A Gippsland Aeronautics GA-8 "Airvan" over the eastern part of Gippsland - Note the new Cargo Pod underneath. VH-LVA is operated by the LVAC

Gippsland Aeronautics is an Australian airplane manufacturer based in Morwell, Victoria. The company builds utilitarian single-engined airplanes. These include the GA8 Airvan and the GA200C Fatman. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (905x412, 206 KB) Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (905x412, 206 KB) Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... An Air France Boeing 777, a modern passenger jet. ... Manufacturing is the transformation of raw materials into finished goods for sale, or intermediate processes involving the production or finishing of semi-manufactures. ... Morwell () is a large country town in central Gippsland, a region in the east of Victoria. ... A Civil Air Patrol Gippsland Aeronautics GA-8 Airvan on takeoff during a mission following Hurricane Rita in 2005. ...

History

Gippsland Aeronautics, founded by Peter Furlong and George Morgan, has a long-established reputation in the aeronautical industry in Australia. The company started operations at the Latrobe Regional Airport in Morwell in the 1970s as an aircraft maintenance and modification business working for large organisations such as the National Safety Council of Australia (see Trivia & Milestones below) and Esso Australia, as well as local commercial operators. An Esso Station in Stabekk, Norway An Esso-branded service station, with On the Run convenience store, in Kanata, Ontario. ...

During the 1970s, Peter Furlong and John Brown were pilots, builders, fabricators and maintenance personnel for, amongst others, the Latrobe Valley Aircraft Club LVAC], and the Ultra Light Club of Australia (LV Division).

(This section is currently being written and will be updated shortly).

The First Design - The GA200 Fatman

A GA200 over Gippsland in Victoria, Australia.

GA200C VH-BCE operated by Field Air, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. (© Phil Vabre)

The modification of agricultural aircraft to improve capability and safety marked the beginnings of Gippsland Aeronautics aircraft design and manufacturing business as it stands today. The company increasingly modified nine agricultural aircraft (mainly the Piper Pawnee) to the point where it was decided to certify the new design. Gippsland Aeronautics first indigenous design, the GA200 Fatman, achieved Australian CAA certification airworthiness standards in 1991. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Gippsland Aeronautics continued to provide a maintenance facility for local aircraft in '92, and started a small manufacturing line for the GA200. In 1993, the company recertified a new model, the GA200C with the capability of lifting one tonne on 300HP, giving the aircraft a 30-50% better performance than any aircraft in its class.

To date, 45 GA200 Fatman aircraft have been manufactured in the Latrobe Valley, 28 of which have been exported to countries throughout the world including China, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Brazil and South Africa.

In the late 1990s, GA200 Fatman production was scaled down to make way for the Airvan.

2007/8 may see the new GA200C (or D) rolled out and added to the expanding production line at Gippsland Aeronautics.

Rapid Growth with the GA8 Airvan

A GA8 Airvan over the Kinberly's in Australia.

Despite the success of the GA200 Fatman variants, profitability was too dependent on the roller coaster cycles of the agricultural industry world wide. Subsequently, Gippsland Aeronautics second new design, the GA8 Airvan, was conceived by directors/designers, Furlong & Morgan as a utility transport to replace the Cessna 206/207 and DHC Beaver. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Recognising the Cessna 206 as ‘one of the world’s best workhorses’, the visionary pair saw the potential niche market for a piston powered aircraft that could carry more passengers. This would improve the operators’ profitability without going to the expense of purchasing a turbine powered aircraft, clearly beyond the reach of most small operators.

Thus the high wing, eight seat GA8 Airvan was born using the design of the GA200C as a basis. Certification commenced in 1993 with the building of the first prototype/proof of concept aircraft. After eight years in development, the Airvan was type certificated by the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority to FAR 23 Ammenment 48 requirements in December 2000 and subsequently updated to Ammenment 54 status in early 2003. This was followed by certification by the US FAA and Transport Canada.

The GA8 has already achieved export sales in Indonesia, New Zealand, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Lesotho, USA, Canada and Belize in Central America, in addition to in-country sales in Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Time Line for Gippsland Aeronautics

This is a brief time line for Gippsland Aeronautics with extrated highlights - see the Airvan and the Fatman entries for more. A Civil Air Patrol Gippsland Aeronautics GA-8 Airvan on takeoff during a mission following Hurricane Rita in 2005. ...

George Morgan (1924 Р1975) was a mid-20th century country music singer. ... The Cessna 205, 206, and 207, known variously as the Skywagon, Super Skywagon, and Stationair is a development of the popular Cessna line of high-wing, single-engine piston aircraft used for general aviation. ... The Cessna 208 Caravan is a single turboprop short-haul regional airliner and utility aircraft built in the USA by Cessna. ... A Civil Air Patrol Gippsland Aeronautics GA-8 Airvan on takeoff during a mission following Hurricane Rita in 2005. ... Civil Air Patrol seal The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). ... Mojave is a town located in Kern County, California. ... fuck you Map of the Tasman Sea Satellite photo of the Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, some 2000 kilometres (1250 miles) across. ... Aceh (IPA pronunciation: , pronounced approximately Ah-C̬h, but with [e], not [ei] at the end) is a special territory (daerah istimewa) of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. ... European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is an agency of the European Union with offices in Cologne, Germany, which has been given specific regulatory and executive tasks in the field of aviation safety. ...

Customers

Gippsland Aeronautics aircraft are sold to clients all over the world. The company prides itself on delivering an aircraft that meets individual needs.

