HE - Wings - September - October 2022

Helicopters in Canada

ROBINSON

PHOTO: RAMMY SOHAL

Fromer CF-18 demo pilot, Erick O’Connor at the controls of his F1 Rocket, which he completely rewired for close to a decade. The aircraft was one of eight Canadian winners at this year’s EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh.

From the top: Porter Airlines faces new decisions about flying out of Pearson. P. 12. A Conair Q400 hard

P32

Stay in Touch with Aviation News

SUBSCRIBE Online TODAY

Printed in Canada ISSN 0701-1369

READER SERVICE

Print and digital subscription inquires or changes, please contact Angelita Potal, Customer Service Administrator Tel: (416) 510-5113 Fax: (416) 510-6875 apotal@annexbusinessmedia.com

Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1

EDITOR

Jon Robinson jrobinson@annexbusinessmedia.com • 647-448-6188

FLIGHT DECK

Matthew Byard, David Carr, Mark Cooper, Scott Henderson, Kendra Kincade, Phil Lightstone, Carroll McCormick,

NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER Mena Miu mmiu@annexbusinessmedia.com • 416-510-6749

ACCOUNT CO-ORDINATOR Barb Vowles bvowles@annexbusinessmedia.com • 416-510-5103

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Serina Dingeldein sdingeldein@annexbusinessmedia.com • 416-510-5124

MEDIA DESIGNER Brooke Shaw

GROUP PUBLISHER AND VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Martin McAnulty mmcanulty@annexbusinessmedia.com

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Scott Jamieson sjamieson@annexbusinessmedia.com

WINGS MAGAZINE

P.O. Box 530, 105 Donly Dr. S., Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5 Tel: 519-428-3471 Fax: 519-429-3094 Toll Free: 1-888-599-2228

PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT #40065710

Published six times per year (Jan/Feb, Mar/Ap, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sep/Oct, Nov/Dec) by Annex Business Media

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Canada – 1 Year $ 34.50 (plus GST - #867172652RT0001)

USA – 1yr -$ 78.50 CDN (USD $60.50) International – 1yr - $90.50 CDN (USD $69.50)

Occasionally, Wings magazine will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above.

Annex Privacy Office privacy@annexbusinessmedia.com • Tel: 800.668.2374

No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission.

©2022 Annex Business Media All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions.

All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication.

By Jon Robinson |

Canadian space exploration

Webb and Artemis rekindle domestic aerospace passion and opportunity

The first image from NASA’s new space telescope was unveiled on July 11, 2022, showing thousands of galaxies inside the deepest view of the cosmos ever captured. Part of the image, explains NASA, contains light from not too long after the Big Bang, which was 13.8 billion years ago. The US$10 billion James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was designed through an international program led by NASA with partners, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, to solve mysteries of our solar system, find distant worlds around other stars, and probe the structures and origins of the universe.

JWST is equipped with two critical Canadian-built systems, including a Fine Guidance Sensor, which helps aim the telescope, and the Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS), which helps analyze light. Both Canadian instruments were show to be working properly when the first images came back to earth from the telescope orbiting more than 1.5 million kilometres from earth. Seen as the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, JWST is an orbiting infrared observatory that is at least 100 times more powerful than its visible-light collecting predecessor launched in 1990.

The Canadian-made Fine Guidance Sensor, built with the NIRISS by Com Dev in Ottawa, allows the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to determine its position, locate its celestial targets, track moving targets, and remain steadily locked or pointed, with very high precision, on a specific celestial target. These two Canadian systems have allowed amazing images to flow back to earth and perhaps none so stunning as the first direct image of a planet outside of our solar system, released at the start of September.

The exoplanet, called HIP 65426 b, is a gas giant like Jupiter and about 12 times the mass

of our solar system’s largest planet. NASA explains HIP 65426 b is young for a plant at just 15 to 20 million years of age, compared to our 4.5-billion-year-old Earth.

The planet is not habitable, of course, and thousands of these gas giants have been recorded through other non-direct means, but this new image from NASA shows the potential of JWST to find atmospheres and potential earth-like planets in the so-called Goldilocks Zone.

The new image (pictured here) shows the exoplanet HIP 65426 b in four different bands of infrared light, as seen from JWST: purple shows the NIRCam instrument’s view at 3.00 micrometers, blue shows the NIRCam instrument’s view at 4.44 micrometers, yellow shows the MIRI instrument’s view at 11.4 micrometers, and red shows the MIRI instrument’s view at 15.5 micrometers. NASA explains the images look different because

TOP DATA BURSTS in this issue

1. JWST’s first image captured light from just after the Big Bang, 13.8 billion years ago. P 6 2. Overture is being built to fly Mach 1.7 over water with a range of 4,250 nautical miles. P 8 3. More than 750 people voted in this year’s Top Canadian FBO Survey. P 14 4. More than 10,000 aircraft flew in to this year’s Oshkosh. P. 28 5. More than 120 helicopter operators appear in the 2023 Aerial Firefighting Directory. P 32.

of the ways the different Webb instruments capture light. A set of masks within each instrument, called a coronagraph, blocks out the host star’s light so that the planet can be seen. NASA notes the small white star in each image marks the location of the host star HIP 65426, which has been subtracted using the coronagraphs and image processing. The bar shapes in the NIRCam images are artifacts of the telescope’s optics, not objects in the scene.

At a time when Canada is gearing up to participate in NASA’s renewed moon ambitions, under the Artemis missions, which also in September began uncrewed test flights of the new Space Launch System. There are currently two Canadian astronauts involved in the Artemis program who might be among the first to step on the moon in decades, including Jenni Sidey-Gibbons of Calgary and Joshua Kutryk of Fort Saskatchewan.

The growing investment of Canada into space exploration could rekindle the passion of development that surrounded the Canadarm and also support hundreds of aerospace companies for years to come. As Bob Weber of the Canadian Press noted in an article describing the importance of the Canadian systems on JWST, Canada has contributed almost $200 million since Webb project began in 1996 – as a result, Canadian astronomers are entitled to five per cent of the telescope’s observation time.| W

LET’S FLY MORE.

We take efficiency and luxury as seriously as you do. Have your passengers experience aviation as it was meant to be with the comfort of more space, while maximizing your savings and time. Fly fast. Fly farther. Burn less fuel.

Experience the DA62.

ON THE FLY

For late-breaking news and exclusive web content, please visit us at: www.wingsmagazine.com

THE LEAD

AMERICAN AIRLINES DEAL TO PURCHASE BOOM SUPERSONIC AIRCRAFT

American Airlines on August 16 announced an agreement to purchase up to 20 Boom Supersonic Overture aircraft, with an option for an additional 40. American has paid a non-refundable deposit on the initial 20 aircraft. Boom is developing Overture to carry passengers at twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial aircraft. Overture is slated to roll out in 2025 and carry its first passengers by 2029. Under the terms of the agreement with American Airlines, Boom must meet industry-standard operating, performance and safety requirements as well as American’s other customary conditions before delivery of any Overtures. Back in June 2021, United Airlines announced its plans to purchase 15 supersonic jets from Boom with an option for 35 more.

Boom Supersonic on July 19, 2022, unveiled what it describes as the final production design of Overture and also announced a new partnering agreement with Northrop Grumman to develop special mission variants of the aircraft. Aiming to carry 65 to 80 passengers at twice the speed of today’s airliners, and to also run on 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel, Overture is being built to fly Mach 1.7 over water with a range of 4,250 nautical

miles. The new aircraft design, revealed at the Farnborough International Airshow, is the culmination of 26 million core-hours of simulated software designs, five wind tunnel tests, and the evaluation of 51 full design iterations. Boom notes Overture should be able to fly more than 600 existing airline routes around the world in as little as half the time, such as flying from Miami to London in just under five hours and from Los Angeles to Honolulu in three hours.

COMMERCIAL

PORTER AIRLINES ORDERS 20 MORE EMBRAER E195 E2 JETS

Porter Airlines in mid-July placed a firm order for 20 Embraer E195-E2 passenger jets, adding to its existing 30 firm orders. Porter will use the E195-E2 to extend its service to destinations throughout North America. 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 E195E2 aircraft, with 50 firm commitments and 50 purchase rights. In 2021, Porter ordered 30 Embraer E195-E2 jets, with purchase rights for a further 50 aircraft, worth US$5.82 billion at list price, with all options exercised. “The aircraft will become core to our fleet, as Porter reshapes passenger expectations for air travel in same way we did over 15 years ago. Announcements are forthcoming that will detail our initial routes, in-flight product and other details,” said Michael Deluce, CEO of Porter.

Porter will be the North American launch customer for Embraer’s newest family of jets, the E2. Porter’s investment could create as many as 6,000 new jobs.

Porter intends to deploy the E195-E2s to throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean, from Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and Toronto Pearson.

MRO KF CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE TAKES FLIGHT

KF Aerospace on August 30 hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new 60,000-square-foot KF Centre for Excellence in Kelowna, BC. Designed to reflect the fuselage and wings of an aircraft, the KF Centre is a legacy project of KF Aerospace Founder and Chairman, Barry Lapointe. The mass timber building includes two dedicated hangars featuring a rare aircraft collection, while the building’s fuselage houses an interactive exhibition that tells the story of aviation in the Okanagan.

