As the review points out, the Oregon Aero® Portable SoftSeat™ Cushion is a perfect solution for pilots who “have to lean forward to see over the instrument panel.” The review also notes that since it is portable, the SoftSeat™ Cushion is an excellent product “for those who rent aircraft and need a seat cushion that they can take with them.” It can also be used in the car to and from the airport.

The Portable SoftSeat™ Cushion shifts your hips and pelvis into the proper, comfortable sitting position. Shoulders then shift back, the upper body rises and a smooth lumbar is created. The result is pain-free seating. And because it’s portable, you can take the Portable SoftSeat™ Cushion with you wherever you go.

Oregon Aero also makes the Portable Universal Pilot SoftSeat™ Cushion, which has a specially designed cut-out Cushion Base that accommodates controls and restraint systems.

To select the right Portable SoftSeat™ Cushion for your needs, go to Portable Seat Cushions.

An FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC SA01597SE) has been awarded for installation of the High-G® Safety Seat onboard Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Company’s Columbia 400 and Columbia 350 production aircraft. The STC was completed by and is owned by Oregon Aero, the designer and manufacturer of the High-G® Safety Seat. The FAA also granted Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA PQ2505NM) to produce the High-G® Safety Seat for Columbia aircraft.

Certified to the latest FAA requirements for general dynamic tests and fire resistance, the High-G® Safety Seat provides additional safety for pilots and passengers.* The High-G® Safety Seat’s integral design has a lower profile than most seats, which provides an unprecedented amount of headroom in the cockpit. The High-G® Safety Seat’s specially designed and constructed seat cushions conform to the body and shift the occupant’s pelvis and hips into the proper sitting position resulting in a pain-free seat—no matter how long the flight.

The seat back position is easily adjusted to accommodate a wide range of recline angles as well as provide easy entrance and egress for crew and passengers. The High-G® Safety Seat easily slides forward and aft on low friction guides to enable pilots of all sizes to reach the rudder pedals and controls comfortably and maximize the pilot’s ability to see out of the airplane.

Oregon Aero works with aircraft manufacturers of small general aviation aircraft to design, certify and install the High-G® Safety Seat for production aircraft.

The Oregon Aero® High-G® Safety Seat has been awarded FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC SA01597SE) for installation onboard Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Company’s Columbia 400 and Columbia 350 production aircraft.

Competition Among Employees

The husband and wife team of Suzanne and Steve Oliver use Oregon Aero’s Painless, Safer, Quieter™ upgrades when they perform the SkyDancer airshows, including the Oregon Aero® seats, helmet and headset upgrades, and ShockBlockers® Insole Inserts. The Oregon Aero® upgrades help the SkyDancer team fight fatigue so they can focus on their performance.

World-renowned aerobatic pilot Sean D. Tucker in the cockpit of his Pitts Special.

Oregon Aero employees hold the poles as Sean D. Tucker cuts the ribbon with the left wing.

Then local aerobatic pilots with ties to Oregon Aero took center stage. Jim Vanek of SportCopter performed a routine in his Gyrocopter, Kathy Hirtz of Eugene flew her Pitts, Rice presented the versatility of Oregon Aero’s Pilatus, and Greg Howard of Portland flew his Giles 200.

Sean capped off the event with his signature Pitts Special aerobatic routine, thrilling the crowd of about 200 Oregon Aero employees and their families with his breathtaking aerial maneuvers. His show featured three daringly low ribbon cuts (making the hearts of those who won the pole-holding raffle skip a beat or two).

Sean D. Tucker opened the show with an upset recovery demonstration in this Columbia 400SL, which features the Oregon Aero® High-G® Safety Seat.

Sean D. Tucker cuts the final ribbon with an inverted pass through the poles.

For Oregon Aero’s first-ever airshow, Sean D. Tucker’s headliner appearance ensured its success. "We're honored that Sean Tucker included Oregon Aero in his busy schedule," says Jude Dennis, Oregon Aero vice president and general manager, "and it's been a real privilege to help sponsor Sean for these many years. Our employees thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the performance." Many thanks, Sean.

 

The article describes how Steve began flying with his father at age 12 and took flying lessons at age 17. Suzanne started flying gliders at age 14, and by age 18 was a certified flight instructor. The couple met while Steve was towing banners, and now they are the nation’s only husband-and-wife aerobatic and skywriting team.

