Vern Goodsell is a good example of what can be done with creative thinking and by following a path of passion that exemplifies the pioneering spirit of the Sisters Country.

Goodsell marches to the beat of a different drummer. Working out of his home near the Sisters airport, he creates airplanes that fly all around the country. He has no ambition to be a threat to Boeing or Cessna; he has found a unique niche where he repairs vintage aircraft and recreates old war birds.

His first real project that involved recreating an old war bird was the building of a replica of the famous British single-seat fighter plane the Spitfire. The plane was built from plans developed by the late Marcel Jurca, a brilliant designer and builder of World War II vintage aircraft. The building of a replica plane of this vintage and complexity is a labor of love that can take up to a decade for a devoted craftsman to finish.

After investing so much time into the construction of a project, there is a certain emotional attachment and the plane becomes almost like a child. Watching the plane leave and fly away for the first time can be a strain, filling the creator with both pride and angst.

Fortunately for Goodsell, the owner of the Spitfire has flown his plane back to Sisters for a visit.

Currently, Goodsell is constructing another replica. This time the plane is the famed German fighter, the Focke Wulf-190.The plane is being built from plans conceived by Jurca.

"The plane was also known as the Butcher-bird, and it isn't a very pretty plane. It is a pure killing machine," said Goodsell.

The business of building the Butcher-bird provides an interesting outlook for Goodsell, as it is a throwback to better times when things were much less formal.

"I am doing this without a contract. I just continue to work on a time and materials basis for the man who wants the plane. We do business on a handshake, and it has worked out well. I did the same thing with the man who ordered the Spitfire," he said.

The idea of building a plane from scratch was an outgrowth of both a hobby and a passion for Goodsell.

"I have a love for flying, and that is what fueled the idea for the business. I had experience in all sorts of plane work. I had done some restoration and re-skinned a few planes, so building from a set of plans wasn't a giant leap for me," he said.

The creation of a plane from a set of plans is far from a "some assembly required" project that faces the traditional craftsman.

There are times when a whole section of the plane needs to be built and designed around an existing part.

"The canopy is an original part that we were able to find. Because of the fit and the curves, I designed the front part of the cockpit around it, otherwise it would never have fit properly just following the plans," said Goodsell.

The plane has been under construction for a number of years, and there are years to go before it will be airworthy.

"I work on it for a few months, and then one day I just feel that I need a break, so I will do something else for a few days or a couple of weeks," he said.

Whatever he's working on, it's sure to be something unique, with a flair for the past and a vision of the future.