Robert ‘Wip’ Wiplinger in the cockpit of a floatplane [Credit: Wipaire LinkedIn]
Key Takeaways:
Robert “Wip” Wiplinger, a second-generation leader of Wipaire, passed away at the age of 80, having significantly advanced the capability of float-equipped aircraft.
He was an aeronautical engineer who purchased the family float business in 1979 and led the development of composite Wipline floats, now certified globally.
Wiplinger was responsible for over 100 supplemental type certificates, including the Laser Gear Advisory system, and was instrumental in developing the Fire Boss Air Tractor AT-802, a global staple in aerial firefighting.
His innovative contributions to aviation were recognized with his induction 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)
