Chris Heintz, the designer of the Zenair, has passed away
News from 12 May 2021. It has not been updated since it was published: some information may have changed. Latest news
It is with sadness that we learned of the death of Chris Heintz on 30 April. For the microlight world, he was the inspiration for many manufacturers. There are countless more or less successful copies of his famous CH 701. This go-anywhere microlight has delighted thousands of pilots around the world.
Chris Heintz passed away on 30 April 2021 © Zenair
A great advocate of metal construction, this prolific engineer made it accessible to everyone by designing aircraft that were structurally simple but effective.
After starting his career at Aérospatiale, he joined Robin to design the company's metal aircraft, then moved to Canada to found his own company, Zenair.
His teaching talent was highly valued in North America, where he led many symposiums at gatherings of amateur builders.
He summed up his knowledge and experience in “Fly Your Own Wings”. Although some consider the book simplistic, it is a particularly useful and accessible document, full of excellent advice and comments, which I recommend to everyone interested in aeronautical techniques.
With his passing, the light aviation world has once again lost a talented designer.
