Surfing Meets Flying

World champion surfer Kelly Slater took his first flight lessons in the Quest Kodiak turboprop, ferrying some of the world’s top surfers (and his investors) to the secret opening of his man-made Surf Ranch wave pool in Central California.

Plane & Pilot

Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at 06:09 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Kelly Slater, the 11-time world champion surfer, fulfilled his long-standing desire to earn a private pilot's license, motivated by wanting to fly over his new Surf Ranch.
He chose the Quest Kodiak aircraft, highlighted for its surfboard-friendly cabin, luxury seating, good speed, and low operating costs.
The rugged Quest Kodiak turboprop is ideal for surfers accessing remote areas, featuring short takeoff capabilities and the ability to land on diverse terrains like unimproved airstrips and gravel bars.

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For Slater, an 11-time world champion surfer, earning his private pilot’s license has been a desire for a long time. While planning to do flyovers of his new Surf Ranch wave pool and the solar panels that power it in Lemoore, California, Slater thought there was no time like the now to get started, and the team at Quest was more than happy to assist.

Surfing Meets Flying — Kelly Slater and the Quest Kodiak
Photo by Todd Glaser

The intersection of surfing and flying might seem strange partners, but the Quest offers a good value proposition, with good speed, a surfboard-friendly cabin, luxury seating and low operating costs.

The rugged 10-seat turboprop needs less than 1,000 for takeoff at max weight and it can climb at over 1,300 feet per minute. The landing gear and 19-inch propeller clearance allow the Kodiak to easily handle touchdown, anything from airports to unimproved airstrips to gravel bars, getting pilots on the ground even when there isn’t much real estate to work with, as is the case with many strips close to the waves, but far from larger airports.