John is a long time General Aviation pilot now in his third summer of Challengering. After two summers on wheels (and two winters on skis) he recently installed Puddlejumper amphibious floats - too much fun!

John now has quite a repertoire of Challenger stories. Here's our favourite:

"My mother passed away last month but one of my very special memories is her willingness to take a flight in her 81st year. My brother and I had taken her to the airport to show her my new Challenger. She unexpectedly, in spite of hip problems, asked us to pick her up and load her in the back seat. She then shocked the life out of me by suggesting a short hop would be OK with her! We motored around the field and stayed aloft for over 15 minutes, doors off. On landing we got a resounding thumbs up and a huge grin of approval! She loved it and had a video to prove it. The seniors home hasn't been the same since with the tape being shopped over the entire population in the place!"

John has written several very good articles in COPA Canadian Flight about his Challenger experiences. His first detailed not just the process of assembling the kit but also the process of making the decision to acquire the kit in the first place. Without that all important decision there will be no joys of flight! We've webized this article and put it in the Experience section of our site. It is titled "Get At It And Don't Procrastinate!".