Rugged, tough and reliable are all traits valued by those who strive to live by the “cowboy code.” They also are among the most-used words to describe the Husky, what many pilots say is the best bush plane on the planet.
It’s no mistake that they both intersect in Wyoming.
The Husky, a small bulldog of an aircraft coveted for its ability to land and take off anywhere, is made in tiny Afton, Wyoming, by a company that’s been continuously building airplanes longer than anyone in the in the United States.
Aviat Aircraft has been building airplanes in this isolated far-western Wyoming village since the late 1930s, when it was Call-Air. But while the Husky has an aura of the solid aircraft built nearly a century ago, it’s a relatively new aircraft, debuting in 1987.
It quickly earned a reputation as the best bush plane in the world for a very good reason, Aviat President Steve Anderson told Cowboy State Daily. It was designed to include the best features of the popular Super Cub and other small turboprop aircraft.
Most of all, it’s a blast to fly, said Anderson, who was a test pilot for years before becoming the company’s president.
“It’s very, very versatile and a lot faster airplane in its category,” he said of the two-seater that can land and take off in less than 300 feet.
“A lot of things stick out when I fly it,” he said. “Probably the biggest thing you feel in the Husky is just how substantial this airplane feels. It just feels like a big, strong, sturdy airplane.”
Feels Like You’re Flying A Piece Of Wyoming
That substantial feel to the Husky is what attracts a lot of people who love flying, said Glenn Woods of Wake-Up Wyoming, who wrote about the Husky last week.
“These planes are all about flying with friends to remote locations and landing in impossible places to camp, fish and hike,” Woods wrote.
Mitch Semel is another longtime pilot who’s flown the Husky, which he calls a “fantastic” bush plane “for a lot of reasons.”
“I’ve flown a Husky and I hope to get more time (in one) in the future,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “It just makes you appreciate the beauty of flying. It’s the difference between zipping around the country by car vs. a motorcycle. It gives you a chance to appreciate the beauty of flying.”
All About The Wilderness
While the Husky is flown all over the world, it really earned its stripes as a bush plane in Alaska and other places where there are few roads and fewer runways, Anderson said.
What makes that happen is the plane’s impressive short takeoff and landing (STOL) ability.
“That’s what the airplane is built for, those short takeoffs and landings on short — or nonexistent — runways,” Anderson said. “It’s also really, really comfortable to fly.
“It’s routine for us to take these airplanes across the country, and it’s really comfortable.”
Along with its STOL performance, the Husky can fly low and slow, which makes it a workhorse for doing survey work or pulling gliders, Semel said.
“There’s a reason it’s such a popular aircraft for so many kinds of missions,” he said. “They’re used by fisheries and for wildlife control, for pipeline inspections, border patrol or even glider towing.”
Put an optional set of giant, over-inflated “tundra tires” on a Husky and it can land just about anywhere, like dry riverbeds or anywhere there’s 300 feet of space, Semel said. For water landings and takeoffs, there also are floats packages available.
“People really do love it for its great performance for STOL,” he said. “It can hop off the ground in a couple hundred feet and for landing, which is fantastic.”
Aviat also makes another small aircraft called the Pitts, which is a biplane, that also is available in kits for people to build themselves, Anderson said.
There also is nothing bush league about the avionics and technology it can pack inside, he said, adding the Aviat operation will remain in Afton, producing the world’s most popular bush plane.
Contact Greg Johnson at greg@cowboystatedaily.com
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.