Colin Ratushniak, Captain, Rise Air, La Ronge, Saskatchewan
CUSTOMIZED MRO SOLUTIONS TO KEEP YOU FLYING
ENGINES
• GE T700/CT7
• LHTEC CTS800
• Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T & PW200
• Rolls-Royce M250 & RR300
• Safran Arriel 1 & 2
AIRFRAMES
• Airbus H120/EC120, H125/AS350, AS355, EC135, H130/EC130, H215/AS332
• Bell B204/205, B206, B212/412, B214, B407, B427, B222/230/430, UH-1 series
• Sikorsky S-76, S-61
DYNAMIC COMPONENTS
• Airbus H125/AS350, H130/EC130
FUEL SYSTEMS
• CRFT
AVIONICS
• AutoPilot
• ADS-B
• Glass cockpit
6 LEADING EDGE
Farnborough and investment confusion
8 ON THE FLY Elsies, Flair is Canadian, G800 first flight
12 AIR TRAFFIC
Inside 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron
14 DRONE WORKS
Drone Delivery Canada’s new CEO on the future
15 ALTERNATIVE APPROACH
The chaos of Canadian commerical air travel
34 ATAC REPORT
House committee on key transport issues
BACK
35 Marketplace
38 ON FINAL The evolution of NAV Canada
FEATURES
16 TOP 20 UNDER 40
The new generation of business and technology leaders who are powering the direction of Canadian aviation and aerospace
BY JON ROBINSON
30 CBAA CONFERENCE REPORT
The business aviation community gathers at the new Skyservice facility at Toronto Pearson to better understand its next steps BY PHIL
LIGHTSTONE
32 DELIVERING ON THE EAST COAST
Working with Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources, Ardel Smith returned home more than 10 years ago to share his skill as a helicopter pilot
BY MATTHEW BYARD
COVER PHOTO: BRANDON WHITE
A 2022 Top 20 Under 40 recipient, Eric Malofsky from Manitoba has spent his entire aviation career maintaining the critical CL-215 waterbomber, including his current role with Babcock Canada.
From the top: The business aviation community gathers at Skyservice. P.
30. Nova Scotia helicopter pilot Ardel Smith. P32
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LEADING EDGE
By Jon Robinson |
Signs of the times
Farnborough arrives after two years of scheduling confusion
The 2022 edition of the Farnborough International Airshow, held from July 18 to 22, arrived at one of the most confusing times in the history of aviation, bookmarked by a pandemic that first created what amounted to an industry-wide shutdown only to be followed by complete chaos in its reopening. (For a view of the reopening chaos in Canada see David Carr’s column on page 15.) Held biannually in even years, Farnborough has long served as the harbinger event of aviation technology innovation and acceptance.
The confusing environment in aviation, however, is perhaps seen through a handful of airlines needing to dust off their A380 superjumbo jets and bring them back into service after the aircraft was largely mothballed at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Airbus in 2019 noted it would cease deliveries of the A380 in 2021, as its showcase carrier Dubai-based Emirates pulled back its A380 order book by 39 aircraft. Before the pandemic, the industry at large was turning toward single-aisle efficiency with new engines powering longer range – a trend inspired in large part by Bombardier’s development of what is now the Airbus A220 series before that same narrowbody trend was all but derailed by two horrific Boeing 737 Max accidents.
With the challenges of the 737 Max essentially overcome by examination and regulation, the industry once again gathers in Farnborough to gauge the future in terms of technology and fleet commitment. Lufthansa in late June said it was assessing just how many A380s it would reactivate likely beginning in the summer 2023. The airline, which took the aircraft out of service in September 2020, said the decision to reactivate its 509-seat airplanes was made “in response to the steep rise in
the potential return of the A380 superjumbo jet aims to satisfy a resurgance in customer demand and also compensate for delayed aircraft deliveries.
customer demand and the delayed delivery of ordered aircraft.”
New orders at Farnborough 2022, however, rolled in at a higher than expected pace, beginning with news that Delta Air Lines firmed up orders for 12 A220-300 aircraft, bringing its total firm order for A220s to 107 aircraft. The A220s will be powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines. This of course is welcome news for the aviation hub in Montreal where Airbus continues to hold a significant presence despite beginning new A220 production in Alabama to handle U.S. orders.
The A220 has a unique link to Farnborough through its Bombardier introduction and Airbus investment announcements at the show. Just days before Farnborough, marking the 220th delivery of the A220,
TOP DATA BURSTS in this issue
1. Gulfstream G800 is projected to have a range of 8,000 nautical miles at Mach 0.85. P. 9 2. Luke Penner has amassed around 11,500 hours in nearly 100 aircraft types. P. 16 3. More than 500 attendees took part in CBAA’s conference at Skyservice. P.30 4. Ardel Smith in 1999 attended his first flight school in BC. P. 32. 5. NAV Canada and Ottawa jointly invested $261.1 million into new projects. P. 38
Airbus released a number of statistics about the platform’s single-aisle market performance. Marking six years since its entry into service, the series has now carried more than 60 million passengers on more than 700 routes with more than 760 orders in backlog.
In terms of Canadian news, Farnborough 2022 saw Porter Airlines place a firm order for 20 Embraer E195-E2 passenger jets, adding to its existing 30 firm orders. The deal, with a list price value of US$1.56 billion, brings Porter’s orders with Embraer to a total of up to 100 E195-E2 aircraft, with 50 firm commitments and 50 purchase rights. The regional airline aims to shake up Canadian aviation by launching continental jet services out of Pearson.
Much of the attention at Farnborough 2022 of course will be on the future prospects of Boeing after three years of industry purgatory. The company announced a series of sweeping orders at Farnborough, including Delta Air Lines ordering 100 737-10s with options for 30 more. The aircraft are projected to join Delta’s 2025 summer schedule. All Nippon Airways put its trust in Boeing with an order for 20 737-8 airplanes and converting two orders to the 777-8 freighter, part of a new platform that could prove vitally important for Boeing’s rebound. The aircraft maker kicked off Farnborough with a projection that 41,000 new airplanes would be needed through 2041. | W
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ON THE FLY
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Award winner Marlene Shillingford, Chief Warrant Officer, Canadian Armed Forces; Rising Star Award winner Donya Naz Divsalar, Master of Sciences Candidate with the Aerospace Physiology Laboratory, Simon Fraser University; and Rising Star Award winner Zainab Azim, UNOOSA Space4Women Mentor.
THE LEAD
NORTHERN LIGHTS 2022 ELSIE AWARDS
The Northern Lights Aero Foundation in June announced the 2022 recipients of its annual Elsie MacGill Awards program, which honours Canadian women who have made outstanding contributions in aviation and aerospace. The recipients will be celebrated at a gala dinner on October 22, 2022, in Richmond Hill, Ont., including: Business Award winner Arielle MeloulWechsler, Air Canada’s Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer and Public Affairs; Education Award winner Stéphanie Angrand, instructor at Canadian Forces leadership and recruit school in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec; Engineering Award winner Damineh Akhavan, Founder and CEO of Global Women in STEM Inc.; Flight Operations Award winner Kim Winsor, Training Captain, Air Canada; Government Award winner Gisele Garceau, engineer, commercial pilot and flight instructor; Trailblazer
COMMERCIAL
AIR CANADA, EMIRATES CODESHARE
Air Canada and Emirates in mid-July formed a strategic partnership agreement with the intension of establishing a codeshare relationship later in 2022 that will offer enhanced consumer travel choices for Air Canada customers to travel to the United Arab Emirates and to destinations beyond Dubai. Emirates customers will also enjoy an enhanced travel experience when travelling to Toronto or to key destinations across the Air Canada network. Customers will have the ability to book connecting travel between both airlines' networks with the ease of a single ticket.
The two carriers will also establish reciprocal frequent flyer benefits and reciprocal lounge access for qualifying customers. Specific codeshare routes will be announced when finalized and will be subject to regulatory approvals. “As we continue pursuing our strategy of expanding our global reach in response to growing opportunities in [Visiting Friends and Relatives] markets that serve Canada’s large multicultural communities, we are very pleased to form a strategic partnership with Emirates, a highly respected flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates with a hub in the vibrant city of Dubai,” said Michael Rousseau, CEO of Air Canada, describing the pending addition of the EK code on select Air Canada flights.
REGULATOR RULES FLAIR AIRLINES IS CANADIAN
Flair Airlines on June 1 received a positive ruling from the Canadian Transportation Agency that it will be recognized as a fully Canadian airline. The decision by the Federal regulator means that Edmontonbased Flair can keep its operating licence, bringing an end to Flair’s months-long battle to clarify its ownership and governance
structure or lose its right to fly as a Canadian carrier. “I know that myself and the hundreds of hard-working Flair employees across this country are even more committed to our mission of making air travel more affordable and more accessible for Canadians,” said Stephen Jones, CEO of Flair, on news of the decision.
Flair in its statement about the decision explains that because of the stranglehold of two legacy carriers, operating 80.2 per cent of domestic seats, have had on the Canadian airline industry, domestic leisure travel in Canada has been out of reach for far too many people for far too long A recent Earnscliffe Strategies poll conducted for Flair Airlines in May of this year shows that of Canadians who feel there are barriers to flying, 73 per cent say cost is the main barrier.
Flair states Canada ranked 100th out of 140 countries in terms of airfare cost competitiveness. Flair at the time of the regulator decision projected it would provide nearly four million flights to Canadians in 2022, saving them in excess of $200 million. Flair also notes it directly employs 800 people and more than more than 1,300 indirectly at airports and maintenance bases around Canada. Flair Airlines launched in 2004 as a charter airline and began offering regularly scheduled service in 2018.
QATAR AIRWAYS POSTS RECORD PROFITS AHEAD OF WORLD CUP
Qatar Airways Group in mid-June, as it celebrated 25 years of operation, reported a record net profit of QAR 5.6 billion ($ 1.99 billion in Canadian funds) during the fiscal year 2021/22. This reported profit
Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, who has been a member of Air Canada's Executive team since 2013, received the Business Award in the 2022 Northern Lights Aero Foundation’s Elsie MacGill Awards program.