Initial aircraft on display at the centre will include the de Havilland Mosquito bomber and a newly restored Hawker Tempest MKII, among others. The building also features an airfield viewing gallery and conference facilities for businesses and events in the region. “This building will truly be a landmark in the Okanagan Valley for decades to come,” said KF Centre for Excellence Executive Director, Paula Quinn. “It was built with the entire community in mind, to be a place where those from all generations, cultures and backgrounds can gather.”

NAV Canada on August 2 confirmed, that due to supply chain impacts related to

Porter’s first E195-E2 delivery and entry into service is scheduled to start in the second half of 2022.

Exciting horizons ahead.

At the WestJet Group (WestJet, WestJet Encore and Swoop), you’ll discover opportunities to grow your roots with established and respected airlines. We offer an exciting career with stability and development. Under our wing, you can count on flexible scheduling and a competitive savings plan to set you up for the long-haul.

If you’re ready to elevate your aviation career in a diverse and inclusive work environment—come fly with us.

• WestJet 737 First Officers

• Encore First Officers

• Licensed Airline Maintenance Engineers

See these and more opportunities at westjet.com/greatjobs

the COVID pandemic, the previously announced implementation dates for the Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) Out Performance Mandate have been adjusted for Class A and B airspace. In coordination with Transport Canada, NAV Canada explains new dates have been developed based in part on customer feedback regarding supply chain limitations and backlogs to acquire and install the appropriate transponder, as well as current equipage levels in each class of airspace.

As a result, the mandate will come into effect as follows: Class A Canadian airspace on August 10, 2023; Class B Canadian airspace on May 16, 2024; and Class C, D and E to occur no sooner than 2026 (to be determined pending further assessment). In February 2022, NAV CANADA announced Canada’s plan to implement ADS-B Out mandate to enhance aircraft operations in domestic airspace – requiring aircraft operators flying in certain domestic airspace to meet ADS-B Out Performance Requirements.

HELICOPTERS

FIRST ACH125 LINE HELICOPTER DELIVERED IN NORTH AMERICA

Following the order announcement earlier this year at the Heli-Expo trade show in Dallas, Texas, Ashlynne Dale, a private pilot and

Complete Business Aircraft Services

Aircraft Acquisition & Consignment Airframe Maintenance

Avionics Installation

Emergency Assistance (AOG)

Engine & APU

Engineering & Certification Services

FBO Services

Government & Special Programs

Paint & Interior

Parts, Avionics, Instruments & Accessories

Experience. Unlike any other. www.DuncanAviation.aero

entrepreneur, has taken delivery of an Airbus Corporate Helicopters ACH125 Line aircraft that she will fly for personal use. Dale plans to use the aircraft primarily close to home in the Oro-Medonte and Muskoka areas of Ontario with her family and the VIP on the flight, her dog, flying a powerful aircraft like the ACH125 is not something she takes lightly and being prepared for any situation is the only way she operates.

Prior to receiving her aircraft, Dale underwent several supplemental pilot training courses in addition to the standard training provided with acquisition. This included several additional hours of flight training as well as the Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IIMC) and Unusual Attitude Recovery Training courses which are designed to prepare pilots with effective avoidance and recovery techniques in case of emergency in poor weather conditions.

Advertisement Additional options designed and manufactured in Canada that have been added to this aircraft include

Ashlynne Dale plans to use the Airbus ACH125 primarily close to home in the Oro-Medonte and Muskoka areas of Ontario.

the cargo mirror, the floor window and the cable cutter.

S-92 FLEET SURPASSES 2 MILLION HOURS

Lockheed Martin at the end of July announced the global fleet of its multi-mission Sikorsky S-92 helicopters surpassed two million flight hours in a variety of missions, including search and rescue, oil and gas transportation and VIP transportation in 28 countries. The S-92 was in service for 12 years when it reached one million flight hours. Just six years later, the fleet operates in 28 countries and its flight hours have doubled. Lockheed Martin explains operators utilizing the S-92 aircraft enjoy a better than 93 per cent availability rate, a best-in-class safety record even in extreme conditions, and a proven record of reliability and adaptability.

Sikorsky has delivered 300 S-92s with about 86 per cent operated in the offshore

oil and gas industry for personnel transport. Lockheed Martin states every major oil company relies on S-92s in their fleets. Fleet aircraft are also in service for civil search and rescue and have completed more than 91,000 search and rescue missions.

400TH BELL 505 DELIVERY

Bell Textron Inc. on August 4 announced the 400th delivery of a Bell 505 to

European customer Al Barratt, co-founder of Grenade and owner of Cotswold Aviation, both based in the United Kingdom. The Bell 505 program, including its manufacture, is primarily led out of Bell’s facility in Mirabel, Quebec. The first 505 was delivered in 2017 and today there are 400 aircraft operating on six different continents. Bell explains the 505 is one of its fastest growing products for corporate and VIP markets. The 505 is Bell’s newest five-seat aircraft and includes an Garmin G1000H NXi avionics suite and Safran Arrius 2R engine with dual-channel FADEC. | W

CANADIAN AVIATION CONFERENCE & TRADESHOW 2022

A major Industry Networking Event not to be missed!

ATAC’s Canadian Aviation Conference and Tradeshow is the premier national gathering offering Canada’s best networking, learning, and sales opportunity for operators, suppliers, and government stakeholders involved in commercial aviation and flight training in Canada.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15 TO THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17

WESTIN BAYSHORE HOTEL, VANCOUVER, BC

Sikorsky has delivered 300 S-92s with about 86 per cent operated in the offshore oil and gas industry for personnel transport. (Photo: Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin)

By John Gradek |

From low cost to Porter at Pearson

Coming changes to

Canadian

airlines could lead to even more disruption

The state of global aviation has been a mess in recent months as pandemic-related travel restrictions eased and the subsequent demand for flights put a tremendous strain on airlines and airports. For Canadian flyers, the situation may actually get worse after the summer travel season. There are a number of reasons for the current chaos in the airline industry in North America and Europe — primarily relating to staff shortages at both carriers and airports.

Air travellers continue to experience baggage mishandlings, delayed flights and, most recently for travellers coming to Canada, a return of COVID-19 testing.

Travellers worried

International travel demand has been impacted, with over 60 per cent of Canadians having reconsidered their travel plans because they were worried about disruption of their overseas vacations.

But there’s an even greater disruption on the horizon in Canada that’s unrelated to the current problems. A number of structural changes in the commercial aviation marketplace that have recently occurred, or are predicted to occur in the next 12 months, will result in more travel disruptions as airlines reconfigure themselves in the face of competitive and operating turmoil.

WestJet’s announcement of a strategic retrenchment into Western Canada is a sign that Canada’s newest ultra-low-cost carriers are having an impact in WestJet’s Alberta home market.

New low-cost airlines

Flair and Lynx, two ULCCs based in Alberta, are each planning to deploy 50 new aircraft. This will require WestJet to respond with significant capacity and pricing initiatives to preserve its strength in Western Canada.

Eastern Canada will see the emergence of Porter Airlines as a larger player when it starts receiving the first of 50 Embraer jets that will be deployed in major North American markets, primarily out of Toronto Pearson airport. Porter currently flies smaller planes out of Toronto’s downtown Billy Bishop Airport, a service it will maintain as the airline starts its Pearson operation.

While Porter seems to be taking aim at Air Canada with this strategy, there is an

Lynx and Flair are experiencing issues in operating prime-time domestic operations.

added complication for Porter flying out of Pearson.

Limitations at Pearson Airport

Pearson is what’s known as a slot-controlled airport, meaning there are limits to the number of landings and departures that can be accommodated by the airport. These slots are granted to airlines based on historical operating rights. New carriers must apply for slots to accommodate their scheduled operations – and rights are only granted if the requested slots are available.

With the buildup of airline capacity at Pearson in the spring of 2022, carriers have been operating a significantly greater number of flights to existing and new markets and consuming available slots.

Because these slots will now be grandfathered to current airlines – and with a paltry number of commercially acceptable remaining available slots – any new entrant into the Pearson marketplace will face significant challenges in securing marketable operating times. Both of Canada’s newest ULCCs, Lynx and Flair, are already experiencing issues in operating prime-time domestic operations.

When looking at Porter’s plans to base

its 50- to 100-aircraft fleet at Pearson, it is a certainty that Porter’s facilities and schedule will attempt to mirror those offered by current Pearson carriers.

Porter’s dilemma

This will be Porter’s dilemma: Will there be sufficient commercially viable facilities and slots available for them to be able to operate a competitively timed product out of Pearson? Will the Pearson infrastructure – terminal and aircraft operations, as well traffic control – be taxed beyond what we have seen at Pearson in these recent months?

While there are many safeguards in the Canadian air travel marketplace, such as Air Passenger Rights, it’s likely that airport access — particularly at Pearson, Canada’s air travel hub — will be front and centre as emerging carriers seek to expand services.

The evolution and survival of greater access to the commercial aviation industry in Canada will be put to the test — and may lead to a role for governments to provide additional, consumer-focused oversight on the allocation of Pearson’s slots to ensure fair access to new carriers. | W

This article was originally published by The Conversation. John Gradek is Faculty Lecturer and Program Co-ordinator, Supply Chain, Logistics and Operations Management, McGill University.

