Page 12 - Demo

VOLUME 2 NUMBER 2
Here’s a little-known fact: One of the world’s most advanced STOL (short take-off & landing) adventure airplanes—the Kodiak—is handmade in the charmingly beautiful town of Sandpoint, Idaho, by Daher Aerospace. Family-owned since 1863, Daher also builds parts for a host of airline manufacturers including Airbus, Boeing, Dassault and Gulfstream. Daher designs and produces two ranges of single-turboprop aircraft—the Kodiak STOL, all-terrain, multi-purpose aircraft, and the TBM, the world’s fastest single-engine turboprop airplane.
The latest in the Kodiak series, the 900, is the ultimate getaway aircraft. It’s a perfect marriage of Kodiak’s robust STOL capabilities with the TBM’s speed and luxuriousness. It is built from the ground up in their Sandpoint factory.
Kodiak was originally created as a rugged aircraft to support humanitarian efforts in developing countries. Today the Kodiak is proven ideal for the intelligence, reconnaissance, firefighting, search and rescue, logistics services and charter
industries as well as private business and family travel.
“They are excellent for shorter hops where jets don’t make sense,” says Mark. “Say, a Seattle family is traveling to the San Juan Islands, the Kodiak is so much more efficient and economical, let alone eco-friendly.”
Idaho’s Frank Church Wilderness Area is another made-for-the-Kodiak
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destination. “The only other way to go in is by horseback or by hiking,” Mark adds. “It can go most places even other airplanes can’t because it’s built for very short, very narrow, unimproved airstrips.”
What about Seattle to Schweitzer? It’ll take you just 15 minutes longer than on a jet while burning a lot less fuel. Yet, you’ll be flying in jet-like comfort and luxury. Inside, Kodiak’s backcountry heritage has been thoroughly refined and elegantly designed. Space and payload are just
as unique. It holds 10 people or 3500 lbs. of gear with accommodations for lengthy loads like skis, snowboards and fishing poles.
“The backbone of our Sandpoint operation are the local people we’ve been able to hire and train.” —Mark Brown, Kodiak’s Director of Sales and Marketing as well as its chief demo pilot.
Kodiak is one of Sandpoint’s largest businesses, employing 200-300 people for two decades. Their training program
enables them to hire people without requisite skills. “We’re happy to have locals turn in their axes for rivet guns,” Mark says. Daher’s commitment to Sandpoint is growing. A $2,000,000+ paint shop expansion is complete, and they are increasing production capabilities as well as becoming an authorized TBM service center.
Want to know more? Just ask Mark Brown: M.Brown@daher.com
The Wild Blue Yonder Starts in Sandpoint.
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