Page 11 - Twin and Turbine September 2017

Single-pilot simplicity, safety and robustness were key design goals of the Kodiak, which is manifested its cockpit and control layout, as well as its performance in a variety of mission pro les.
The company’s core goal is to continue expansion into markets worldwide, growing the Kodiak name. The last six months has shown significant progress in that pursuit. So far in 2017, Quest has added three new authorized sales representatives spanning South and Central America, and achieved EASA certification in April.
Growing Markets
Although the company’s founding is rooted in humanitarian aid, it did not take long for the aircraft to find its way into business and general aviation. Brown noted that the Kodiak’s popularity is rapidly growing within corporate fleets, charter operations and cargo haulers, as a cost-effective alternative to pricier turbine options.
“Helicopters and jets, though effective for specific missions, are upward of three to four times more expensive to operate,” said Brown. “The Kodiak fits somewhere in the middle, making it an economical addition to a corporate fleet.”
The slightly larger segment of domestic customers, however, are owner-operators moving up from high-performance piston aircraft such as the Cessna 206 or Piper Matrix.
“The simplicity of the aircraft has been a huge selling point. The average pilot who’s outgrown their piston can easily transition into a Kodiak,” said John Young, director of aviation sales at Mid-Continent Aviation Services, an authorized Quest Aircraft dealer. “Quest minimized the checklist, and everything is very simply laid out and obvious. For some, flying the Kodiak is a lot less daunting than other turbine aircraft.”
Quest also has their sights set on a developing segment within the owner-flown market, what they informally call the travel/adventure lifestyle segment (think “Jeep Life”). Given the airplane’s size and ability to get in and out of some of the most remote strips, the Kodiak makes a strong candidate for high net worth buyers seeking the aerial equivalent of a luxury SUV. It’s a market the Kodiak is well-suited for, with its impressive power-to-weight ratio; owners can easily load up passengers, golf clubs, dirt bikes, scuba gear or fishing supplies and go.
September 2017
First Impressions
To get a feel for how the Kodiak performs in this travel/ adventure role, I had the opportunity to experience the Kodiak in action on an “off-airport” jaunt. Walking out of the Austin Executive FBO to meet with Mark Brown and John Young, it was impossible not to notice the Kodiak. Towering above its neighbors on the ramp, the Kodiak seaplane on composite floats is undoubtedly a showstopper.
Aerocet 6650 amphibious oats, the largest composite oats available in the marketplace, are lighter, stronger and non-corrodible. The Kodiak was designed to accept oats from the start with no structural upgrades or aerodynamic adjustments required to convert the amphib con guration.
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