Wood Ultralight aircraft kit and engine donated to SGTC Aviation Maintenance Program

January 23, 2019
South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford, (third from right) is shown above with Earl Fowls (second from left) and one of the wing spans from the wood ultralight aircraft that he donated to South Georgia Technical College Aviation Maintenance and Aircraft Structural program. Also shown (l to r) are SGTC Aircraft Structural Instructor Jason Wisham, Fowls, Aviation Maintenance Instructor David Grant, A.J. Rodriquez from Delta, Dr. Watford, and SGTC Aviation Maintenance Instructors Paul Pearson and Victoria Herron.
South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford, (third from right) is shown above with Earl Fowls (second from left) and one of the wing spans from the wood ultralight aircraft that he donated to South Georgia Technical College Aviation Maintenance and Aircraft Structural program. Also shown (l to r) are SGTC Aircraft Structural Instructor Jason Wisham, Fowls, Aviation Maintenance Instructor David Grant, A.J. Rodriquez from Delta, Dr. Watford, and SGTC Aviation Maintenance Instructors Paul Pearson and Victoria Herron.

Earl Fowls of Zebulon, GA donated the parts from a RagWing Special Ultralight aircraft and an engine to the South Georgia Technical College Aviation Maintenance and Aircraft Structural Programs recently. The all-wood aircraft design is a single seat ultralight biplane similar in looks to the 1941 or 1942 Pitts Special.

      Fowls bought the RagWing Special Ultralight plans and had been working on the project for several years. “I put a lot of time and energy into building the wood frame from scratch, but now I think it is time that it has a new home,” explained Fowls. He elected to share his treasure with South Georgia Technical College at the recommendation of a friend, A. J. Rodriquez, who was familiar with the aviation maintenance and aircraft structural program and highly recommended South Georgia Tech.

     The aircraft frame is constructed entirely of wood and once finished would be covered in standard aircraft fabric covering materials. A finished wood ultralight is defined as a single place ultralight aircraft that weighs 254 pounds or less and has a stall speed not more than 24 knots, a top speed of 55 knots, and carries no more than five gallons of fuel. Individuals are not required to have a pilot licenses to fly the ultralights.

     “On behalf of South Georgia Technical College, the aviation program, and our students, I would like to thank Earl Fowls and A.J. Rodriquez for selecting South Georgia Technical College to be the beneficiary of this aircraft project,” said South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford. “The students will be able to work with these materials to gain a better understanding of how a small aircraft is constructed and how the covering is attached.”

     South Georgia Technical College Aviation Maintenance lead instructor Victoria Herron also thanked Fowls and Rodriquez for the gift. “Our program is a hands on training experience and this gift allows the students to work on the small engine as well as utilize the frame in the aircraft structural program. Obviously we will not complete it to be a working aircraft but it is good for the students to be able to see how an ultralight aircraft is constructed from scratch and how the engine and electrical lines would be installed,” said Herron.

     Fowls and A.J. Rodriquez, who works as an A&O with Delta in Atlanta, delivered the engine, parts, and frame to the campus and had a chance to talk with the SGTC Aviation Maintenance and Aircraft Structural Instructors and students. For more information about making a donation to South Georgia Technical College or the South Georgia Technical College Foundation contact: Su Ann Bird, Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the SGTC Foundation at 229-931-2110 or sbird@southgatech.edu.

Earl Fowls is shown above talking with Instructor David Grant and students about the engine that flies the wood ultralight.
Earl Fowls is shown above talking with Instructor David Grant and students about the engine that flies the wood ultralight.
A.J. Rodriquez had the opportunity to talk with the SGTC Aviation Maintenance students about his experiences in the aviation maintenance industry and with Delta.

A.J. Rodriquez had the opportunity to talk with the SGTC Aviation Maintenance students about his experiences in the aviation maintenance industry and with Delta.