NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
August 2001
For More Information:
Larry Burke, LAMA
lpburke5@home.com

Designer Chris Heintz Named 2001 "Outstanding Individual" by Kit Manufacturing Industry

Light Aircraft Manufacturer's Assoc. (LAMA)
Oshkosh, Wisconsin:

After many years of coming close in the voting by his peers in the kit aircraft manufacturing community, designer Chris Heintz received the majority of votes in 2001, and was the recipient of the LAMA / KITPLANES magazine 2001 President's Award for Outstanding Individual. 

Larry Burke, LAMA president (left), congratulates designer Chris Heintz

The voting this year was particularly interesting, as some 37 persons were nominated to receive the award. This is a strong indicator to us that there are many people considered exceptional contributors to kit aviation, and that their accomplishments are also known to others in the manufacturing community.

There are about 160 manufacturers of kit aircraft, accessories, and supplies in the kit-built aircraft business, and votes were received from a large majority of these manufacturers.

Chris received a plaque engraved with the award and a testimonial of his peers on why they considered him deserving of the award. He also displayed the perpetual marble obelisk during the week of AirVenture at the Zenith Aircraft Co. booth. The obelisk resides the remainder of the year in its own display case in the EAA Museum at Oshkosh.

Chris has been a major contributor to kit aviation and certified aircraft. He was instrumental, in co-authorship with Larry Burke, President of LAMA, in creating the airworthiness and manufacturing quality standards for light aircraft, which was recognized by the FAA in the early 1980s. He was also a major contributor to the Canadian Advanced Ultralight airworthiness standard (TP 10141), which closely parallels the LAMA standard.

His many unique and easy to fly designs have significantly contributed to the growth of kit and light-plane aviation. His acceptance speech at Oshkosh spoke of the great present and future opportunity that the freedom of flying and encouragement of originality in aviation the kit-aircraft movement provided. He particularly emphasized the unprecedented opportunity the new pending Sport Pilot/Sport Aircraft rule would bring to the light aircraft community. He asked for all to comment on this when the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is released in the next couple of months.

• Zenith Aircraft Company Homepage
• Zenith Aircraft @ Work & Play Around the World

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