Formed 1966 out of Morane-Saulnier as subsidiary of Sud-Aviation, to develop and produce group’s light sporting and business aircraft. Known as Socata Groupe Aerospatiale, products including the TB30 Epsilon tandem two-seat piston-engined trainer (first flown December 1979), Rallye lightplane in four-seat 235F form, TB9 Tampico Club 4/5-seat lightplane (first flown March 1979), TB10 and more powerful TB200 Tobago 4/5-seat Iightplanes for basic/instrument flight training and cross-country flying among their many uses (first flown February 1977 and March 1991 respectively), TB20 and TB21 Trinidad 4/5-seat lightplanes with higher-powered piston engines for advanced instrument training among other roles, TBM 700 pressurized and turboprop- powered business aircraft (first flown July 1988), Omega tandem two-seat turboprop military trainer (first flown April 1989), TB360 Tangara twin piston-engined lightplane (first flown February 1997) based on U.S. Gulfstream American GA-7 Cougar, new MS 180 Morane and MS 250 Morane 4/5-seat lightplanes expected to fly by 2000 and featuring SMA MR turbocharged piston engines, tandem two-seat MS 300 Epsilon Mk 2 turboprop-powered basic and primary military trainer that is expected to fly in year 2000, and HALE high-altitude long-endurance communications and electronic intelligence platform, based on TBM 700 but with 48m wingspan (expected to fly in year 2004). Company made components under subcontract for wide variety of aircraft, including Magister and Concorde, and current work includes components for Eurocopter helicopters, Airbus and ATR airliners, Dassault Falcon bizjets, Lockheed Martin Hercules freighter, and CFM56 engine.

Aerospatiale’s light aircraft division Socata (Societe de Construction d’Avions de Tourism et d’Affaires) makes use of computerised milling machinery, when not in use for military or other contracts.

Nord-Aviation, Sud-Aviation and SOCATA joined to form Aerospatiale in 1971.

Stanisław Sobkow was born in 1924, probably in Lviv. When he was a boy, his parents often took him to the Lviv airport. He admired the acrobatics there. Fascinated by this sight, he began to build wooden models of airplanes.

In 1939, as a 16-year-old young man, he tried to build a glider (probably named WS-1) and a small amateur WS-2 aircraft according to his own designs. However, these plans were interrupted by the war.

After World War II, Stanisław Sobkow worked as a technician at WSK-Okęcie . Despite the many and various difficulties that prevailed after the end of the war. In 1951 he started building an amateur plane, which he called WS-3 “Czajka”. The works were not completed until 1956. In the summer of 1956, “Czajka” made the first flight. Sobków’s plane was also demonstrated at the air shows in Kielce and Mielec. Unfortunately, the construction and piloting of own aircraft were strictly forbidden in Poland at that time.

Fortunately, the burning of “Czajka” did not break Stanisław Sobków, who again started working on a new structure. It was a helicopter named WS-4 “Świerszcz”. Its construction was completed in 1967.

Stanisław Sobkow also developed other constructions, such as a 3-seater snowmobile, a motor boat, the “Żbik” tricycle (that is, the conversion of the “Komar” moped into a 4-seater vehicle!) And a modification of the “Syrena-103” car.

Founded 1955 by Leland Snow to make agricultural aircraft of own design. Incorporated 1961; expanded 1963.

Original Snow S-2B, a low-wing single-seat monoplane of metal construction, with fixed landing gear, received FAA Type Approval July 1958. By end of February 1965 260 aircraft of basic S-2 series delivered to 19 U.S. states and 11 foreign countries.

In 1965 Rockwell-Standard acquired Snow Aeronautical, continuing to produce agricultural aircraft at Olney as Snow Commanders (as division of Aero Commander), and acquired Intermountain Manufacturing Company (IMCO) 1966. Single-engined Model 112 delivered to customers from 1972. Low-wing twin-engined Rockwell Commander 700 produced jointly with Fuji in Japan.

Thrush Commander was very notable specially-designed agricultural aircraft. The entire Thrush Commander range sold to Ayres Corp and then became known by the Ayres name. Shrike Commander 500S terminated 1980 but Commander Jetprops continued by Gulfstream American Corporation.

Leland Snow, founder and President of Air Tractor, Inc., and the inventor of modern aerial spray aircraft, died Sunday morning, February 20, 2011 while jogging near his home. He was 80 years old.