The SSAC (Salish Sea Aero Club) is ran by a group of volunteers who are here to promote General Aviation and provide experiences within it like no other operator.
SSAC operates without profit and all proceeds collected are purely towards cost-recovery, such as maintenance and upkeep of the aircraft, hangarage, insurance, and other operational costs.
SSAC also promotes safety first and is reflected in our maintenance with our AMO/AME partners, and subsequently within our policies and maintenance. We work closely with our AMO partner as well to have similar maintenance availability likened to an in-house operation, thanks to our shared tenancy space alongside with live monitoring thanks to tools like SavvyAviation.
Through all factors combined, alongside with unparalleled amenities and service, such as Starlink, SiriusXM/ADS-B datalink, full service fueling, and more, we aim to provide a block time experience like no other.
Because if it’s not good enough for us, it is not good enough for you.
And that – is the SSAC difference.
C-GUTE
1976 Grumman AA5A Cheetah
“Tina”
Tina, our 4-seater Grumman AA5A Cheetah is a beautiful example sourced out of Germany that was owned by a previous partnership by an aviation enthusiast and an Airbus engineer who parted ways with the aircraft after multiple extensive inspections in Europe before it was transported over to Canada. Equipped with a very recently installed fully integrated Garmin panel, alongside with a recently overhauled engine and propeller in 2018 – it is truly a fine example that brings more life into an already very capable platform.
Upon its arrival in Canada in early 2025, the aircraft has undergone an extensive internal restoration such as a complete sanding and re-coating of the wing spar, refurbishing hardware, and landing gear fixture points, on top of a thorough annual and importation work to meet domestic regulations and airworthiness standards.
The same AME/AMO who completed our pre-purchase inspection is also the same AMO who handled the import, and is still the same AMO partner to this day for almost all mechanical matters in regards to the aircraft.
With a recent paint job on the outside, a beautiful panel on the inside, and a thoroughly restored frame, a Cheetah with already immense ramp appeal has it dialed to 11 with all the upgrades provided – and with ADS-B compliant (FAA) equipment, you can go beyond the border.
The Panel
The pièce de résistance of this Cheetah, is an excellent suite of highly integrated Garmin Avionics that has been tastefully modified to retain some of the functionality of steam gauges yet making the aircraft exceedingly capable for any General Aviation journey.
The avionics stack includes:
- Garmin G3X Touch Primary Flight Display
- Garmin G5 Flight Display (as Backup)
- Garmin GNC-355A GPS/COM Radio
- Garmin GNC-225A COM/NAV Radio
- Garmin GTX-335 ADS-B Transponder
- Garmin GMA-345 Audio Panel with Bluetooth
- Garmin GDL-52 ADS-B “IN” Receiver with SiriusXM
- Artex 345 ELT (406MHz)
The Engine
The beating heart of the Cheetah is a Lycoming O-320-EDG with a full firewall-forward overhaul completed in August 2018 which produces 150 horsepower which drives a McCauley fixed-pitch propeller.
SureFly electronic ignition was also added in May 2025 to provide a more pleasant, safe, and reliable flying experience and increased performance.
We also keep a 30 hour oil change interval with selective engine oil analysis to monitor engine health, alongside with the data monitoring provided by the Garmin G3X EIS.
The Airframe
With a cleaner airframe than most aircraft in its class, the Cheetah does more with less. Despite having a similarly powered powerplant to some Cessnas and Pipers, the Cheetah can cruise at a brisk 130 knots, climb at 660/fpm, and has quite the range that can take you 500+ nautical miles with a 60 minute reserve – but we’re pretty sure your bladder will give before the fuel tanks do.
But what’s on the inside also counts – a recently reupholstered interior and headliner makes dusty cloth seats a thing of the past, and new reel belts and sun visors make it much more pleasant as well.
With all that, fresh paint, and a recent comprehensive internal maintenance program, the Cheetah is more than ready to help you go on many aviation adventures in your future.
