Mike Loehle

Mike Loehle’s aviation journey started as a teenager at Bowman Field in Louisville, Kentucky, gaining flight time in his father’s Luscombe.  His aviation journey continued with hang gliding and ultralights and early involvement in modifying and improving light aircraft.  This started his lifelong career of designing and producing aircraft parts.   In 1981, he was awarded an Oshkosh Grand Champion trophy and Outstanding Craftmanship Award for his “Aeroplane” design.  In1982, he entered a business partnership with Sandy Burgess, who would become his wife in 1989.  It would be a partnership that would last 35 years, and a marriage of 28 years, only ending by Sandy’s untimely passing in 2017.   

In 1984 they moved their operation to Wartrace, TN where they assumed ownership and operation of the former Ritz Propellor company, while also continuing to produce kits for his Aeroplane XP design.  In 1986, he designed the “5151”, a ¾ scale model of the venerable P-51, a design that would sell over 500 kits and were built/flown in 26 countries around the world.   Additionally, he produced kits for the Sport Parasol as well as a collection of Word War I replica aircraft. Next, Mike’s lifelong experimentation with aircraft paints and finishes led him to develop Loehle Coatings, an innovative system for use on ultralight, homebuilt and production aircraft.