EAA Chapter 732 Technical Counselors

An EAA Technical Counselor is an experienced volunteer advisor who shares knowledge and expertise to aircraft builders. These Technical Counselors are part of the "member helping member" tradition of EAA. They advise builders on constructing a safe, airworthy aircraft for final FAA inspection. These volunteers, who offer their services at no charge, are at least one of the following:

Have built an experimental category aircraft;
Have restored an antique/classic aircraft;
Hold an A&P, IA, DAR, DER or Aerospace Engineer rating in the U.S., an equivalent international rating or have the qualifications for those ratings;
In the case of an ultralight Technical Counselor, have experience and ability to provide technical assistance to ultralight aircraft builders.

These volunteers visit projects and advise builders on how to comply with building instructions and federal regulations. Technical Counselors offer tips based on their experience and help builders avoid costly mistakes. Through Technical Counselors, EAA helps maintain the excellent reputation of the amateur-built program.


Technical Counselor: Jim Halbert


Technical Counselor: Wayne Larabee
Wayne Larabee has been flying for quite some time. He soloed in 1944 when he was 16 years old. He holds a commercial, multi and single engine license with an instrument rating. He’s also a CFII, MEI and A&P. Wayne flew for Atlantic Richfield doing pipeline patrol and has also done charter work, instructing and was a Cessna Dealer for 25 years, logging 30,000+ hours over the years. He’s also been an FBO owner and at one time had two FBO's. He’s currently working on completing his RV-6 project. Wayne has spent a lot of time helping others in the chapter with their projects but has recently been concentrating on finishing his project and hopes to fly it this year. In past years he’s owned an Aeronca 11AC, Cessna 195, G model Bonanza, a Great Lakes and a Super Cub. Not to mention the Cessna’s that were his while a dealer. Wayne says his favorite airplane, so far, is the Cessna 195. He’s a member of the EAA (and one of our chapter’s technical counselors), AOPA (has his 50 year pin from them) and the Quiet Birdmen. He and his wife have lived in Bella Vista for 10 years and have 2 kids, 4 grandsons, 2 great granddaughters and a great grandson.

Technical Counselor: Charley Scott
Charley Scott has been flying since 1964. He’s a private pilot, single engine land, with an instrument rating and has a hi-performance endorsement. The majority of his approximately 2500 flying hours has been personal with a little done for business. He’s also logged about 30 hours of helicopter time. Charley currently owns a flying Glasair 1 FT he constructed and is working on an Express series S90 kit. He’s owned and/or flown a Beech Musketeer, a T-34, a Bonanza and a T210. He says the V35/F33 Bonanza is his favorite factory built airplane to fly and the Glasair is his favorite homebuilt airplane to fly. He has been involved with the EAA and Civil Air Patrol extensively and is a technical counselor for our EAA chapter. Charley spent 20 years in the oil & gas business, traveling extensively, including a lot of overseas traveling. He’s currently retired from Comercial Insurance sales. He and his wife Frances plan to do a lot of traveling in the future. Charley has lived in Northwest Arkansas since 1974 and enjoys building and flying airplanes.

Technical Counselor: Barry West
Barry West has been a pilot since 1967. He is a private pilot, single engine land, with an instrument rating and 2000 hours flying time. All of his flying has been for pleasure. He currently owns and flies a Kitfox that he built and is working on a Pulsar Turbo. In the past he has owned a Cessna 182 and a Cardinal RG. His favorite airplane to fly has been the Kitfox. Barry’s a member of the EAA, AOPA, the Air Museum at Drake Field and the Ozark Military Museum. He is also very active in the Young Eagles program and is one of our chapter’s Young Eagle Coordinators. Barry’s a retired Mechanical Engineer. He and his wife Sherron have lived here for 8 years and have 2 kids and 3 grand children.

Technical Counselor: Jim Younkin
Jim Younkin is known by many for his creation of the air racing replicas, the Travelair Mystery Ship, and Mr. Mulligan, as well as the super Stearman "Goliath", the Mystery Pacer, and more recently the Mullicoupes. He is also known for his G Model Staggerwing production line which saw three D models converted to G Models and then upgraded with a number of engineering improvements. Finally, he is also known by some for his activity in the art of forming compound aluminum aircraft parts. All these activities were accomplished in his retirement years. Prior to these, his professional career as an electronic engineer was in the field of designing gyro instruments and autopilots for general aviation. In the late 1950's he developed the first miniaturized solid-state gyro slaving system which he sold to AIM (Aviation Instrument Mfg Co.) From AIM, Mr. Younkin went to Mitchell Industries where he designed autopilots and related instrumentation. During that period he invented the low-friction heading selector (bug) into the three-inch vertical card DG. This basic design concept is used today in all autopilot directional gyros. Mr. Younkin's primary accomplishment at Mitchell was autopilot design, and Jim was the sole designer of the Century III, the first attitude position autopilot to fly without feedback sensors on the servos. Mr. Younkin also developed the Century I and Century IV, and contributed to the design of the Century Forty-one, which evolved into the present-day Century 2000. Another product, the NSD-360 horizontal situation indicator (HSI) is Mr. Younkin's design. This unit is probably in greater use today than any other HSI, and it is still being produced. As could be expected, Mr. Younkin holds numerous autopilot patents. Jim spends his time now developing and marketing solid-state digital autopilots for the experimental aircraft market.