Page 10 - Twin and Turbine September 2017

PHOTO CREDIT: PAUL BOWEN PHOTOGRAPHY
Adhering to the philosophy that “safety should always be standard,” Quest has made it a point in incorporate new cockpit technologies. The Kodiak was the rst single-engine turboprop to be equipped with G1000 with GFC700 autopilot with a level switch.
Once the New Comer
Certified 10 years ago, the Quest Kodiak is already cementing its position in the marketplace as the modern- day bush plane with a fleet of over 215 aircraft certified in more than 50 countries. Current production is approximately 40 Kodiaks per year.
The idea for the airplane originated in the late 1990s. Tom Hamilton, aircraft designer and entrepreneur, and David Voetman, veteran humanitarian aviator, joined forces after identifying the need for a new-generation short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft. Their mission: the ability to easily operate humanitarian missions throughout the most remote places in the world.
“At that time, everything was either piston driven, or an airplane modified for STOL operations,” explained Brown. “In order to achieve the performance, efficiency and safety they envisioned, a new (turbine) airplane was the only answer.”
So, Hamilton and Voetman, along with an early group of supporters, launched Quest Aircraft in 2001 upon landing investors and the company’s first chairman, Bruce Kennedy, who had previously served as the CEO of Alaska Airlines. Two short years later, the Kodiak made its first flight, followed by certification less than three years later in 2007. An impressive development schedule by modern standards.
8 • TWIN & TURBINE
Today, Quest – owned by Japanese companies Setouchi Holdings and Mitsui – is headquartered in Sandpoint, Idaho with just under 300 employees. Earlier this year, new Chief Executive Officer Rob Wells was appointed following the retirement of longtime CEO Sam Hill. Wells is a 40-year industry veteran with the majority of his career split between Piedmont Hawthorne (now Landmark Aviation) and Swiss business aviation firm, TAG Aviation where he rose to CEO.
The Kodiak, with its 700-hp Pratt & Whitney PT6-34 engine, exhibits nimble takeoff and climb performance out of short, rugged strips or lakes when equipped with oats.
September 2017