Daher Kodiak 100 & 900 · Utility Turboprop · Turbine from low 6%
Built for the runway that isn't paved.
The Kodiak is Daher's PT6-powered STOL utility turboprop, built for unimproved strips, floats, and multi-mission operations most cabin-class turboprops cannot touch. Here's how the Kodiak 100, the Kodiak 900, and the Kodiak on floats each finance at FLYING Finance.
A rugged single, financed like the mission it flies
The Kodiak was originally built by Quest Aircraft as a missionary-aviation and backcountry utility airplane, designed from the outset to get in and out of short, rough strips that a cabin-class turboprop was never meant to see. Daher acquired the program in 2019 and has since expanded it with the larger, faster Kodiak 900, and both models are available on wheels, on a cargo pod configuration, or on floats for water operations, a genuine multi-mission platform rather than a single-role airplane.
FLYING Finance sees this aircraft most often financed by corporate flight departments running remote-site access missions, humanitarian and missionary operators, and municipal or agency buyers: search and rescue, wildlife management, firefighting support, and cargo or utility contracts, rather than high-volume owner-pilot demand. That's a straightforward underwriting profile: known PT6 engine, well-defined mission, and typically a stronger balance sheet behind the borrower than an individual buyer.
The Grand Caravan EX competes in the same broad utility turboprop category and has its own FLYING Finance page if you want to cross-shop the financing directly.
The lineup
The Kodiak line
Two models, one mission profile. Both finance at the turbine rate.
Utility STOL turboprop
Kodiak 100 (pre-owned)
~$1.5–2.2M by year & equipment
Ratefrom 6.34%
Engine1× P&W PT6A-34/-140
Takeoff~1,371 ft (STOL kit)
Down15–20%
Est. payment~$12,988/mo (at $1.75M)
Larger, faster utility turboprop
Kodiak 900 (new)
~$3.4–3.7M new
Ratefrom 6.34%
Engine1× P&W PT6A-140A, 900 shp
Cruise~210 KTAS
Down15%
Est. payment~$27,120/mo (at $3.6M)
Amphibious & straight-float configuration
Kodiak 100 / 900 on Floats
Wheels price plus float kit & conversion
Ratefrom 6.34%
DownTypically higher end of 15–20%
InsuranceSeaplane rating & water-ops history reviewed
SeasonalityAmphibious ops factored into the file
The numbers that matter
The high-touch numbers
Same PT6 collateral logic as the Caravan, and here's what financing actually looks like on both Kodiak models.
Estimated financing: Kodiak 100 & 900
6.34% turbine · 20yr · 15–20% down
Aircraft
Market price
Down (18%)
Loan
Est. monthly
Kodiak 100 (pre-owned, mid-range)
$1,750,000
$315,000
$1,435,000
$10,570
Kodiak 900 (new)
$3,600,000
$540,000
$3,060,000
$22,530
Illustrative, not a loan offer. Rates update with the live board. Corporate/agency borrowers with strong entity financials may see down payment toward the lower end of the 15–20% range.
Kodiak vs. the utility turboprop field
class reference data
Metric
Kodiak 100 / 900
Segment note
Engine
PT6A-34/-140 (100) or -140A, 900 shp (900)
same family as Caravan, King Air, TBM
Takeoff distance
~1,371 ft (100, STOL config)
shortest in the cabin-class utility segment
Acquisition
$1.5M–3.7M
below Caravan EX new price
Typical buyer
Corporate remote-site, agency/municipal, cargo
stronger entity financials than average owner-pilot file
Reference figures for planning. The Grand Caravan EX has its own FLYING Finance page for direct cross-shopping.
The underwriting conversation
What lenders look at on a Kodiak
Mission drives the file. Remote-site access, humanitarian and missionary operations, special-mission government and agency work, and cargo contracts are all well-understood PT6 utility turboprop collateral profiles, and lenders comfortable financing this category are comfortable financing a Kodiak.
Buyer type matters here. Corporate flight departments, mission organizations, and municipal or agency borrowers typically bring stronger financial statements than an individual owner-pilot, which tends to smooth underwriting even on a lower-volume type.
PT6 engine program eligibility is a straightforward plus, the same way it is across the wider PT6-powered utility and cabin-class turboprop field.
STOL modifications, cargo pods, and float kits should all be itemized in the file, not assumed. Each affects mission capability, resale, and, for floats specifically, the insurance conversation; lenders want to see the actual configuration, not a generic Kodiak entry.
Cross-shopping the segment?
The Kodiak's closest financing comparison is the Cessna Grand Caravan EX; see the Caravan financing page to compare terms side by side.
The mission determines the file
What changes depending on how you'll actually fly it.
The Kodiak is a genuine multi-mission platform, and the financing conversation shifts depending on which mission you're bringing to us. Here's what we look at for each one.
Humanitarian and missionary aviation. This is the mission the Kodiak was originally designed around, and mission organizations remain a real, recognized borrower profile. Lenders want to see the organization's financials and its operating history in remote or developing-world environments, not just the aircraft itself.
Backcountry and private STOL ownership. An owner-pilot buying a Kodiak for backcountry access and unimproved-strip flying underwrites more like an individual file, with personal financials and flight experience carrying more weight than they would for a corporate or agency buyer. See our backcountry & STOL financing page for how that category is treated more broadly.
