Kaman Aerosystems, a division of the aerospace segment of Kaman Corporation (NYSE:KAMN), announced today at the Helitech International Helicopter Expo & Conference that it has signed a contract with Columbia Basin Helicopters for the purchase of a K-MAX^® aircraft to be delivered in 2018.

“We are pleased that Columbia Basin’s president and owner, David McCarty, has selected the K-MAX^® helicopter to expand his fleet of aircraft,” stated Drake Klotzman, GM, Air Vehicles & Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Division. “With this agreement we have sold out our initial production lot of ten aircraft and look forward to offering additional aircraft in the marketplace.”

Columbia Basin Helicopters, Inc. of La Grande, Oregon has been operating for over twenty years. Primary operations include aerial application and firefighting. In addition to helicopters, the company operates a number of fixed wing single-engine air tankers for state and federal agencies.

Kaman will have representatives at Helitech International during October 3-4, 2017. Our team will also be available to answer any questions relative to K-MAX^® helicopter and other products and services at the Kaman Aerosystems’ Stand H61, London, England.

Development of the K-MAX^® was led by Kaman founder and former CEO, aviation pioneer Charles H. Kaman, and received Federal Aviation Administration certification in 1994. The single-engine, single-seat K-MAX^® is a rugged low-maintenance aircraft that features a counter-rotating rotor system and is optimized for external load operations and designed specifically for vertical reference flight. The aircraft can lift up to 6,000 pounds (2,722 kg).