Flair Airlines in December 2021 unveiled plans to expand its fleet to 30 aircraft by mid-2023, as it strives for a 50-plane fleet within five years.
was 200 per cent above its highest annual historical profit. Overall revenue increased to QAR 52.3 billion ($18.6 billion), up 78 per cent compared to last year and two per cent higher than the full financial year preCOVID (2019/20). Passenger revenue increased by 210 per cent over the last year, due to the growth of the Qatar Airways network, increase in market share and higher unit revenue, for the second financial year in a row. Qatar Airways carried 18.5 million passengers, an increase of 218 per cent over last year. The airline operates out of a new airport in the capital, Doha, on the eastern coastline of the Arabian Peninsula, where the World Cup will be held for the first time in the Middle East later this year..
TSB OCCURRENCE STATISTICS
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada on June 17 released its 2021 final annual statistical summaries on transportation occurrences in the air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation sectors. The report builds upon a preliminary release published in February 2022. The TSB notes how the air transportation in Canada continued to be affected by the pandemic during the first half of 2021. During the second half of the year, as vaccination rates increased and travel restrictions began to ease in both Canada and abroad, TSB explains total aircraft movements resumed to 73.2 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Overall, aircraft movements at the 90 airports serviced by NAV Canada reached 4.29 million in 2021, up 11.8 per cent from 3.84 million in 2020.
In 2021, a total of 190 air transportation accidents were reported to the TSB. This number is 12 per cent higher than the previous year’s total of 170 accidents but 21 per cent below the yearly average of 239 accidents reported in the prior 10 years, 2011 to 2020. TSB notes most of the accidents in 2021, 183 of them, took place in Canada and involved Canadianregistered aircraft. The TSB recorded 22 fatal air transportation accidents resulting in 32 fatalities in 2021. TSB states this is a considerable increase over the 12 fatal accidents and 16 fatalities in 2020, but is still 21 per cent below the annual average of 27.7 fatal accidents and 31 per cent below the annual average of 47 fatalities over the 10 years from 2011 to 2020.
BUSINESS AVIATION
GULFSTREAM G800 FIRST FLIGHT
Gulfstream Aerospace on June 28 completed the first flight of its G800, using a blend of sustainable aviation fuel, officially launching the aircraft’s flight-test program. Unveiled to the market in October
2021, the G800 is expected to hold a range of 8,000 nautical miles (14,816 kilometres) at Mach 0.85 and 7,000 nm (12,964 km) at Mach 0.90 – leveraging what Gulfstream describes as a high-speed wing and the allnew Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines.
The G800 also features hand-crafted, ergonomic seats; a high-definition circadian lighting system; 100 per cent fresh, never recirculated air; what the company claims to as the lowest cabin altitude in the industry; a plasma-ionization air purification system; and 16 large windows. Designed to seat up to 19 passengers, the G800 offers up to four living areas, or three living areas with a crew compartment. The G800 is equipped with Gulfstream’s new generation Symmetry Flight Deck and dual head-up displays featuring the new Combined Vision System, which includes Enhanced Flight Vision System and Synthetic Vision System imagery.
MILITARY
CANADA MOVES FORWARD WITH AIRBUS TO REPLACE POLARIS FLEET
Canada in mid-July finalized a contract to acquire the first two aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force that will replace and renew the capability currently fulfilled by the CC-150 Polaris fleet and later become part of the Strategic Tanker Transport Capability (STTC) fleet. The contract for the procurement and preparation of two Airbus A330-200 aircraft, manufactured in 2015, was awarded to International AirFinance Corporation and is valued at US$102 million. The aircraft are expected to arrive in Canada in winter 2023, where they may be placed into early service in passenger/ cargo roles until modified to military specifications.
Since 1992, the CC-150 Polaris aircraft and its crews have provided the majority
Gulfstream launches test flight program for its G800, which is set to become the industry’s longest-range business jet.
This chart produced by TSB illustrates a partial 2021 recovery of activity in the commercial sectors responsible for air travel, air cargo, aerial work, and flight training.
of air-to-air refueling for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s fighter fleet, allowing the RCAF to extend its range and operating time. This capability has seen extensive use at home and abroad, including on Operation IMPACT, where it delivered more than 65 million pounds of fuel to coalition aircraft. The fleet also fulfills many other roles, including military personnel and cargo airlift; strategic Government of Canada personnel transport; and medical evacuations.
This project, which is Initiative #47 of Canada’s defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, will replace and renew the RCAF’s air-to-air refueling capability for the next generation.
The STTC aircraft will also be equipped to airlift large numbers of CAF personnel and their equipment in support of operations and training activities within Canada, including in Canada’s Arctic regions, and around the world, which will enhance the existing transport capacity provided by the CC-177 Globemaster and CC-130J
Hercules fleets, allowing for the more efficient movement of personnel and equipment. The exact number of aircraft in the Strategic Tanker Transport Capability fleet is currently anticipated to be six aircraft, including these two Airbus A330-200 aircraft. These two commercial aircraft will later be modified by Airbus Defence and Space to military specifications required to serve as multirole aircraft within the STTC fleet.
HELICOPTERS
FIRST HELICOPTER FLIGHT POWERED SOLELY BY SAF
Airbus completed what it describes as the first ever helicopter flight with 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) powering both Safran’s Makila 2 engines of an H225. This flight, which follows the flight of an H225 with one SAF-powered Makila 2 engine in November 2021, is part of the flight campaign aimed at understanding the impact of SAF use on the helicopter’s systems. Tests are expected to continue on other types of helicopters with different fuel and engine architectures with a view to certify the use of 100 per cent SAF by 2030.
Airbus explains the use of SAF is one of the key levers to achieve its ambition of reducing CO2 emissions from its helicopters by 50 per cent by 2030. According to the Waypoint 2050 report, the use of SAF in aviation could account for 50-75 per cent
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The Airbus H225 helicopter is powered by two Safran Makila 2 engines.
PHOTO: AIRBUS
of the CO2 reduction needed to reach net carbon emissions by 2050 in the air transport industry.
ROBINSON 44 FLIGHT WITH MAGNIX
Tier 1 Engineering, specialists in the design and development of electric aircraft, achieved a first flight of an all-electric Robinson 44 helicopter with a magniX electric propulsion unit on June 4. The flight lasted for approximately three minutes at Los Alamitos Army Airfield, California.
Tier 1 is developing the all-electric Robinson R44 for Lung Biotechnology PBC, a biotech company on a mission to address the shortage of transplantable organs in the U.S. Tier 1 Engineering integrated its battery system and the magniX Electric Propulsion Unit (EPU) on the helicopter. Tier 1 Engineering is currently working with the FAA Aircraft Certification Office in Los Angeles on the e-R44 project to obtain a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). Lung
Biotechnology PBC plans to acquire a fleet of aircraft to fly transplant organs.
ELECTRIC PROPULSION
VOLOCOPTER’S FOUR SEATER TAKES FLIGHT
Volocopter on June 7, at the UP.Summit, announced that in May 2022 it had completed its first flight of its four-seat, allelectric aircraft called VoloConnect.
Volocopter’s third eVTOL aircraft, VoloConnect is targetting a range of over 60 miles and flight speeds above 155 mph. The company notes this range for business travelers and commuters can connect routes like Burbank to Huntington Beach in Los Angeles, CA. VoloConnect is targeting a 2026 entry into service, while the VoloCity is targeting commercial launch in 2024.
SPACE VIRGIN LAUNCHES SATELLITES FROM 747
A Virgin Orbit rocket carrying seven U.S. Defense satellites was launched from a modified Boeing 747 flying off the Southern California coast. This fourth successful mission was named Straight Up after the hit on Paula Abdul’s debut studio album. It was Virgin Orbit’s first night mission, which started from a runway at the Mojave Air and Space Port. | W
Volocopter’s four-seat aircraft VoloConnect.
By Kendra Kincade |
Canadian search and rescue
A look inside 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron at CFB Winnipeg
The 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron located at CFB Winnipeg, home to the CC130H Hercules that provides search and rescue operations in Canada from the British Columbia border to Thunder Bay and from the United States border to the Arctic. On the day I caught up with the crew for a flight it consisted of three pilots, a flight engineer, navigator, a load master, three SAR Techs and two passengers (myself and Kristen Long).
As an HCol with close ties to a helicopter support squadron, I was fortunate to tag along on this fixed-wing flight and have a new opportunity to experience how much effort these members put into training. When rescue calls comes in for real, this crew is clearly ready to put on their camouflauge superhero capes and save lives.
The call to rescue Canadians comes in many forms, from serving as first responders at plane crashes to dropping a gun to a man and his son trapped on the ice with polar bears closing in.
Today’s flight has two separate components of training: Up front, we have pilot training and, in the back, we have some SAR Tech training. The pilots today are doing various types of training. Capt Carmen Kiltz is a young woman who has been in the Royal Canada Air Force (RCAF) for nine years. Since I have a vested interest in getting more women in aviation, through Elevate Aviation, I wanted to get to know her a little bit and see what it brought her to flying this big grey bird.
When did you start flying?
Capt Carmen Kiltz: I began flying with the Air Cadets in 2011, where I flew gliders and a Cessna. I began flying with the RCAF during Phase 1 Pilot Training in 2017 and earned my RCAF wings in August 2019.
What made you interested you in flying and specifically for the RCAF? I was specifically interested in flying search and rescue with the RCAF in order to help individuals in distress. Flying is a challenging and rewarding career and I very much enjoy the opportunity to constantly learn and improve my skills and experience.
Do you find it intimidating flying such
Being a military pilot has helped me develop not only my flying skills, but my professional and interpersonal skills as well.
a big aircraft... It looks so daunting?
The Herc is a beautiful and tough aircraft with a proud history and I love being a big bird in the sky. It is not intimidating since we are trained well for this.
What is your favourite thing about this job?
