PORTLAND, Maine — We all have our interests and hobbies, but sometimes the idea never gets off the ground. For one Portland man, investing over 500 hours and thousands of dollars will take him, and his hobby of flying, to new heights.
Bruce Harrington lives in Portland and is a retired gas company employee. Harrington got his pilot's license and flies helicopters up-and-down the Maine coast and over the western mountains.
Not many pilots build their own aircraft, Harrington is an exception. He bought a RotorWay 162F kit, with a cruising speed of 95 mph and a max of 115 mph, and is building it in his two-car garage.
"The RotorWay company boasts you can build this in a standard garage," said Harrington. "And as you can see it’s in a standard garage.”
Even though the tail clears the garage door, when it's completed it won't be able to roll out. He will need to tear down a wall and install a 9-foot door. Since he lives about a mile from the Portland Jetport, Harrington will have to put it on a trailer and have it delivered to a nearby airport.
Harrington believes this project can be done by many depending on your skill level and dedication. He has about 75 hours left and then plans to get the bird approved by the FAA for flight testing.