Richard Steeves, a good and dear friend has passed, known for his achievements in medicine and among his friends for leading a long-term aviation club and even constructing a Coot Amphibian and electric ultralight airplane. Many will know him from his leadership of the Coot Builder’s Club, a group of enthusiasts who build and fly Molt Taylor’s design. The organization publishes a newsletter that Richard edited for an astonishing 50 years. He became great friends with Moulton (Molt) Taylor, the designer of the Coot, and wrote books and articles about the amphibian. Now, with Richard’s passing, Andrew Wayne will take over running the organization and publishing the newsletter, which promotes the continued building and flying of this craft. In the early days of aircraft home-building, enthusiasts had to find plans for their intended craft, materials, and if possible, supportive local help. This made building a Coot especially challenging. Managing construction of a complex airplane with retractable landing gear, and mastering …