GA aircraft can be found operating in some of the toughest environments in the world – the remote Kimberley region in Western Australia, the outback of Central Australia, Arnhem Land in Northern Australia, the beach of Queensland’s Fraser Island, the challenging terrain of South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique, the rugged New Zealand Southern Alps, the grandeur of the Canadian and Alaskan wilderness, the tropical climes of Belize, Costa Rica, Indonesia and now in that most demanding of all flying locales, Papua New Guinea.

A Civil Air Patrol Gippsland Aeronautics GA-8 "Airvan" on takeoff during a mission following Hurricane Rita in 2005. (U.S. Air Force photo)

A major customer is the United States Civil Air Patrol, which utilizes their Airvan in their Search and Rescue operations. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2400x1208, 361 KB) Summary HOUSTON -- A Gippsland Aeronautics GA-8 Airvan accelerates down the runway on takeoff. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2400x1208, 361 KB) Summary HOUSTON -- A Gippsland Aeronautics GA-8 Airvan accelerates down the runway on takeoff. ... Civil Air Patrol seal The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). ... Search and Rescue (acronym SAR) is an operation mounted by emergency services, often well-trained volunteers, to find someone believed to be in distress, lost, sick or injured either in a remote or difficult to access area, such as mountains, desert or forest (Wilderness search and rescue), or at sea...

Other operators of the Airvan include;

• Air Fraser Island - Urangan, Queensland - Australia - Official Site

• Air Safaris - Lake Tekapo, New Zealand. - Official Site

• Alligator Airways - Kununurra, Western Australia. - Official Site

• Commando Skydivers - Tooradin, Victoria, Australia - Official Site

• Glenorchy Air - Queenstown, New Zealand - Official Site

• Kakadu Air - Arnhem Land, Australia - Official Site

• Mission Aviation Fellowship - Australia & Papua New Guinea- Official Site
• Maya Island Air - Belize. - Official Site
• Paradise Air - San Jose, Costa Rica - Official Site

• Natron Air - Soldotna, Alaska - Official Site

• TGS Air Charter Services (Tooradin Flying School) Victoria, Australia - Official Site

• Rani Air - Mozambique.- Official Site

• Safari Air - Maun, Botswana - Official Site

• Soundsair - New Zealand - Official Site

• Tandem Skydive - Airlie Beach, Queensland. - Official Site

• Wings Over Whales - Kaikoura, New Zealand. - Official Site

• Wings Over Wilderness - Vanderhoof, BC, Canada - Official Site

• Wrights Air - William Creek, South Australia. - Official Site

This list is not complete as the sales of the airvan continue to grow.

Trivia & Milestones

• Gippsland Aeronautics are currently located in the former National Safety Council of Australia (Victorian Division) expanded complex at the LV Airfield. (see also John Friedrich and the NSCA).
• Gippsland Aeronautics are the largest private aviation construction company employer in Australia.
• Gippsland Aeronautics also have a unique association with Burt Rutan at his Mojave Desert base, USA. The GA8 Airvan under went US air worthiness tests plus sub tests in a hangar next door. Their association goes back over 30years.
• GA's Peter Furlong was the 1974 Australian Aerobatics Champion.
• GA's Peter Furlong has either built, rebuilt, part built or restored some 60+ aircraft over a 40 year period. His advise on construction & building techniques are sought after world wide.
• Gippsland Aeronautics Airvan airframe #100 rolled out in September 2006.
• The completion of 100 Airvans is considered to be a significant milestone in Australian aircraft manufacturing. Only two other manufacturers of Australian civil aircraft have built more than 100 aircraft in the post WW2 era. The others being the Victa Airtourer (168) and the Government Aircraft Factory (GAF) with 170 Twin engined Nomad N22 & N24’s.
• Gippsland Aeronautics combined 2 aircraft designs built will exceed that total in mid 2007 - the GA8 (110) and GA200 (50) as of Feb 2007, the total stands at 165.
• Gippsland Aeronautics may get to 200 GA8's by late 2008 (The G8 Turbine version is still to be tested and evaluated). This will give GA the overall record for a private Aircraft Manufacturer in Australia of a single design base.
• The GA8 stands to be the most profitable and cost effective aircraft an Australian company has ever built.
• Gippsland Aeronautics Airvan airframe #099 (VH-AFJ) departed on Feb 28th, 2007 for Bangalore India. Bangalore is 5323 nautical miles (just short of 10,000 Kilometres, one continent, three deserts, one archipelago, and two long ocean crossings, one Inter Tropic Convergence (weather) Zone, half a sub continent and over 48 flying hours away from home base). Commercial negotiations are proceeding to sell the Airvan to an Indian operator, so in all probability, Airvan #099 will not return to Australia.
• A GA8 Airvan was featured in the film Blood Diamond.

John Friedrich (also known as Friedrich Hohenberger), born in Germany, was Managing Director of the National Safety Council of Australia during the 1980s. ... Elbert Leander Burt Rutan (born June 17, 1943 in Estacada, Oregon) is an American aerospace engineer noted for his originality in designing light, strong, unusual-looking, energy-efficient aircraft. ... AIRCRAFT,AUSTRALIA,GENERAL AVIATION,VICTA AIRTOURER, VICTA LTD., Head Office and Works : Horsley Road, Milperra, N.S.W., AUSTRALIA., Directors  : M.V.Richardson (Chairman), : Mrs V.M.Richardson, : G.H.Richardson, Chief Draughtsman : Henry Millicer, This company is a major manufacturer of small two-stroke engines and lawn-mowers. ... The GAF Nomad is a twin-engined high-winged STOL aircraft built by the Australian Government Aircraft Factory (GAF). ... This article is about the subject of blood diamonds. ...

External links

• Gippsland Aeronautics Official Site
• Latrobe Valley Aero Club