My favourite part about the job is being able to learn new things each day with the goal of helping others in need when the time comes. I also love travelling and flying around Canada.
How has being a military pilot helped you grow?
Being a military pilot is an excellent way broaden one’s horizons in many ways. It
has helped me develop not only my flying skills, but my professional and interpersonal skills as well. I have also had to step out of my comfort zone on many occasions, which has allowed me to develop more confidence on different levels!
In the back of the plane the SAR Techs are practicing their para-jumps. It’s vital that they are able to land precisely where they intend to and there are a lot of calculations made for wind and distance. We make a few passes with some adjustments before the SAR Techs line up to jump.
My admiration and respect for this crew could not possibly be any higher. Oddly enough I’m filled with emotion as I watch the SAR Techs in their para-gear fly off the back of the Herc. I rummage through my layers trying to discover what this feeling is, I believe it’s pride.
I’m so proud we have people in our country that believe in preserving lives so greatly that they put their own at risk.
I also cannot forget to recognize the team of maintainers who keep the aircraft current and safe to fly. Without them, our experiences today would not have happened. Thanks to the Senior Aircraft Maintenance Officer Maj Mylene Lavallee, who is responsible of ensuring the aircraft is ready for safe operations, for making this day possible for Kristen and myself.
Often civilians with no military connections do not really think of our military as a career. But I’m here to tell you, this looks like one of the most rewarding careers in the world. | W
Kendra Kincade is the founder and executive director of Elevate Aviation.
PHOTO: KENDRA KINCADE
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DRONE WORKS
By Scott Henderson |
Disrupting domestic air cargo
The new CEO of Drone Delivery Canada on executing commercial plans
When Drone Delivery Canada announced this June that its Edmonton International Airport project was now commercially operational most people did not grasp the significance. The very first drone delivery project at a Canadian international airport is now generating revenues for a company that has yet to produce significant returns.
Revenues from the project will be reflected in Drone Delivery Canada’s (DDC) 2022 Q2 financial results. In October last year, DDC’s University of British Columbia drone delivery project also started producing revenues from the UBC-led Remote Communities Drone Transportation Initiative which is now also operational.
With two more projects producing revenues but a stock price down 50 per cent from this time last year, I thought it was a good time to interview DDC’s new CEO, Steve Magirias, to see what we can expect from the company under his helm.
Magirias joined DDC this February and brings more than 20 years of experience in a variety of industries, including aerospace and defense, capital equipment and medical devices.
Having previously worked for Husky Injection Molding Systems, Curtiss Wright Corporation and Orthotic Holdings, his background includes manufacturing, engineering, product development, and operations in wholesale, retail and direct to consumer markets.
I asked Magirias about DDC’s priorities moving ahead now that he’s settled into the top job. “Number one is advancing the technology. Number two is streamlining operations – working efficiently in a highly regulated industry and making routes more economically viable. Focusing on the first two objectives will lead us to our third objective: Increasing revenues.”
The drone delivery sector in Canada is undergoing a massive strategic and regulatory shift as it moves toward Beyond Visual Line of Site (BVLOS) operations. The ability for unmanned drones to fly long distances outside of the normal visible range of the operator is critical. Currently a Special Flight Operations Certificate from Transport Canada is required to do this.
Focusing on the first two objectives will lead us to our third objective: increasing revenues.
“The Holy Grail, if you will, is detectand-avoid technology,” says Magirias, “At the end of the day, [Transport Canada] wants to ensure safety, first and foremost, but they do not want to hinder innovation either.”
DDC’s Edmonton International project enables defined-route deliveries from the airport to off-airport properties utilizing the company’s Sparrow drone, its DroneSpot takeoff and landing zones, and proprietary FLYTE software.
The project will be used to transport a wide variety of cargo for the benefit of Ziing Final Mile and Apple Express, located in the industrial park in Leduc County, Alberta. This is DDC’s first international airport drone solution, formed through the assistance of its sales agent Air Canada.
DDC received an upfront fee for drone route deployment and will receive a monthly fee for its managed services. Flights will be remotely monitored hundreds of kilometres away at DDC’s Operations Control Centre in Vaughan, Ontario.
While its early successes are in healthcare (remote deliveries) and airport last mile services, DDC is also targeting industrials. “Our focus is the smaller drone
operations servicing remote areas, healthcare, and then the industrials, the oil and gas and mining sectors. There are some big opportunities for us that to date that we have not captured,” says Magirias.
As the drone delivery industry grows so do the jobs. According to Magirias, “The job growth is in engineering roles and operational roles in the control centre. You are always going to need to have people working that control centre.”
Focusing efforts on improving its technology platform is paying off for DDC as the company recently won first place in the Innovation Category of the XCELLENCE Awards by the Association for Uncrewed Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI). DDC was recognized for its work in uncrewed systems technology.
The award acknowledges DDC’s worldleading innovative project of integrating cargo drones into the controlled airspace at Edmonton International Airport. As innovation and commercially operational projects increase at the company, CEO Magirias is betting revenues will soon follow.
One thing is certain, however: 2022 will be a pivotal year for Drone Delivery Canada as it works to move through its early revenue generating phase. | W
Scott Henderson focuses on technologies distrupting aviation and industry.
| By David Carr
Inside Canada’s plague of airport and airline delays The summer of chaos
There are two fallback tactics a government deploys when it needs to either excuse the inexcusable or lands in a state of paralysis. Identify a situation, declare it global and claim it is worse elsewhere, or strike a task force. The Trudeau government has dusted off both. PostCovid airport and airline chaos is a global problem as pent-up demand overwhelms an unprepared system also struggling with chronic staff shortages and learningon-the-job recruits. But Omar Alghabra, Canada’s transport minister’s argument that some countries have it even worse than Canada was undercut in July when Toronto’s Pearson International Airport and Air Canada, where the government is the single largest shareholder, often topped the global charts in time delays. Some days more than double the delays at major U.S. airports.
Airport management is a delicate balance of arrivals, departures and transfer traffic. Ottawa, through federal agencies like Canadian Air Transport Security Authority and Canada Border Services Agencies, has a roll to play in not gumming up the works. The transport minister is all over the map on who is to blame for unspeakable delays at security, passengers held on the tarmac for hours, suffocating customs halls, mountains of late arriving and unclaimed baggage, and flights cancelled by the thousands as airlines struggle to ease the crunch. He even blamed passengers for being “rusty” after a two-year Covid hiatus from travelling. Was Alghabra suggesting, that unlike riding a bicycle, manoeuvring curbside-to-gate is not a skill that stays with us. None of which explains the situation in front of passport offices where atdawn lineups are reminiscent of the images of queues outside polling stations at former dictator states allowed to vote for the first time. Except this time the government has no third party like an airline or handling agent to blame – just itself.
The feds sought to break the passport logjam by striking an all-of-government task force. Because nothing gets things running smoothly faster than adding more politicians and layers of bureaucracy to the mix. Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Francois-Philippe-Champagne was more on the ball during the July 8
Airports are deep in debt, face a backlog of capitial improvements, and greener business demand.
meltdown of Rogers telecom networks. No excuses. No task force. Just a solution and a timeline to implement. True, the outage of any one of Canada’s national telecom giants can create more havoc in 15 hours than airports can cause in 12 months (not to mention disruption to emergency response). But it is not an unreasonable expectation that governments apply the same standards to public services as they do to publicly regulated ones. And, let’s not forget this is the same gang that passed the passenger’s bill of rights, including punishments for keeping travellers stuck on the tarmac for too long.
A simple fact is Canada’s national Covid restrictions have always been a day late and a dollar short. This problem has been compounded by Ottawa’s hesitancy to ease or remove restrictions when they have either proved not to work or have outlived their usefulness. Hotel quarantines are a case in point. The only temporary suspension of random Covid testing at customs halls within days of the government digging in its heels is reported to have happened only after a frustrated Liberal caucus threatened to go all UK-style parliament on the prime minister. But more…
a lot more needs to get done. Canada has experienced a world-topping 280 per cent increase in demand for air travel recently, because unlike countries like the U.S. and Australia, which primed the pump by keeping the domestic market connected, Ottawa opted to turn some airports into near ghost towns. Somebody should have seen that coming.
Canadians are going through a Covidrelated breakdown of public services and the broader service industry. It will get better. As airports ramp up staffing levels, new hires get up to speed, fall kicks in and airlines scale operations there will be a return to normal. For now, an emerging concern may be so-called ‘un-pent’ demand as spooked travellers consider delaying travel plans a bit longer to avoid the hassles. That hasn’t impacted Canada yet. A recent Leger Poll reports that while 53 per cent of Canadians are concerned over the state of air travel, only 18 per cent have significantly altered summer vacation plans. Even as air transport returns to normal, the journey forward remains a rocky one for Canadian airports. They are broke, deep in debt and face a backlog of capital improvements, not to mention the need for more green programs. | W
David Carr is a former long-time editor of Wings and Helicopters magazines.
TOP 20 UNDER 40
A NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS POWERING CANADIAN AVIATION
BY JON ROBINSON
In the annual Top 20 Under 40 program, Wings recognizes inspiring young leaders influencing the direction of Canadian aviation and aerospace. Presented here alphabetically, these leaders, who are all under the age of 40, were initially put forward through a nomination process lasting over several months. Wings then determined the 20 honourees based on their demonstration of leadership, innovation, influence, achievement and dedication shown to their organizations and the Canadian aviation industry.
NELSON BRADSHAW
President and Owner, Executive Aviation, Toronto, ON Nelson Bradshaw, age 38, acquired Executive Aviation seven years ago, growing the company’s presence from one airport to 18 airports across the country. Executive Aviation grew in large part by focusing on its ground handling services, which now support most major and regional airlines in Canada. Executive Aviation today is the country’s largest privately owned ground handling
company with more than 800 employees working to safely depart aircraft on-time. The company also holds three Fixed Base Operations in London, Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury.