The Oregon Aero^SM SkyDancer offers three different performances, including Steve’s 12-minute aerobatic show choreographed to music, a night show that features 30 pyrotechnics fired from the aircraft, and Suzanne’s creative skywriting messages that float 10,000 feet overhead.

The Olivers have relied on Oregon Aero products since the company introduced the SoftTop® Headset Cushion in 1989. Today, in addition to their custom leather seats and interior upgrade for the SkyDancer, Steve and Suzanne use Oregon Aero headset and helmet upgrades, plus ShockBlockers® Insole Inserts for walking comfort.

The Oregon Aero^SM SkyDancer will perform at several venues across the country in 2006. To find the performance closest to you, visit the SkyDancer website.

Oregon Aero ranked No. 173 on Inc. magazine’s 24th end-of-year annual Inc. 500 ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. In its first appearance on the list, Oregon Aero’s 618% three-year sales growth pushed it into the top 200 of all companies ranked. "We are all very proud to be included on this list of America’s fastest-growing companies," said Mike Dennis, president and CEO of Oregon Aero.

Inc. magazine stated that Oregon Aero "continually adds one-of-a-kind products" as one reason for its growth. The review also referred to Oregon Aero’s products for the military, specifically highlighting the BLSS® Kit, a patented ballistic helmet upgrade that increases safety by dramatically reducing shock loads. More than 500,000 active military personnel use the BLSS® Kit.

The Inc. 500 ranks privately held companies according to year-over-year sales growth from 2001 to 2004. The companies that made this list represent the vanguard of American industry, posting an average three-year sales growth of 769%. Inc. 500 companies posted aggregate 2004 revenue of $15.9 billion, and 84% of them were profitable.

Most importantly, Inc. 500 companies were engines of job growth, having created more than 95,000 jobs since the companies were founded. With approximately 75% of all new job creation in the U.S. coming from entrepreneurial businesses, the Inc. 500 opens a window onto the companies and industries that are driving the economy forward. Oregon Aero currently has 70 employees among its three facilities in Scappoose, Salem and St. Helens, and recently expanded capacity with a new 16,000 square foot building.

Oregon Aero recently received Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA PQ2505NM) from the FAA to produce certified parts. "Oregon Aero is significantly increasing our production of certified parts," said Mike Dennis, president and CEO of Oregon Aero. "Our newest facility enables us to expand production capacity with improved technology and processes." The new 13,000 sq. ft. building will facilitate implementation of all the specific production requirements of the PMA.

 Oregon Aero opened the new building at 34050 Skyway Drive, adjacent to its headquarters and manufacturing facility at the Scappoose Airport, in the fall. A second manufacturing facility remains in Salem. The company’s engineering department and some additional manufacturing are located in St. Helens.

Oregon Aero has experienced sustained growth in terms of production and staff since its humble beginnings in 1989 as a small private company with a handful of employees. The company has been recognized among Oregon’s Top 100 Fastest-Growing Private Companies over the past five years, and was recently named to Inc. magazine’s 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies list.

One sentence in the July 2005 Flying magazine profile (pp. 94 – 95) of Oregon Aero, Inc. president and CEO Mike Dennis captures the essence of the Oregon Aero story: "He was a gas-pumping, airplane-washing, anything-for-a-ride-around-the-patch airport kid who grew up to create a company that has given pilots more comfort than anything since the enclosed cockpit."

From a humble beginning on a kitchen table where Dennis made the first SoftTop™ Headset Cushion, Oregon Aero now makes over 500 products that eliminate pain, reduce noise and improve impact protection. The products have and continue to provide comfort for thousands of pilots in general, military, and law enforcement aviation.

"Mike is an inspiration for anyone who’s dreamed of making his flying pay for itself," states the Flying profile. Indeed, perhaps the best part of Oregon Aero’s success is that it allows Dennis to indulge two of his passions: flying and solving problems.

Regarding solving problems, Dennis says, "What I do enjoy is solving problems. I like listening to what you need and then figuring out how to give it to you in a top quality product." As for his love of airplanes, Dennis says, "I’m not some jaded CEO that operates executive aircraft. I get butterflies every time I start up the airplane. It’s so neat." After all, Dennis is still an "airport kid" at heart.

