Quest soars with 100th plane

SANDPOINT — Only 10 years ago, the Kodiak was just a glimmer in the eyes of Quest Aircraft’s founders — now it’s a global presence.

Company associates celebrated the delivery of the 100th Kodiak aircraft Thursday afternoon, handing over the aircraft keys to Sunstate Aviation associates Mike Fessenden and Carl Hauprich. It’s a capstone to efforts that have placed airplanes in some of the most distant and underdeveloped corners of the globe.

“This delivery today represents a major milestone in the history of Quest,” said Sam Hill, Quest president and CEO. “Since the beginning, we have been committed to building a rugged, reliable aircraft that provides operators the versatility to accomplish any mission.”

The Kodiak’s adaptability has popularized it with many different types of owners.

Some, like Sunstate Aviation owner Mike Watts, are simply looking for a ruggedly-built airplane that doesn’t require constant maintenance. According to Fessenden, the reliability of the engine, generous maximum takeoff weight and ability to install floats without structural upgrades make it a great all-purpose small plane. It wasn’t a decision company representatives made lightly, either — they toured the Quest facility and studied the Kodiak down to its minute details before signing off.

“The Kodiak is the perfect aircraft for us,” Watts said. “It has the performance capabilities I was looking for and a cabin with the right mix of personal comfort and space for baggage and other equipment that we need.”

 For the missionaries and humanitarian workers that inspired the Kodiak’s design, however, the aircraft’s ability to land and take off from short, unimproved runways isn’t a convenience — it’s a necessity.

“We delivered a Kodiak to an organization that uses a runway with a forest on one end and a 60-foot drop into the Pacific Ocean on the other, so there’s not exactly a lot of room for error,” said Stephen Zinda, Quest vice president of sales and marketing.   

Of the 100 Kodiaks, 20 percent are used for missions or humanitarian work — many in the remote corners of Africa, South America and Asia. As a business policy, Quest Aircraft officials use a portion of profits to help humanitarian organizations acquire their aircraft. According to Zinda, 17 Kodiaks are in the field as a result.

A friendly relationship with missionaries and humanitarians reflects the values that prompted Thomas Hamilton and David Voetmann to found Quest in 2001 with a staff of 14. The company completed its first prototype flight in 2004, and by 2007, the business turned out its first fully-conforming production aircraft. From there, production increased exponentially. Quest charted its 50th Kodiak in 2011. Now, only two-and-a-half years later, 50 more have rolled down the runway thanks to the efforts of 170 employees.

According to Zinda, the company aims to eventually settle into a production rate of 50 per year, which should max out the capabilities of the facility.

“We’re not quite there yet, but that’s what we’re targeting,” he said.