TOP FBO IN CANADA

Fast Air Jet Centre, Winnipeg, YWG

HUB FBO, Saint Hubert, YHU

Gateway Aviation, Windsor, YQG

TOP FBO IN WESTERN CANADA (BC, ALTA, YT, NWT)

Sunwest Aviation, YYC Million Air, YYC Airside Flight Services, YEG

TOP FBO IN CENTRAL CANADA (SASK, MAN, NUNAVUT)

Fast Air Jet Centre, YWG

Kreos Aviation, YQR Kreos Aviation, YXE

TOP FBO IN ONTARIO

Gateway Aviation, YQG

Chartright Air Group, YKF

Skyservice Business Aviation, YYZ

TOP FBO IN QUEBEC

HUB FBO, YHU

LUX FBO, YHU

TOP FBO IN ATLANTIC CANADA (NB, NL, NS, PEI)

PAL Aviation Services, YYT

Gateway Aviation, YHZ PAL Aviation Services, YHZ

Skyservice Business Aviation, YUL

RISING STAR AWARD

FBO making the largest jump in votes from the prior year Gateway Aviation, Windsor, YQG

CANADA’S TOP FIXED BASE OPERATORS

BY JON ROBINSON

The 2022 Top Fixed Base Operators in Canada survey conducted by Wings received 763 responses in an open voting system through the months of April, May and June. This number of responses is up significantly, 57 per cent, from last year’s survey of 485 responses. The 2020 survey also had a relatively low number of responses at 542, with both of these preceding years serving as a reflection of the Covid-19 pandemic on air travel.

The pre-pandemic 2019 Top Fixed Base Operators (FBO) in Canada survey edition had 1,845 participants, again reflecting what was a meteoric decade of meteoric air travel growth when

airports around the world, including Toronto Pearson (40 million annual passengers), were setting records. The 2022 survey results of 763 votes helps provide a positive picture of the rebounding air travel sector. It also helps show which FBOs maintained their high level of services through the height of the pandemic and perhaps reset their future best.

In this year’s FBO survey we asked respondents a range of questions with less emphasis on how their favourite FBOs are helping them to navigate a pandemic environment and instead focused on what customer might be looking for as they return to the skies for both business and pleasure. In addition to listing what they

Number of total votes in 2022

Safeguard Your Aircraft

Dependable aircraft management begins with the assurance your aircraft is serviced by the best maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider.

For more than 35 years, Skyservice has been delivering premier, full-service aircraft maintenance solutions. From high-quality routine maintenance, avionic upgrades and refurbishments to emergency 24/7 AOG support and parts, Skyservice’s technicians safeguard the performance of your aircraft.

We are a TCCA-, EASA-, and FAA-approved MRO and operate as an authorized service/ warranty center for Bombardier, HondaJet, Falcon/Dassault and Gulfstream. Count on Skyservice for all your aircraft maintenance needs and experience our unsurpassed service commitment to timely, transparent and dependable care.

consider to be the best FBO in Canada, respondents were asked what is most important to them in determining their favourite FBO.

The main purpose of the survey, of course, is to determine what respondents see as the Top FBO in Canada over 2022, as well as the Top Three FBOs by region and the country’s Rising Star, recognizing one operation that received the highest number of votes, year over year, among all others.

Congratulations to Fast Air Jet Centre for being voted as the 2022 Top Fixed Base

Operator in Canada. Fast Air has provided aircraft fuelling and handling services at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport in Manitoba for more than 30 years. A member of the Air Elite by World Fuel Network, Fast Air stayed razor focused on the future over the past couple years, as seen in 2021 commitment to run on a net zero basis for its carbon footprint, among other examples.

“In addition to our outstanding staff team, our success at the Fast Air Jet Centre really stands on the shoulders of the previous owner Mr. Bert Marks who maintained

Fast Air is one of Canada’s largest air charter operators of turbo-prop and private-jet aircraft, with a diverse fleet of nearly 30 aircraft.

the highest standard of excellence for many years,” Dan Rutherford of Fast Air told aviation writer and General Aviation pilot Phil Lightstone in a discussion about Fast Air’s 2022 win as the Top FBO in Canada. “The FBO in many ways is a legacy to his attention to detail and strong relationships with clients and staff.”

(See Phil Lightstone’s Sponsored Content article, The Fast Air Approach, page 22, for more about the organization’s growth and future plans.)

Fast Air placed first among all respondents for what the survey defines as the Central Canada region, followed by perennial favourites Kreos Aviation in both its Regina and Saskatchewan operations. Sunwest Aviation of Calgary placed first for the second year in a row in the Western Canada region, followed by Million Air of Calgary and Edmonton’s Airside Flight Services.

PAL Aviation Services continues to dominate Atlantic Canada with another top place finish for its Newfoundland facility, followed by a strong show from Gateway Aviation of Halifax and PAL Aviation’s

Halifax operation in third place for the region. The Quebec region continued to show a strong competition out of the strategically well-positioned Saint Hubert airport with HUB FBO in first place, followed by YHU’s LUX FBO, and Skyservice Business Aviation’s longstanding facility at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport placing third in the region.

Skyservice Business Aviation’s growing presence at Lester B. Pearson International Airport continued to shine in the Top FBO Survey with a third-place finish for the Ontario region. Skyservice’s newest facility at Toronto Pearson served as the setting for this year’s Canadian Business Aviation Association conference (see Phil Lightstone report on the CBAA conference in the July/August edition of Wings).

Chartright Air Group took second place in the competitive Ontario market, helping the organization mark what has been an active two years, including taking delivery of Canada’s first two Bombardier Global 7500 aircraft in mid-2021 to be managed and offered for charter by Chartright for two different customers. Headquartered at the Region of Waterloo International Airport, Chartright also took on more hangar space at Toronto Pearson, and opened a new FBO at Lake Simcoe Regional Airport.

Gateway Aviation Services placed first in Ontario in the Top FBO survey and also earned the Rising Star Award. With a need for more hangarage at Windsor International Airport, the idea for developing Gateway Windsor started to take shape in 2017, with its official opening in 2018, followed by its arrival as a full-service FBO in December 2020.

The growth of Gateway Windsor through the pandemic speaks to its strategic fit in one of Canada’s most important border cities and detail to customer service. (See Phil Lightstone’s sponsored content article The Rise of Gateway Aviation on page 20 for

insight into the FBO’s development and future plans.)

In this year’s survey we asked respondents to tell us, all things being equal, into which single area would you prefer to see your primary FBO invest. The clear number-one response was Facility Overall at 36 per cent, which speaks to the comfort and ease customers want when accessing an FBO.

The second top answer for where FBO clients would like to see more investment is Customer Service, at 21 per cent of the respondents, followed by Maintenance Capabilities at 12 per cent, Aircraft Availability/New Aircraft at 11 per cent, International Access at eight per cent, Transborder Access at seven per cent and On-board Communications at four per cent.

The 2022 survey also aimed to find out more about the respondents themselves, specifically asking what their role is when using FBO services, which included 35 per cent indicating they were business executives (up from 33 per cent in the year prior), followed by 15 per cent of the respondents being pilot/owners, 10 per cent being crew members, and seven per cent being charter pilots.

When asked for what type of travel do you most often use an FBO, business/corporate was the overwhelmingly highest response at 60 per cent, followed by personal at 28 per cent, and government/professional services at eight per cent, which closely mirrors last year’s results.

When asked how they use private/business/corporate aviation in terms of destinations, 65 per cent of respondents this year indicated they flew for domestic travel, which was lower than last year (over 70 per cent), which speaks to lifting of the restrictions on international travel. Transborder flights into the United States came second at 22 per cent, a significant growth, followed by international flights at 18 per cent, also representing a clear area of growth relative to last year’s results.| W

THE RISE OF GATEWAY AVIATION

By Phil Lightstone

Gateway Aviation of Windsor, Ontario, has won three prestigious WINGS Magazine awards including Top FBO in Ontario (1st place), Top FBO in Canada (3rd place) and the Rising Star Award for 2022. These awards are a testament to Gateway Aviation’s customer focus while building an FBO from the ground up and opening during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The concept for Gateway Aviation came from a need for hangarage in Windsor (CYQG). With shovels in the ground in 2017, Gateway Aviation was able to open their hangar doors in 2018.

Their 20,000 sq ft hangar can accommodate large corporate aircraft like a Global 7500 and was built to the discerning requirements of their owner. They soon found that there was a need in Windsor for high quality FBO services and, naturally, tenants were attracted to Gateway Aviation’s state of the art facility.

In December of 2020, Gateway Aviation opened as a full service FBO. While they are a small FBO with 14 employees and access to charter aircraft, they pride themselves in aligning their superior customer service with the needs of their clients. Gateway Aviation’s business aviation

tenants have brought with them major aviation management companies and, as a result, the FBO is buzzing with activity. As an Air Elite member, Gateway Aviation’s facilities, operating procedures and customer satisfaction levels are audited by World Fuel Services to ensure every Air Elite member upholds their standards. Part of the World Fuel network, Gateway Aviation has competitive fuel pricing for both JetA and 100LL.

Building from the groundup allowed Gateway Aviation to design their FBO, standard operating practices and team to meet exceptionally high standards.

Winner of Wings Rising Star Award, Gateway Aviation was opened in December 2020 as a full service FBO.

AVIATION

Mike Hogan, General Manager and Director of Aviation Services reports: “Mario Santarossa, our Assistant FBO Manager, and I visited several airports and experienced many levels of FBO service. Then, we took the best of the best and incorporated that into the design of our FBO.” The design, while offering moderate passenger office

space, boasts all the amenities that passengers and air crews expect from a world class FBO operator. The freshness of the new build incorporates modern designs and materials and has an open, luxurious feel. The second-floor patio is equipped with lounge seating, a fire pit and BBQ with health-conscious snacks and refreshments. Many of their customers enjoy the FBO as though it were a remote home rather than a remote office.