With a background in accounting, Bradshaw aims to bring innovation to the ground handling sector, while exceeding industry safety standards. This approach helps Executive Aviation retain and produce top talent in the sector. Bradshaw is an active owner, jumping into many roles when needed from grooming and de-icing aircraft to loading cargo and checking in passengers, as well as regularly attending employee gatherings across the country. As an aviation enthusiast, Bradshaw fosters an environment for employee training and development.
What drew you into the world of aviation?
From my first flight in my dad’s C182 off a grass strip in Southern Ontario, I was hooked on aviation. I was fascinated by the science
Keyano Ritter, Chief Flight Instructor, Brandon Flight Centre, Brandon, Manitoba.
of flight and learned about all of the opportunities aviation provides to connect people, places and things.
LEE CHISLETT
Operations Manager, Canadian Base Operators, Calgary, AB
Lee Chislett, age 38, joined the aviation industry out of high school in Saint-Augustin, Quebec, where he worked the ramp for Air Labrador. He joined Canadian Base Operators at a site in Northern Alberta, rising through the ranks at a start-up oil sands aerodrome, beginning as an aircraft refueler, then equipment operator and operations supervisor. Shortly after Canadian Base Operators was awarded the contract at Suncor Energy’s Fort McKay/Firebag Airport, Chislett transferred to oversee initiating the contract as Site Supervisor. He was then promoted to Site Manager after playing an instrumental role in the certification of the Fort McKay/Firebag Airport by Transport Canada.
Chislett today oversees all of the dayto-day operations of one of Canada’s busiest private airports, including air traffic and weather management, Unicom operators, equipment operators, equipment, infrastructure and facility maintenance, power generation and utilities, as well as aircraft ground handling, passenger processing, baggage and seasonal maintenance work and safety. He leads a workforce of approximately 40 people.
What is your best aviation memory?
Although not an event to celebrate, my most gratifying work memory is being part of the 2016 evacuation and airlift of the people of Fort McMurray, during the infamous wildfire that swept through the town. It really showed me how a crew of people from all walks of life could work toward a common goal without the need for personal gain.
SAMUEL CLÉMENT-COULSON
Human Factors Scientist, Transport Canada, Montreal, QC
Sam ClémentCoulson, age 27, developed an interest in human factors during flight school at the Centre Québecois de Formation Aéronautique. With an
interest in bridging the gap between academic research and aviation operations, he is focusing on the need for pilot developed research programs for pilots. Clément-Coulson has worked as a flight instructor, medevac first officer and SMS manager throughout his undergraduate studies. He is currently completing his PhD and working part time in Aviation Safety Intelligence at Transport Canada. He is also a tow pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Cadets glider program.
Clément-Coulson is also conducting
innovative research, leveraging AI and wearable sensors, in partnership with KEPLR Intelligence to improve flight training and better manage pilot workload. With a passion for multidisciplinary research, he has created collaborative partnerships between Concordia University, flight schools and local aerospace companies. The results of these partnerships have been shared with industry through conference presentations, crew resource management courses and flight instructor refresher courses. In 2018,
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With over a century of proven excellence, StandardAero has built a reputation as the industry leader and best place to work. Serving the most discerning clients and maintaining premier aircraft, the global StandardAero family takes pride in offering extensive MRO services and customized solutions through trusted service partnerships with our customers.
Randy Howatt and Andrew Kutcher embody the customer focus which is a hallmark of StandardAero’s 7,000 employees, and we are proud to see them included in Wings’ Top 20 Under 40. Congratulations to Randy, Andrew and all of this year’s winners!
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Clément-Coulson was awarded Aviation Solutions’ Chief Flight Instructor Award for professionalism, skill, and dedication. During the slowdown caused by the pandemic, he assumed the role of Training Officer with his local air cadet squadron.
What is your best aviation memory?
As a flight instructor it was an honour to see my first student move on to become a successful commercial pilot. Perhaps more unexpected, my first research student slowly, but surely caught the passion for aviation and decided on a career in aviation human resources. Those memories make me proud to be in aviation.
MADISON COUTU
Sales Assistant, Apex Aircraft Sales; First Officer, NexGen Aviation, Toronto, ON Madison Coutu, age 31, began her career in aviation with Porter Airlines as a Flight Attendant for two and a half years, where she decided on becoming a pilot. Coutu left Porter to commit to a full time commercial pilot program, enrolling in Brampton Flight Centre’s private college IATPL Program in 2019. Within 14 months, she graduated with commercial, multi-engine,
and instrument ratings.
In April 2021, Coutu joined Apex Aircraft based at Toronto’s Buttonville Airport, learning the intricacies of selling new and pre-owned aircraft. Apex is a leading aircraft provider in Canada, focusing on Cessna, Beech, Piper and Cirrus brands. Coutu earned her instructor's rating in four months and, in September 2021, began teaching at Island Air Flight School. In March 2022, Coutu accepted a First Officer position with NexGen Aviation flying the Beech King Air 350. Coutu
Colin Head Director of Eastern Operations
For being recognized as Canada’s Top 20 Under 40 in Canadian Aerospace.
Colin’s commitment to operational excellence is an integral part of our success. Thank you from the entire team!
is also President of the Northern Lights Aero Foundation Junior Board, where she focuses on promoting outreach and mentorship for women in aviation.
What is your best aviation memory?
Going to flight school at the age of 28 was a challenging adjustment and there were many days when I wanted to give up. The day I earned my PPL – Christmas Eve 2019 – was one of the best moments of my life and the day I knew it was all worth it.
ELIZABETH COWDEN
Chief Pilot, Wasaya Airways, Thunder Bay, ON Elizabeth Cowden, age 32, followed her passion for flying as a Royal Canadian Air Cadet, serving in the program for more than five years before attending Moncton Flight College to earn a degree and fly professionally. In 2017, she served as a flight instructor with Harv’s Air for just under one year before becoming a pilot with Superior Airways. In mid2019, Cowden joined Wasaya as First Officer and quickly ascended to Captain (on both the 1900 and ATR42) before taking on her current role in January 2022 as Chief Pilot.
Cowden enjoys serving as a mentor to help aspiring aviators reach their goals, with a keen interest in promoting flying as a viable career opportunity for young women. Cowden also focuses on helping Wasaya build its services in indigenous communities in northern Ontario. In April 2018, Wasaya, 100 per cent owned at the time by 12 First Nations, entered into an ownership agreement with the Exchange Income Corporation to vastly increases the level of service in Northern Ontario and with those 12 ownership communities.
Why is your company unique?
Being a First Nations-owned company
Madison Coutu of Apex AIrcraft Sales and NexGen Aviation.
and serving our fly-in-only communities gives us a real rewarding sense of purpose. Most of our work is flying in food, fuel and medical supplies. We also transport people from the north to their medical appointments in the south. Flying large turboprop aircraft into 3,500-foot gravel and ice strips is challenging, but a necessity of what we do in servicing our ownership communities. It is very satisfying.
MELANIE DEYOUNG Director, Industrial and Technological Benefits, IMP Aerospace and Defence, Halifax, NS Melanie DeYoung, age 38, joined IMP Aerospace and Defence as a Contracts Administrator after completing a Bachelor of Commerce from Dalhousie University in 2007. In 2010, she was promoted to Senior Contracts Administrator for the CH149 Cormorant In-Service Support Contract (ISSC) –the company’s single largest contract. DeYoung was then promoted to Contracts Manager. She established a strong relationship with the Government of Canada being responsible for the administration of the overall CH149 Cormorant ISSC program from a contractual perspective, including the management of complex multi-million-dollar subcontracts for the CH149 airframe and engine Original Equipment Manufacturers.
In 2015, DeYoung attained a Professional Logistics (P. Log) certification. IMP in 2019 established a central organization led by DeYoung to oversee Canadian Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) and similar international offset programs. She developed IMP’s ITB foundation and policy for
Elizabeth Cowden of Wasaya Airways.
administration. In 2020, DeYoung was promoted to Director, ITB Programs where she is responsible for the company’s overall ITB interests and offset management. She the company's lead for working with small- and medium-sized businesses in the Aerospace and Defence sector. DeYoung created and currently chairs the IMP Aerospace & Defence Innovation Committee, while also sitting on the Executive Committee of the Industrial Participation Association of Canada (IPAC). She is the current Chair of the IPAC Government Relations Committee.
What is your best aviation memory? My favorite memory is when I attended my first trade show in my current position overseeing Industrial and Technological Benefits programs. I will always remember that experience because it was my introduction to the industry in a business development role. I was fascinated by it and loved feeling like part of the team representing IMP. After that show, I understood my purpose in the company as well as within the industry as a whole. From there, I was able to develop a strategic vision and plan for ITB implementation within IMP and have been executing it ever since.
TEDMAN JESS
Suncor Energy, Aviation Advisor, RPAS, Calgary, AB
Tedman Jess, age 38, has spent his entire life working in and around aviation, which included his early involvement in the family business, Arctic Watch, founded by his father to build and maintain airstrips. The
company’s efforts would often help facilitate seismic and exploration work through safer and more efficient routes for getting equipment and people into Canada’s north. The Jess family also innovated Skyhook and several airship projects with organizations worldwide. Tedman Jess later worked as a flight attendant, a flight follower, flight planner and dispatcher for a number of airlines and flight management organizations. He joined Suncor in 2013 as a flight follower supporting the flight department tasked with transporting Suncor’s remote workforce. In 2019, he started Suncor’s RPAS department.
Jess helped to identify the increased use of drones in the oil sands airspace in the vicinity of Suncor’s open-pit and steam-injection oil production facilities. In the role, he recognized an increased requirement to manage the interface of manned and unmanned aircraft. Suncor also owns and operates its own airport and regularly charters helicopters to conduct mine, wildlife and environmental surveys. With all of this air traffic in a relatively small geographic footprint, the safety risks continued to rise without proper communications between business units scheduling drones, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. To help contain
Melanie DeYoung of IMP Aerospace & Defence.
this growing risk, Jess developed the Suncor Airspace Management System to safely enter flight plans and separate aircraft operating in the region. Conflicts and potential conflicts can now be identified before a flight takes place and drones, helicopters and aircraft are now aware of each other in the region. Jess takes the lead when representing Suncor’s interests in drone/manned aircraft exploratory technology development groups. Several innovations in safety and operational effectiveness in Suncor’s aviation department have resulted from Jess' work.
