In the November 23 issue of Time magazine, there was an interesting article by writer Lori Ioannou about a new aircraft company that has found a unique path out of the recession. According to the article, pilot and former high-tech exec Paul Schaller had spent the last five years launching his dream, manufacturing turboprops. Located in Sandpoint, Idaho, Schaller’s Quest Aircraft Co. was just starting to take hold when the recession knocked the props out from under the fledgling firm. Refusing to give up, Schaller has found redemption in exploiting an unusual niche market — turboprops for missionary and humanitarian organizations that routinely fly into remote and dangerous areas.
With annual revenues of $300 million, humanitarian flight is a growing market ripe for innovation. The last real innovative effort in the field was de Haviland Canada’s introduction of the Turbo-Beaver bush plane in the early 1960s. Certified by the FAA, Quest’s rugged 10-seat Kodiak hauler is catching the attention of customers. Revenue is steady and Quest now employs 300 people in Sandpoint.
Naturally, as with any new enterprise, Schaller encountered his share of downdrafts on the way to success. “It’s taken more than a wing and a lot of prayer to get to this point,” he told Time. But get there he did. It’s an uplifting story, a bright spot in the otherwise gloomy cloud that shadows U.S. manufacturing. It’s a story that points to the value of creative thinking to find new avenues for the products you sell. With the exceptional ability of Lindy’s Plane Tow to navigate a wide variety of terrains, our plane tow and aircraft tractors would be naturals at the rugged airstrips Schaller’s clients are forced to fly in and out of. A Lindy plane tow at the end of the line could certainly make moving the aircraft a simple task for overworked missionaries. Just a thought.
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