With the ability to cater to VIP customers, Gateway Aviation has been the choice of high-profile guests from CEOs and musicians to professional athletes and heads of state, including the Prime

Being a smaller FBO allows Gateway Aviation to provide an exceptional level of service to their clients, and having reliable, dedicated employees often results in an above-and-beyond experience.

Minister of Canada. The facility and its amenities are also enjoyed by artists headlining at Caesars Windsor, the city’s premier entertainment venue.

Critical to Gateway Aviation’s success is their people. Each employee is hand-picked to ensure that they have a customerfirst mentality. In fact, attitude is more important than the aviation FBO experience. Being a smaller FBO allows Gateway Aviation to provide an exceptional level of service to their clients, and having reliable, dedicated employees often results in an above-andbeyond experience.

In a short period of time, Gateway Aviation has created a firstclass aviation hub, delivering an uncompromising customerfirst experience. With no legacy baggage, they have a unique working environment focusing on fast turnarounds for their FBO customers. If they continue their current flight plan, what will be in store for them in 2023 and beyond?

THE FAST AIR APPROACH

TBy Phil Lightstone

he Fast Air Jet Centre is located at Winnipeg’s James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (CYWG) and has been voted to receive Wings’ Top FBO of the Year Award. This prestigious recognition is given from the results of a national survey of air crew and operators who name their top choice of FBO’s across the Country. Having served this location since 1989, the Fast Air Jet Centre (which began its life as an Esso Avitat) has gained a strong reputation for a high-quality client experience. The specific requirements of this aviation service sector are highly demanding and need constant attention to deliver what is required by today’s private aviation community.

In 2015 Fast Air purchased the Esso Avitat FBO, which had been delivering outstanding customer service for many years. The leadership group helped with a smooth transition and continue to operate at the same high standard. The

team includes, Jackie Jonson (Business Manager), D’Arcy McGill (Customer Service Manager), Robert Cox (Operations Manager) and Scott Hudson (Assistant Operations Manager) and who together have continued the legacy of service and excellence which led to its current accomplishment. Dan Rutherford, Marketing Manager and Business Development reports:

“In addition to our outstanding staff team, our success at the Fast Air Jet Centre really stands on the shoulders of the previous owner Mr. Bert Marks who maintained the highest standard of excellence for many years. The FBO in many ways is a legacy to his attention to detail and strong relationships with clients and staff.”

The Fast Air Jet Centre is a member of the Air Elite Network which is a group of private FBO’s around the world who operate at the same elevated levels of service. To be selected as a member of the network an FBO must demonstrate a consistent level of service and facility standards that meet the needs of today’s discerning travelers. There are nearly 100 members of the Air

Elite network globally and seven of them are found in major centres of Canada.

Fast Air operates several divisions that include the FBO, air charter services, aircraft management, maintenance and an air ambulance division (dba Vanguard Air Care), from its headquarters in Manitoba. As a part of this larger campus, the Fast Air Jet Centre has access to 100,000 square feet of heated hangars, maintenance, and aircraft support for its clients. This larger footprint enables the Jet Centre to accommodate all types of aircraft, from a private single engine, to large corporate jets, and even Boeing and Airbus aircraft with professional sports teams. Regardless of size, they all receive the same red-carpet experience. Fast Air also provide air charter Service in Toronto at Billy Bishop Downtown Island airport and are currently opening an air charter service at Abbotsford International Airport in British Columbia.

Fast Air was founded in 1995 by Dylan Fast, who began his career as a commercial pilot and soon realized that there was a need for an air charter service to meet the requirements of business and governments in Manitoba and beyond. His mantra from the outset has been, ‘Better not Bigger’, which focuses the team members on making sure things are done to the best of their abilities and not to worry about growth. This value has proven to be the means of a lot of growth, but the goal has always been to keep the quality high.

Staffed around the clock by friendly customer service agents and efficient ramp crews, Fast Air Jet Centre has become renowned for its quick turnaround capabilities – generally fueled and gone in under 30 minutes. With a focus on customer service and catering to the needs of aircrews as well as passengers, Fast Air delivers a white glove service beginning when the aircraft enters their ramp. Their typical service level has three marshallers on the ramp to guide pilots and their aircraft to a safe destination on the ramp. With the COVID-19 pandemic almost over and the boom in Business and Charter Aviation, Fast Air is building their sixth hanger, adding 40,000 sq ft to their hanger complex.

When hearing of the Wings Top FBO award being given to the Jet Centre, Dylan Fast, CEO and President of Fast Air commented: “I am very proud of Jackie, D’Arcy, Rob, Scott and the whole Fast Air Jet Centre team who have been recognized

by the aviation community as the Top FBO in Canada. I have had many messages from companies and aircrew over the years telling us about their great service experience, so I know this is well-deserved. Thanks team, keep up the great work!”

Sustaining the Fast Air culture begins with the hiring process, which has been challenging during the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, Fast Air teaches all staff a course on it vision, values and client experience called the ‘Fast Air Approach’. The values are reinforced by simply printing them on the back for their company identification badges, outlining mission, vision and culture as a way to keep their values front and centre. Fast Air works hard to deliver on their core values especially when customers have unusual catering requirements or when unexpected arrivals strain their ramp resources. Fortunately, being part of a larger group, allows access to five other hangers and ramps, inclusive of Fast Air’s maintenance hangers.

Sustainable Aviation is a major focus at Fast Air, in fact the Jet Centre was the first FBO in Canada to be carbon-neutral (2019). As part of a ten-year strategic plan, Fast Air began building their sixth hanger with it opening for service in October 2022. The design and build of the new hanger focused on sustainability. Fast Air is the first Canadian FBO organization to be certified by National Air Transportation Association’ (NATA) sustainability standard for business aviation. The Sustainability Standard for Aviation Business, is a new sustainability

initiative, created to provide FBOs and other aviation businesses a self-certification process for pursuing flexible, cost-effective options to lower their carbon footprint. Developed by a working group under NATA’s Environment Committee, the NATA Sustainability Standard for Aviation Businesses is an industry standard designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (including CO2), increase use of more environmentally friendly energy sources, reduce waste, and encourage sustainability operation-wide. Fast Air is committed to developing safer and more environmentally friendly transportation solutions through innovation, adherence to industry best practices, carbon offsets and investments in clean technology. Their sustainability practices are guided by improvements for People, Planet and Profits.

People, process, and technology drive a company’s journey to the execution of their corporate mandates, goals, and profitability. Long term success is driven by a secret sauce blending these ingredients into a recipe of success touching the lives of leaders, service staff and most importantly the customer. Fast Air’s achievement of WINGS Magazine FBO of the Year award demonstrates that they have the right recipe. Like many successful organizations, Fast Air thrives in a culture of growth while not sitting on their hands. What’s next for Fast Air, only time will tell, but no doubt, they will continue to deliver an outstanding customer experience, while retaining talented aviation professionals.

The Fast Air Approach is printed on the back of company identification badges, outlining Fast Air’s mission, vision and culture as a way to keep its values front and centre.

HELICOPTERS IN CANADA

TREVOR MITCHELL, CEO OF THE HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION OF CANADA, DISCUSSES ROTARY WING CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

BY JON ROBINSON

Trevor Mitchell was introduced as the incoming President and CEO of the Helicopter Association of Canada in November, 2021, succeeding Fred Jones who had led the nation’s leading source of vertical flight support for the past 13 years. Mitchell brings with him a broad range of experience in the Canadian helicopter industry, including more than 20 years of flying experience from his time as a line pilot to more senior flight roles as an operations manager.

This included serving as Base Director

for STARS Air Ambulance in Regina, adding experience from some of the most demanding aviation environments. He also flew as a line pilot for the Winnipeg Police Service. Mitchell most recently served as a Heliport Planner with WSP based in Regina, Saskatchewan, while also leading his consultancy specializing in rotary-wing operations and infrastructure.

His heliport experience provided the opportunity to add global perspective to his now 25-plus-year career of understanding the domestic dynamics of Canada’s robust

helicopter industry. A few weeks before the return of HAC’s conference, set for November 2 to 4 in Calgary, Wings spoke with Mitchell about the opportunities and challenges facing helicopter operations.

How did you find your way into aviation?

I have no aviation history in my family. I got into it through a life changing event. I was in a car accident that I probably shouldn’t have walked away from. At the time, I was actually in university to become an optometrist. When I was still being put together on the table, I said to myself, ‘I’m going to do something that I really want to do’ and aviation always intrigued me.

I saw my physician as he was releasing me from the hospital the next day and I said, ‘You know what, I’m going to go out and become a pilot.’ The doctor told me, ‘Good luck with that. I don’t think you’ll pass the medical.’ A year later, I booked an appointment with the same Dr. Johnson in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, and threw my license on his desk.

Why are you well suited to lead HAC?

I have a 20-year flying background – all rotary wing. I started my career in Western Canada, where I spent the majority of time, and the Canadian Arctic, a little throughout the United States and Central Canada. I’ve held almost every Transport Canada designated role from safety officer to operations manager, so I have a very good understanding of what makes the industry tick. After my flying career I moved into heliport planning and design, which provided an understanding of where the industry is going globally.

Why did you want to lead HAC?

