Temecula, CALIFORNIA / June 11, 2013 - Quicksilver Aeronautics is known for fun flying aircraft and has produced more than 15,000 recreational models. However, good flying aircraft can also be used in a working environment and public-use surveillance is among the chores the company's aircraft can perform.
IDENT LLC of Jacksonville, Florida, has joined with Quicksilver Aeronautics, LLC of Temecula, California, in a strategic partnership to produce a fleet of the latest generation of GT500 surveillance and intelligence gathering aircraft. Announced today, the partnership offers a cost-effective alternative for government agencies and other customers faced with the challenge of acquiring surveillance aircraft that are extremely expensive to acquire and operate.
"This partnership will result in allowing the very agile GT500 aircraft to perform persistent, rapid response, wide-area surveillance missions that have traditionally been assigned to large, expensive-to-operate aircraft," said IDENT LLC co-founder Richard McCreight.
Based on the recreational GT500 that was the very first model to achieve FAA Primary Category approval in 1993, IDENT's GT500 Mosquito first flew 26 years ago. The design has seen continuous improvements including GPS flight controls, forensics imaging technologies and data telemetry elements. The latest improvements provide actionable intelligence in support of multiple command and control functions on missions of up to seven-hours in duration. Operating from remote areas ranging from the tropics to the sub-Arctic, the GT500 can safely perform a variety of missions carrying various payloads, all at remarkably low costs. IDENT GT500s have logged 7,650 flight hours in support of programs funded by NASA, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and others.
With a proven track record of meeting or exceeding government contract requirements, IDENT offers the government an attractive, comprehensive, end-to-end intelligence solution with a large return on investment for the taxpayer. While sequestration has had an impact on the government's funding for buying surveillance aircraft, IDENT can provide critical intelligence-gathering services for a simple monthly fee.
"There is an outstanding level of cooperation and strategic alignment between IDENT and Quicksilver. Both companies complement each other nicely so the partnership is able to deliver a fully integrated solution," said Will Escutia, president of Quicksilver Aeronautics, the world's leading manufacturer of ultralight aircraft. "We are extremely pleased to work with IDENT."
FACTS ABOUT QUICKSILVER AERONAUTICS
Quicksilver Aeronautics, under new ownership since 2012, is the most prolific builder of light aircraft kits in the world, with more than 15,000 units flying. Quicksilver builds the MX series including the Sprint, Sprint II, Sport, Sport II, Sport 2S and the GT series including the single seat GT 400 and the two place GT 500. The GT 500 is the first aircraft approved by FAA under the Primary Aircraft category (1993). Quicksilver has dealers throughout the USA and the world with thousands flying in nearly 100 countries. The brand has an enviably good safety record owing significantly to exceptional ease of flight, thorough engineering, and long experience dating to the early 1970s.
