Experienced Backcountry Pilot Named New Manager at Four Corners Cubs

CubCrafters, the Yakima, Washington-based manufacturer of light sport, experimental, and Part 23-certified backcountry aircraft, has announced that Ladd Klinglesmith will be the new manager at Four Corners Cubs, the company’s certified sales center in the Southwest region.

Klinglesmith, an experienced backcountry pilot, will oversee new, pre-owned, and kit aircraft sales in the Four Corners states of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.

According to CubCrafters, Klinglesmith boasts a deep relationship with the brand as he has owned and operated every CubCrafters model produced, beginning with the Top Cub.

“He has extensive hands-on knowledge of the Carbon Cub line through ownership, maintenance, and flight operations,” CubCrafters said in a media release. “He has built a Carbon Cub EX-3 and brings comprehensive expertise across sales, training, and aircraft maintenance, including Rotax-certified maintenance support.”

With more than four decades of aviation experience, Klinglesmith holds both a Certified Flight Instructor-Instrument (CFI-I) and A&P mechanic rating, and has several jet type ratings. His flying background includes agricultural aviation, air ambulance, and corporate jet operations.

Klinglesmith is taking over at the Four Corners Cubs CSC after the retirement of longtime CubCrafters dealer Rick Bosshardt. The company said Bosshardt gave 12 years of dedicated service to the aviation community in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, and was a key player establishing support for CubCrafters owners in the Southwestern U.S..

“I’m honored to continue supporting CubCrafters owners and pilots throughout the Southwest,” said Klinglesmith. “This region offers some of the most rewarding backcountry flying in the country, and I look forward to building on the strong foundation established by Rick Bosshardt. My goal is to ensure customers receive the same trusted support sales and ownership support across the Four Corners region.”

Klinglesmith will operate from his home base at a private airstrip in Grand Junction, Colorado.

CubCrafters was founded in 1980 in Yakima, Washington, by Jim Richmond and over the decades has developed modern backcountry aircraft drawing upon lessons learned with proven designs.

Klinglesmith has a Carbon Cub UL available for demonstrations, with plans to add either a Carbon Cub FX-3 or XCub to his demo fleet.

“As a natural addition to our dealer team, we’re pleased to welcome Ladd Klinglesmith,” said Brad Damm, vice president of CubCrafters. “His experience and deep roots with CubCrafters and in backcountry aviation make him an ideal fit to serve both new and existing customers in the Southwest.”