I could see through all aspects of my career that this industry needs as much assistance as it can get. We aren’t the big airlines. We are the men and women who are called upon when people need a safety net… when no one else is available or can do the job. I don’t want to beat up on the regulator, but I saw the industry was needing more help.

Fred [Jones, former CEO of HAC] did a great job over his tenure and seeing him step back I thought, ‘I’m going to throw my hat in the ring and see what comes of it.’ During the interview phase, it really did click how I can make a difference and that’s my goal: I want to give back to the industry that’s given me so much over my career.

Why are helicopters important in particular to Canada?

A large portion of our country is still untapped and that’s what makes Canada such a great place. We don’t have that road network crisscrossing our country and we don’t have as large of an airport network as

After a decade of flying the line, Trevor Mitchell began to focus on consulting services with an emphasis on heliports.

a country like the United States. Canada has remote access with unprepared landing areas or many areas that have been left to reclaim themselves. This vast country is covered in resource opportunities, whether it’s timber, oil and gas, mining, exploration, yet conventional transportation is not available. This is where helicopters shine.

A different dynamic to this is that people want to explore and venture into these vast wildernesses. Quickly that daily hike or boat trip can turn into a fairly serious scenario. Our industry is expected to come in and respond at a moment’s notice. The more we have people venturing out into this vast wilderness, there will be more instances of rescue and forest fires. It’s why we really are the safety net, often being the only means of transportation.

What makes helicopter operators unique?

We are a different strain of individual. The men and women who own and operate these companies are the ones typically out in the field, on the frontline, or grew up in the business. They know what their crew has to do. They’ve been there and done that and became very successful at it. They are hands on and that comes down to the type of vehicle we use. If you or your crew are not there solving the problem then there’s no other industry that’s going to come solve it for you.

Where do helicopter operators need the most help?

Let’s break this down a little bit starting with regulatory assistance. We need to be at the table with the regulator as equals. We come to the bargaining table on issues like FRMS and we hear the big voices of the airlines. More power to them, but other voices need to be heard. When I speak to operators about fatigue management, for example, they are not at all concerned about the increased level of safety that the new regulation brings. What they are concerned about is how did we get there. Many in Ottawa no longer have an aviation background, it’s bureaucrats and policy writers. That is an extremely important part of what we do, but we also need people with frontline experience who can say that’s not going to work.

Then, when we look at the operations side, we need assistance with cost control and the attraction of people. We are seeing massive cost increases. We need to see some assistance with issues like the Luxury Tax and the attraction and retention of people in our industry.

How can Canada do better at investing in its helicopter safety net?

When we look abroad at places like the

the men and women who own and operate these companies are the ones typically out in the field, on the frontline, or grew up in the business.

United States, Europe, Asia, there are defined aircraft designated for things like search and rescue. Yes – the Canadian military fills a niche, but in certain parts of the country, a rotary wing aircraft from the Canadian military just isn’t available. It’s often too far away. Other countries have contracted aircraft to be on standby for those types of events.

For example, if you need a rotary-wing aircraft for a search-and-rescue-type activity, you’re calling for availability to your local operator. Well – our local operators have always done right by the Canadian public and tried to have an aircraft available, but that’s on their own merit. We need to see some investment in the industry to have those aircraft on paid standby, prepared, and to have the crews ready and available.

How have you adapted HAC’s mandate, if at all, since starting the job? When I came in, I was given two or three goals to achieve over the first 24 months and I think we’ve made great progress. Do we need to change the mandate that I’ve been given by the board – No, I think we’re good for right now.

Will that answer be the same in six months – No, I don’t think it will be. I think we will have a bit of an evolution of mandate to strengthen our relationship with the regulator and, on the industry side, the more operators we have as members the stronger our voice will be.

How will you get more operators involved with HAC?

Having two-way communications with our members and also with those who are not. In April, I traveled the Okanagan south to north and set foot in almost every operator’s hangar just to touch base. I’ve had more positive response out of that one week of face to face than I’ve had in a long time.

Based on the risks they face, should helicopter operations be weighted differently by government?

Flying a helicopter is actually not dangerous work. It’s calculated work, and the professionals in our industry really make it that way. If we look at other jurisdictions around the world, we have a very safe industry in Canada. We have very concerned owners and operators who want to put safety at the forefront. The word No becomes a very good part of your vocabulary and sometimes people just need to hear it,

‘No, it’s not safe.’ I’ve received a lot of feedback from our membership on this.

How are helicopter operators responding to the upcoming ADS-B Out mandate?

It’s an additional cost of doing business and there may not be STC products available for some aircraft types. We really do not know where we are at with it yet, because no one can give us, definitive timelines or equipment requirements. And when we look the availability of avionics technicians that really kind of helps to push out the timeline. Speaking with counterparts in the United States and around the world where they are running ADS-B, there are some questions about the accuracy of the signal when you start getting into low-level airspace, 400 to 500 feet above ground, where there is often too much ground noise. That’s our prime working area.

Transport Canada has not talked about the mandate for ADS-B as it relates to RPAS vehicles – the fastest growing aviation sector in Canada and potentially globally. They are going to share the lowlevel airspace of the Canadian rotary-wing world, but only one of us will be required to have ADS-B as it currently stands. We do have members that have separate divisions which are strictly RPAS, which they may use to provide information and then call the conventional helicopter to go out and do the service. We want to harmonize the two camps.

Is Canada’s conventional heliport infrastructure acceptable?

The infrastructure is there and currently adequate, but I think a lot of improvements could be made. It’s expensive – let’s not kid ourselves, we’re building a miniature airport on top of your building. But the heliport infrastructure coast to coast to coast could be improved, dramatically.

What are you most looking forward to with the return of HAC’s conference this November?

It’s important for our industry to come together. The unscheduled conversations that happen and ideas that are thrown around at these types of events are invaluable.

From a selfish standpoint, I want to see as many of our members as I can, in one place, focused on the same goal, bringing the industry together and moving it forward. | W

AN AVIATOR’S DREAM

AWARD WINNING CANADIAN AIRCRAFT FROM EAA AIRVENTURE

BY JON ROBINSON

The Experimental Aircraft Association held its annual AirVenture fly-in from July 25 to 31 in Oshkosh. Approximately 650,000 people attended the show with more than 10,000 aircraft arriving at Wittman Regional Airport or nearby airports in east-central Wisconsin. At Wittman alone, there were 18,684 aircraft operations in the 11-day period from July 21 to 31, which is an average of approximately 121 takeoffs or landings per hour when the airport is open. Total showplanes at the event amounted to 3,226, which included 1,375 vintage aircraft, plus 1,156 homebuilt, 369 warbirds, 137 ultralights, 87 seaplanes, 77 aerobatic aircraft and 25 rotorcraft.

Among the thousands of airplanes flying into what becomes the world’s busiest airport for a week was a red biplane piloted by Ryan Neufeld, who flies out of CJA3 as part of the Morden Flying Club in southern Manitoba. He was bit by the flying bug as a teenager and obtained his private license over three months at Mountain City Aviation in 2011.

After reading though Kitplanes, he and his father, Rod, decided to build their own airplane and settled on the Murphy Renegade, a model designed by Canadian Darryl Murphy. Construction started

in 2007 and was completed 2,233 hours later in 2020.

“For me, it boiled down to two things: To complete a project together with my Dad; and the idea of flying an open cockpit biplane sounded like a great adventure,” says Neufeld. “It continues to be rewarding every time we take it up in the air, as it serves to remind us of all the many details it took to bring this aircraft to life.”

Upon arriving at Oshkosh 2022, Neufeld was encouraged by organizers to enter the Murphy Renegade, CF-VRI, in the Lindy Awards competition. “I first visited Oshkosh in 2007, dreaming of building an airplane and getting my pilot’s license and now the dream has become reality,” he says.

For his 2022 flight to Oshkosh, Neufeld installed an additional fuel tank in the front seat to allow for two more hours of flight time – with the airplane’s typical range of 2.5 hours – the round trip took 18 hours of flying. “Between having beautiful weather, there and back, and meeting my family there to experience it together, it was the ultimate trip.”

After days of judging, AirVenture organizers named Neufeld’s Murphy Renegade as Reserve Grand Champion, Silver Lindy, in the Homebuilt category. Below are details from the other Canadian

Ryan Neufeld in September 2020 flies in formation for the first time, allowing Rick Hiebert to photograph the Murphy Renegade from the back seat of Curtis Penner’s Bearhawk.

winners of the 2022 EAA AirVenture Lindy competition.

Stan Dzik Memorial Award for Outstanding Design Contribution

Erick O’Connor, Cold Lake, AB

An award winner in the Homebuilt category, the F1 Rocket, C-FGXB, was built in 2006 by Ken Fowler. Erick O’Connor purchased the aircraft in December 2011 after his RCAF CF-18 Demo Pilot season. He completely rewired the airplane and added a Garmin panel to include Engine Information System, Dual G3X touchscreen glass displays, dual comms, dual Nav, dual link ADS-B in/out, dual Axis Auto Pilot, dual ADAHRS and a four-hour Integrated Backup Battery System. It was completed by Trilogy Avionics of Chilliwack, BC, in May 2020. O’Connor added a new leather and suede interior, completed by Port Aerospace also of Chilliwack in June 2020. He also did a full strip and paint for C-FGXB, which is based at CEN5 in Cold Lake, Alberta, with a satin finish and four different grey colours.

