Daher Kodiak 200 (900)

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Daher (previously Quest Aircraft) Model: 200. Nickname: Kodiak
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Turboprop
> FAA Category and Class: Single Engine Land
> Engine Description: Single PT-6A-140

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/2/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 33
> Number of Times Flown: 15
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: Quest Kodiak 100

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 186
> Date First Flown: 2/1/2022
> Location First Flown: Renton Airport, WA (KRNT)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With:
Daher/Kodiak, Marcel “Frenchy” LeBlanc, Rob Wells, Dave Webber

Recollections: Refer also to my write-up on the Kodiak 100.

The Kodiak 200 (which is the designation on the Type Certificate but it’s marketing name is Kodiak 900, I think because it sounds cooler) is a “bigger, heavier, more powerful” brother of the 100.  It has 150 more horsepower (750–>900) and the gross weight is approximately 1200 lb more.  While they appear similar, there are differences.  One could argue that the 100 and 200 should be counted (for the “how many aircraft have you flown?” contest) as ONE airplane.  But, I’ve chosen to break them apart because my involvement with them (separated by over a decade) were different.

One of the interesting aspects of the 200 (900) program was the secrecy that surrounded it.  The FAA was asked, in no uncertain terms, to keep a lid on the program, even during the final Function and Reliability (F&R) stage.  The airplane was photographed by somebody (not associated with the company or the FAA) during its stay at the Renton, WA airport and posted on Facebook.  It was fun reading the comments and the amateur analysis of what this airplane was (the most obvious differences included the wheel pants and 5 bladed propeller).  Still, we were mum.

Like the 100, the 200 (900) was a pleasure to fly and, in a “small world” moment, it was a pleasure to fly again with Frenchy LeBlanc (the Kodiak Chief Test Pilot), who had been a student of mine at USNTPS in 1999.