Agency and government work. Search and rescue, wildlife management, and firefighting support contracts bring entity-level financials and a defined mission scope to the file, which is generally a straightforward underwriting profile once the contracting agency and use case are documented.
Cargo and utility contract operations. A Kodiak flying scheduled or on-demand cargo runs is evaluated on the contract's durability and the operator's track record, in addition to the standard PT6 collateral factors.
Floats and amphibious operations. A Kodiak on floats adds a real variable to both financing and insurance: seaplane rating and water-operations experience get reviewed alongside the standard file, down payment tends to sit at the higher end of the typical range, and seasonal operating patterns (many float operations are seasonal) are worth disclosing upfront rather than letting a lender discover them mid-underwriting.
Where the Kodiak actually comes from
From a missionary airstrip in Idaho to a Daher production line.
The Kodiak's underwriting profile, well-understood PT6 collateral, an established mission niche, a manufacturer with real balance sheet behind it, is a direct product of how the airplane came to exist. It didn't start as a corporate program. It started as a fundraising partnership to build a better bush plane for missionary aviation.
"We wanted to build an aircraft specifically for the missionary aviation community, something that could get in and out of the short, rough strips this kind of flying actually requires."
Paraphrased founding rationale, Idaho Air Group / Quest Aircraft, late 1990s
Late 1990s
Idaho Air Group takes shape
Tom Hamilton and David Voetmann set out to design a rugged, PT6-powered STOL aircraft purpose-built for the missionary-aviation and humanitarian mission: short, unimproved strips and remote-site reliability, not cabin-class comfort. Missionary Aviation Fellowship helped raise early development funding.
2001
Quest Aircraft Company launches
Quest Aircraft formally launched with a staff of 14, based in Sandpoint, Idaho, a 27,000-square-foot facility built out the following year to begin prototype work.
2004–06
Flight test and certification
Flight testing began in 2004. The Kodiak 100 received FAA Part 23 certification in 2006, a PT6-powered, all-metal STOL utility single built from the outset for missionary agencies, humanitarian operators, and backcountry commercial flying.
2015
Sold to Setouchi Holdings
Quest Aircraft was acquired by Setouchi Holdings of Japan in February 2015, continuing Kodiak 100 production under new ownership.
2019
Daher acquires the program
French industrial group Daher announced its acquisition of Quest Aircraft from Setouchi on June 13, 2019, closing that October. The program was renamed Kodiak Aircraft and folded into Daher, the same parent that builds the Daher TBM, giving the Kodiak the balance sheet and parts/service network of a major manufacturer for the first time.
2020–22
Kodiak 900 developed and certified
The larger, faster Kodiak 900 first flew February 28, 2020, and received FAA certification on July 20, 2022, a stretched, higher-powered evolution of the same mission-first design philosophy, with first customer deliveries following in early 2023.
2023–
European deliveries begin
EASA type certification followed in April 2023, opening European deliveries of the Kodiak 900 later that year, production continues today at Sandpoint, Idaho, under Daher.
2001
Quest Aircraft founded
2019
Acquired by Daher
Idaho
Sandpoint production, then & now
Sources: Quest Aircraft company history (Zippia, Wikipedia), Daher's 2019 acquisition announcement (kodiak.aero), Idaho Business Review, and FAA/EASA certification reporting (AOPA, Aero-News Network).
What you'll need
Documentation, before you apply
Serial number & specs: model (100 or 900), year, total time, engine time
Engine status: PT6A time and any program enrollment
For a corporate flight department, cargo operator, or commercial utility contractor, a Kodiak placed in service before December 31, 2026 may qualify for bonus depreciation under current IRS rules, potentially allowing a significant first-year deduction on the full purchase price. This does not typically apply to government agencies or non-profit mission organizations, which are not generally income-tax payers in the first place, so confirm whether it's relevant to your specific ownership structure before building it into your numbers. FLYING Finance is not a tax advisor; structure the transaction with your CPA and an aviation tax specialist before closing. Read our bonus depreciation guide →
Run your numbers. Know your position.
Tools & resources.
Model a Kodiak transaction, check current turbine rates, or compare it against the wider utility turboprop field before you commit.
The Kodiak finances at the turbine rate, from 6.34% through FLYING Finance, the same board that prices the Caravan, TBM, and Epic. See the live rate board.
Can a municipal or agency buyer finance a Kodiak through FLYING Finance?+
Yes, this is one of the Kodiak's most common buyer profiles for us. Agency and municipal borrowers typically bring entity financials rather than personal ones, and the underwriting focuses on the same mission and collateral factors as a corporate flight department file.
How does the Kodiak compare to the Grand Caravan EX for financing?+
Nearly identical. Both are PT6-powered utility singles with well-understood mission profiles and lender comfort. The main differences are price point and specific equipment, not financing structure. See the Caravan page to compare directly.
Do STOL kits or cargo pods affect the loan?+
They should be documented, not ignored. Mission equipment like STOL kits, cargo pods, or floats affects both the aircraft's capability and its resale value, so list it in your application; it can support the file rather than complicate it.
Financing a Kodiak? Bring us the tail number.
Whether it's a corporate remote-site aircraft or an agency utility contract, give us the tail number and mission and we'll structure the deal around it. Soft pull, pre-approval in about two business days.