Best Liaison Aircraft, Phoenix Award, Silver Wrench, Judge’s Appreciation

Dave Hadfield, Utopia, ON, and Vintage Wings of Canada, Gatineau, QC

A multiple award winner in the Warbrids

category, the Westland Lysander CF-VZZ, piloted to Oshkosh by Dave Hadfield, earned five awards. The rare 1942 Canadian-built aircraft is the only one flying in North America, powered by a Bristol Mercury XX. During a Warbirds In Review session, the stands were packed as people listened to Hadfield talk about the history of the type – landing by moonlight in Occupied France to drop off and pick up spies – and the quirks and capabilities of flying the unusual STOL aircraft.

Kit Outstanding Workmanship

Stephen Thorne, Windsor, ON

An award winner in the homebuilt category, major upgrades to the Van’s RV-14 C-FCGA included moving its engine controls to the cente console, as well as adding an better tailwheel, full IFR Garmin avionics, and a required relocation of canopy release to fit the centre stack. The aircraft is based at the site of the Canadian Aviation Museum, CYQG, near Windsor, Ontario. On the first day of AirVenture, C-FCGA was moved to Boeing Plaza as part of Van’s Aircraft’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Plans Outstanding Workmanship

Scott Knolton, Burlington, ON

An award winner in the homebuilt category, Scott Knolton began building his Pietenpol

Reach your Aviation Goals

For over 30 years, AeroCourse has been a leader in advanced aviation training in Canada. We provide aviation ground school seminars and courses for advanced training along with publishing manuals and workbooks. The courses include IFR and ATPL seminars, online courses, and advanced aviation courses with flight colleges, schools and airlines. Our instructors are professional pilots and flight examiners with thousands of hours experience. We pride ourselves on providing exceptional materials and training.

Air Camper, C-FPET, in 2004, the same year he purchased the aircraft’s plans from the Pietenpol family. Knolton finished building the aircraft in 2019. C-FPET is based at the Flamborough Centre, CFC8, in Hamilton, Ontario. “I built the aircraft from plans in a singlecar garage over 15 years with the help and oversight of a terrific group of homebuilders,” Knolton says. “After completion and first flight on December 19, 2020, I have flown the airplane for more than 120 trouble-free hours.”

Outstanding Maule

Warwick Patterson, Squamish, BC

An award winner in the Vinatge, Contemporary (1956-1970), category, CFAAI was purchased by Warwick Patterson in 2020. This 1965 Maul M4-210 was rebuilt in 2004 with Patterson adding a new interior and paint, as well as 29-inch bush wheels and a Garmin 275 EIS. “I hadn’t planned on having it judged at Oshkosh, but several people commented on how nice it was, so I opted in,” Patterson says, describing how he parked in the vintage area and scrubbed all of the bugs off of CF-AAI after its 1,500-mile journey. “This was the longest trip I’ve done with the plane. It’s usually bombing around the mountains in southwest BC, taking us camping or playing on gravel bars.”

Custom

Class

C (151-235 horsepower)

Victor Danielli, Chesley, ON

An award winner in the Vinatge, Classic (September 1945-1955), category, Victor Danielli purchased his 1947 Navion, C-GDVA, in 1991 and began a full teardown restoration. A lot of the build time was devoted to locating all original parts and materials, while also ensuring all paperwork and certifications were ready for Transport Canada. Danielli notes one recent major modification to C-GDVA was the installation of the fuselage beefup kit, which allows for the potential integration of a much larger power plant. The Navion C-GDVA is based at Hanover Saugeen Municipal Airport, CYHS.

Outstanding Multi Engine

Francois Marquis, Saint Hilaire, QC

A Bronze Lindy Award winner in the Vinatge, Contemporary (1956-1970), category, Francois Marquis’ 1968 Piper Twin Comanche PA-30, CF-TWK, has seen a number of modifications. Marquis estimates this amounts to more than 4,000 hours, including the addition of speed mods, turbos, full glass cockpit, landing gear redo, windows, interior, new skins and fairings. He purchased CF-TWK in 2010. “It is a fabulous cross-country machine,” says Marquis. | W

AERIAL FIREFIGHTING DIRECTORY 2023 AERIAL

The ultimate resource of leading wildfire operators, services and technologies

The Aerial Firefighting Directory, presented by Wings, Helicopters and UAV Canada features key suppliers of aircraft, equipment and services for the aerial firefighting sector. The directory also includes a range of rotary- and fixed-wing operators involved in emergency forestry services, as well key North American agencies and associations for the sector.

AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS

AIR TRACTOR

Olney, TX, airtractor.com

Tracing its root back to 1951 when founder Leland Snow designed his first ag airplane, Air Tractor today focuses its firefighting production around two aircraft, including: The AT-802F Initial Attack Firefighter, powered by powerful a Pratt & Whitney PT6A67AG turbine, and the AT-802F Fire Boss Amphibious Scooper Air Tanker designed to deliver up to 14,000 gallons per hour for extended attack or ground support.

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS

Marignane, France, airbuscanada.ca Airbus Helicopters employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide. Its fleet in service includes nearly 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers across 150 countries. Its U.S. affiliate is headquartered in Grand Prairie, Texas, while Airbus Helicopters Canada operates out of a 138,000-square-foot facility in Fort Erie, ON. In addition to hundreds of oldergeneration platforms in use to fight fires, the company’s full range of helicopters can be integrated for fire suppression.

BELL TEXTRON

Fort Worth, TX, bellflight.com

Bell, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron, is an industry-leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical-lift aircraft. It serves Bell customers in more than 120 countries, with its Canadian facility in Mirabel, QC, serving key contributor to Bell’s 505 production chain. In addition to a large legacy fleet fighting fires, Bell in 2018 introduced its 407GXi as a new platform for potential fire suppression integration.

DE HAVILLAND AIRCRAFT OF CANADA

Calgary, AB, dehavilland.com

With more than 5,000 aircraft delivered, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada is well

established across the globe and is dedicated to advancing the company’s near-100-year reputation for excellence in innovation, production and customer support. De Havilland Canada’s aircraft provide vital connections between rural communities and urban centres and also support a wide variety of special mission operations including aerial firefighting, search and rescue and reconnaissance. The company’s portfolio of aerial firefighting aircraft includes the CL-215, CL-215T, CL415 and CL-415EAF aircraft. In March 2022, De Havilland Canada launched the DHC-515 Firefighter program. European customers have signed letters of intent to purchase the first 22 DHC-515 Firefighters with first deliveries expected to begin by the middle of the decade.

ERICKSON

Portland, OR, ericksoninc.com

Erickson has been a world leader in heavy lift and aerial firefighting for more than 20 years. This includes its S-64 Air Crane Helitankers, equipped with fire suppression systems, which can drop more than 95,000 liters every hour.

FIRE BOSS

South St. Paul, MN, firebossllc.com

Fire Boss LLC is the manufacturer of the Fire Boss water scooping system exclusively installed on the Air Tractor AT-802. The Fire Boss system combines airframe modifications, performance enhancements and a pair of Wipline 10000 amphibious

water-scooping floats that enable the AT-802 to scoop up to 800 gallons in 15 seconds.

HELITAK FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT

Noosaville, Australia, helitak.com.au

Helitak develops a range of systems for aerial firefighting, including its underbelly Fire Tank featuring a new design to allow a flexible bladder to expand while being filled; and then retract within its housing when empty. These tanks are custom built with a carrying capacity from 1,000 to 10,000 litres.

KAMAN AIR VEHICLES

Bloomfield, CT, kaman.com

Kaman Air Vehicles, a division of Kaman Corp., manufacturers the K-MAX helicopter platform, described as a rugged, low-maintenance aircraft with a counter-rotating rotor system that is optimized for cyclical, external load operations. The aircraft can lift up to 6,000 pounds (2,722 kg).

KAWAK AVIATION

Bend, OR, kawakaviation.com

Kawak Aviation engineers and produces aerial firefighting products focusing on tanking systems, related pumps and hydraulics. Its tank systems, refill pumps and hydraulic power solutions are leveraged by a range of platforms like Bell, Kaman and Firehawks.

ISOLAIR

Bend, OR, isolairinc.com

Isolair has been manufacturing helicopter systems for aerial firefighting, agricultural,

and forest industries for more than 30 years with a range of certified equipment, from torches and buckets to tanking systems. Its Eliminator II Fire Fighting Systems, integrating tank, pump, doors and control, can be found working throughout the world.

SEI INDUSTRIES

Delta, BC, sei-ind.com

SEI Industries first introduced the original Bambi Bucket to the firefighting community in 1982. This lightweight, strong, flexible firefighting bucket – with its relatively lowcost plug-and-play capability – promoted usage of helicopters on wildfires and saw immediate success as a firefighting tool. SEI today services more than 90 per cent of the world’s aerial firefighting water-bucket market. Globally, the Bambi is now used in more than 115 countries and by more than 1,000 helicopter operators.

SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT

Stratford, CT, lockheedmartin.com

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture and service, with longstanding Canadian ties through its operation in Ottawa, ON. Its new-generation S-70i FIREHAWK helicopter, using United Rotorcraft’s aerial firefighting system, features a 1,000-gallon belly water tank, extended landing gear, 600-pound rescue hoist and NVG compatible digital cockpit. The multi-role FIREHAWK can carry up to 13 firefighters and their gear, drop 1,000 gallons of water with precision, and perform at a dash speed of up to 140 knots.

