Manufacturer

Weedhopper of Utah Inc

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Chotia
Ultra Systems, PO Box 2253, Ogden, Utah

Designed by John Chotia and marketed in kit form by his company, Ultra Systems of PO Box 2253, Ogden, Utah, the Weedhopper is a powered hang glider envisaged as a low cost fun aeroplane that does away with the conventional hang glider’s need for a hill and wind, and the bruises, hard landings and other exertions that usually accompany this form of flying. The Weedhopper is Chotia’s 23rd design, following 18 hang gliders of both rigid and flex-wing types, and five powered gliders of which several are foot-launched.

On 27 October 1981, John was killed in one of his own prototypes, the JC 35 Rocket, and on 30 December the following year the company filed bankruptcy papers. However, this does not necessarily signify the end of the company as John’s widow, Susan Boman, continues as company president, following a reorganisation which has cut the range to just one model, the JC 24C.
1980: Weedhopper of Utah, Box 2253-H, Ogden, UT 84404
1980-83: Weedhopper of Utah Inc, PO Box 2253 G, Ogden, Utah 84404, USA.
1983: 1148 Cen¬tury Dr., Ogden, UT 84404, USA.
1997: Weedhopper Inc, PO Box 1377, Clinton. MS 39056, USA
Weedhopper Inc has marketed kits for the DeLuxe Ultralight single-seat open-frame microlight.
2009: Weedhopper Aircraft – 20778 Highway 80 – Edwards, Mississippi

Weatherly Aviation Co Inc

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John C. Weatherley operated the Weatherley Campbell Aircraft Company as a fixed-base operator, at Dallas, Texas. Acquired plans of the Colt 4-seater from Luscombe Airplane Corporation.
The Weatherly cropduster had its origins in Texas but, when manufacturing began, it was California that John Weatherly turned to for the production of this typical low-wing American cropduster. Weatherly has been building cropdusters since 1960 at Hollister, not far south of San Francisco. At first these aircraft were modified from the ex-military World War Two trainer, the Fairchild M-62 Cornell. When the supply of Fairchild aircraft ran out, John Weatherly started to build the complete aircraft.
Weatherley Aviation Company established at Hollister, California. Built WM 62C agricultural aircraft 1961-1965, a converted Fairchild 62. Developed W.201, a much-improved agricultural aircraft in 1967; followed by 201A in 1970 and 201C in 1975. In production in 1998 were the 600 and 600 BTG single-seat agricultural aircraft, the latter a turboprop version.
In 1990, the company moved production from Hollister to Lincoln, near Sacramento, and in recent times (circa 2000) Hal Weatherly, a nephew of John Weatherly, has taken over running the company.

Watley, Bill

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Bill Watley constructed three full size aircraft has since 1945. The first, HM 290 (The Flying Flea) recorded 2 flights at 100 ft, each flight about 2 miles in length. The second aircraft, a Jodel D9, took four and a half years to build (2140 hours) and flew from Gatton, Queensland, Australia, for 15 years (about 1000 hours). The third was the Mayfly III.