The Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual AirVenture has been drawing flight enthusiasts from all over the world to Oshkosh since 1970. For 13 of those years, the guests have included Israeli electrical contractor and pilot Yair Gil.
But for this year’s event, July 28-Aug. 3, Gil decided to fly himself there in an airplane of his own construction, a Cozy Mark IV. The Cozy company furnishes plans for this single engine, propeller-in-the-rear aircraft; and Gil built it largely from parts he made himself out of plastic and fiberglass.
He took off from Israel July 7; and after stops in Corsica, France, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland and Canada, Gil arrived in Green Bay on July 22. He is planning to fly his plane back to Israel at the event’s conclusion, leaving Aug. 3 or 4.
During his stay in Oshkosh, The Chronicle interviewed him by telephone on July 31. The following is a compiled, arranged and edited version of that conversation.
Why did you decide to do this?
I’ve been several times to the AirVenture at Oshkosh [and] every year I saw that aircraft [the Cozy Mark IV]. At the end of 2003, I can’t explain to you exactly why, but we had some discussions in Israel on the Light Aviation Forum about that model, and I decided to take the challenge and build it.
I wouldn’t build a regular shape aircraft. [The Cozy Mark IV] looks totally different from any other kind of aircraft … and I like to build something different.
What is so special about the Oshkosh AirVenture event?
First of all, it’s huge, the biggest air show around the world. There are a lot of people [and companies that present] new hardware, new instruments. You can just feel what is coming in the next few years.… We are looking to discover something we don’t know.
From what I saw in some of the other media accounts, you set a record by doing this?
I think it’s a kind of record.… By now, there are about three or four home-built general aviation aircraft that already fly in Israel. But I’m the only one who flew it out of the country.…
And I flew it for a distance of 6,000 nautical miles…. I don’t think any of those other people [who have built and flown a Cozy Mark IV] flew such a distance in one journey…. So I flew, I think, the biggest distance. Actually, I flew over three different continents: Asia to Europe to North America.
You were alone in the airplane, like Charles Lindbergh [who made the first non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean from the U.S. to France in 1927]?
(Laughter.) Lindbergh is a different flight.… He crossed non-stop.… [And] he didn’t have means to navigate. I have three GPSs [Global Positioning System units]. I have lots of things. It’s not the same.
Still, you had to cross miles of ocean by yourself. It had to be kind of scary, no?
No. If the engine works well, you are not scared.… Somebody told me, “You are a brave man.” But between brave and fool-ness, the distance is very short.… But look, I took it as a challenge for me….
Now that you did it, I take it that you feel pretty good…?
I will feel better when I will be at home. First of all, I have to finish both ways. I have to fly it all the way back.
How did your family [wife and four adult sons] feel about you doing this?
First of all, I’m sure they are proud. My wife [Drora], she’s scared all the time; but if I have to take that under consideration, I wouldn’t be a pilot even.
Will there be another flying project like this for you after you get back?
I don’t see [this] as a big project. The only thing is if I will be fool enough to cover the expenses myself again…. I can fly around the world with it. No problem. The only problem is such a flight… can cost. I heard about a lady that flew around the world. She spent $150,000 on that. I’m fool enough, but not so much just to say I paid $150,000 to fly around the world…
I think I will finish this flight very close to $30,000. Just fuel will be between $10,000 and $11,000. And there are insurance expenses, landing fees, permission to cross — everything costs money. I had to spend on hotels; I have to eat also.…
What will you do when you get back to Israel?
I will continue my regular life. Nothing special. Maybe because I got so much publicity, maybe I will go to the Knesset. That’s a joke, yes?
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