24 Acquisition International - Issue 4 2022 Feb22168 One Machine, More Freedom SkyRunner, LLC is a privately held aircraft manufacturing company headquartered in Shreveport, LA, USA, which designs and manufactures the MK 3.2, a special light sport aircraft for civilian and military end users. Acquisition International magazine has recognised the company as Best Light Sport Aircraft Manufacturer 2022 – USA, so we got in touch with founder and CEO, Stewart Hamel to learn more. ounded by Stewart Hamel, SkyRunner has become one of the fastest growing aircraft manufacturers in the world, based on class and category. Its MK 3.2 earned SLSAFAA certification in June 2016, and full approval as a two-occupant aircraft in July 2017. The SkyRunner MK 3.2 is an FAA certified special light sport aircraft (S-LSA) fused with a rugged, military-grade vehicle. By combining offroad engineering with aviation technology, a new generation of aircraft has been designed for ultimate mobility across, or over, any terrain. Arguably, SkyRunner is the most versatile and logistically competitive machine on the market. It conquers deserts, jungles, swamps, rivers, and any other terrain that stands between you and your mission. And no airport is required! – Secluded beaches, dirt roads, and open fields are your runways of choice. And at its customers’ request, the company recently developed turn-key training and maintenance programmes to provide comprehensive solutions to its commercial and government clients. So, how did it all come about? Well, Stewart Hamel found early success in technology, petroleum and venture capital, and began seeking out extraordinary adventures to share with his young children. An analyst by trade, he quickly discovered that powered parachutes consistently sustained the best safety record of any aircraft on the planet and he set out to build the superlative example of the type. F Stewart remarked, “I originally built this aircraft to fuel epic adventures with my kids, but then someone handed me a copy of a naval postgraduate school master’s thesis that laid out the mobility challenges faced by our special operators and rescue forces on the battlefield and described SkyRunner as a perfect solution. That paper changed our ‘why’. SkyRunner could save lives!” He later hired the author of that thesis, Col Michael Jensen, who is currently SkyRunner’s Chief Strategy Officer. The MK 3.2 was built entirely from customer feedback. From elite special operators to ranchers and border patrol officers, SkyRunner listened closely to each point of view and built a machine to solve their problems. Stewart commented, “We’re most proud of our perfect certification audit from the FAA and humbled by the accolades from Forbes, Red Bull, Top Gear, Black Rifle Coffee Company, and other world-class brands who have aligned with SkyRunner.” No other utility terrain vehicle can claim distant second to SkyRunner’s ultimate access. The extremely rugged, custom-tuned Fox Shocks turn rough terrain into a smooth landing zone; the powerful 1000cc Polaris Pro-Star engine propels SkyRunner up to 70mph, and the turbo-charged, fuel-injected Rotax flight motor lifts two passengers up to 10,000 feet (altitude limited by the Federal Aviation Administration); an INVISIO intercom system provides crystal clear communication compatible with any military or law enforcement radio system; and Tomar commercial-quality light bars illuminate the way ahead in the visible or infrared spectrum. These world-class components fuse together into one military-grade aircraft. One machine, more freedom. SkyRunner acts as a catalyst to advance other technologies. Its simplicity and modularity allows its to integrate and operate airborne payloads at a tiny fraction of the cost of more complex aircraft. SkyRunner MK 3.2 costs well under one hundred dollars an hour to operate – that allows the company to deliver similar effects at orders of magnitude at less cost than any competitor. SkyRunner’s technology partners continue to add incredible capability to SkyRunner. Collins Aerospace installed and integrated a TASE-400 electro optical and infrared stabilised camera system to provide crystal clear imaging capability from altitude; Sylvus Technologies installed a high-bandwidth datalink to offboard the video and control of the TASE400 through a mesh network to a ground station anywhere on the
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