Why is your company exciting for work?
It’s not every day that you get to work in aviation in the greater context of an oiland-gas company. Our aviation department may be small but we touch so many aspects of the company from having Canada’s only private certified airport and our workforce fly-in/fly-out program to the offshore helicopter program off the east coast. Every day is new, different and challenging especially in the RPAS space. Suncor’s approach to RPAS not only makes our operations safer, efficient and cost effective, we are having a lot of fun doing it.
COLIN HEAD
Director of Eastern Operations, Perimeter Aviation, Winnipeg, MB Colin Head, age 29, after completing the University of Waterloo’s Geography and Aviation program with honours, began his aviation career as a flight instructor with Durham Flight Centre. He quickly worked his way up the ranks and became Chief Flight Instructor by the age of 22. He contributed several major projects to the program like developing new course materials and helping to designate the school as a private career college. At the same time, and while flying as a line pilot for Bearskin Airlines, Head chose to further his education with Embry-Riddle’s Master of Aeronautical Science. During his time with Bearskin, he was also elected as Secretary Treasurer for Bearskin Airlines MEC with the Air Line Pilots Association.
After spending some time with Air Canada on the A320, Head took a voluntary leave at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to Bearskin Airlines (now Perimeter Aviation) as Director of Eastern Operations. In his new position since the age of 27, Head has focused on managing commercial schedules, making strategic business decisions, and crew planning, while also maintaining his
currency with occasional line flying. He has been known to step in and cover dispatching and flight following when staffiing is short. Recently, Head arranged to add extra flights to the Red Lake destination when area’s driving access was cut off due to a bridge washing out, helping residents who were stranded both inside and outside of the community.
What is your favourite aviation memory? It is hard to choose just one. I think my
Colin Head of Perimeter Aviation.
favorite memories are the times I am able to share my passion and love of airplanes with my family. Recently, I had the opportunity to fly my wife and daughter which was very special.
RANDY HOWATT
Technical Support Engineer, StandardAero, Summerside, PE
Randy Howatt, age 39, joined StandardAero Summerside’s Technical Support team in 2007, after completing his degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of New Brunswick. In 2008, Howatt assisted the test cell team with a project focused on analyzing engines which were exceeding acceptable vibration levels. He soon became the point of contact for vibration-related issues for the PT6A, PW100 and JT15D when conventional resolution methods fail to solve the problem. In 2011, he took the lead on a project focused on improving the performance of PT6A-60A repairs, allowing StandardAero to remain competitive on PT6A-60A work. In 2013, Howatt was assigned as the trainer for new technical support engineers hired for the PT6A line. In 2015, he then provided technical support for a major upgrade to Summerside’s JT15D test cell, related to the cell’s data acquisition system and vibration equipment.
Howatt in 2018 was involved with a major project involving the transition of the PT6A-68 program from StandardAero’s Winnipeg site to the Summerside facility. He led the review of technical requirements for the engine and also headed up a review of the PEI site’s component repair requirements. He was also appointed as the dedicated technical support engineer for the PT6A-68 and in 2019 was
appointed to StandardAero’s global balancing committee, to establish standardized documentation, standardized training and qualification, and ways to share process knowledge across the company’s sites. During 2020 and 2021, Howatt took the lead on procuring equipment to test and perform minor repairs to PT6A-68 wire harnesses, thereby enabling StandardAero to avoid the costs and delays associated with sending harnesses to a subcontractor for function testing. This project has delivered annual savings exceeding $1 million.
Why is your company unique for work?
The division of StandardAero I work for is unique as it started as a small company that distinguished itself in the industry due to the quality of work, team work and excellence in customer service. It is also the only facility in Atlantic Canada that performs Pratt & Whitney Canada MRO. It gives people the opportunity to be exposed to that section of aviation that they wouldn’t normally have access to while remaining in Atlantic Canada.
RYAN KING
Manager, Customer Success, Cargo, Air Canada, Mississauga, ON Ryan King, age 38, started developing his aviation expertise with Purolator where he would become Ramp Manager overseeing employees for both domestic and international operations. He then worked with KF Aerospace out of Toronto Pearson Airport for more than a year, before joining Air Canada in 2016 as Cargo Services Manager for four years. In mid-2020, King was promoted to his current position with the nation’s flag carrier and oversaw customer-facing communications during Air Canada’s charter program when the
company pivoted as an airline to run passenger-freighters.
During a time of great uncertainty, King pioneered communications internally and externally to ensure Air Canada’s charter program exceeded customer expectations. In addition to milestone communications and working with operations to ensure Air Canada’s charter program in YYZ was world-class, King also templated leveraging trucking connectivity with passenger-freighters to implement final mile customer delivery. This skip-the-hub, direct-to-customer final mile freighter service was complimented by real-time updates to form a foundation for best practices as Air Canada grows its Capacity Purchase Program.
Why is your company unique for work?
The exposure generated through Air Canada’s drive for excellence allows for unique experiences that are everchanging and allow you to be in a position where every day is different. I consider myself to be involved in a dream job with the sky being the limit.
ANDREW KUTCHER
Backup Chief Inspector Training, CF34/ CFM56, StandardAero, Winnipeg, MB Andrew Kutcher, age 33, joined StandardAero’s Winnipeg team in 2009 as a Technician within the facility’s CF34 De-stack Cell, where he evaluated engines to determine the extent of repair workscopes required, disassembling engines and documenting the modification status/configuration of
Ryan King of Air Canada.
Randy Howatt of StandardAero.
products being processed. In 2010, he graduated from the Gas Turbine Repair and Overhaul (GTRO) program at Red River College’s Stevenson Campus in Winnipeg. In 2012, Kutcher was appointed as a Detail Inspector/ Technician within StandardAero’s CF34/CFM56 Test Cell team, a role which required him to obtain certification on full engine inspection for both engine types, including piece parts. In 2017, Kutcher was appointed as Backup Production Manager within StandardAero’s CF34/CFM56 Test Cell. He also represented his team on several committees, being the Calibration representative from 2016 to 2020 and also being elected as Quality representative. In 2019, he was also part of a team submitted for StandardAero’s True Blue Award.
Since 2021, Kutcher has been serving in the role of Backup Chief Inspector for the CF34/CFM56 Business Unit, while undergoing mentorship program training with the goal of becoming a Chief Inspector. In this position, he oversees the inspection, release and certification of products processed within production areas of the business unit, and also provides instruction and training to business unit inspectors to ensure the consistent application of best practices. In March 2022, Kutcher obtained full engine Product Quality Inspector endorsement for the CF34 and CFM56 engine lines, and is currently mentoring with other Chief Inspectors, including the Central Chief Inspector.
Why is your best aviation memory?
Back in 2019, I was brought onto a team for continuous improvement in regards to Detail Inspection. Our team won Standard Aero’s prestigious True Blue Award for our sector. This experience has helped me to realize a path that I had not previously considered and has led me into a supporting role for our teams.
Mila MacLean
Program Director, IMP Aerospace, Halifax, NS
Mila MacLean, age 39, was hired into IMP Aerospace’s Production Engineering Department 13 years ago as a Master Scheduler and Industrial Engineer. She then worked as a Continuous Improvement Engineer before moving to the company’s Programs Analyst group, first as Supervisor, before her quick promotion to Manager. MacLean then took on the role of CP140 Aurora Program Manager,
Reach
Aviation Goals
overseeing IMP’s largest aircraft program. She was then promoted to the role of Program Director at the start of 2020, only 11 years after joining the company.
Throughout her career at IMP Aerospace, an Operating Unit of IMP Aerospace and Defence, MacLean has been a driving force behind many process improvements and implementation projects. She spearheaded the development of the process used to manage the overall operation’s capacity, which requires complex
analyses and regular briefings to senior management. This included working alongside cross-functional stakeholders to implement a data warehouse, program reporting, and MS Project Server, streamlining program decision making and operational agility. MacLean has developed a close affiliation with many of the local colleges and universities to promote the hiring of graduating students. This includes work opportunities for the Industrial Engineering students from local universities
through a formal co-op program. MacLean also serves as President on the 4H Nova Scotia board of directors.
What is your favourite work memory? I really enjoy touring people through our facility, especially those from outside the aviation-aerospace industry. The most memorable tours I have done were when we were doing mid-life upgrades on the P-3. A complete wing replacement is an impressive feat to show any group on tour
Eric Malofsky of Babcock Canada.
Mila MacLean of IMP Aerospace.
and it’s fun to share this experience with others. These tours remind me every single time of just how amazing our work is.
ERIC MALOFSKY
CL-215 Crew Chief, Babcock Canada, Winnipeg, MB
Eric Malofsky, age 36, has spent his entire aviation career working with the CL215 water bombers – one of the world’s most important airplane platforms. He began working on the aircraft with the province of Manitoba right out of high school, attending Red River College’s Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance program. Malofsky helped maintain Manitoba’s once large airplane fleet – with CL-415, CL-215, DHC-3T Turbo Otter, DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, Cessna C560, Cessna 310R and Piper PA31 aircraft – for 16 years.
After the doors were shut on the provincial air service in 2019, Malofsky joined Babcock Canada. Starting out with a clean-sheet hangar, he helped to build out a fully functioning AMO. Malofsky was instrumental in the setup of the hangar using 6S systems and procedures, optimizing technician time spent on aircraft. He received Babcock Canada’s Award for Excellence and Innovation in both 2019 and 2020. Malofsky continues to pursue his “unrelenting desire” to keep the aging CL215s operational by utilizing modern technology.
Why is your company unique for work?
We have a diverse pool of talent across the business and we are encouraged to collaborate to produce results, which is great for problem solving. We are encouraged to be courageous, ask questions and never compromise when it comes to safety. It is nice to work for a company with principals I can get behind.
