Avid Aircraft

Avid Aircraft is an American aircraft kitplane manufacturer. The company was founded in 1983 by Dean Wilson to produce the Avid Flyer.[1][2][3]

Avid Aircraft
TypeLimited liability company
IndustryAerospace
Founded1983
FounderDean Wilson
HeadquartersUnionville, Iowa
Key people
Owner: Mark Mendick
Productsaircraft kits

After several bankruptcies, the company was most recently re-established in 2017.[4]

History

Avid Aircraft was started in 1983 as Light Aero Inc in Caldwell, Idaho by aircraft designer Dean Wilson. The original Avid Flyer design won Best New Design at Oshkosh in 1983.[3][5][6]

The company, Avid Aircraft Inc, produced a full line of high-wing light aircraft kits before going bankrupt in 1998. Acquired by Jim Tomash, the company was moved into a 61000 ft² (5667 m²) converted greenhouse that included 21000 ft² (1951 m²) of cement flooring, in Ennis, Montana. Production of kits was re-established in the new facility. The factory also served as a customer build centre where customers who purchased Avid kits could complete their aircraft.[3]

The company closed again in November 2003, at the time indicating that the owners were looking to move to a more populated area of the United States.[7]

Following Avid's first bankruptcy in 1998 Airdale Sportplane and Supply started producing parts for most Avid models in 1999. That company later started producing the Airdale Airdale and Airdale Avid Plus kitplanes, which are derived from the Avid Mark IV Hauler. Airdale went out of business in 2017.[8][9][10][11]

In October 2017, Avid Aircraft was restarted under the name Avid Aircraft LLC, by Mark Mendick in Unionville, Iowa.[4]

Aircraft
Avid Flyer Hi-Gross
Avid Flyer
Summary of aircraft built by Light Aero & Avid[6][12]
Model name First flight Number built Type
Amphibian and Catalina 1986 100 (2001) Three-seat high wing amphibious flying boat
Flyer 1983 Two-seat high-wing monoplane
Bandit 200 (2001) Two-seat high-wing monoplane
Explorer
Mark IV 550 (2001) Two-seat high-wing monoplane
Magnum 100 (2001) Two-seat high-wing monoplane
Champion 1998 2 (2001) Single seat ultralight aircraft

References
  1. Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page B-12. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-9680628-1-4
  2. Downey, Julia: 1999 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 38. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
  3. Bethea, Jim (2007). "Avid Aviates Again". Archived from the original on 5 August 2009. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  4. Aircraft, Avid. "Avid Aircraft - Home". Avid Aircraft. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  5. Louis, Chester (2007). "What's an Avid?". Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  6. Armstrong, Kenneth: Choosing Your Homebuilt - the one you will finish and fly! Second Edition, page 133-140. Butterfield Press, 1993. ISBN 0-932579-26-4
  7. Niles, Russ (November 2003). "On the Fly". Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  8. Airdale (n.d.). "Magnum". Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  9. Airdale (n.d.). "Airdale Flyer". Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  10. Downey, Julia: 2008 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 38. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
  11. HostGator. "Suspended Page". airdale.com. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  12. Downey, Julia: 2002 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 18, Number 12, December 2001, page 23-24. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
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