TRACKING AND IMAGING

ANODYNE ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING

Kelowna, BC, aem-corp.com

Anodyne Electronics Manufacturing (AEM) is a leader in the design, development and manufacture of aircraft communication systems, loudspeaker systems, caution/ warning panels and illuminated panel products. AEM offers design and manufacturing services to other companies, providing solutions for reduced operational costs. AEM is a Transport Canada approved manufacturer and maintenance organization, holds EASA Part 145 Maintenance approval, is ISO9001/AS9100D registered and certified under Canada’s Controlled Goods Program. AEM is a wholly owned subsidiary of SMS Canada Corp.

AVIATION SPECIALTIES UNLIMITED

Boise, ID, asu-nvg.com

Since 1995, ASU has safeguarded pilots and crews worldwide with Night Vision Solutions. Aerial firefighters equipped and trained with ASU’s night vision systems

experience safe, effective, and expanded operations. Thousands of NVG operations trust ASU’s military-grade NVGs, pilot training, aircraft lighting modification and certification.

CHURCHILL NAVIGATION

Boulder, CO, churchillnavigation.com

Churchill manufactures systems to capture and record video, provide real-time augmented reality mapping, and to archive and index recorded video. Its systems are used by a range of operators in law enforcement, SAR, emergency management services, security, fire suppression, military agencies, and media.

FLIGHTCELL INTERNATIONAL

Nelson, New Zealand, flightcell.com

Flightcell International is a global producer of airborne integrated-mobile communications and manufacturers the DZMx as an all-in-one Iridium and cellular solution for voice, data, and aircraft tracking. The DZMx is used by CAL FIRE, Erickson and Kestrel Aviation, among others, leveraging its builtin ATU and its broadband capabilities with fall-back to satellite. A range of bucket/tank configurations and reporting options are available.

GUARDIAN MOBILITY

Ottawa, ON, guardianmobility.com

Guardian Mobility develops technology and solutions to empower aircraft fleet managers and owner-operators with fundamental operational data for making timely decisions. Established in Ottawa in 2002, its flight tracking solutions include hardware, airtime, software and support. The technology is leveraged for mission critical environments like fire suppression, EMS, utilities and law enforcement. The Guardian Mobility ATU solution provides a complete end-to-end system supporting ATU, AFF,

text messaging and more all in a single box. The company is backed by parent Metro Aviation, a world leader in EMS and related aircraft modification.

IQONBOARD

Squamish, BC, iqonboard.com

IQonboard was founded by engineers and pilots aiming to add a new level of safety to the helicopter industry. It developed the IQtag and app as wearable technology to provide a real-time view of crew, cargo, and total payload, accessible through a web browser, including Fatigue Risk Management tools.

OVERWATCH IMAGING

Hood River, OR, overwatchimaging.com

Overwatch Imaging develops automated airborne imaging solutions for time-critical missions in challenging environments. Cutting-edge software and smart sensor payloads leverage the latest advancements in computer vison, GPU processing, Artificial Intelligence, and sensor fusion to scan wide areas, find small objects of interest and deliver actionable geospatial intelligence quickly and efficiently. Overwatch Imaging was founded in 2016 in Hood River, Oregon, and currently serves aviation customers in six continents around the world, with missions ranging from fire, flood, and oil spill mapping to counter narcotics, border security, tactical intelligence, and search and rescue.

SKYTRAC SYSTEMS

Kelowna, BC, skytrac.com

SKYTRAC Systems is a leading provider of satellite communications and intelligent connectivity. It develops cost-effective technology to provide operators with realtime information for fast-moving wildfires. This includes real-time video downlinking, sensor fusion and AI, telemetry data, flight

following, flight data monitoring, and more. Its unique portfolio of all-in-one and modular satellite terminals satisfy a wide array of complex regulations and technical requirements.

SPIDERTRACKS

Parker, CO,, spidertracks.com

Spidertracks is a globally recognized and

trusted provider of intelligent flight data and information for aviators around the world. Their technology is leveraged for mission-critical environments, and provides teams with real-time flight tracking, active flight following, and two-way text communication. The end-to-end, costeffective solution provides operators with access to simple flight data for clearer visual

oversight, and gives them the ability to make better, safer decisions.

TECHNISONIC INDUSTRIES

Mississauga, ON, til.ca

Founded in 1990, Technisonic Industries focuses on the development of aeronautical band VHF ground equipment and Special Mission Airborne RF and audio communications systems. Technisonic Industries’ tactical airborne VHF, UHF and multiband communications systems are used for range of services like air ambulance, electronic news gathering, fire suppression, and law enforcement.

TRACPLUS

Dunedin, New Zealand, tracplus.com

TracPlus is one of the world’s most versatile and adaptable tracking and communications providers, offering real-time tracking, event reporting and messaging. TracPlus is unique in that it enables multiple asset types to be tracked and integrated into one cohesive system, meaning contractors can use their own tracking systems but send their data to TracPlus when working alongside others. With more than 1,000 customers in 40-plus countries, TracPlus has more than 7.5 million recorded operational hours.

MRO AND MODIFICATIONS

ATEQ CANADA

Mississauga, ON, ateq-aviation.com

ATEQ Canada describes itself as the only in-country OEM to manufacture and supply the full life-cycle of pitot/static testing. This includes test adapters for 450-plus aircraft, air data test boxes, calibration, and repair. Its test adapters use 7075 grade aircraft aluminum, preventing breaks from drops and usage. It also leverages stainless connectors/elbows to prevent rust and corrosion.

CASCADE AEROSPACE

Abbottsford, BC, Cascadeaerospace.com

Cascade Aerospace, an operating unit of IMP Aerospace & Defence, supports a diverse range of airframe platforms and operational needs. This includes supporting military, government and commercial aircraft. Cascade is well-known for its aerospace engineering services for custom product design, manufacturing and certification. In mid-2019, Viking Air announced Cascade would serve as a partner for its newly launched Avionics Upgrade Program (AUP) for the Canadair CL-215T and CL-415 fleet of aerial firefighting aircraft.

GPMS INTERNATIONAL

Waterbury, VT, gpms-vt.com

GPMS’s Foresight MX offers a next-generation, predictive Health and Usage Monitoring System designed to go beyond HUMS. Foresight MX is designed to provide machine condition monitoring, optimized rotor track and balance, and fleet data with exceedance monitoring in one system. Fully predictive, Foresight MX offers insights needed to optimize maintenance, safety, and operations. GPMS already has STCs for Foresight MX on a range of helicopter platforms including Bell 407 GX/GXP/GXi, Bell 429, Bell 412/212, MD530, and Airbus H125/AS350 B3. The company has also completed the system for the Mi- Series helicopters and expects STCs for the H135, the AS350 B2, analog Bell 407, and UH-60A (Blackhawk) soon.

KADEX AERO SUPPLY

Peterborough, ON, kadexaero.com

WG_ATEQ_SeptOct22.indd 1

KADEX is an aircraft parts and supplies distributor. KADEX distributes over 100 different manufacturers and offers repair and overhaul management, maintenance/technical support and can support operators with AOG services. KADEX specializes in Beechcraft King Air airframe providing reliable OEM and FAA PMA Approved parts. KADEX is a Canadian family owned and operated business serving worldwide airlines and operators with industry leading service since 1994.

KF AEROSPACE

Kelowna, BC, kfaero.ca

KF Aerospace is Canada’s largest commercial

aviation maintenance, repair, overhaul and modification (MRO) provider. For over 52 years KF Aerospace’s multi-faceted business operations have grown to include first-class engineering and design services, military aircrew training, commercial aircraft leasing, passenger and air cargo flight operations, with the same commitment to quality established by its founder in 1970. KF Aerospace’s range of facilities across Canada are home to 1,100 highly skilled employees.

PARKER LORD

Cary, NC, lord.com

We manage the unique challenges of shock, vibration and motion control in flightcritical components and systems. Parker LORD, a subsidiary of Parker Hannifin Corporation, is a leading manufacturer of advanced adhesives and coatings, as well as vibration and motion control technologies that significantly reduce risk and improve product performance. Parker LORD supports technologies in aerospace, climate control, electromechanical, filtration, fluid and gas handling, hydraulics, pneumatics, process control, sealing and shielding and human motion. Since the dawn of Aviation, Parker LORD has been a leader in developing innovative solutions for the fixed

wing, rotary wing, defense system, military ground vehicle, and space vehicle markets.

PROPWORKS PROPELLER SYSTEMS

Winnipeg, MB, propworks.ca

With locations in Winnipeg and Edmonton, PropWorks is the largest propeller overhaul and repair company in Western Canada. In 2020, PropWorks was awarded a multi year contract by Babcock Canada to overhaul and repair the propellers from the fleet of firefighting aircraft that they operate for the Government of Manitoba. In 2021, PropWorks was awarded a multi year contract by Babcock Italy to overhaul and repair the propellers from the fleet of nineteen CL415 aircraft that they operate for the Government of Italy. In 2022,

SELECT HELICOPTER SERVICES

Kelowna, BC, selecthelicopter.com

Select combines 45-plus years of expertise across the globe with what the company describes as a personalized service of a small, local business. With capability to support the hydraulics on your Bell lights/ mediums and Airbus H125 (AS350) and AS355 fleets, as well as cargo hooks for installation on a wide range of aircraft, Select works with a range of operators to keep them in the air.

