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RIP: Arnold Ebneter--Aviation legend

Domenick

Domenick

Instrument Training
Joined
Oct 3, 2019
Messages
2,383
Arnold was fixture at Harvey Field (S43) for over 50 years. He built his Ebneter-1 (E-1) in a hangar here, though he started his world record flight (at 82 y/o!) 7 nm west at Paine Field (KPAE). Arnold gave me my checkride way back in 2002 when we were both young men. (I passed). He was often seen riding his old bicycle around the airport. While Arnold certainly had plenty to be proud of and boast of, he was a humble and soft-spoken man. Arnold was 97.

www.wahf.org

Arnold Ebneter - Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame

www.wahf.org www.wahf.org

Cold War Airpower Laboratory

Learning on the fly, the Nineteenth Air Force laid the foundation for modern expeditionary forces. Moving entire U.S. Air Force units across continents
www.historynet.com www.historynet.com

supersabresociety.com

Ebneter, Arnold E. - Super Sabre Society

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row”...
supersabresociety.com supersabresociety.com

www.byuradio.org

82-Year-Old Flew Homebuilt Airplane Cross-Country - BYUradio

At 82 years old, Arnold Ebneter flew his homebuilt plane non-stop for 2,328 miles.
www.byuradio.org www.byuradio.org

Longest nonstop flight in a lightweight plane - world record set by Arnold Ebneter

Fredericksburg, Va., USA -- The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) reports one of its members, Arnold Ebneter, 82, recently flew his Jabiru 2200-powered home-designed and built aircraft, dubbed E-1, from Paine Field, Everett, Washington, to Fredericksburg, Virginia, (2,327.85 miles) to set...
www.worldrecordacademy.com

www.smithsonianmag.com

Across the Continent in a Homebuilt

Some pilots build airplanes just to travel far.
www.smithsonianmag.com www.smithsonianmag.com

inspire.eaa.org

The Cross-Country of a Lifetime

Arnold Ebneter planned for decades to make an epic solo cross-country flight, and eventually he was able to take that great adventure that so many who pursue aviation dream of.
inspire.eaa.org inspire.eaa.org

open.spotify.com

EAA Chapter 84 Podcast

Podcast · EAA Chapter 84 · Brought to you from the Flabby Bottom Flying Club Studios a podcast containing the history and news of EAA Chapter 84 located in Snohomish WA
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com


snohomishflyingservice's profile picture

In Loving Memory~
ARNOLD E. EBNETER
Accomplished Aviator and Mentor
February 21, 1928 – June 6, 2025

Arnold came to Harvey Field in the early 1970’s looking for a home for his Bonanza 25 Charlie. It wasn’t long after he located on Harvey Field that the Harvey Family convinced him to join the flight instructor team at Snohomish Flying Service (SFS) and from there – Oh my…. Arnold had no idea what he was in for at SFS. Over the years and until his retirement in 2019 Arnold joyfully served in every position from flight instructor specializing in tailwheel instruction to Chief Instructor for the Part 141 program, Chief Pilot and Director of Operations for the Part 135 Charter operation and FAA Designated Pilot Examiner. Arnold played a huge role in the tremendous success story of Snohomish Flying Service. He served the company, its team and the Harvey Family with pride and distinction for over 48 years. Arnold touched thousands of lives in his long career flying and instructing, and was always the “go to guy”. He enjoyed general aviation, loved teaching people to fly and never tired of the joy of flight as was evidenced by his thousands of logged flight hours and willingness to give of his time to mentor and encourage others. Arnold was a legend, and he will be sorely missed by the aviation community, SFS and the Harvey Family. Arnold’s memory will shine brightly and live on each day at Harvey Field as his yellow J-3 Cub keeps flying offering tailwheel instruction at SFS.
 
What a great story and -- clearly -- a life well-lived!

Rest in Peace, Arnold.
 
When I read an obituary like this my first reaction is :( then when I read about his life I think (y). So I never know which icon to use to reply.
 
In Memory of Arnold
My Second Instructor

From 2015 to 2018, I studied for my Private Pilot License (PPL) at Harvey Field. In 2015, as I began learning to fly, the flight school assigned me a young and handsome instructor with roughly 300 hours of flying experience. I found it difficult to adapt to his teaching style; he seemed more nervous than me, constantly instructing me on what actions to take or which instruments to monitor. During takeoffs and landings, he didn't allow me any control over the aircraft. After my first flight, feeling that this instructor wasn't suitable for me, I requested a change.

Due to a full schedule of young instructors, the school recommended Arnold. Our initial meeting took place in his office where he asked about my background before instructing me to perform pre-flight checks. Once completed and confirming the plane was okay, he swiftly climbed into the cockpit of our Cessna 152, moving with an agility uncharacteristic of an 87-year-old man. At that moment, I had no idea about his age or that he was the designer of the E-1, holder of world records.

This second flight felt significantly better than the first. With prior experience, I confidently taxied the plane to the runway. At the runway's end, Arnold let me handle the takeoff almost entirely on my own, offering only occasional assistance with the yoke. He instructed me to fly south towards the practice airspace. Upon arrival, he handed control over to me, advising me to maintain course and altitude while ignoring everything else. As I managed to keep the plane steady, I started enjoying the scenery outside—the distant mountains, fields, and rivers.

