Bushcaddy

{{Short description|Canadian homebuilt light aircraft manufacturer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox company | name = Bushcaddy International Inc | logo = Bushcaddy Logo 2012.png | caption = | type = [[Private company]] | traded_as = | genre =  | fate = Out of business | predecessor = | successor = | foundation = 1994 | founder = | defunct = 2020 | location_city = [[Summerstown, Ontario]] | location_country = [[Canada]] | location = | locations = | area_served = | key_people = CEO: Tony Watkin | industry = [[Aerospace]] | products = [[Kit aircraft]] | services = Aircraft manufacturing, maintenance, repairs | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | aum =  | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = 5 (2005) | parent = | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = {{URL|bushcaddy.com}} | footnotes = | intl = }}

'''Bushcaddy Aircraft Canada''', usually just called '''Bushcaddy''' or '''BushCaddy''', was a Canadian aircraft manufacturer based at the [[Cornwall Regional Airport]] in [[Summerstown, Ontario]]. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of [[kit aircraft]].<ref name="KitplanesDec2011">Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 47. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851</ref><ref name="WDLA11">Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 98. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X</ref><ref name="WDLA04">Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 179. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster UK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X</ref><ref name="Hunt">Hunt, Adam: ''Elegant Utility - Flying the CLASS R-80 BushCaddy'', Canadian Flight July 2005, page B-1. [[Canadian Owners and Pilots Association]].</ref><ref name="BC">{{cite web|url = http://bushcaddy.com/?page_id=7|title = About Us|accessdate = 22 May 2012|last = Bushcaddy|year = 2012|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120208041703/http://bushcaddy.com/?page_id=7|archivedate = 8 February 2012|url-status = dead}}</ref>

By August 2020 the company website had been blanked and it is likely that the company is no longer in business.

== History == [[File:Sean Gilmore.JPG|right|thumb|Sean Gilmore, designer of the [[Bushcaddy L-162 Max]] and [[L-164]].]] The company started as a flight training operation called ''Club Aeronautique Delisle Incorporated'' (CADI), based in [[Lac Saint-Jean]], Quebec. It was founded by Jean Eude Potvin who designed the [[CADI R-80]] and put it into production as a kit aircraft in 1994. He went on to design and build the [[Bushcaddy R-120|R-120]] and [[Bushcaddy L-160|L-160]].<ref name="Hunt" />

Sean Gilmore and Marlene Gill started a flight training venture at [[Montréal/Saint-Lazare Aerodrome]], operating a CADI R-80 aircraft. Impressed with the design they became distributors for Potvin, handling marketing outside of Quebec. In 1998 Potvin expressed a desire to retire and Gilmour and Gill bought CADI, including the rights to the R-80, R-120 and L-160 aircraft designs. They renamed the company ''Canadian Light Aircraft Sales and Service'', commonly called ''CLASS''. Between 1998 and 2001 Potvin still produced parts, as CLASS assumed production. Potvin retired in 2001.<ref name="Hunt" />

To preserve the CADI name the aircraft line was called ''BushCaddy'', a play on the abbreviation and the meaning of ''one who carries''. To expand production the company moved to larger accommodation at nearby [[Les Cedres, Quebec]]. By 2005 they had five employees with Gilmore doing the design and engineering work and Gill handling the marketing and financial aspects. Gilmore designed the [[Bushcaddy L-162 Max]] and [[L-164]].<ref name="Hunt" />

In about 2010 Gilmore and Gill retired and sold the company to Tony Watkin, an Australian who relocated it to [[Lachute]], [[Quebec]] and renamed it after the aircraft line itself, Bushcaddy International Inc.<ref name="BC" />

In November 2012 the company moved production to the [[Cornwall Regional Airport]] at [[Summerstown, Ontario]] and also accepted a contract with the airport to operate the [[UNICOM]] radio service.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bushcaddy.com/en/ |title=BushCaddy |publisher=BushCaddy |accessdate=1 February 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130204003706/http://bushcaddy.com/en/ |archivedate=4 February 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Aircraft == [[File:CLASS R-80 Bush Caddy under construction 01.JPG|thumb|right|A CLASS R-80 Bush Caddy under construction at the CLASS factory in Les Cedres, Quebec, Canada.]] {| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; font-size:90%;" |- |+ style="text-align:center; background:#bfd7ff;"| '''Summary of aircraft built by CADI, CLASS and Bushcaddy''' |- style="background:#efefef;" ! Model name ! First flight ! Number built ! Type

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official website|http://bushcaddy.com/}} {{Commons category|Bushcaddy}} {{Bushcaddy aircraft}}

[[Category:Aircraft manufacturers of Canada]]