PierAlexandre Pelletier, age 34, began making an impact as a Materials & Processes (M&P) Engineer shortly after arriving at Bell Textron Canada as an intern, providing value to the SA2GE research and development program, working optimized autoclave cures and advanced
manufacturing processes. After developing a consistent high-performance track record at Bell, Pelletier was handpicked to work on a significant new helicopter product, serving as a key driver on the introduction of three important composite structural materials that are finding applications not only at Bell but with fixed-wing developments at Textron Aviation as well. Pelletier’s M&P innovation projects for Bell have included advanced compression molding, hybrid manufacturing and processing for carbon reinforced materials and novel surface preparations for
bonding. Pelletier has now grown into a hybrid role as both a manager of individual contributors and as a R&D lead engineer. He is currently spearheading the introduction of a novel rapid cure technology aimed at transforming future manufacturing efficiencies for structural composites. Working closely in partnership with key suppliers, he is harnessing critical expertise to move the industry forward.
Why is your company unique to work for? Bell has great products that do a lot for their customers in many countries around
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the globe. It is a large and public technological company within Textron that feels like a family with great talent, collaboration and opportunities. It is the place to work in aviation.
Luke Penner, age 39, has been a professional pilot and flight instructor for more than 15 years focusing on the development of the family business Harv’s Air, founded in 1972 and now holding one of Canada’s largest training fleets. Penner is also a Canadian National Aerobatic Champion and aims to represent Canada at the 2023 World Advanced Aerobatic Championships in Las Vegas. He has earned several podium finishes in the highest levels of aerobatic competitions held in both Canada and United States.
In addition to his duties as Chief Flight Instructor at Harv's Air, Penner is an examiner for PPL, CPL, and Class IV, III, and II instructor ratings, as well as Class II and I aerobatic instructor flight test authority. Through the company’s Harv’s Air Inverted division, Penner teaches Aerobatic Ratings in an Extra 300, Citabrias, and multiple
custom types such as Pitts and Van's RVs. In 2017, Penner received the DCAM Flight Instructor Safety Award.
What drew you into the world of aviation? Some kids grow up on a farm, I grew up at an airport. Although I was raised in a family where there were pilots all around me, I
did not find my way into aviation for myself until I was in my early twenties. Fear, anxiety and self doubt prevented me from getting into the cockpit for myself for years. Until the day my father suggested we go for a flight in our 1943 Taylorcraft L2-M. Something clicked and I realized that not only could I do it, but succeeding at it gave me a sense of satisfaction like nothing else. Since then, I’ve amassed some 11,500 hours in nearly 100 types of airplanes. That, however, is a footnote compared to all the wonderful people that aviation has brought into my life.
ALEKSANDAR PETIC
Cascade Aerospace, Contracts Manager, Abbotsford, BC
Aleksandar Petic, age 39, joined Cascade Aerospace three years ago as Contracts Administrator before being promoted as Contracts Manager for the company. He was born into a family deeply involved in aerospace. His dad, uncle and brother-in-law work as an aircraft technician, mechanical
Luke Penner of Harv's Air.
engineer and an NDT technician, respectively. Approximately 30 years ago, a Canadian CC-130H helped Petic and his family escape Sarajevo during civil war in former Yugoslavia.
Petic would complete behavioral and legal studies before pursuing his career in aerospace, gaining experience with Air Canada, ServiceAir, Vector Aerospace and StandardAero. He then joined Cascade, an operating unit of IMP Aerospace & Defence, which presented Petic with the opportunity to see the exact same CC-130H he boarded decades ago out of Sarajevo. Petic has successfully merged his passion for aerospace and contract law at Cascade, where he is now responsible for overseeing and managing all legal and contractual requirements for the company.
What drew you into the world of aviation?
Growing up in the former Yugoslavia, I have fond memories of spending many evenings engaged in discussions with my dad about his work – did he work on a J-22, MiG-21, MiG-29 or maybe another aircraft that I was not yet familiar with? Those evening talks soon evolved into special semi-annual trips, accompanying my dad to his workplace to see all the different types of aircraft. Today, I am proud to say
that I was born into a family with a sincere love and deep appreciation for aviation.
COLIN RATUSHNIAK
Captain, Rise Air, La Ronge, SK Colin Ratushniak, age 36, began his professional career as an ice skater performing in more than 65 countries, on five continents and in 500 major cities with producers such as
Disney On Ice, Holiday On Ice and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, among others. In 2011, he appeared as a professional skater on the hit UK television show Dancing on Ice with celebrity partner Laura Hamilton. He would continue to be involved in television productions overseas and in Canada until 2018, while also becoming a licensed Ontario Real Estate Agent.
In April 2019, Ratushniak turned his unrelenting drive toward a long-held passion for aviation, becoming a Twin Otter pilot for Rise Air, where he now serves as Captain on the King Air. Formed in 2021 when Transwest Air and West Wind Aviation combined operations under one
brand, Rise Air has the largest fleet of fixed-wing airplanes in Saskatchewan, including float, cargo, medevac and corporate travel aircraft, providing critical daily freight services to the province’s northern communities. Ratushniak has been a member of the National Gay Pilots Association since 2018. In 2020, he became mayor of La Ronge, Saskatchewan, a key northern town with a population of more than 2,600 sitting on the edge of the Canadian Shield, where he also serves as a Fitness Supervisor with the Lac La Ronge Indian Band’s local community centre.
What drew you into aviation?
I grew up in remote, small town Northern Manitoba – Gillam – where flying was the most accessible option to travel. Getting to explore the flight deck at a young age really planted a seed for me to eventually pursue my excitement to fly. Thank you to that flight crew back in 1990. Flying connects people to the world and I love getting to explore new places, people and different cultures.
ANNE-SOPHIE RIOPEL-BOUVIER
Co-founder and Aerial Operations, EXO Tactik Air Support, Saint Hubert, QC Anne-Sophie Riopel-Bouvier, age 30,
co-founded Support Aérien EXO Tactik in 2014 as a pioneering RPAS operation specializing in municipal and public safety missions in the Greater Montreal region. She became involved with the aviation industry in 2010 through the Royal Canadian Air Cadets 518 Rosemont Squadron, eventually serving as Flight Safety Officer with its gliding program. She served as the coordinator of the Lachute Gliding Site for close to two years. In 2018, Riopel-Bouvier became a Director with Unmanned Systems Canada, since renamed as the Aerial Evolution Association of Canada, establishing and chairing the drone-focused organization’s Flight Safety Committee.
Riopel-Bouvier recently became a primary member of the Canadian Aviation Safety Officer Partnership’s steering committee, representing the Special Operators (CARs 702 and 900 operators), and graduated from Université Laval’s urban intelligence master's degree program. A visionary and safety leader, she also spearheaded one of the first global SMS RPAS reporting programs and continues to lead by participating as a board member of CanaDAC and AEAC, where she is the first Flight Safety Officer. RiopelBouvier gained the support of the Transport Canada RPAS Task Force and NAV Canada as she developed a collaborative team called the Flight Safety Action Team. She continues to instruct air cadets on weekends.
What is your company unique?
EXO Tactik brings the benefits of new aviation technologies to all sizes of municipalities who in turn fuel their value for their citizens. As EXO Tactik is also an involved member of the Canadian RPAS industry, I also have the privilege to work with the CanaDAC’s Social Acceptance Task Group and to work with the Flight Safety Action Team to introduce tools like
the RPAS SMS that contributes to a better integration of the RPAS with traditional aviation.
KEYANO RITTER
Chief Flight Instructor, Brandon Flight Centre, Brandon, MB Keyano Ritter, age 24, was hired by Brandon Flight Centre in February 2021 as a Class 3 Flight Instructor. Since then, he has excelled in every aspect of the organization’s flight training unit, attaining his Class 2 rating and later in 2021 moved into the Assistant Chief Flight Instructor role. He set up and operates Brandon Flight Centre’s (BFC) satellite base in Dauphin, MB, at Lt. Col W.G Billy Barker Airport, CYDN. Ritter helped to build and grow BFC’s youth programs at CYDN.
Ritter at the start of 2022 was appointed as BFC’s Chief Flight Instructor and is also poised to earn his Class 1 instructor rating in a matter of weeks. He averages almost double the monthly instructional hours over all of the other BFC instructors. From Leduc, Alberta, Ritter moved to Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ont., to pursue his career in aviation and then worked with Vanguard as a medevac pilot, while also serving as a flight instructor back at Confederation before moving to the Brandon area.
What drew you into aviation?
When I was a kid I was sporty and imaginative. I am an analytical, calm, friendly, honest and reliable person. These traits led me to a desire to experience new things and challenge myself. I am thankful to God for giving me the talents and
opportunities to be where I am today. After earning a Black BeIt in Tae Kwon Do, I thought the next new adventure should be learning to fly. I had such a high level of respect for my flight school training at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ontario, that I was motivated to work with students to help them reach their goals – like first solo. It’s a very satisfying and rewarding experience.
ERIN SCHELLENBERG
Vice President, Quality & Safety, Calm Air International, Winnipeg, MB Erin Schellenberg, age 36, is one of top safety management leaders in Canada’s aviation industry, after beginning her career with Calm Air as a Flight Attendant in 2007. By mid-2010, she transitioned into safety management as an analyst, focusing on safety investigation and risk assessment, before moving into a role as Manager of Safety Programs in 2017. Schellenberg has played an integral role in the evolution of Calm Air’s safety and operating culture over the last decade. In her VP role for the past four years, In her current VP role for the past four years, Schellenberg was required to re-imagine the structure and composition of an airline’s safety department, developing the processes required for the company’s datadriven safety approach, as well as training and leading team members.
Schellenberg holds particular strengths in condensing and organizing information and processes into tools and guidance that can be used and applied by AMEs, ramp crews, dispatchers and operations personnel, as well as frontline flight and cabin crews. Her work at Calm Air is often exported for implementation inside other Exchange Income Corporation (EIC) companies as best practices.
Why is your company unique?
