Benefits of the winglet :
1 . Fuel efficiencies three to four times greater than traditional winglets
2 . Better performance at high altitude airports on hot days
3 . Increase in the allowed maximum no fuel weight of the aircraft
4 . Lower operating costs
5 . No need for wing structural reinforcement yields shorter install times
6 . Reduced fatigue on the wings 7 . Greater stability in turbulence 8 . Greater range and endurance
Sandpoint connection and staffing
Tamarack has a relatively small staff that consists of engineers , administrators , and production staff . All employees live in the greater Sandpoint area , including Rathdrum , Coeur d ’ Alene , and Priest River .
Cox said that there are many aerospace companies popping up in the region , including Quest Kodiak , Empire Airlines , Aerocet and more , “ There is a niche that has developed in Sandpoint .” He said when extra engineers or pilots are needed , they are easy to find . “ When we need to pick up manpower , there are a handful of local people to call on ,” he added .
In fact , there are many pilots working at Tamarack — including owner Guida , who is FAA-licensed to fly the Cessna business jets that Tamarack upgrades . Cox said that there are four employees with a pilot ’ s license .
The ability to fly is not only a personal passion for many employees , but it is important to their ability to demonstrate company flight testing , and to
obtain data for analysis . Cox said ,
“ Flight tests for credit require a designated engineering representative — they fly the plane with us when we do it for credit .”
The Sandpoint Regional Airport , where they fly , caters to private planes and pilots . Cox said , “ Lots of people travel through here for ski vacations in winter and for summer outings . There are some celebrities that come through … like country singer Dierks Bentley , that fly CJs .” Cox added that there are pilots that want to fly a jet , and a Cessna is a common plane for them to buy and fly into small , private airports like Sandpoint . He added , “ The CJ3 is one of the most common single pilot planes .”
In addition to having pilots on staff , a company like Tamarack also needs engineers .
They have picked up two aerospace engineers from Montana State University in Bozeman , and one from University of Idaho . They try to recruit from local colleges and universities .
24 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS