The CA-65 Skyfly is a two-seat low-wing, wooden homebuilt monoplane. It was first flown in 1965 and was an improvement on the CA-61 Mini-Ace. Designed by Anton Cvjetcovic, an immigrant from the former Yugoslavia, the airplane featured retractable landing gear, dual controls, and a design that allowed for maximum efficiency. Between the main and auxiliary fuel tanks that hold 28 gallons of fuel, the aircraft has a range of well over 500 miles. Being built of wood, the CA-65 is covered with Birch or Mahogany plywood of between 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick. The airplane comes equipped with a steerable tail wheel, allowing for greater control when taxiing the airplane, and a bubble canopy provides outstanding visibility in all directions.
The Museum’s Cvjetcovic CA-65 Skyfly was built by one Charles Wilcoxon and had its first flight on June 1, 1975. The aircraft was then purchased by Steven Unze of the San Francisco Bay Area on April 20, 1984. Steve affectionately named the airplane “Gus” and flew it for a total of 1,050 hours before deciding that its “bones” were getting old and that the airplane belonged in a museum. On June 14, 2017, “Gus” had his very last flight, when he flew to and was donated to the Tillamook Air Museum.