They say necessity is the mother of invention and college freshman Andrew Chapin has built a thriving business on that premise.
Now studying mechanical engineering at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, Andrew founded his company, Aria Systems, while still in high school.
It all started when a friend of the family bought an ICON A5.
“My father and I went to the factory to pick up the plane with him and learned a great deal about the manufacturing process,” Andrew recalls. “After a year of ownership, the plane’s owner shared a harrowing incident with me: The windshield fogged up severely after a water landing, causing blind flying during takeoff.”
The aircraft owner started using a little battery-powered fan to try to clear the windshield.
“That’s tacky and just another thing to think about when you’re flying. It just didn’t make sense,” Andrew says. “I quickly developed a defrost system that directs the already available ventilation air onto the windshield and side windows as needed. The owner was quite impressed and has recommended the system to other ICON owners.”
The defrost system was designed using the Autodesk 3D modeling software and produced with a 3D printer, he explains.
While young, Andrew helped his father quite a bit in his own side business, designing parts for vintage trucks. That business now offers about 50 products, which are produced on a 3D printer, and are sold all over the world, he says.
How Aria Works
Andrew posted a video on the company’s website, AriaAerospace.com, showing how to install Aria in an ICON.
How easy is it? The video is just 11 seconds, with installation taking up about 2 seconds.
“It’s extremely simple,” he says with a smile, explaining that Aria covers two vents in the cockpit.
“The air that’s coming out of those vents is from the airplane moving through the air and even while taxiing, which is important as well. The air is flowing through from the outside and Aria is redirecting that air onto the windshield and onto the side windows to improve visibility.”
Because Aria doesn’t plug into anything, doesn’t require disassembly, and is not affecting visibility in any way, there’s no need for any FAA involvement, he notes.
“This is very non-invasive,” he says. “But it is a necessary piece of equipment. Most cars have a defrost system for a reason.”
Andrew’s friend was delighted by the Aria and started spreading the word.
Soon orders started pouring in.
While he wouldn’t reveal how many he’s sold, he did note that there has been “significant interest” in the new product.
“I can tell you my current supplier is a little bit overwhelmed with my orders at the moment,” he says.
The Aria sells for $250.
While finding success with his first product, Andrew is now working with a Cirrus owner to develop a mounting system that allows pilots to have high-speed Starlink WiFi in their aircraft.
Andrew expects other aircraft owners to approach him with their own problems he will, hopefully, be able to solve.
“I know from experience through the truck restoration business with my father that there are always going to be people who come to you and say, ‘I have this problem’ or ‘I’d like this to be better.’ And that’s where you start expanding the product lines.”
He noted that some of the products developed in response to customer requests have become bestsellers.
Meanwhile, Andrew is running the business out of his dorm room while tackling his studies.
And while he is not a pilot now, he envisions learning to fly once he graduates from college.
“I greatly admire pilots and it’s a fascinating hobby,” he says. “It’s not one I can particularly afford right now and I think I’m going to try to get through engineering school before I try to pick up anything else.”
For more information: AriaAerospace.com
Commend you on this. I am also a mechanical engineer by trade and think about things like this. Good on you. The sad part is Icon didn’t realize or think of this. They should have for their customers.
A touch-and-go on water, is that what happened?