Las Vegas, Nevada, October 21, 2024 – Extraordinary relief support by Daher Aircraft and the owners/operators of its TBM and Kodiak airplanes in the wake of Hurricane Helene were detailed today at the 2024 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Daher Aircraft mobilized its resources for the urgent on-site repair of a damaged Kodiak 100 from North Carolina Forest Service’s Aviation Division at Asheville Regional Airport in North Carolina, and also used its presence in the state to deliver relief supplies; while several Kodiak and TBM owners/operators deployed their own airplanes for the airlift of food, water and other material – along with the transportation of emergency personnel and animals.
The Kodiak 100 operated by North Carolina Forest Service’s Aviation Division undergoes the replacement of its elevators and repair of the rudder by Daher’s Kodiak Care team at Asheville Regional Airport.
“Daher aviators once again demonstrated their commitment to support those in need during crisis situations, and we also confirmed our company’s own response capability when customers call on us in urgent repair situations,” explained Nicolas Chabbert, the CEO of Daher Aircraft, during a press conference today at the National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE).
Damage suffered by the North Carolina Forest Service’s Kodiak 100 in a jet blast incident at Asheville Regional Airport was repaired by Daher’s Kodiak Care customer support team in a rapid response effort, backed by the company’s industrial resources at its Sandpoint, Idaho production facility and Kodiak final assembly line.
Daher Aircraft was contracted by the North Carolina Forest Service for the urgent replacement of both elevators on the Kodiak 100’s horizontal tail, which were determined to be damaged beyond repair by the exhaust blast from a taxiing business jet. The Kodiak 100 was being used to assess Hurricane Helene’s impact and determine the response needed in the state’s recovery plan, and the aircraft was present at Asheville Regional Airport because the facility was serving as a receiving/staging point for relief response coordinated by local, state and federal agencies.
A set of two new elevators were built by Daher at its Sandpoint factory in an accelerated process that included working over the weekend, and the company’s own Kodiak 900 demonstrator aircraft was dispatched to North Carolina with these components and the associated parts and tools, accompanied by two Kodiak Care team members.
Once the Kodiak 100’s elevator repair process was underway at Asheville Regional Airport, more extensive damage was found in the aircraft – extending to its rudder controls, significantly expanding the scope of repairs and requiring additional parts. This included a replacement bearing that was hand-delivered to North Carolina by a Kodiak Care mechanic who went into Daher’s Sandpoint facility on Sunday evening, and then drove 75 miles to Spokane for an overnight “red eye” airline flight, arriving in Ashville on Monday morning.
“The entire process was , especially considering the logistic challenges and the complications that come with a ” said Mike Stevens, who “It was a success because of the team effort that brought everyone together from Kodiak Care and our Sandpoint factory.”
Daher’s Kodiak 900 demonstrator aircraft that brought the Kodiak Care team and its equipment to North Carolina could not remain in place at Ashville Regional Airport due to the high level of traffic and the area’s limited lodging. Therefore, the aircraft was flown each evening with the Kodiak Care team to Winston-Salem’s Smith Reynolds Airport for the night’s lodging.
When the Daher team was informed that hurricane relief supplies were being collected at Smith Reynolds Airport for distribution within North Carolina, the Kodiak 900 was made available for airlift support, subsequently transporting 1,000 lbs. of material on a return trip to Ashville, along with another 1,000 lbs. delivered during a stopover at Rutherfordton North Carolina.
Among the various Kodiak owners with individual participation in hurricane relief efforts was Mike Speedy, whose Kodiak 100 is based at Indy South Greenwood Airport in Indiana. Speedy performed trips to Ashville Regional Airport and Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina, as well as Pickens County Airport in South Carolina, carrying such cargo as canned goods, personal hygiene products, dog and cat food, diapers and medical supplies. An EMT (emergency medical technician) flew with Speedy to Statesville, and the trip to Pickens County Airport brought medical supplies that were specifically requested for South Carolina.
Eric Walden – whose Little Hawk Logistics company in Charlottsville, West Virginia operates two TBM 900s – performed flights that helped save some of the many animals that were left homeless or were lost after the hurricane, while also carrying personal hygiene products and other supplies. In support of the non-profit organization called “Green Dogs Unleashed,” Walden transported 1,000 lbs. of dog and cat food, and relocated cats and kittens to new foster homes. “This was one of the most gratifying ways that I’ve ever used my skills as a pilot,” Walden said. “The qualities of the TBM were very key to the success of these missions.”
Daher’s Kodiak 100 demonstrator aircraft is loaded with hurricane relief supplies at Winston-Salem’s Smith Reynolds Airport. This aircraft was made available for the airlift during flights between Winston-Salem and Ashville Regional Airport for Daher’s repair work on a damaged Kodiak 100 operated by the North Carolina Forest Service’s Aviation Division.
Eric Walden and his wife, Lucy, prepare to load hurricane relief supplies and animal food for delivery in one
of Little Hawk Logistics’ two TBM 900s.
Mike Speedy flew his Kodiak 100 from its home base at Indy South Greenwood Airport in Indiana on hurricane relief trips to Ashville Regional Airport and Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina, as well as Pickens County Airport in South Carolina.
About Daher –www.daher.com / www.tbm.aero / www.kodiak.aero
As an aircraft manufacturer, industrialist, industrial service provider and logistician, Daher today has approximately 13,000 employees for a revenue of 1.65 billion euros in 2023. With its family ownership, Daher has been focused on innovation since its creation in 1863. With locations in some 15 countries in Europe, North America and Asia, Daher designs and develops value-added solutions for its aeronautical and industrial customers and partners.
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About Daher’s aircraft product line – www.kodiak.aero / www.tbm.aero
Daher manufactures two families of single-engine turboprop airplanes: the Kodiak utility aircraft in Sandpoint, Idaho, USA, and the very efficient pressurized TBM in Tarbes, France.
Current TBM versions in production are the TBM 960, with Garmin’s G3000 integrated flight deck; and the TBM 910, equipped with the Garmin’s G1000 NXi avionics system controlled by a keypad. Both models offer increased automation and superior performance.
The Kodiak versions are unpressurized 10-seat airplanes equipped with Garmin’s G1000 NXi avionics. The Kodiak 100 series III is powered by a 750 shp. PT6A-34 engine, with the capability of operating on uneven and unimproved runways, as well as on water in the amphibious version. The Kodiak 900 has a 900 shp. PT6A-140A engine, a longer fuselage for more passenger room and cargo space, a cruise speed increase to 210 KTAS, and a greater useful load while offering a maximum range of 1,129 nm. Both offer a unique combination of robust construction, STOL characteristics and remarkable useful load, well-suited for multi-mission operations such as surveillance, MEDEVAC, skydiving and more.
As of October 15, 2024, a total of 354 Kodiaks and 1,230 TBMs were delivered worldwide, with the entire fleet accumulating more than three million flight hours.