Calm Air gives so many reasons to love working here. We connect Nunavut and Manitoba for people and cargo, by providing transportation for medical services, intercommunity travel, tourism, and bringing everything from food and building materials to fuel for the people who need it. One of my favourite parts of working for Calm Air is seeing how they continuously invest in their people. I started as a flight attendant with no aviation experience. The organization invested in my training and development over the years, and I am now a part of the management team leading the airline.| W
Anne-Sophie Riopel-Bouvier of EXO Tactik Air Support.
CBAA 2022 CONFERENCE
CANADIAN BUSINESS AVIATION LEADERS GATHER AT SKYSERVICE TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE
BY PHIL LIGHTSTONE
The Canadian Business Aviation Association held its annual Exhibition in mid-June for the first time after two years of Covid lockdowns. The convention kicked off with golf tournament at Woodbine Golf Club in Toronto with 88 golfers raising $29,393 for Hope Air. Attendees moods were clearly energized by faceto-face interactions.
The CBAA event in total had 530 attendees, 41 vendors, 11 sessions with 10 hours of content, 16 speakers and 15 aircraft on display on Skyservice’s South ramp. While the total economic results of the event cannot be quantified, one vendor reports conducted US$2 million in sales during the conference.
On Tuesday evening, a welcome reception was held at the Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel, sponsored by JetEx Flight Support. Attendees were treated to a target rich environment
including ice cold martinis, courtesy of CAE. A full day of sessions kicked off Wednesday morning, with CBAA’s Annual General Meeting breakfast, followed by a presentation from author and aviator Dr. Christopher Broyhill (Ph.D, CAM), author, called Business Aviation Leadership, From the Traits to the Trenches. Broyhill delivered a message focusing on how BA leaders can navigate these tumultuous times (labour shortages, increasing costs) using leadership techniques to hone employee empowerment and responsibility.
There was plenty of valuable information communicated by the 11 conference sessions. Matt Bartolotta, Director of Sales and Key Accounts, CCX Technologies, presented an interesting seminar entitled Brave New World: Cyber and personal security for business aviation. This session included a profile of a hacker, the vulnerabilities
of the aviation ecosystem inclusive of aircraft systems, and a top-level overview of avionics cybersecurity in terms of Wi-Fi, internet, aircraft security, and data. A few aviation specific solutions were discussed, but it was short on the costs associated with protecting both an aircraft and the front/back office.
Wednesday’s lunch featured Major Brian Shul (USAF, retired) speaking about his life in the USAF serving in Vietnam and transitioning to the SR-71
INSIDERS BELIEVE THE ECONOMIC LOSS TO AVIATION FROM THE LUXURY TAX WILL ACTUALLY BE IN THE BILLIONS.
Blackbird. Major Shul was shot down while on patrol during the Vietnam conflict. His aircraft’s ejection seat failed as a result of battle damage to the aircraft. He survived the crash landing, but spent a year in hospital recovering from his burns and surgeries. While the
medical staff did not believe he would be able to return to active flight duty, Major Shul was able to create a more than positive mental attitude, which day after day grew his strength and facilitated a recovery to flying status. This lead him on a journey to become a SR-71 pilot, a member of an elite group of 85 pilots and RSOs who were trained to fly the SR-71 operationally, flying above 85,000 feet and faster than Mach 3.2.
Steven Sitcoff, a tax and aviation lawyer with law firm McMillan LLP, presented a session on Tax and Legal Considerations for Owners. Sitcoff’s presentation included, among other pertinent topics for aircraft owners, an update on the upcoming implementation of the new Luxury Tax, slated for September 1, 2022. He reported that the Parliamentary Budget Office has estimated that the impact of the proposed Luxury Tax to Canadian aviation amounts to roughly $30 million in lost sales annually. Industry insiders believe the true economic loss to the aviation industry would actually be in the billions of dollars. Sitcoff
Anna Pangrazzi of Apex checks out CBAA’s static display, including the new Cessna 408 SkyCourier, on the ramp of Skyservice’s new facility at Toronto Pearson.
recommends that BA and GA owners and operators continue to engage with the federal MPs while the CBAA, COPA and others continue to educate the federal government and elected officials as to the negative impacts which the proposed Luxury Tax will have to the economy and the aviation industry.
Thursday saw the convention move from the Marriott Hotel to Skyservice’s new hanger and FBO centre at the south end of Lester B. Pearson International Airport (CYYZ). Skyservice’s newest facility at Pearson boasts over 90,000 square feet of modern, energy efficient hanger space and an amenity packed 20,000-square-foot terminal facility. On the ramp, there were 15 aircraft on static display, including Textron Aviation’s new Cessna 408 SkyCourier, designed for FedEx Express. The SkyCourier is a turbo prop which can be configured for either 19 passengers or cargo operations. With a maximum payload of 5,000
pounds, the cargo door has been designed to accommodate FedEx shipping containers.
Thursday started at 8:30 am with a Breakfast Plenary: Government and Agency Update, providing a unique opportunity for BA operators to dialogue with leaders from the key organizations that impact Canadian aviation in everyday operations. The presenters included: Andy Cook, Associate Director General, Civil Aviation, Transport Canada; Kathy Fox, Chair, Transportation Safety Board; and Andrew Lawrence, Director General, Transformation, The Canada Border Services Agency. With the current adverse conditions impacting airlines, BA and GA flights, both Cook and Lawrence provided grounded presentations and took a number of hard questions from the audience.
The rest of the day was focused on exhibits and static display of BA aircraft. Both vendors and attendees suffered from the heat, especially those
in business attire with outside air temps in the thirties. Exhibitors provided valuable information to attendees, inclusive of information on sustainable aviation fuel and how BA can achieve a zero carbon commitment. Million Air’s Sandy Nelson, Chief Branding and Business Development Officer travelled from Houston for the event.
Don Campion, President of Banyan Air Services of Ft. Lauderdale (KFXE) also attended the event. He founded Banyan in 1979 after moving from Toronto to Florida and graduating from Seneca College’s aviation program. Campion instills a very unique approach to the day-to-day operations of a world-class FBO and the growth of his organization, with more than 8,000 customers.
Key to the success of Banyan is Campion’s approach to empowering his employees, or teammates (as he calls them), in the decision-making process. With more than 200
employees, Banyan focuses on “talent, skills, attitude and troubleshooting” delivering a quality customer experience, while energizing Banyan Teammates.
Gogo Business Aviation was showcasing its new 5G cellular technology, delivering Internet services to aircraft while in the flight levels. Gogo does not focus on speeds and feeds, but the company is expecting the cellular technology to deliver bandwidth that is able to peak to 80 Mbps with averages between 20 and 30 Mbps. But more to come as it roles out a terrestrial based cellular network in the fourth quarter of 2022.
After two and a half years of Covid lockdowns, the CBAA’s 2022 convention hit supersonic speeds by providing a degree of normalcy back to the attendee’s quality of life. Mark your calendars for the CBAA’s 2023 Convention which will be held in Calgary from July 11 to 13, once again coinciding with the Calgary Stampede. | W
DELIVERING ON THE EAST COAST
ARDEL SMITH RETURNED HOME TO SHARE HIS EXPERIENCE AND SKILL AS A HELICOPTER PILOT BY MATTHEW BYARD, LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE, HALIFAX EXAMINER
Ardel Smith comes from a long history of Black Canadian aircraft pilots. Smith, who grew up in Cole Harbour and has family ties in North Preston, is the first Black aircraft pilot from Nova Scotia to fly helicopters.
“I've been all across Canada, I've met other Black pilots, whether they fly airplanes or helicopters,” Smith says. “So, I’m not the first black helicopter pilot in
Canada... and I'm not the first Black pilot in Canada. There could have been some since [I got] my licence, but I think I'm probably the first Black helicopter pilot from the Maritimes, definitely from the Black communities in the province.”
After a series of stints as a helicopter pilot in Ontario and the Northwest Territories, Smith moved back to Nova Scotia 11 years ago. He currently works as a helicopter pilot for the Department of Natural
Resources and Renewables.
“The main reason why I wanted to come back to Nova Scotia to work… obviously, because I'm from the province, but to give back to the community,” Smith says. “And to give back to the community. I mean not just my community of North Preston and the Black community, but really the province as a whole.”
Smith explains his interest in airplanes and helicopters started when his father took him to the air shows at Shearwater when he was about four or five years old.
His interest shifted to helicopters after he went on a helicopter ride, first as a kid while on a family vacation to the U.S., then after taking another helicopter ride during a field trip while a local summer camp.
“And the helicopter ride was all of maybe 10 minutes, not even, but that’s when I knew I wanted to fly helicopters as opposed to airplanes,” Smith explains, who underwent his first flight training in British Columbia in 1999.
“Back then the internet wasn’t the way it is today, so I got all my information out of some magazines,” he said. “One of these magazines had a directory at the back, which pretty much had every helicopter company in Canada in it. So that’s how I found out about a lot of the flight schools.”
He then went on to enroll at Canadian Helicopters’ flight school at Buttonville in Markham, Ont. After graduating, Smith was hired by a company called Four Seasons Aviation in Toronto in a non-flying role. “It was just to help out, wash the helicopters, do all that stuff,” Smith says.
For a few years, Smith spent his time going back and forth to jobs in Toronto and in Nova Scotia, including stints at the Department of Lands and Forestry.
He then accepted a full-time position in Toronto with Four Seasons Aviation, which had a contract with Global News. Part of Smith’s work included flying Global News employees and camera operators over and around Toronto to gather news footage.
“I got a lot of hours and experience flying over Toronto, and ended up flying at night time,” Smith explains. “And then from there I went up to Yellowknife.”
In the Northwest Territories, Smith worked for about five years for a company called Great Slave Helicopters. It was there he said he was most able to hone his skills as a helicopter pilot.
“I gained a lot of experience when I was working in Toronto, but I was mostly over the city and a lot of the flying was [in] a controlled environment where there’s controllers telling you what to do, and planes are flying everywhere,” he says. “So you couldn’t just blast around, do whatever you want to do. But once you get up north to the high Arctic, you’re up there by yourself, and you’re it.
