Spritely spotter arrives from Down Under

Seeker Aircraft’s light-observation, short-takeoff-and-landing, two-person Seeker, previously manufactured only in Australia, soon will be manufactured in the United States, bringing the distinctive, single-engine, pusher-propeller design closer to growing markets in the Americas (and to home) the New Mexico-based aircraft company behind Seeker announced March 2.

Erickson, Inc., an aviation firm based in Portland, Oregon, and known to rotorwing pilots for its Sikorsky, Bell, and Airbus helicopter assemblies, will build the aircraft. Already deployed in Africa, the Middle East, North America, and South America, Seeker has been in development since 1993. It is made for rugged missions including pipeline patrol, border patrol, and police patrol.

With a high wing and a bulbous nose, Seeker was “specifically designed and developed for surveillance missions,” according to a news release from Seeker Aircraft, Inc. The company, based in Albuquerque, reports the aircraft “provides superior fields of vision, the ability to carry a variety of sensors, and the capability of stable, slow flight” and is economical, with endurance of six hours at 90 knots.

“The Seeker provides unparalleled observational capabilities over both austere environments and populated urban areas,” said CEO David Pohlman. “To ensure the quality of the Seeker’s construction meets the demands of its operators, we are very pleased to have a partner whose dedication to excellence assures us of producing a top quality aircraft.”

The cockpit offers an expansive 270-degree field of view with side-by-side seating, and has a 15,000-foot service ceiling.