Anyone looking to become an instant kit manufacturer may find the right fit with Safari Helicopters. In a recent news release, company President Delane Baker and her husband Bobby said they willing to let the historic company go for a good price to the right owner. “My husband and I are getting older, and are looking for a buyer for the helicopter company at a very reasonable price,” she said in a statement. “It is important to us to ensure that it continues into the future.” She also said there aren’t many prospects for a sale like this so she’s been asking pilot groups to spread the word.
The company in its present form dates back to 1992, and constant upgrading of the design introduced at Oshkosh that year has evolved the two designs, the 400 and 500, now offered by the company. Kits range in price from $170,000 to $190,000 and include a Lycoming 0-360 engine. The company’s roots go back to 1962 with an angular creation called the Helicom. The company changed hands and upgraded designs for 50 years before the Bakers bought it in 2009.
