Aircraft Will Be Key Asset In Anti-Poaching Efforts

The Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism in Botswana has taken delivery of a new Quest Kodiak airplane during an official ceremony held recently in Gaborone, Botswana. The aircraft will be used by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks.

The Kodiak’s unique capabilities make the aircraft extremely well-suited for the Department’s missions, a key one of which is wildlife preservation. The Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks will operate the Kodiak for anti-poaching and law enforcement as well as various other departmental missions. With the recent ban on hunting, Botswana is well known for its position on anti-poaching and the Kodiak will be an integral part of enforcing that ban moving forward. The country is at the forefront of animal preservation efforts in Africa.

Botswana has the highest elephant population on the continent, and also maintains a growing Rhino sanctuary.

Representatives from the Quest factory and Quest’s dealer for Africa, SkyQuest Kodiak Sales Africa LLC and their partner CDC Aviation, presented the keys to the Kodiak to the Honourable Tshekedi Khama, Minister of the Environment, Wildlife and Tourism. Kodiaks are in use throughout Africa in a variety of operations.

“Botswana has made an extraordinary commitment to wildlife preservation and anti-poaching efforts said,” Nick Newby, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Customer Service. “We are extremely proud of the fact that the Kodiak will be used for such an important mission.”

The Kodiak’s rugged aluminum construction offers proven turbine reliability with the Pratt & Whitney PT6 turbine engine. It has the ability to land and take off from unimproved surfaces and is capable of working off floats without structural upgrades. The Kodiak can take off in under 1,000 feet at full gross takeoff weight of 7,255 lbs and climb at over 1,300 feet per minute.

The Kodiak has received 23 certifications covering 33 countries, with several additional certifications imminent.

(Source: Quest Aircraft news release. Image from file)

FMI: www.questaircraft.com