THE
STORY OF OREGON AERO, INC.
by Marjorie Kramer
In
some ways, the story of Oregon Aero began in 1989 with a headache
— a headache that Jude Dennis (now Oregon Aero vice president
and general manager) experienced whenever she flew with husband
Mike Dennis (Oregon Aero founder, president and CEO).
Mike
set out to tackle Jude’s headache problem. After a
lot of research, thinking, and experimentation, he created
the
SoftTop® Headset Cushion,
put together with leather and sheepskin wool at their kitchen
table.
 |
| Mike
Dennis in his den, 1990, makes SoftTop® Headset
Cushions and
tests a newly designed ear seal, which became the
Oregon Aero®
SoftSeal® Ear Cushion. Breakthrough
thinking, perseverance, and listening to customers
have led
Mike and Oregon
Aero to design more than 500 products that are painless,
reduce noise, and improve impact protection. |
The SoftTop® Headset
Cushion worked. Jude’s headaches disappeared, and Mike
and Jude began selling SoftTop® Headset
Cushions at local fly-ins.
Customer feedback was positive, and Mike
improved the SoftTop® Headset
Cushion. Dozens were piled high on the
kitchen table as they were sewn by hand; bolts of leather
and other materials filled the garage. From this beginning
grew a company that today designs and manufactures more than
500 products for aviation and other industries.
In other ways, however, the story goes back
much further than 1989.
In designing products and leading Oregon Aero, Mike Dennis
is doing what he has always loved to do — solve problems
by thinking about them in new ways.
 |
| Mike
Dennis was always fascinated with planes, boats, and
machines. In his front yard with model airplanes at
age 16 when this photo was taken, Mike already was taking
flying lessons. |
"Most
of the time when we solve a problem, it’s because
we’ve
turned it upside down and not accepted traditional assumptions,"
says Mike. That way of thinking led to the development
of Painless, Safer™ seat cushions and seats; Painless,
Safer, Quieter® headset and helmet upgrades;
and the hundreds of other products Oregon Aero has designed.
 |
| Ronald
Young experimented with various outboard designs
(like grandson Mike Dennis, he was always working
to improve his designs). Young reversed the traditional
tumblehome of the outboard, allowing the lines
to flare outward along the sheer. He also tinkered
with an inboard well for outboard power, building
the well adjacent to the keel. This love of experimentation
and looking at designs in a different way has carried
through to Mike Dennis and Oregon Aero. |
Mike
always has been fascinated with airplanes, boats
and machines. He comes by his fascination and design
skills honestly.
His
maternal grandfather, Ronald Young of Poulsbo, Washington,
designed
and built the first automobile ever to appear on
the Kitsap Peninsula, around 1914. Ronald Young also designed
and built
boats by hand, notably the beautiful wooden Poulsbo
boat
from about 1918-1965. Poulsbo
boat owners still treasure their craft, which can
be found in the waters of the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere.
Mike’s dad, Jim Dennis, practiced a
number of professions: teacher, preacher, counselor.
But he also was educated as a speech and hearing therapist, and here’s
where the family link to Oregon Aero strengthens.
Jim
Dennis designed hearing aids and worked on other
projects related to hearing, including aviation helmet
ear seals, ear cups and communications systems. Unfortunately,
Jim Dennis passed away at age 50 without completing
his work
in this area.
 |
Ronald
Young, Mike Dennis’ grandfather,
prepares to deliver two unpainted Poulsbo outboard skiffs, around 1950.
Young designed and built these craft by hand, many of which can still be
found in the waters of the Pacific Northwest. |
"When
the thought hits me that I’m following through
on work my dad began, it’s pretty overwhelming," notes
Mike.
"But
surprisingly, when I
began developing headset and helmet upgrades, I didn’t
remember he’d worked on aviation helmets. I
did remember being ten years old and wearing those helmets
to ‘fly’ around the neighborhood on my bike — I
was obsessed with flying airplanes. It was later, after
talking with my mother, that I understood better what
my dad was
doing with the helmets."
 |
| A
teacher, preacher, counselor and speech therapist,
Jim Dennis designed hearing aids and worked to
improve the design and communications systems of
aviation helmets. |
Mike
remembers a saying his dad liked to recite during
his teaching and preaching days (the saying
also strikes a note of irony):
"The
brain can perform only as long as the butt can
endure." Today,
that adage could be the advertising tag line for
the entire line of Oregon Aero custom, upgraded and portable
seat
cushion systems. By
eliminating pain, Oregon Aero seat systems let
people focus on the job at hand, and more than one person
has
thanked
Oregon Aero for "saving my butt!"
At
19, Mike earned his private pilot’s license and soon
after his Airframe and Powerplant license, achieving his childhood
dream. Little did Mike know his love of flying (and solving
problems) would take him on an even grander journey — to
create and lead a company which offers innovative,
breakthrough products to people around the world.
What
Mike did over the years was follow his own way of thinking.
"I don't like being told 'no' or 'it can't be done'
or 'it's impossible.' Everything is possible," says
Mike. "It's a
matter of perservering and being willing to look at solving
problems in new ways." Mike acknowledges that he never
stops thinking about whatever
problems have
grabbed his attention. As a result, Oregon
Aero always has multiple new products undergoing
development.
 |
| Fitting
a seat for aerobatic performer Wayne Handley, 1994. |
 |
| Innovative
Cranial Helmet - Mike
Dennis wears the patented Oregon
Aero® TM3™ Cranial Helmet.
The helmet is a radical departure from current
helmet designs and manufacturing processes and
offers improved impact and noise protection for
aircraft carrier flight deck personnel. It's an
example of another problem "turned upside
down." |
Finally, there’s one more attribute
that has always been part of Oregon Aero and Mike’s
personality: listening. Oregon
Aero listens to people’s
problems
and what they need. Consequently,
nearly every Oregon Aero product originated with listening
to customers.
The history and growth of Oregon Aero, then,
are a story of breakthrough thinking, perseverance, listening,
and deriving satisfaction from helping people, along with
a hearty tip of the hat to genetic predisposition.
What may come next in the Oregon Aero story?
Mike’s not worried. Says the Oregon Aero founder, "There
always will be problems to solve — always."
|