A personal story by Jude Dennis, vice president and general manager of Oregon Aero, has been included in the popular new book Chicken Soup for the Military Wife’s Soul. Produced by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Charles Preston, and Cindy Pedersen, the book features 101 stories written by military family members and the courageous women who themselves serve in the military. The publishers write that "the book celebrates the women who unite with kindred spirits to raise families, maintain homes, and uphold positive attitudes while facing the fears of losing a loved one."

Jude’s story, "Anticipation," recounts her experience as the wife of her first husband Denny Andrews, a Marine who was killed in action while serving in Viet Nam in 1968. Her sister, Marj Kramer, helped her write the story, and they submitted it to Chicken Soup for the Military Wife’s Soul for inclusion in the compilation. The story was selected from thousands of submissions, and the book was published in late April.

An ironic twist to Jude’s story is that now she is married to Mike Dennis, president and CEO of Oregon Aero, whose mission is to help make Marines and other military personnel safer, and that as vice president and general manager, Jude is actively involved in pursuing that mission. Her past experience as a military wife helps fuel her desire for Oregon Aero to continue to create and manufacture — and get into the hands of soldiers — products that will make them safer and more comfortable.

Chicken Soup for the Military Wife’s Soul is more than just a collection of inspirational stories like Jude’s. Proceeds from book sales and donations to the Military Soul Foundation will initially be used to purchase and distribute underarmour shirts and phone cards to troops in the Middle East. Military Soul Foundation is also providing funds for Commissary Gift Certificates to be distributed to families in need via Operation Homefront. Through these donations, the book is contributing to soldiers and their families in a tangible way.

For more information about Military Soul Foundation and Chicken Soup for the Military Wife’s Soul, visit www.MilitarySoul.org.

  
When Shannan Limon, wife of Marine Gunnery Sgt. Phillip Limon found out that the Oregon Aero® BLSS® Kit helmet upgrade her husband wanted provides additional protection and more than just comfort, she began thinking of ways to pay for the additional expense. When Shannan called Oregon Aero to inquire about a military discount, she was referred to "Operation Helmet," a nonprofit organization that raises funds to purchase BLSS™ Kits and deliver them to the soldiers who want them.

According to an article that appeared in The Lompoc Record, Shannan has made it her mission to raise $30,000 for "Operation Helmet" to ensure that all 300 members of her husband's company — the 7th Marine Regiment — have helmets upgraded with BLSS® Kits. The Limons are appealing to their community to help raise the funds necessary for the project.

"Operation Helmet" has inspired many others to raise funds as well. Community groups, business people, and military family members all over the country are actively involved in soliciting funds to assist "Operation Helmet" with providing as many BLSS® Kits to military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan as possible.

For more information about "Operation Helmet," please visit "Operation Helmet."

Oregon Aero, Inc. Chief Technical Engineer Steve Hooper, Ph.D., an aviation crashworthiness seating expert and FAA Designated Engineering Representative. Hooper hopes to help Oregon Aero "develop more products that will do the most good for society."

Dennis brought his newly designed aircraft seat cushion systems to the NIAR for dynamic testing.

Following that initial meeting, Dennis and Hooper collaborated through the years on shared research to develop more crashworthy aircraft seat systems, improved testing structures, and more reliable and repeatable testing procedures. The Hooper/Dennis collaboration results in the development of more efficient pathways to FAA seat certification for aircraft manufacturers and individuals building kit planes who consult Oregon Aero.

Hooper and Dennis are like-minded individuals who tackle complex problems with the empirical approach of the classical inventors rather than the style of a typical aeronautical engineer of the New Millennium who favors computerized virtual models to a hands-on, mechanical technique. Hooper brings with him an unusual personal and professional background that makes him a perfect fit to further the Oregon Aero tradition.

Hooper is a former professor at Wichita State University, where he directed the crashworthiness research program for the university’s National Institute of Aviation Research (NIAR). He has also conducted crashworthiness testing for the FAA and the NASA AGATE program (for the revitalization of general aviation). Most recently, he was chief technical engineer for a private aerospace engineering firm. Hooper also has served on two 16G JAR/FAR Aeronautical Rulemaking Advisory Committees, which were charged with harmonizing international certification requirements and compliance methods.

"My background fits the Oregon Aero model well, because Mike Dennis starts with hardware and a hands-on approach to solving a