- Blue Yonder Aviation
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Blue Yonder Aviation 
Type Private company Industry Aerospace Founder(s) Wayne Winters Headquarters Indus, Alberta, Canada Key people President: Wayne Winters Products Kit plane manufacturing Employees 3 (2005) Website www.ezflyer.com 
Blue Yonder President and designer Wayne Winters taxis the prototype Twin Engine EZ Flyer
Blue Yonder Aviation is a Canadian aircraft manufacturer, specializing in kit aircraft for the North American amateur-built aircraft and ultralight markets.
Contents
Origins
The company was originally formed by Wayne Winters in 1986 as a flying school teaching students on a single Spectrum Beaver RX550 at Indus/Winters Aire Park south of Calgary, Alberta.[1][2]
The airport had originally been purchased in 1914 by Miltor L. Winters from the Canadian Pacific Railway for Cdn$24 per acre. In 1946 upon returning home from the Second World War Ralph C. Winters purchased the land from the older Winters. In 1970 he graded the first runway on the property. Ralph Winters son, Wayne Winters assumed operation of the airport when his father retired. The airport is home to a large community of pilots and aircraft, including a large number of ultralights.[1]
Present history
In 1996, Blue Yonder purchased the rights to the Merlin from Merlin Aircraft and started manufacturing the aircraft in a converted pig barn on the property. Winters designed the open-cockpit EZ Flyer in 1991 and the Twin Engine EZ Flyer in 1999. The EZ Flyer proved successful and 30 have been completed alongside approximately 50 Merlins. Blue Yonder constructs kits or completed aircraft on a made-to-order basis. For several years US manufacturer Comp Air marketed Blue Yonder-produced Merlin kits in the USA under the name "Aero Comp Merlin", although this arrangement is no longer in effect.[2][3][4]
In 2011 Winters completed work on a single seat, twin-engined design with an inverted V-tail, inspired by the Ultraflight Lazair. The new aircraft is marketed as the Blue Yonder EZ Fun Flyer.[5]
Aircraft
Summary of aircraft built by Blue Yonder Aircraft Model name First flight Number built Type Merlin 1986 50 cabin monoplane EZ Flyer 1991 30 open cockpit monoplane EZ King Cobra 1998 1 P-63 Kingcobra replica Twin Engine EZ Flyer 1999 1 Twin engine observation aircraft EZ Harvard 2002 1 Harvard replica EZ Fun Flyer 2011 1 Inspired by the Ultraflight Lazair Merlin Manufacturers
a 1990 model Merlin GT built by Macair IndustriesBlue Yonder is the fourth manufacturer of the Merlin design. Companies who have built the Merlin were:[2][6]
Merlin Manufacturers Company Location Dates Ownership Macair Industries Baldwin, Ontario, Canada 1988-91 John Burch Malcolm Aircraft Michigan, USA 1991-92 John Burch Merlin Aircraft Michigan, USA 1993-96 Blue Yonder Indus, Alberta 1996-present Wayne Winters References
- ^ a b Winters, Wayne. Airport History, 2001. Retrieved: 3 March 2009.
- ^ a b c Hunt, Adam. Merlin Magic. COPA Flight, February 2005, p. C-1.
- ^ Hunt, Adam. Merlin Magic Revisited. COPA Flight, October 2005, page C-1.
- ^ Hunt, Adam. Pilot Report: EZ Flyer. COPA Flight, May 2001, p. C-1.
- ^ Vandermeullen, Richard: 2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 46. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
- ^ Armstrong, Kenneth. Choosing Your Homebuilt - the one you will finish and fly! Second Edition. Goleta, CA: Butterfield Press, 1993, pp. 195–201. ISBN 0-932579-26-4.
Blue Yonder Aviation Aircraft Predecessor companies Macair Industries · Malcolm Aircraft · Merlin AircraftMarketing partner companies Lists relating to aviation General Aircraft (manufacturers) · Aircraft engines (manufacturers) · Airlines (defunct) · Airports · Civil authorities · Museums · Registration prefixes · Rotorcraft (manufacturers) · TimelineMilitary Accidents/incidents Records Categories:- Aircraft manufacturers of Canada
- Aviation in Canada
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