Ardel Smith worked in the congestion of Toronto and freedom of the north before flying in Nova Scotia.
“Weather is horrible,” Smith continues. “Weather reports are not as accurate as down here in big urban areas where you can just log on to a website and watch radars and watch weather patterns. Up there, there’s weather [reports], but it’s not 100 per cent accurate.
“Everything’s just so unforgiving up there. It’s literally like no-man’s land up there. And if you’re not careful, up there will literally eat you up and spit you out and not look back.”
Eleven years ago this summer, Smith moved home and accepted a full-time position with the Department of Lands and Forestry (now the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables). He currently works out of East Hants.
Through his work, Smith says he takes part in a number of youth outreach events and career days at schools throughout HRM, including Bell Park Elementary in East Preston and Nelson Whynder Elementary in North Preston.
Most of the students at Nelson Whynder are Black. Alicia Kibwaa, who teaches at the school, recalled one of the career days Smith attended where he did sessions with each class from grades primary to six.
“They were definitely excited, mainly because some students know him or his family,” Kibwaa says. “Seeing themselves represented in him was rewarding and exciting for
the students. For a child to see themselves represented is so important and special.
“He talked about his journey as a pilot and encouraged students to follow their dreams,” Kibwaa continues. “He landed the helicopter in the field near the school and students were given the opportunity to explore the aircraft. I recall the students being super excited. The event, especially his role in
it, was talked about for a very long time after.”
In his current role, Smith’s work includes everything from wildlife surveys, forest surveys, searching for missing people, forest fire suppression, and coordinating and collaborating with law enforcement and emergency services.
“We’re what we call initial attack, so we’re pretty much first on scene in a forest fire," Smith said. “And if it’s raging out of control, or there are homes or structures at stake, then we pretty much, the province, will throw everything they have at it to stop it.
“And then also, any type of search and rescue operation within the province,” Smith continues. “Nothing out over the ocean, but all inland stuff we’re the primary phone call. So, if anybody goes missing in the woods or along the shores or anything like that, from Yarmouth, all the way up to Cape Breton, we're one of the primary air assets that they call.” | W
Smith is prepared for range of missions from SAR to wildfire suppression.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ADDRESSES KEY AIR TRANSPORT ISSUES
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities (TRAN) undertook this Spring a study “on ways to reduce red tape and costs on rural and urban Canadian airports to make air travel more affordable and accessible”. We salute this initiative as there have been too few committee studies on ways to help aviation better serve the Canadian traveller.
The obvious focus for the past two years has been on getting through the pandemic and now on a recovery in a vastly different socio-economic environment where consumer behavior has been forever modified. Not only is it very difficult to predict the future demand for air travel, our industry and the travelling public are facing cost increases that could completely alter the demand very quickly.
Business travel is certain to feel the effects of the widespread use of videoconferencing in-lieu of in-person meetings. Reduced business travel, increased costs, personnel shortages and reduced levels of service by government service providers are certainly not helping us find a way out of this post pandemic maze.
Insufficient government services, at the Department, at airports security, and at customs, are only adding to the chaos. The fact that Canada seriously lagged behind our trading partners in reducing health restrictions did not help create the winning conditions that we so urgently need.
Many of the suggestions put forward before this Committee certainly merit consideration. Although ATAC stands firmly against the privatisation of the National Airport System airports, as doing so in some countries has led to serious increases in costs, much could be gained, however, by doing a deep dive into many options for airports that can’t be sustained by the user-payer model. This is particularly the case for regional and northern airports.
To limit further serious damage to the air industry and help us work towards full recovery, the Government needs to change its approach to help us better serve Canadians in the post pandemic environment. The first thing that must be done is to stop treating the air transport industry differently than all other modes of transport in Canada.
The Government must stop considering the air transport industry as a revenue stream. No other mode of transport is aggrieved like the air transport industry. Why on the one hand does the Government draw over $1 billion a year from fees and charges in aviation not found in any other mode of transport, and on the other hand finance passenger rail to the order of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Total Via Rail passenger count in 2020 was 1.15 million, a 75% drop over 2019. This resembles the percentage loss of air passengers in the same period. Yet, Via Rail received operational and capital subsidies of $669 million in 2020, that is $582 per passenger.
Need I remind this Committee that rail carries less than 5 million passengers on a good year as compared to close to 150 million passengers in aviation.
One could easily conclude that aviation is subsidizing rail in this country.
To limit the crippling damage to the air industry, the Government of Canada must:
• Stop using aviation as a revenue stream.
• Failing to do so, the Government needs to at least reinvest aviation revenues generated by fees and charges back into aviation.
• Consider regional aviation as a vital link in Canada’s connectivity.
• Invest in regional and northern air infrastructure as the user-pay model just can’t sustain operations in these regions that depend almost entirely on aviation. This is key to their ability to provide the services needed to support the free flow of passengers. Not only do these airports offer a vital socio-economic link to the rest of Canada but many of them are important feeders of international passengers to and from other airports in Canada.
• Establish a federally backed funding program for all students attending professional flight school or post secondary institutions providing Transport Canada approved Aircraft Maintenance Engineer programs that are accredited by provincial acts such as in Ontario Private Career College. This is what is needed to attract the increased number of pilot and maintenance trainees required to address future shortages that are on our doorstep today.
• Privatize CATSA at no cost to the air transport industry or their passengers. In other words, abandon the idea of imposing on passengers via the industry a price tag of $600 M for assets already paid for many times over by passengers through the Air Travellers Security Charge over the years.
• Consider NAV CANADA as an essential service and support it should we go through another such catastrophic drop in revenue because of a national crisis.
• Rather than spend money on politically motivated projects such as high frequency rail that traffic volumes would never justify nor sustain, the Government needs to develop in cooperation with industry a National Air Transport Policy focused on multimodality.
• Keep in mind that air transportation is now a way of life, in fact a way of survival for many, not a luxury but an economic enabler.
Modernizing air navigation
Highlighting some of the key projects being developed by NAV Canada
On the heels of the pandemic, the one constant for Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP) is the rapid pace of change as demand for air travel returns, airlines seek more predictable and efficient operations, and the global aviation community works to do more to reduce the industry’s environmental impact. At NAV Canada, there is a sense of renewal, as we respond to these new drivers of change.
To support NAV Canada’s efforts innovate and modernize air navigation services, the Government of Canada recently announced funding under the National Trade Corridors Fund for NAV Canada to improve: The reliability, safety and performance of Canada's air transportation system, especially in the event of extreme weather and in remote communities; air traffic management, such a move to Trajectory Based Operations and the integration of drone traffic management services; and the technology and infrastructure at four major airports (Montréal International, Toronto Pearson, Calgary International, and Vancouver International) to respond to increased air traffic demand.
Representing a joint total investment of $261.1 million by NAV Canada and the federal government, implementing these innovative projects and technologies will ensure enhanced safety and efficiencies – including increasing operational predictability, reducing flying time, decreasing aircraft fuel consumption, increasing the movement of cargo, and enabling capacity enhancements to meet the growing demand at airports.
NAV Canada plays a unique and critical role in strengthening Canada’s supply chains, supporting global market access by helping with the international flow of goods.
Traffic flows to and from domestic and international airports through our major hubs of Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. Capacity and resilience at these major hubs is critical to increasing international trade flows for time-sensitive cargo carried by aviation. When bad weather hits our major airports, capacity can be reduced by as much as 50 per cent. This is why NAV Canada strategic direction investments will deliver advanced weather prediction systems and deploy new planning and decision support systems that will ease the recovery of airline schedules by maintaining
NAV Canada investments will deliver new weather prediction and planning systems to ease the recovery of airline schedules.
performance as close to maximum as possible during abnormal events.
Developing advanced airport capacity tools will help with arriving and departing traffic flows and allows us to maximize the movement of goods while providing a more resilient service in extreme weather scenarios. As part of this effort, NAV Canada will also provide new and upgraded navigation aids and better approach procedures for airports located in remote communities.
In terms of enhancing Air Traffic Management and Airspace Modernization, the rapid growth of drone or remote piloted aircraft systems is expected to triple by 2023 and is forecasted to outnumber manned aviation by a factor of 20:1. As a result, unmanned traffic management needs to evolve to safely adopt new airspace for users. Today’s drones are much smaller, operate at very low altitudes, cannot be reliably detected by radar or communicate effectively with air traffic service specialists.
With more than 18,000 pilots registered in NAV Drone and nearly 3,500 pilots with an Advanced Pilot Certificate, representing about 50 per cent of all Advanced Pilot Certificates delivered by Transport Canada, there has been a 60 per cent year-on-year increase compared to the process in place before NAV Drone.
Supported by the federal government,
NAV Canada will continue to invest in the needed flight information management systems and procedures to integrate drone operations within our air traffic management systems.
In terms of trajectory Based Operations (TBO), our current airspace structure was conceived over 50 years ago. Extensive development is required to our current air traffic management systems. In Canada, we have seven airspace zones that operate somewhat independently from each other, located in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Moncton and Gander. This project will create a centralized trajectory service for Canada enabling NAV Canada to better optimize the air traffic flow at a national level.
A unified national airspace would allow airlines and cargo carriers to file, modify, and fly their preferred trajectory reducing the cost of transportation of goods. The benefits are that this will allow for more cargo to be transported and allow airlines to fly in a way that increases predictability, reduces fuel burn, and minimies bottlenecks at the major airports. Trajectory Based Operations and Airspace Modernization will help move our operation from tactical air traffic control intervention to increased strategic air traffic management.
To achieve this vision, partnerships will be essential. NAV Canada recently announced it is exploring iTEC – a consortium comprising seven of the most important European ANSPs together with technology partner Indra – which collaboratively are developing a common flight data processor system, sharing investments and R&D efforts. These collaborations are necessary in order to provide better, more efficient services to customers, and to support NAV Canada’s TBO initiative. | W
Mark Cooper is Vice President, Chief Technology and Information Officer for NAV Canada.
Mark Cooper | guest columnist
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