Aviat Huskey

Single Piston· 898 globally registered

The Aviat Husky is a high-wing taildragger built for backcountry flying, designed to get in and out of short, rough strips that would ground most other light aircraft. Introduced in 1987 by Christen Industries and now produced by Aviat Aircraft in Wyoming, the Husky evolved from the Piper Super Cub lineage but with a beefier airframe, more power, and modern construction. The A-1C variant typically mounts a 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360, giving it a useful load around 1,000 pounds and short-field performance that appeals to bush pilots, backcountry adventurers, and pipeline patrol operators. With its rugged landing gear, oversized tires, and docile handling, the Husky thrives on gravel bars, mountain strips, and tundra, environments where precision and ruggedness matter more than speed. Its stall speed in landing configuration sits around 44 knots, and it cruises comfortably at 120 knots, making it slower than most trainers but far more capable off-airport. The type has earned a loyal following among pilots who value go-anywhere utility over cross-country speed, and it remains in production today as one of the few factory-built taildraggers still available new. SkyMeter has tracked 377 flights across 133 airframes and 121 operators, with CODY ERNEST JAE the largest observed operator.