Kelly Aero

What Kelly Aero does

Kelly Aerospace Thermal Systems (KATS, dba Kelly Aero) is a privately held US aerospace manufacturer specializing in all-electric air conditioning and backup electrical systems for general aviation aircraft. The company designs, certifies, and distributes FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approved THERMACOOL systems for the most-produced single-engine and twin piston airframes — Cessna, Piper, Cirrus, Beechcraft, Mooney, and Tecnam — and supports experimental/light-sport aircraft through its wholly owned subsidiary Flightline AC. Headquartered in Willoughby, Ohio, with a second factory installation facility in Montgomery, Alabama, KATS has been operating for nearly 20 years and serves both OEM and aftermarket channels.

The company's core product, the THERMACOOL system, is built on a 28V brushless DC motor/compressor architecture with a hermetically sealed refrigerant circuit that delivers 20+°F cabin cooling within five minutes at 55 amps peak draw. Installed system weights range from 49 to 65 pounds depending on airframe, with the Cirrus variant drawing 45 amps in normal operation. The architecture is differentiated from legacy pneumatic bleed-air systems by the absence of operational restrictions during taxi, takeoff, landing, and in-flight phases, and by a low impact on center of gravity (only 2 inches aft shift). A complementary dual-alternator backup kit (70 amps, 16 lbs, belt-driven) is sold alongside the AC system to address single-point electrical failure risk for IFR and night operators.

KATS operates a hybrid go-to-market combining factory installation at its two US facilities, a network of approved independent installers, and OEM supply relationships with Cessna, Piper, and Tecnam for factory installation on new aircraft. Revenue is generated through quote-based hardware sales (THERMACOOL units, backup alternator kits) and professional installation services. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; installation typically takes 5–7 days depending on airframe. The customer base spans aircraft manufacturers on the OEM side and individual aircraft owners/operators on the aftermarket side, with geographic operations currently concentrated in the United States.

Name

Kelly Aero

Legal name

Kelly Aerospace Thermal Systems

Website

https://kellyaerospace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kelly Aerospace Thermal Systems (KATS) designs, certifies, and installs FAA STC-approved all-electric air conditioning and backup electrical systems for general aviation aircraft, serving OEMs (Cessna, Piper, Tecnam) and individual aircraft owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aircraft Air Conditioning Systems

NAICS

Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415)

SIC

Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerospace Interior Materials & Components (Cabin) (IMABANAI)

Keywords

• General aviation air conditioning
• All-electric aircraft AC systems
• FAA STC certified equipment
• Aircraft backup alternator kits
• OEM aircraft thermal systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Montgomery

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Aircraft AC System Sales: Sale of THERMACOOL all-electric aircraft air conditioning systems as FAA STC-certified products for certified aircraft models including Beechcraft, Cessna, Cirrus, Mooney, Piper, and Tecnam. Systems sold for OEM and aftermarket applications.
2. Backup Alternator Kit Sales: Sale of dual alternator back-up electrical systems providing redundant power for aircraft electrical systems. Includes fully redundant 70 amp systems with dual toggle switch operation.
3. Factory Installation Services: Professional installation services provided at KATS factory facilities in Willoughby, OH and Montgomery, AL. Installation typically takes 5-7 days depending on aircraft model.
4. Experimental/LSA AC Systems: Support for experimental and light sport aircraft through subsidiary Flightline AC, providing custom air conditioning solutions for Lancair, Vans RV10, Comp Air, ViperJet, Epic LT, and Velocity aircraft.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kelly Aerospace Thermal Systems (KATS) designs, manufactures, and installs FAA STC-certified all-electric THERMACOOL air conditioning systems for general aviation aircraft, sold both as OEM factory options and as aftermarket retrofits. The company also sells a fully redundant backup dual alternator kit for aircraft electrical redundancy, and provides factory installation services at its Willoughby, OH and Montgomery, AL facilities.

Product overview

Kelly Aerospace Thermal Systems (KATS) designs and manufactures all-electric general aviation air conditioning systems under the THERMACOOL brand for OEM/Military and aftermarket applications. The core THERMACOOL system uses hermetically sealed brushless DC compressor technology with zero flight restrictions. The product portfolio includes aircraft-specific STC-certified AC systems for Beechcraft, Cessna, Cirrus, Mooney, Piper, and Tecnam aircraft, plus a Backup Dual Alternator Kit for electrical redundancy. Experimental and LSA support is provided through subsidiary Flightline AC. As the OEM air conditioning supplier for Cessna, Piper, Tecnam, and other manufacturers, KATS delivers FAA STC certified cooling solutions with features including ground pre-cooling, digital temperature control, and installation weights ranging from 49-65 pounds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• THERMACOOL: Lightweight, high-performance all-electric general aviation air conditioning system featuring zero taxi, landing, takeoff, or in-flight restrictions

