On one of my winter breakfast flights over to Afton Wyoming, home of the Aviat plant, and more importantly a good café within a 3 minute walk from the airstrip, I met Aviat test pilot and factory rep Dan, (8K hrs banner towing on the East coast, amongst other dubious acheivements!), and he invited me to stop by the plant sometime for a tour, if I was interested. As the plant is about 100 yards from where I park on these breakfast runs, I figured, “why not”. Point being... like living in SoCal and never having been to Disney Land, I had never been to the Aviat plant

The facility may well be the oldest continuously operated aircraft construction plant in the US, think about that for a second. What I immediately noticed was that unlike other aircraft plants I had been in (mostly kitplane companies) this place had a lived in look, and not the typical fly by night look of a rented tin box some of the here today gone tomorrow kitplane maufacturers have. This sense of permanence was reinforced as we walked through the various work areas, and Dan casually mentioned “he’s been here 35 years, he’s been here 45 years, and so on. An interesting mix of old tech tried and true construction techniques and some high tech machinery, like a Farnham roller and a CNC controlled punching machine right along with an old boy with a gas torch and a good eye.

Now here is one of the best things I saw: the place was BUSY, things were happening there, business seems to be very good! What a great thing to see, especially in an area with the other job options being
mostly the service industry, ranching, and being retired or just being wealthy. What a resource the plant is for the area in other words, and has been for over 50 years, and great PR for us pilots to the general public.

The fabric area seemed to 100% women, and I had the immediate thought “damn, I wonder if any of them are available?” Thinking how sweet it would be to say “Honey, after you cook dinner, wash the dishes, and do the laundry, could you run out to the hangar and patch the belly, again? I caught another sagebrush today on a new landing site while you were at work. Me and the boys got another big day planned tomorrow and I need the plane looking good.” Yeah right! I have a 1918 Popular Science magazine showing a similar looking room, full of women doing fabric work on aircraft, with the caption “the female gender seems particularly well suited for this type of work,” I am going to try and find it and send them a copy. Did I say the work was PERFECT? Like every other work site I saw, things were coming together at a unhurried but relentless pace, and the sense of 100% top quality was evident.

The entry price to the Husky club seems to start around $220,000.00, with a 4 month wait time after an order is placed. Good to see they can deliver one for even that hefty price, as the amount of hand labor that goes into one is huge, like any airplane I guess. I got to sit in one, and tried to wrap my mind around the fact, if I owned it, if I would have the balls to take it into a small gravel bar or another new mountain top site, like I do often with my S-7? Like the US national debt the dollar amount is beyond comprehension to me, and scratching one, much less bending one, would be “not good”. The thing is built like a tank, and I’m sure could handle anything you could throw at it, if you dared. Leaving the plant and seeing my crude little homebuilt plane sitting there waiting, I had a urge to find a rock to throw at it, what a cobbled up, make shift excuse for an airplane! But then I remembered it was paid for, all mine, and I could take it places I would not lose any sleep over if things went a bit wrong. By the time I had blasted off, turned the Sirius radio back on and was heading back through the mountains to Inkom at 8K and 90 mph and less then 4 GPH, I felt a lot better, and I had decided that if I ever hit the lottery, I know where my first 1/4 mil will go. In the meantime, I’ll just have to struggle along as best I can with what I have. Thanks for the tour Dan

Recently a Husky driver commented about my S7, "that planes to pretty to take into the back country".

Thanks for the write-up. Good read.

Courierguy

Good writeup. I have always wanted to visit the Aviat site in Afton. And I empathize with your observations about bringing such a pretty bird into the back country. But this dog was made for the backcountry:

My boy and I are thinking of heading up to Afton for breakfast tomorrow morning. I've never been there so any advice on the best place to park/directions to breakfast would be appreciated! Also, any chance of just showing up and getting a tour of the Aviat factory?

The Aviat factory is a really cool facility with lots of history. There used to be a Call Air museum down the taxiway from the plant. It was really fun to check out as well. I am not sure if it is still there. Did you see it? I'm happy that they are still open and doing well. Many fortunes have evaporated in Aviation endeavors over the years, while I believe that Aviat has continually turned a profit since the late 80s.

The fabric area seemed to 100% women, and I had the immediate thought “damn, I wonder if any of them are available?”


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You mean these wimmins?

When I was a young broke kid, twice I had the privledge of ferrying new Pitts S 2's from the factory in the early '80's. I'm betting some of those same folks you saw building Huskies were there then too. The first Husky prototype was there on my first trip and was priced a lot less that 250 large. The general manager was Herb Anderson at that time and he told me that plant has also made other products after Call Air and before the Pitts design was built there. I think they were sub contractors for snow machines or snow machine engines at one time. Thanks for the report.

It's been years since I was in the plant--it wasn't Aviat, then, just "the Pitts factory". Probably many of the same folks working there, though. The last time I was in Afton, it was on a weekend, so all I could do was look at the new Husky's waiting for delivery, out on the ramp.

South of the factory is the cafe/gas station run by Rulon Gardner's family--remember him? He's that brute of a wrestler who won the 2000 Olympics. Nice people. Good food.

It's only a short walk north into downtown Afton. It's a cute little town, roughly 2000 people, very friendly.

The entire Star Valley is incredibly pretty, whether flying or driving.

Cary

Herb Anderson is the father of the Husky. I met with him on several occasions. He had a real "can do" attitude, and the technical know how to make it useful.

I need to make it up and have a looksee.

Afton is one of the friendliest airports around. They have a very nice pilot lounge upstairs with a TV and Bark-A-Loungers and 2 loaner pilot cars. Next to the cafe is a nice little cheap motel. Last time I was there I removed my revolver from the holster and left it in the plane when I went into the FBO. The manager noticed my empty holster, lifted his shirt to show his and suggested I go back to my plane and get my weapon. "We're gun friendly around here", he said. They have gas, too.

Once again Tom. Great post/write up! Always enjoy reading your post's.

Years ago I owned a Pitts S2A, and I stopped off at the plant while on a motorcycle trip to Yellowstone. They welcomed me in, and gave a great spontaneous tour. I left with nothing but admiration for the planes they build and the people that work there. Despite my admiration for their work, I bought a Maule rather than a Husky when the time came for a more practical airplane.

courierguy wrote:.........The facility may well be the oldest continuously operated aircraft construction plant in the US, think about that for a second. ....

That wold be going back to the days of it being the Call-Air plant? I thought that there was a gap between Call Air stopping work & Pitts/Christen/Aviat starting?