About

Welcome to Base Leg Aviation, owned and operated by Vic Syracuse of Locust Grove, Georgia, a nationally-recognized expert in pre-buy examinations, condition inspections, and DAR services for amateur-built aircraft. Due to increasing age, he is limiting his focus and expertise to the following areas:

  • DAR Services:  vicsyracuse@gmail.com
     Amateur-Built & Light-Sport (Metal, Composite, and Tube & Fabric aircraft).
  • Pre-buy Log Book Reviews:  vicsyracuse@gmail.com

 Vic has been the go-to guy for pre-buys, especially on RV-type aircraft, having traveled all over the USA via airlines or RV10. He has just passed the 70 year old benchmark and now is limiting Pre-buy services to log book reviews. See our store page for links to his Pre-Buy Guide for Amateur -Built Aircraft.

https://www.baselegaviation.com/store

About Vic:

Vic has over 48 years of Aviation Experience, beginning with the U.S. Air Force in 1977 as an Avionics Maintenance Technician on U-2’s, C-130’s, UH-1 and CH-53 helicopters, and T-33’s. 

He has  built 11 award-winning aircraft— Van’s RV-4, RV-6, RV-7A, RV-8, 2 RV-10’s, Prescott Pusher, the Kitfox Models II, IV Speedster, and 7 Super Sport, as well as a Just Aircraft Super Stol. He just finished his Hummingbird helicopter.

Vic has  made 36+ first flights. 

He holds a current Commercial Pilot’s License with ASMEL, ASES, Instrument, Rotor Wing, as well as CFII and SIC CL-65.

He is a licensed A&P/IA, and a Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) for the Atlanta MIDO office (15 years)

Vic is an EAA Technical Counselor and Flight Advisor. He previously was chair of the EAA Homebuilt council and a member of the BOD.

Vic received the 2022 Tony Bigelis award.

He has  flown over 11000 hours in over 72 different kinds of aircraft, including 5500+ hours in Amateur-Built aircraft, and has over 5000 hours of tail wheel experience in everything from single seat ultralight gliders, Pietenpol Air Campers to RJ’s. Has also flown in 49 States, including Alaska and Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Vic has flown over 350 Young Eagles

Vic is a Contributing Editor for Kitplanes Magazine, authoring a bi-monthly column entitled “CheckPoints Diagnosis” and a monthly “Unairworthy”. He is chronicling the build of his Hummingbird helicopter in Kitplanes in a series titled “Building the ‘Beater”. He writes a monthly column for EAA Sport Aviation entitled “Checkpoints”.

He has published four books focused on Amateur-Built Aircraft

  • Maintenance Handbook for Van’s RV Aircraft (released 2023)
  • Pre-Buy Guide to Amateur-Built Aircraft
  • Are Your Nuts Tight Guide to Identifying Problems On Your Amateur-Built Aircraft
  • We Flew to Alaska…and You Can Too! (released 2025

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