back to life.

"You drive it like a car," Shallenberger said, commenting on the fact the plane lacks rudder pedals. "You used to be able to buy one of these at Macy's."

That's a heavy dose of perspective in post-9/11 age, which saw many flight schools shut down in its wake. So it's a comfort to know that local chapters of the EAA exist, giving people an opportunity to learn about taking to the skies.

If you are interested in joining EAA Chapter 1160, contact President Glenna Wagner at (775) 537-1097 or Bob Cameron via e-mail at EAA1160@isp.com.