Pacific Aerospace Ltd (PAL) is an aircraft manufacturing company based in

Hamilton, New Zealand Hamilton ( mi, Kirikiriroa) is an inland city in the North Island of New Zealand. Located on the banks of the Waikato River, it is the seat and most populous city of the Waikato region. With a territorial population of , it is the country's fou ...

. Along with its predecessors, it has produced around 600 utility, training and agricultural aircraft.

History

Pacific Aerospace was formed from two companies, Air Parts (NZ) Ltd and Aero Engine Services Ltd. Air Parts imported

Fletcher FU-24 The Fletcher FU-24 is an agricultural aircraft made in New Zealand. One of the first aircraft designed for aerial topdressing, the Fletcher has also been used for other aerial applications as a utility aircraft, and for sky diving. Design and ...

s in kit form during the mid-1950s and began manufacturing a significantly-modified variant, known as the PAC Fletcher, in 1965. Aero Engine Services Ltd diversified from maintenance work into taking over production of the

Victa Airtourer The Victa Airtourer is an all-metal light low-wing monoplane touring aircraft that was developed in Australia, and was manufactured in both Australia and New Zealand. Design and development The Airtourer was the winning design, submitted by Hen ...

, a light aircraft it developed into a military trainer, the PAC CT/4 in the early 1970s. The two firms joined in 1973 as New Zealand Aerospace Industries, which became Pacific Aerospace Corporation in 1982.Pacific Aerospace Ltd, "Company History"
Shortly afterward, Pacific Aerospace won contracts to provide components to

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...

and

Airbus Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European Multinational corporation, multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace manufacturer, aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft througho ...

. Pacific Aerospace took over NZAI's work on a replacement for the Fletcher, which became the PAC Cresco and has in turn developed this into utility and skydiving variants. A new utility aircraft, the P-750 XSTOL, first flew in 2001. The company has also continued low-level CT4 production for over 30 years. In September 2005 an American firm's order for 12 PAC 750s was dishonoured, leading to controversy about government assistance to Pacific Aerospace. In 2006 a consortium of aviation professionals purchased the assets of the company and Pacific Aerospace Corporation became Pacific Aerospace Limited. In 2012 the Pacific Aerospace P-750 XSTOL aircraft was certified against ICAO Annex 6 for Single Engine IFR Passenger Transport Operations. In 2017 the company pleaded guilty to breaching

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718 was adopted unanimously by the United Nations Security Council on October 14, 2006. The resolution, passed under Chapter VII, Article 41, of the UN Charter, imposes a series of economic and commerc ...

against North Korea after a

PAC P-750 XSTOL The PAC P-750 XSTOL, (formerly known as the PAC 750XL) is a utility aircraft of conventional all-metal low-wing monoplane design, with fixed tricycle undercarriage. Combining the engine and wings of the PAC Cresco with a new large fuselage and ...

was observed flying at the

Wonsan International Friendship Air Festival The Wonsan International Friendship Air Festival or Wonsan Air Festival is an air show first held in September 2016 at Kalma Airport in Wonsan, North Korea. 2016 At the 2016 edition the Korean People's Army Air Force displayed a number of its air ...

in September 2016. In February 2021, the company notified the CAA that it is insolvent, whilst it was unable to meet its obligations under the Civil Aviation Act. The New Zealand civil aviation authority suspended Pacfic Aerospace's AOC. In April 2021, the company was bought out of administration by NZSkydive, continuing to trade under the Pacific Aerospace name.

List of aircraft

– (1954) Single-engine two-seat (side-by-side) low-wing with fixed landing gear. Piston-engined aerial-application aircraft * AESL Airtourer – (1961) Single-engined light utility aircraft. * PAC CT/4 Airtrainer – (1972) Single-engine two-seat (side-by-side) low-wing with fixed landing gear. Piston-engined military basic trainer * PAC Cresco – (early 1980s) Single-engine low-wing with fixed landing gear. Turboprop-engined aerial application aircraft * P-750 XSTOL – (2001) Single-engine low-wing passenger transport with fixed landing gear. Turboprop skydive/utility/aerial application aircraft. Formally known as the PAC 750-XL. *

E-350 Expedition The Found FBA-2 is a 1960s Canadian four/five-seat cabin monoplane that was produced by Found Aircraft. Design and development The Found FBA-2 is an all-metal development of the company's first design, the Found FBA-1. The prototype first flew on ...

– (2016) Single-engine high wing five seat STOL aircraft due to roll out mid 2017.

References

External links

Pacific Aerospace Homepage
{{Pacific Aerospace aircraft Aircraft manufacturers of New Zealand Companies based in Hamilton, New Zealand