OSHKOSH — Even though Bill Harrelson's flight from Fredericksburg, Virginia to the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh only took three and a half hours, the trip would not have been possible without eight years of work.
That's how long it took Harrelson and his wife Sue to build their own plane, which they finished in 2012.
This is the second plane the couples built, and they have a third back in Virginia.
“It's interesting. It's gratifying," Harrelson said. "But [I've] got to tell you that in building all of our airplanes, there were times that I had [the] chainsaw cranked up, and ready to just cut it in half. It can be frustrating too."
Harrelson, a former American Airlines pilot, has been flying for 56 years and attending the EAA AirVenture for 40.
“You see old friends that you haven't seen since last year. And see a lot of interesting aircraft. A lot of vendors, and I enjoy spending some time off campus visiting some local restaurants and shops and things like that," Harrelson said. "So just a lot of fun, a little vacation."
But Bill and Sue Harrelson built their plane with more in mind than EAA. They set out to beat world records—three, in fact. Harrelson holds the records for distance in his aircraft's weight class, speed around the world over both poles and feet around the world westbound.
"We built this airplane specifically for world records," Harrelson said. "So it has a lot of modifications. It carries a lot of extra fuel."
The aircraft can go up to 235 mph and reach elevations of over 20,000 feet.
But Harrelson said his record-breaking days are over.
"I'm very proud of those records," Harrelson said. "They were a lot of work, but they're not really fun. That's not fun flying. That is hard flying, hard preparation. So I think those days are over. I think I've set my last... record."
He said if any pilots want to attempt to beat his records, he's more than willing to help them.
To see pilots with their handmade aircraft, visitors can find them in the "homebuilt" grounds of the event.
