OSHKOSH, WIS. – The staff at Wipaire, Inc., manufacturers of Wipline floats at Fleming Field, South St. Paul, Minnesota, started celebrating their 50th anniversary during EAA AirVenture-Oshkosh, July 26-August 1, 2010, with a huge display of aircraft, pilot supplies and a commemorative cake! Bernard “Ben” Wiplinger started design and certification on the Wipline 3900 float for the Cessna 185 in 1960. His son, Bob “Wip,” and his grandchildren, Nancy and Chuck, have kept the Wipline float tradition going strong ever since.
Over the past 50 years, 16 different models of Wipline floats have been certified on aircraft ranging from Piper Cubs to the de Havilland Twin Otter. Nine of these float models are still in production today. Ben, Wip and Chuck have led teams of engineers that have created over 120 different supplemental type certificates. Their most recent accomplishments are the certification of the Wipline 7000 float on the Quest Kodiak, an executive interior for the de Havilland Twin Otter, and a single-point refueling system for the Cessna Caravan that is compatible with the G1000 system.
To further celebrate their 50th anniversary, Wipaire is giving away a commemorative set of Wipline 2100 floats at the AOPA Summit in Long Beach, California on November 13, 2010. For details, refer to their website at www.wipaire.com or call 651-209-7168.
In addition to manufacturing floats, Wipaire is a full-service aviation specialist through its “WipCaire” division. Services include aircraft refinishing, interiors, avionics and maintenance.
For additional information call 1-866-277-1146 (www.wipaire.com).