The Britten-Norman (BN) family of aircraft was designed for utility and passenger operations from remote airports and unimproved runways. The 10-passenger piston-powered BN2 Islander first flew in 1965. The BN2 quickly became a favorite of bush pilots worldwide. It has a reputation for safe handling at low speeds and the ability to operate from short airfields in remote areas with minimal maintenance. To date, over 1,250 BN2 aircraft have been produced.
Britten-Norman was sold to Pilatus in 1979 and for a while was known as Pilatus Britten-Norman. Pilatus sold off their interest and today the Britten-Norman Group, owned by a family from Oman, is once again building the Islander series of aircraft in the United Kingdom.
