Temecula, CALIFORNIA / December 17, 2012 — For the United States, Boeing Aircraft and its big jets such as the new 787 Dreamliner are an “export engine” bringing billions of dollars into the USA. The aircraft producer’s overseas deliveries are a source of pride to most Americans. At the opposite end of the scale, Quicksilver serves a similar purpose and does it quite well (though perhaps not in billions of dollars).
As part of their thorough analysis of the business empire of Quicksilver aircraft, operations chief Daniel Perez reviewed where the 15,000 sales of Quicksilver kits have been shipped. Although an American company since the early 1970s, the distribution of the company’s iconic aircraft are only 31% in the United States.
The USA leads with 31% followed surprisingly closely by Mexico with 21%, making our neighbor to the South by far the second strongest destination for aircraft sales. The two account for over half of all deliveries, though oddly Canada does not factor in with anything more than a few dozen aircraft. This may be as Canada has several entries of its own in the very light aircraft class and as its population of 34 million is only 30% of Mexico’s 114 million population. (The U.S. currently clocks in at 313 million.)
Other western hemisphere countries flying Quicksilver aircraft in larger numbers include Peru (7%), Columbia (5%), Venezuela (2%), giving South American countries 14% of all Quicksilver aircraft.
Quicksilver also has a significant presence in Asia with Japan having 7%, China already having 5% of the California company’s shipments (with more in the pipeline), another 5% to the Philippines, and 2% in Taiwan. Asia thus accounts for 19% of Quicksilver shipments.
In Europe, France has bought many Quicksilvers at 7% of all shipments and South Africa is another strength, also with 7% of the total. Many other countries have a handful to several dozen aircraft.
Quicksilvers have been sold in more than 100 countries around the globe over the company’s four decades of operation. It is impossible to determine how many are flying of the 15,000 delivered but the company believes a substantial share still give pleasure or do work because maintenance is very simple and the cost of replacement parts is low. On a daily basis, the Temecula, California business ships parts around the globe in support of its large fleet.
While Van’s Aircraft with its ubiquitous RV series is widely regarded as the largest kit producer in the world — and while this may be true with present-period shipments — Quicksilver has delivered more than twice the number of aircraft through its history. With new ownership taking the helm earlier this year, the company expects to steadily increase shipments around the globe.
Will Escutia and Daniel Perez purchased Quicksilver Aeronautics LLC in the spring of 2012 and are continuing to operate the enterprise from Temecula, California.
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.