Arnold alerted me when another aircraft passed below us on the left, noting the significant difference in altitude and direction, thus posing no threat. This was something I hadn't noticed myself. Later, he pointed out that we had lost 200 feet in altitude and deviated by 60 degrees from our course, prompting me to make adjustments. Though I couldn't know how to use trim for stable flight and only frequently adjusted the throttle, this flight truly made me appreciate the joy of flying, and I decided right then that Arnold would be my instructor.

Despite Arnold's extensive experience and high-level teaching ability, due to his advanced age, he rarely took on students, usually just one or two, and flew only once or twice a week. Unfortunately, this meant he couldn't continue to be my instructor, much to my regret.

Over time, I learned more about Arnold, seeing photos of him displayed around the school—a young, dashing Air Force pilot standing next to an F86, awards like the Blériot Medal, and more. In 2018, during a pre-flight check of the nose gear with my current instructor, we discovered some looseness in the components. With the lineboy off duty, we were at a loss until Arnold rode up on his bicycle from the hangar. Upon being called over, he examined the issue closely and assured us there was no problem, enabling the flight to proceed. As one of many examples, His readiness to help earned him praise as the "go-to guy."

At Arnold's wife -Colleen's funeral in 1999, many pilots flew in to pay their respects at Harvey field, a testament to her status as a fellow aviator and the highest honor within the aviation community.

Rest in peace, Arnold.
Your spirit will forever soar among us.
 
From Snohomish Flying Service, i.e., Harvey Field (S43):

Arnold Ebneter Memorial Celebration June 29, 2pm

Everyone is invited to a celebration of life for Arnold Ebneter on June 29 starting at 2:00pm at Hangar 15, Harvey Airfield. Light refreshments will be provided and everyone will have a chance to tell their favorite “Arnold story.”

For those who can’t make it in person, you are welcome to join us on Zoom:
zoom.us

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.
zoom.us zoom.us

In Loving Memory~

ARNOLD E. EBNETER
Accomplished Aviator and Mentor
February 21, 1928 – June 6, 2025
 
HUI said:
In Memory of Arnold
My Second Instructor

From 2015 to 2018, I studied for my Private Pilot License (PPL) at Harvey Field. In 2015, as I began learning to fly, the flight school assigned me a young and handsome instructor with roughly 300 hours of flying experience. I found it difficult to adapt to his teaching style; he seemed more nervous than me, constantly instructing me on what actions to take or which instruments to monitor. During takeoffs and landings, he didn't allow me any control over the aircraft. After my first flight, feeling that this instructor wasn't suitable for me, I requested a change.

Due to a full schedule of young instructors, the school recommended Arnold. Our initial meeting took place in his office where he asked about my background before instructing me to perform pre-flight checks. Once completed and confirming the plane was okay, he swiftly climbed into the cockpit of our Cessna 152, moving with an agility uncharacteristic of an 87-year-old man. At that moment, I had no idea about his age or that he was the designer of the E-1, holder of world records.

This second flight felt significantly better than the first. With prior experience, I confidently taxied the plane to the runway. At the runway's end, Arnold let me handle the takeoff almost entirely on my own, offering only occasional assistance with the yoke. He instructed me to fly south towards the practice airspace. Upon arrival, he handed control over to me, advising me to maintain course and altitude while ignoring everything else. As I managed to keep the plane steady, I started enjoying the scenery outside—the distant mountains, fields, and rivers.

Arnold alerted me when another aircraft passed below us on the left, noting the significant difference in altitude and direction, thus posing no threat. This was something I hadn't noticed myself. Later, he pointed out that we had lost 200 feet in altitude and deviated by 60 degrees from our course, prompting me to make adjustments. Though I couldn't know how to use trim for stable flight and only frequently adjusted the throttle, this flight truly made me appreciate the joy of flying, and I decided right then that Arnold would be my instructor.

Despite Arnold's extensive experience and high-level teaching ability, due to his advanced age, he rarely took on students, usually just one or two, and flew only once or twice a week. Unfortunately, this meant he couldn't continue to be my instructor, much to my regret.

Over time, I learned more about Arnold, seeing photos of him displayed around the school—a young, dashing Air Force pilot standing next to an F86, awards like the Blériot Medal, and more. In 2018, during a pre-flight check of the nose gear with my current instructor, we discovered some looseness in the components. With the lineboy off duty, we were at a loss until Arnold rode up on his bicycle from the hangar. Upon being called over, he examined the issue closely and assured us there was no problem, enabling the flight to proceed. As one of many examples, His readiness to help earned him praise as the "go-to guy."

At Arnold's wife -Colleen's funeral in 1999, many pilots flew in to pay their respects at Harvey field, a testament to her status as a fellow aviator and the highest honor within the aviation community.

Rest in peace, Arnold.
Your spirit will forever soar among us.
Click to expand...

Welcome to The Pilot's Place. And GREAT first post!
 
People like that are a big part of what makes aviation communities special — decades of experience, quietly helping others along the way. Giving checkrides, building his own aircraft, still flying into his 80s… that’s seriously impressive.
Also says a lot that he stayed humble through it all. Those are the ones people remember most.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
TomMath11 said:
People like that are a big part of what makes aviation communities special — decades of experience, quietly helping others along the way. Giving checkrides, building his own aircraft, still flying into his 80s… that’s seriously impressive.
Also says a lot that he stayed humble through it all. Those are the ones people remember most.
Click to expand...

Your post was edited to delete an unsafe link.
 
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