Robert ‘Wip’ Wiplinger in the cockpit of a floatplane [Credit: Wipaire LinkedIn]
Key Takeaways:
Robert "Wip" Wiplinger, a second-generation leader of Wipaire and an aeronautical engineer, passed away on August 4 at age 80.
He significantly advanced Wipaire's products by developing composite floats and over 100 supplemental type certificates (STCs) to enhance aircraft, including safety systems like the Laser Gear Advisory.
Wiplinger also led the creation of the Fire Boss Air Tractor AT-802, a specialized water-scooping aircraft that became a globally recognized tool for aerial firefighting, and was inducted into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame in 2023.
Robert “Wip” Wiplinger, a second-generation Wipaire employee and the mind behind several aircraft modifications designed to improve the capability of float-equipped airplanes, died on August 4 in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. He was 80.
Since his death, more than 100 people have taken to social media to pay their respects.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
![Robert ‘Wip’ Wiplinger in the cockpit of a floatplane [Credit: Wipaire LinkedIn]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/1786481267146.jpeg)
