Audio:
Paul Schaller
President and CEO
Quest Aircraft
What AirVenture Means To Us
(Duration2:23min)
Thursday, July 22, 2010…Back in 2005 when we prepared for our very first trip to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin we definitely had high expectations. What we actually experienced at “The Worlds Greatest Aviation Celebration” changed our outlook forever.
You see, as we flew east that first year, we thought AirVenture was a trade show. We saw it as a really big stage on which to show our brand new product to the world. We planned to make a strong case for our aircraft and we were prepared to demonstrate how KODIAK compared against the world's top designs with a unique mix of modern STOL, rugged construction, high useful load, turbine power, speed, range, versatility, and comfort. We went prepared with an airplane, but we weren’t prepared for the people.
As crowds poured through the gate and began to gather around the KODIAK we made a startling realization. We thought this show was about airplanes, but AirVenture is entirely about people.
The folks who come to visit don't just “like” elegant, rugged, powerful, capable airplanes, they celebrate them. And watching them around the KODIAK is like watching kids in a candy store, or maybe a first romance come alive.
These are enthusiasts who are fascinated by the lines of a wing joint or a strut fairing. They are excited by the spacing of vortex generators and notice details like the rubber boot covers over our flap actuators. Their jaws drop at the matched elegance of twin Garmin G1000 glass panel capability in the cockpit of a bush plane. And, year after year, what we find in Oshkosh is not just mutual respect, it’s mutual admiration.
We’ve found people who find joy in un-common sense. We’ve found people who love the science of form that creates function. We’ve found people who love machines that are built to be the best at what they do.
Each year we find kindred spirits. And this year, like every year, we're thrilled to be heading back.