Products and services

• THERMACOOL All-Electric General Aviation Air Conditioning System All-electric general aviation air conditioning system using a hermetically sealed, brushless DC compressor running on 28V DC. Delivers 20+ degree F cabin temperature drop in 5 minutes, 55 amps peak/45 amps normal operation, installed weight 49-65 lbs, with zero taxi, takeoff, landing, or in-flight restrictions. Sold as FAA STC-certified retrofit and as OEM factory option.
• Aircraft Backup Electrical System (Dual Alternator Kit) Fully redundant backup electrical system providing 70 amps of backup power with dual toggle switch operation. Belt-driven, 16 lb installed weight, field installable or factory installed, no aerodynamic blister required. Often bundled with KATS air conditioning system for full electrical redundancy.
• Beechcraft Electric Air Conditioning System FAA STC certified (SA04342CH) all-electric AC system tailored for Beechcraft Baron 55, 58, and Bonanza A36 series aircraft. Provides 20+ degree F temperature drop within 5 minutes, 52 lbs installed weight, 12,000 BTU cooling capacity.
• Cessna Electric Air Conditioning System FAA STC certified all-electric AC system for Cessna 172N/P/R/S, 182Q/R/S/T, T182T, 206H, T206H, 210L/M/N/R and T210L series aircraft. 56 lbs installed weight, 55 amps peak power draw, with overhead ducted distribution and adjustable vents.
• Cirrus Electric Air Conditioning System FAA STC certified (SA04037CH) all-electric AC system for Cirrus SR20 and SR22 series aircraft. 52 lbs installed weight, 45 amps normal operation, with factory installation available at KLNN (Willoughby, OH) and KMGM (Montgomery, AL).
• Mooney Electric Air Conditioning System FAA certified all-electric AC system for Mooney M20R, S, TN, U, and V series aircraft. 65.6 lbs installed weight, 12,000 BTU cooling capacity with hermetically sealed 28V brushless DC compressor.
• Piper Electric Air Conditioning System FAA certified all-electric AC system for Piper Seminole PA44 series aircraft with center duct cooling distribution and adjustable passenger vents. KATS is the OEM AC supplier for Piper Seminole.
• Tecnam Electric Air Conditioning System FAA certified all-electric AC system for Tecnam P2010 series aircraft using 28V brushless DC motor/compressor technology. KATS is the OEM AC supplier for Tecnam.
• Experimental and LSA Aircraft Electric Air Conditioning Custom air conditioning solutions for experimental and light sport aircraft provided through subsidiary Flightline AC. Supports Lancair, Vans RV10, Comp Air, ViperJet, Epic LT, and Velocity aircraft builds.
• Factory Installation Services Professional installation of THERMACOOL AC systems and dual alternator kits performed at KATS factory facilities in Willoughby, OH (KLNN) and Montgomery, AL (KMGM). Typical installation takes 5-7 days depending on aircraft model.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20+ degree F temperature drop within 5 minutes
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Flightline ACminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary company providing experimental and LSA aircraft air conditioning support. Flightline AC handles custom applications for Lancair, Vans, Comp Air, ViperJet, Epic LT, and Velocity aircraft. Contact: [email protected], 541-330-5466.
• Cessna Aircraft CompanycoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKATS serves as OEM air conditioning supplier for Cessna aircraft including 172, 182, 206, and 210 series. Systems are FAA STC certified for Cessna aircraft models.
• Piper Aircraft Inc.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKATS serves as OEM air conditioning supplier for Piper Seminole PA44 series aircraft with FAA STC certification.
• Tecnam AircraftcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKATS provides OEM air conditioning systems for Tecnam P2010 series aircraft with FAA STC certification (SA04529CH dated 08-18-2021).
• Cirrus AircraftcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKATS provides FAA STC certified (SA04037CH, Kit No. KATS-13-003) air conditioning for Cirrus SR20/SR22 series aircraft. Factory installation available at KLNN (Willoughby, OH) and KMGM (Montgomery, AL).
• Textron Aviation (Beechcraft)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKATS provides FAA STC certified (SA04342CH) air conditioning for Beechcraft Baron 55, Baron 58, and Bonanza A36 series aircraft.
• Mooney InternationalcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKATS provides FAA STC certified (SA04428CH dated 9-23-2019) air conditioning for Mooney M20R, S, TN, U, and V series aircraft.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Air Comm Corporation: Direct competitor in the general aviation air conditioning and heating market, offering FAA STC-certified cabin comfort systems for similar Cessna, Beechcraft, Piper, and other GA airframes — directly comparable to KATS' THERMACOOL line on product, customer, and certification model.
• Environmental Systems Corp: Specialist in aircraft environmental control systems with both military and commercial platforms; overlaps with KATS in the niche of certified, mission-tailored cabin cooling solutions rather than full-scale commercial ECS.

Broad incumbents

• Honeywell Aerospace: Broad incumbent with the Janitrol heritage of aircraft environmental control and heating products; competes with KATS in select GA applications while dominating larger airframes, making it the largest aerospace thermal management reference point.
• Collins Aerospace: Major supplier of aircraft environmental control systems (ECS), cabin air, and thermal management across commercial, business, and military aviation; relevant incumbent in the broader thermal/cabin category where KATS plays in GA.
• Liebherr Aerospace: Established Tier-1 supplier of environmental control and thermal management systems for commercial and business aircraft; the European reference comparable for the ECS/cabin cooling category KATS occupies in smaller airframes.

Others

• Crane Aerospace & Electronics: Supplies a broad portfolio of aerospace sensing, utility, and fluid management products that touches the same buyer set (aircraft OEMs and MROs) as KATS, making it a relevant adjacent systems peer for OEM channel benchmarking.
• TransDigm Group: Holdco consolidating hundreds of sole-source aerospace components, including thermal, electrical, and cabin subsystems; relevant as an M&A and pricing-power reference for small specialty aerospace manufacturers like KATS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KellyAerospace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kelly-aerospace-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kelly Aero