Aircraft manufacturer Patriot Aircraft USA has located its operations at the Bibb County Airport under an agreement with the Bibb County Airport Authority. Over the past few weeks Don & Ron Wade, co-owners of the operation, have been in the process of relocating from the Bessemer airport. The brothers operated an aircraft repair and restoration business for several years prior to choosing the Bibb County airport to setup to manufacture their new aircraft design.
Spokesman Don Wade interviewed with the Centreville Press and he is not shy about touting the features of the new aircraft design that his company has been refining for several years. Although the aircraft may look like an aircraft that people may have seen in the past called a “Cub”, Wade’s aircraft, called the “Super Patriot” is nothing like the old Cub your grandfather may have flown in, or the CAP [Civil Air Patrol] may have jockeyed back in the mid 20th Century.
This aircraft is a “beast” in the modern world of STOL aircraft. That stands for Short Takeoff and Landing and the new Super Patriot can be configured as a competition aircraft for flying adventurers who participate in contests to takeoff and land in the shortest distance. If you are not into competitions your gig may be safely flying into the backcountry where you can land without an airport, or even without a runway. Real thrillseekers may want to land on a sandbar. And, you have to be able to get back in the air when it is time to leave. That is the mission the Super Patriot is safely designed for.
With 2 roomy fold-forward seats, the fuel injected IO-320, 176 HP engine can lift up to 875 lbs of people, cargo, and fuel. That is called useful load, and that is a big number for this class of airplane. The Super Patriot is primarily a low flyer, sight seeing airplane, designed to enjoy seeing the countryside at a leisurely pace. The Super Patriot touts an economy cruise speed of 90 MPH so if you want to fly cross country this may not be the airplane for you.
The Wade brothers and Patriot Aircraft USA plan to manufacture and sell the Patriot Aircraft [there are 2 models] from a new home here at the Bibb County Airport. Presently the company is in organization and setup mode. Within a few months they plan to be hiring young people who are interested in careers as aircraft technicians (A&P Tech’s) to work and train here.
In addition to building new aircraft the company also repairs damaged aircraft for owners and insurance companies. The company has three total restoration projects underway at the present time.
For more information on Patriot aircraft you can visit their website at this link.
To see our short video of Don and his Patriot Aircraft in flight and our interview click here.
