Six Chuter Dealers to Set Prices, Offer Customer Financing

Fort Vancouver Ultralights president Doug Maas, the new exclusive distributor of Six Chuters line of powered parachutes, displays the new 2-seat Spirit powered parachute at the U.S. Ultralight Association  annual Convention and Air Sports Expo in Ontario, California this past February. "The Spirit by Six Chuter is the result of totally reengineering the most popular powered parachute in America, the SR-7xl," Fort Vancouver Ultralights claims.

Six Chuter, the Yakima, Washington manufacturer of single- and 2-seat powered parachutes, has announced "significant changes in the Six Chuter method of distributing powered parachutes," says newly appointed Six Chuter distributor Doug Maas of Fort Vancouver Ultralights. Six Chuter president Dan Bailey calls the new marketing method "a radical approach to marketing and distribution."

In conjunction with the new distribution deal, Six Chuter is introducing two new 2-seat powered parachute models c the Prowler and the Spirit (see article in this months "Industry Watch" on page 10). "We are simultaneously launching production of the best powered parachute in the nation," Bailey claims, "responding to anticipated implications of FAAs Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft NPRM * (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking), and opening the market with a radical approach to marketing and distribution."
The new distribution deal has the father-son team of Doug and Brian Maas of Fort Vancouver Ultralights exclusively handling the marketing and distribution of Six Chuters complete line of single- and 2-seat powered parachutes, while Six Chuter does the manufacturing, including the "subassembly" of the new Spirit powered parachutes, according to Fort Vancouver Ultralights. Spirit owners will do the final Spirit kit assembly, estimated to take about 40 hours. "Six Chuter will handle all manufacturing," Brian Maas says, "and Fort Vancouver Ultralights will handle the sales and distribution."

"Washington state corporation Fort Vancouver Ultralights approached Six Chuter with a proposal to build the Spirit and allow the partner corporation to handle exclusive marketing and distribution" of Six Chuters powered parachutes, Bailey explains. "Doug Maas, president of Fort Vancouver Ultralights and the former chief of police in Vancouver, Washington, recently retired as president of the local Chamber of Commerce. Maas is one of our top-performing dealers. His family corporation made this proposal, and we have accepted."

As Six Chuters new distributor, Maas announced that Six Chuter "sales associates" (dealers) will offer financing on Spirit sales to their customers. "The financing package extends 72-month financing on the Spirit," Maas says. "With as little as 10% down and interest rates as low as 8.5% to qualified purchasers, a customer can buy the Spirit for payments of around $215 a month."
Six Chuter is introducing the new Spirit "at a sustainable price that no one can match over the long run," Bailey boldly predicts. "The 2-seat Spirit will be offered starting at $12,025."  With the popular 65-hp liquid-cooled Rotax 582 2-cycle aircraft engine and an APCO Mark II canopy or new Osprey canopy from South African company Hawkwing, it will sell for as little as $13,495. This is for a complete subassembled kit with a Grand Rapids Technologies Engine Information System (EIS) instrument package and a Powerfin 3-blade composite propeller. And it will be offered with "every option imaginable," Bailey says, "including split seating, windshield kit and the Rotax E gearbox reduction drive with electric start."