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Wellington, Kansas - just south of Wichita -
calls itself the Wheat Capital of the World, but there is a global audience that
also knows it as the home of Air Plains Services, this year marking 40 years as
a leader in creating extreme performance upgrades for thousands of Cessna piston
aircraft around the globe.
“I started Air Plains 40 years ago out of my
passion for making airplanes fly better, faster and more agile, and cheaper to
operate, and it’s grown into a company recognized around the world for our XP
extreme performance kits for Cessna piston singles, as well as for our high-
quality airframe modifications and maintenance for a variety of aircraft
models,” said Mike Kelley,
owner of Air Plains. “Our team supports not only our many individual owners for
XP installations and kits, aircraft maintenance and modifications, but we’re
frequently called on by OEMs for our reliable expertise in getting the best
performance out of a variety of aircraft models.”
The foundation of the company’s success built
over 40 years is as a leader in offering Cessna 172, 180 and 182 owners a
turn-key solution for higher horsepower engines, opening the door to more power,
better climb performance and speed, and greater agility and range. Whether
performing the installation in Kansas or shipping complete XP kits across the
globe, Air Plains is known for high quality products and expert customer
service.
“In short, we enhance your enjoyment of your
airplane, whether for business or pleasure,” Kelley said. “Extreme performance
applies not only to the transformation we provide to the airplane, but to the
level of service, quality and reliability our customers tell us they have
received throughout our history.”
Air Plains Services was founded in 1977 by
Kelley and has since grown to become an industry leader in engine and airframe
modifications. In addition to delivering more than 3,000 engine upgrades to
owners around the world, Air Plains continues to support some of the biggest
names in aviation with advice and expertise in developing new products and
technologies, particularly in aircraft engine technology.
Major projects have included early development
and testing of turbochargers, electronic engine controls, and alternate fuel
systems including diesel and Air Plains’ own unleaded auto fuel (Inpulse)
system. Air Plains has collaborated with other suppliers on several AOPA
sweepstakes airplanes such as installing its 300 hp IO-550 XP upgrade in a
Cessna 182 for the 2011 Crossover Classic, and supports Yingling Aviation on its
172 Ascend program.
“We’ve developed a reputation for taking on
innovative development projects with major suppliers and then working through
issues to get the project finished,” Kelley said. “Our desire to do new things
has been very important in building relationships with OEMs, and that work has
allowed us to assemble a unique knowledge base to serve all our customers.”
Air Plains is an FAA Certified Repair Station,
a Certified Cessna Service Center, owns 20 Supplemental Type Certificates
including five for engine upgrades, and its machine shop can produce more than
1,000 PMA part numbers for a variety of aircraft. The company’s most well-
known line of business comes from its range of Extreme Performance (XP) kits
designed for a large part of the world’s population of Cessna 172s, 180s and
182s, including the 182RG. The company not only performs installations in its
Wellington facility, but ships complete, ready- to-install kits around the
world, supported through a global distribution network and round-the-clock
customer support.
Specifically, Air Plains offers 180 horsepower
engine upgrade solutions for the Cessna 172 based on the Lycoming O-360, and 300
horsepower engine solutions based on either the Continental IO-520 or IO-550 for
the Cessna 180 and 182. The resulting 172XP, 180XP and 182XP aircraft all share
increased cruise speed, range, rate of climb, as well as lower lifecycle
maintenance costs. Air Plains also performs a wide array of scheduled
maintenance and inspection activities, custom airframe and interior work and
specializing in custom avionics panels, avionics upgrades including ADS-B,
airframe repair, and complete tech support.
“We started as a maintenance shop 40 years ago
and that remains a core capability for Air Plains,” Kelley said. “The culture we
established at the very beginning for high quality work and a real desire for
constant improvement of aircraft and aircraft products is what makes me happiest
as I look forward to the next 40 years.”
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