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Goofy
Gary Rosier, Contributing Editor & Photographer

Steve Wood (EAA515839) is a record setting British pilot from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. He has set all kinds of records (FAI - Federation International Aeronautique) in both speed and time: International, Transcontinental and City to city. Over 377 speed records, to be precise! He also created an EAA Chapter (#1168) in 1996. More than that, Steve is most proud of the fact that his involvement with the Young Eagles program led to his creation of the GreenHawk Trust (1998). It's a program which provides opportunity and promotes flying experiences for the disabled, disadvantaged and life-limited children around the globe.

In-flight pic of Steve Wood at the controls

As a young child, he watched aircraft fly over his hometown just north of London and it became a passion of his to study aviation and learn to fly. In 1993 Steve enrolled in a flight school "across the pond" and traveled to San Diego, CA to attend. He completed all his book work prior to leaving and was well prepared before departing for San Diego. It turned out to be less than advertised, but he was able to transfer to another school nearby and within a month received his private pilot check ride and cross-country the day before he was scheduled to leave!

He really didn't know at the time what he wanted to do with flying. He had a "light-bulb" moment when, a few years after completing his flight schooling, he decided he would build an airplane! The hunt was on for a suitable aircraft. Steve researched many different aircraft, but ultimately chose the GlaStar. EAA was building one for its Young Eagle program and it offered many of the traits he was looking for - safety, good speed and a useful load. He was able to get a deal from the projects major players; Continental, MT Propellers and Glasair Aviation in 1997.

Getting Goofy air-born in a second

The Aero Engineering Department at Cambridge Regional College was close by, and an arrangement was made to assemble the kit there. Students would get to witness firsthand the assembly as it all came together. Steve worked on it two to three days a week, traveling 300 miles per day. The build took time, money, patience and perseverance.

Pic off our right side in flight

Then in 2001, Steve and his wife Brenda decided to locate a vacation home somewhere in the sun. This led to a move to a residential air-park in Spruce Creek, Florida. Its a private Fly-In community (7FL6) located in Daytona Beach, Fl. where they would spend their time there three or four times a year. The GlaStar would reside permanently, awaiting its final assembly.

In flight, exercising "Goofy"

It might be noted that Steve had no prior building experience! He chose a GlaStar kit because of its safe flying characteristics, folding wings, excellent flying record and could handle floats if needed. It took him over 4,000 hours to complete the task. Steve is quick to point out that he credits help from his many flying friends and other fellow EAA members.

Another photo of "Goofy" in-flight

When asked about how the name GOOFY came about, Steve said he was searching the FAA database and found that N600FY was available. Knowing what he wanted to do down the road to help underprivileged and handicapped children, the name "GOOFY" just made perfect sense to him, as Disney was but a stone's throw from Daytona Beach. It also made the decision for a paint scheme much easier. "Goofy" would be yellow and silver and carry the character of Goofy, both in a logo and stuffed animal as a mascot onboard wherever he flew. Kids were attracted to the airplane and loved it!

Some of the sponsors and flight info as decals on the nose

A four corner flight of the lower 48 states (Key West, Fl; San Diego, CA; Bellingham, Washington; and Bangor, Maine) was completed successfully in 2005. A Young Eagle was flown at all four corners, traversing over 10,000 miles in ten days!

A great shot of the nose of the GlaStar with decals, sponsorship, etc

Encouraged, he started planning a trip around the world and installed a new, 200 plus hp Eggenfellner engine. This replaced the original 125hp Continental. His preparations were completed in 2006 and he was off, leaving from Oshkosh (Air Venture). Twin fuel tanks as well as fuselage removable fuel bladders were all topped off for the start of what was hoped to be a long journey.

Flying along comfortably - she flies like a dream!

Trouble began almost 7 hours later as he was over the forests of Portsmouth, southern Ohio. It was a horror of horrors as his aircraft's engine suddenly sputtered. He managed to keep it barely running, enough to get within three miles of the local airport and then there was a major, in fact catastrophic, failure. A field was in view but it was between two houses, and with no power there just wasn't any second chances. Flying safely between the homes and with a last second pull up that took him over a barbed wire fence (THAT wasn't thrilling he says!), he landed in a soybean crop. Unbelievably, there wasn't even a green mark on the airplane.

Smoke ON! Used for the fly-overs and missing man celebrations of life

The airplane was disassembled and trucked to Hillsboro where some fellow EAA members let him use the hanger there. He arranged to have a new 160hp Aerosport Power Lycoming 10-320 installed. Two weeks later Goofy was repaired, but the around-the- world flight didn't happen. Steve had funded the flight himself and all his funds went into the engine replacement.

Goofy coming home to rest

2007 was a better year as this is when he set three international FAI world records for speed over a recognized course in just two days. He flew from Orlando to London, Canada then on to Detroit, back to London again and on to New York. Another four-corner flight of the US, this time in only 7 days (10,019 miles) where he set another 26 FAI world speed records, breaking the record for the greatest number of FAI world records made in a U.S. registered home-built aircraft. City to city records were also smashed during this trip (157 to be precise) as well as two transcontinental world records.

"Goofy" occasionally joins up with his friends

It truly isn't about the records, Steve says, it's about raising the awareness for aviation experiences for the disabled. He is immensely pleased to have his endeavors serve as a heightened awareness for the disabled and seeing the huge smiles of the kids who have been up for a flight certainly speaks volumes.

It's fitting then, that Steve, who embodies a determined and stalwart spirit in his aerial endeavors, has also been able to raise such an incredible awareness for the less fortunate. The speed records heighten recognition of his Greenhawk Trust program and ensure children will experience the joys of flight for decades to come.

http://www.glastar.se/docs/0810_feature.pdf

By Gary Rosier, Contributing Editor & Photographer
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