Unique Airplane Brought Flight To Thousands

Carl Unger, whose unique Breezy aircraft provided many thousands of flights to people over the past half-century, passed away Tuesday, September 24, at his home in Oak Lawn, Illinois. He was 82.

The Breezy is one of the most universally recognized aircraft to emerge from EAA and the homebuilt movement. Carl's famous red and white prototype first appeared at the 1965 Rockford EAA fly-in convention, where it created a sensation when he gave people rides from morning until night. He always appeared donning his distinctive red vest, according to a notice posted on the EAA website.
 
The prototype Breezy was designed and built by Carl, Charles Roloff, and Bob Liposky, who used a set of Piper PA-12 wings and a factory-new Continental C-90-8 engine with a special pusher crank. After 25 years of flying it, Carl, EAA 25215, flew the airplane to EAA's Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh one last time before retiring the famous homebuilt to the EAA AirVenture Museum in October 1990.

Since 1965, more than 1,000 sets of plans have been sold. Carl would warn new potential builders, "Listen, when you get this thing finished, everywhere you go and stop for fuel, they're going to ask for rides."
 
Many thousands of people donned the goggles and received a free ride with Carl in his Breezy, including an FAA administrator, Sen. Barry Goldwater, actor Cliff Robertson, and an entire Concorde crew.

(Breezy pictured in file photo)

FMI: www.breezyaircraft.com