N565DM in kit form, was started on October 10th, 2001 and had it's first high speed taxi test on May 26th, 2003. My technical advisor is Tim Mahoney . Tim is an A&P and with his guidance I was able to complete the task. 565DM has a Lycoming 0360 A1A and a Prince prop.

Tom Irlbeck, a former F4 navy pilot was the test pilot. I would like to thank my wife; Mabel for her patience while I hustled on the plane. She kept up the home front and did all my honey do's for the past year and one half. 565DM is an RV6A and weighs in at 1063 lbs., electric flaps, electric elevator trim, Ups GX65 GPS COMM, King 76 Transponder, EIS engine monitor, wing tip pulse landing lights and strobes. Standard six pack flight gauges, and I hope to upgrade to IFR package when I recover from the last go round with the money.

While building 5DM , Tim Mahoney and I discussed the dream of flying our two airplanes to Van's sometime in the future. As we labored along on the fuselage and then on the finishing kit, we talked about the possibility of the trip and how long it would take.

I remember talking about taking mountain flying lessons, (something I did not do during my 4 auto trips to Denver, although I visited Jeffco airport and talked to instructors there, and even called there to make an appointment to take a check ride in our Cessna 175}.

Early in the winter of 2003, Tom Irlbeck was talking about getting a bunch of people together and flying out to Van's over Labor Day weekend. Tim told me about this and I jokingly said “ I've got to finish 5DM , so we can go too”. Well, this really energized us and many long hours into the night were spent completing 5DM for the final inspection and first flight.

Memorial Day, 2003, will always be in my mind as a special time, for 565DM was completed on that day - wings hung-final bolts torqued, and engine fired up. I remember taxing out to runway 36 and firewalling the throttle for an instant, doing a high speed run-WOW!!!!!!!!!! My airplane and it's moving-built by me and here we are.

June 21st, 2003 - final inspection. I was nervous as Cliff Neiderhart handed me the papers saying 5DM was approved for first flight. This is really neat. 3 days later, Tom Irlbeck departed Leaders Airport in 5DM for the first flight, and I was grinning ear to ear. 4 days later, after some minor rigging adjustments, Tom and I took the plane up for my transition training. Hope I tightened everything right! The rivets on the wings look like they are holding, get back to flying the plane, as Tom is giving me strange looks from the right seat. After 1 1/2 hours he says let's put her away for the day. 2 more sessions and Tom turns me loose. Now I am flying in my 50 mile box - Leaders to Rush City, 16 minutes, one way-this sucker really goes. Let's try an aileron roll. Opps, got to remember to relax the back pressure before full left stick, otherwise the speed really builds up as you go inverted in a nose dive with full throttle . 3 1/2 g on recovery-this is a learning experience, level flight and check to see if the wings are still attached, OK that was different.

As the days pass, around and around we go, Princeton, Cambridge, Rush City, Mora, Milaca, and back to Leaders. Tom says “To go over the mountains you've got to fly at least 12,000 feet”, so we go up to 12,500 and 13,000 feet, and a few stalls , full flaps and 80 mph slow flight, everything feels right. This just might happen, Van's that is.

Mid August,2003, 40.5 hour on 565DM, and my first flight out of the box to Lake Elmo, objective, breakfast and plans for Van's Homecoming. Tom Irlbeck and the gaggle of RVers spend about an hour discussing the planned trip. Tom has a rough draft, survival clothing- coat, wool cap, rain poncho, 1 gal. of water, tent, sleeping pad, 2 days sandwiches , charts needed, and planned airports for fuel stops.

August 27th, 2003, 5:45 AM. Kissed wife good by and stopped at STC to find Tim Mahoney packing stuff into 1701Z , then hurried off to Leaders. Fish scale in hand, I added the numbers up and came up with 135lbs of equipment to load into 5DM. I took out the right seat and stick, and piled everything in. Tim and I were to meet in the air over STC, but since I had never taken off and landed with a full 100lbs in the baggage compartment, I thought it best to try a landing at STC to see if it would work. Landing OK but it needed much trim from empty baggage to 100lbs. 7:15 AM, I took off from STC, Tim on my 4:00, headed to Belleforche S.D. Tactical freq. 123.5-evey one is checking in. Steve Foster, from New Richmond ,WI. The Dumfries Brothers, Steve and Joe , from Dumfries, MN, John Stevenson from Lake Elmo, MN, Eldon Lamprecht, Bernie Weiss, and Alex Petterson, from Anoka County, MN.

We are talking all the way to Belleforche,SD. Doug Weiler is chiming in from 40,000 feet in a B-757, some where over Wisconsin, to wish us well as he flies east at his desk job for NWA. Is this really happening ??? I'm on the way to Oregon??? Unbelievable!!! Runway elevation 3500 feet at Belleforche. Whew, made it on with crosswinds and wind gusts. Surprised the gal at the fuel desk, as she was reading a novel and figured it would be a slow day.

Took 30 gals. to fill-a little more than planned for but in order to keep up with the constant speed props I really have to push it, 2550rpm. Off to U68, climb and climb and climb a over the Big Horn Mountains in my little RV6A, so proud, so fast, so inexperienced, so nervous!!! BIG mountains with sharp peaks, what a view-engine running rough?????-No, it's just me, dry mouth, God I need a drink of water

Yeah, everything is fine back here, (me to Tim's inquiry). WHAT ARE THESE CLOUDS DOING HERE? 500 FOOT CEILING OVER MOUNTAINS!!! GOD, I REALLY NEED A DRINK OF WATER. HERE COMES RAIN ,CLOUDS, I TURN AROUND TO GO EAST, AND BERNIE ZOOMS BY, 200 FEET OVER MY HEAD, FOLLOW BERNIE, HE MUST KNOW THE WAY. WHERE DID HE GO? LOOK AT THE TREES, SO CLOSE BELOW, VISIBILITY GOING TO ZIP.” IT'S CLEAR OVER HERE”, SAYS ALEX . MOUTH VERY DRY, WHERE IS THE CLEAR AIR? I HAVE READ ABOUT THIS . WILL THEY BE READING ABOUT ME? TIM CALLS ME,” WHERE ARE YOU DALE?” I DON'T ANSWER AS I AM BOUNCING ABOUT, AND MY HEAD SMACKS THE TOP OF THE CANOPY. I TIGHTEN THE SHOULDER STRAPS AND PULL BACK ON THE THROTTLE TO SLOW DOWN A LITTLE. 11,500MSL IN THE MIST. WHERE IS THE CLEAR AIR? WHAT'S THIS 11,00MSL, I PUSH IN FOR POWER, AND PULL BACK THE STICK TO CLIMB. BOY, THIS IS STUPID. “DALE, WHERE ARE YOU” SAYS TIM. I ANSWER, ”I'M BACK HERE, SOMEWHERE”. ALL AT ONCE I SEE TERRAIN AHEAD A SADDLE THAT I CLEAR WITH 300 FEET TO SPARE. WOW, DON'T DO THAT, EVER AGAIN.

Whew here comes the valley, and Big Horn Airport,U68, elevation 4030ft. 5DM at the tail end of the line all the way, but I'm here by golly. Time for a few pictures, fuel, and the Dumfries flap problem temporarily fixed - tied flap up as the electric motor quit, and we are off to McCall, ID.