Quest Begins Customer Deliveries
First KODIAK Delivered to Company’s Launch Depositor

January 28, 2008, Sandpoint, ID…Quest Aircraft Company is pleased to announce the first customer delivery of the KODIAK. The completed aircraft was delivered to Spirit Air in a presentation ceremony Friday, January 25, at the company’s headquarters in Sandpoint in the presence of the entire Quest team.

Accepting the KODIAK were the co-owners of Spirit Air, JoAnn Wolters and Dan Schroeder. Spirit Air was the lead commercial customer for the KODIAK when the company began taking deposits in May 2005.

“The first delivery of the KODIAK is truly a momentous occasion for Quest,” said Paul Schaller, Quest Aircraft’s President and CEO. “This has been a remarkable journey for everyone involved with the program, including our customers like Spirit Air. We appreciate them supporting us from the beginning and through all of the milestones of certification and delivery. We are delighted that they are here today accepting their KODIAK, N838SA.”

“We are very excited to accept delivery of the first KODIAK,” said JoAnn Wolters. “Quest is a great company and the KODIAK is a fantastic airplane. We chose the KODIAK because of its robustness, reliability and versatility. We are looking forward to putting it to work in the Alaska wilderness, Idaho backcountry and on commuter and small package runs.”

The KODIAK received FAA Type Certification on May 30 2007, and has been working with the FAA to achieve its production certificate. Quest has seen strong market acceptance in key market segments, including personal use, Part 135 operations, government, and humanitarian organizations. Customer orders have exceeded expectations and the company has a 3-year backlog, which it is working to bring down as production ramps up.

The KODIAK’s rugged aluminum construction combines superior STOL performance and high useful load. It offers proven turbine reliability with the Pratt & Whitney PT6 turbine engine, is capable of working off floats without structural upgrades and has the ability to land on unimproved surfaces. The KODIAK can take off in under 700 feet at full gross takeoff weight of 6,750 lbs. A 3-panel Garmin G1000 integrated avionics suite is standard equipment on the KODIAK. This is the first installation in a turboprop aircraft of the popular G1000.

Quest Aircraft Company, LLC, the manufacturer of the KODIAK, is headquartered in Sandpoint, Idaho, currently employs more than 175 skilled personnel, and was established in 2001 to build a rugged utility aircraft for mission aviation organizations to operate in the most remote areas of the world.

Press Contact:
Julie Stone
(912) 898-8673 ofc
(912) 398-0498 mobile