STANDARDAERO

Scottsdale, AZ, standardaero.com

StandardAero is one of the world’s largest independent providers of services including engine and airframe maintenance, repair and overhaul, engine component repair, engineering services and interior completions. StandardAero serves a diverse array of customers in the airline, business and general aviation, military, helicopter and energy markets. StandardAero is OEM-authorized to support a range of engine platforms, including the CFMI CFM56, GE Aviation CF34, J85 & F110, Honeywell CFE738, GTCP36-100/150, HTF7000, RE220, TFE731 & TPE331, LHTEC CTS800, Pratt & Whitney F100 & F135, Pratt & Whitney Canada APS 2300, JT15D, PT6A, PW100, PW150, PW200, PW300, PW500 & PW901, and RollsRoyce AE 2100, AE 3007, RB211-535, Spey, T56 & Tay. StandardAero provides operators with support from 55 primary operating locations on five continents. We offer full engine overhaul capabilities from locations in Australia, Canada, France, Singapore, South Africa, UK and the USA.

TAE AEROSPACE

Queensland, Australia, taeaerospace.com TAE Aerospace operates facilities

throughout Asia-Pacific and the Americas to service a worldwide customer base, providing a range of aerial firefighting products and services for both fixed- and rotary-wing applications. The company specializes in OEM-backed fuel controls, power turbine and overspeed governor and starter generator services.

TEMPEST AVIATION GROUP

Kelowna, BC, tempest.aero

Tempest has been providing global helicopter parts support since 2001. Our team consists of highly experienced and deeply passionate experts. We are dedicated to keeping you flying, by holding a large inventory of serviceable parts. Our inventory is continuously evolving to include a wide variety of aircraft model types.

UNITED ROTORCRAFT

Englewood, CO, unitedrotorcraft.com

United Rotorcraft is the products division of Air Methods with more than 25 years of experience installing airframe accessories on rotor and fixed-wing aircraft. The company designs, integrates and installs medical equipment, avionics, and accessories for EMS, medevac, firefighting, airborne law enforcement, and SAR operators.

WESTERN PROPELLER

Richmond, BC, westernpropeller.com

Canada’s original propeller MRO is celebrating 75 years of service to the worldwide aviation industry. At our two locations in Richmond, BC and Calgary AB, Western Propeller services all major makes and models of propellers and governors including Hamilton Sundstrand, Hartzell, McCauley, MT Propeller & Woodward. Our in house composite shop, non-destructive testing & machining capabilities allows Western Propeller to provide the highest quality overhauls and repairs to each manufacturers exacting specifications.

FUEL SYSTEMS

PETROVALUE CANADA

Langley, BC, petrovalue.ca

PetroValue is one of Canada’s leading independent distributors of aviation fuels, diesels, gasolines and lubricants. Since its inception in 1999, PetroValue has developed an extensive supply network to offer customers petroleum products across Canada. The company emphasizes its logistics background and experience with building unique distribution platforms. PetroValue offers bulk and drummed fuel for Jet A-1, F-34, Avgas (100LL) as well as Diesel fuel, gasolines, dyed fuel and lubricants.

PEAR CANADA

Mississauga, ON, pearcanada.com

With a distribution centre in Richmond, BC, and headquarters in Mississauga, PEAR Canada provides a range of aviation fuel

WG_Hummingbird_Aerialguide22_CSA.indd

handling needs, which includes filtration, fuel sampling/testing, aviation hose, filtration, single point and over-wing fueling nozzles, pressure/delta P gauges, hose reels, bonding reels, pumps, meters, filters and pipe fittings/valves, fueling cabinets and related products.

CANADIAN OPERATORS

49 NORTH HELICOPTERS

Campbell River, BC, 49northhelicopters.com

Founded as a flight school in 2005, under the name of Coast Mountain, 49 North’s

pilots hold years of in light and medium helicopters throughout western Canada providing a wide variety of services including, fire suppression, longlining, forestry operations, bird towing, surveying and patrols.

ABERDEEN HELICOPTERS

Prince George, BC, aberdeenheli.com

Aberdeen is a multi-mission provider including fire suppression and a range of forestry applications, as well as missions for mountain climbing, back-country hiking, skiing, fishing, wilderness photography, mining exploration and powerline maintenance.

The world’s first super versatile jet takes off! Stop compromising and reach for the unexpected. Enhance your flight department’s efficiency by operating a jet more versatile than anything on the market. See what short runway performance, a standard cargo door and a large modular cabin can do for you. Get more from your jet when you fly a PC-24 – contact us now!

pilatus-aircraft.com

Stan Kuliavas, Vice President of Sales | sales@levaero.com | 905-672-2000

ADVANTAGE HELICOPTERS

Vernon, BC, advantageheli.com

Founded in 1994, Advantage Helicopters is an owner-operator driven company holding Bell aircraft that are fire-suppression ready. Advantage Helicopters primarily provides helicopter charter services, in addition to its aircraft maintenance organization status.

AHLSTROM AIR

Nordegg, AB, helinordegg.com

Founded in 1997, Ahlstrom provides commercial helicopter services with an emphasis on forestry, including fire suppression in addition to fish and wildlife survey, and animal tracking. In addition to seismic, oil and gas work, the operator provides support for remote access and SAR.

AIRSPAN HELICOPTERS

Sechelt, BC, airspanhelicopters.com

A Transport Canada-approved maintenance facility, Airspan Helicopters holds a fleet of six helicopters providing a range of services with an emphasis on forestry work, including aerial firefighting support.

ALPINE HELICOPTERS INC.

Kelowna, BC, alpinehelicopters.com

Alpine Helicopters has been providing aerial firefighting and related services since 1961. Alpine provides multiple other services such as heli-skiing, heli-hiking, mountain rescue as well as seismic and mining support. Alpine Helicopters operates a fleet of 40 helicopters including types Bell 212HP BLR, Bell 407, Bell 206L1/3 and AS350B3e. Alpine Sub bases are located in Golden, British Columbia, as well as, Calgary, Canmore, High Level and Grimshaw, Alberta.

ARROW HELICOPTERS

Revelstoke, BC, arrowhelicopters.com

Founded in 2005, Arrow, which provides Vertical Reference Training for high- or low-time pilots, specializes in SAR services. The Class D approved company also provides fire suppression in addition to mountain missions like avalanche control and heli-ski charters.

ASCENT HELICOPTERS

Parksville, BC, ascenthelicopters.ca

Ascent Helicopters is a Class D approved operator providing fire suppression in addition to a range of sectors like utilities, construction, film and television, heli-skiing, air ambulance and natural resources. With a second base in Fernie and a fleet or around eight helicopters, including NVG capabilities, Ascent holds a Transport Canada approved hoisting program.

AURORA HELICOPTERS

Vernon, BC, auroraheli.com

Aurora Helicopters provides fire suppression and pre-suppression, which includes transporting firefighting personnel and equipment

to pre-determined locations, as well as carrying out aerial smoke patrols to detect forest fires in high hazard areas. The company’s suppression activities include scene transport, airborne reconnaissance and communication, and water bucket drops.

BABCOCK CANADA

Ottawa, ON, Babcockcanada.com

Babcock provides critical services, technology and support solutions for assets in the defence, emergency services, and civil nuclear domains. Babcock holds civil and defence, fixed and rotary wing, training, and operational aviation expertise and experience across several countries. The company has more than 30 years of providing aerial firefighting services, with more than 90 Babcock-owned aircraft in service, serving on more than 5,000 firefighting missions per year, accounting for more than 15,000 firefighting flight hours.

BAILEY HELICOPTERS

Fort St John, BC, baileyhelicopters.com

Founded in 1989, Bailey Helicopters provides a range of services across multiple industries and sectors, including forestry support and fire suppression, from operations centres in Fort St. John, Fort Nelson and Prince George, BC, along with Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta.

BIGHORN HELICOPTERS

Cranbrook, BC, bighorn.ca

Founded more than 30 years ago, Bighorn Helicopters provides a range of services, including fire suppression The company is an authorized helicopter operator for the provinces of Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Bighorn Helicopters is AOC and AMO certified and has access to a fully equipped SAR mobile treatment station.

BLACKCOMB HELICOPTERS

Whistler, BC, blackcombhelicopters.com

Blackcomb has provided firefighting assistance across BC and Canada for more than 30 years with services such as human transport, water bucketing, Bird Dog flights, and equipment transportation. The company is built on the concept of the Multi-Mission Helicopter, with an emphasis on rescue and medevac. The company operates a variety of 25 intermediate and medium helicopters.

BLACK SWAN HELICOPTERS

Berwyn, AB, blackswanhelicopters.com

In addition to charter and maintenance services for Airbus, Bell and Robinson helicopters, Black Swan Helicopterss forestry focus includes surveying, longlining and fire suppression. The company was founded in 2003.

BLACK TUSK HELICOPTERS

Brackendale, BC, blacktuskhelicopter.com

Black Tusk has provided fire suppression for various agency and centres from BC to Quebec, with experience in longlining and water drops. Its fleet is equipped with Bambi Buckets and automated flight following systems to meet requirements of both BC and Alberta Wildfire agencies. Its Bell 214B and AStar are equipped with foaminjection systems. Certified to transport dangerous goods and to use two 16,000 plus litre fuel trucks and two 18,000-litre tanks to transport aviation fuel in support of aircraft fighting fires.

CANADIAN HELICOPTERS

Les Cedres, QC, canadianhelicopters.com

Tracing its roots back to 1947 in Penticton, BC, Canadian Helicopters specializes in the transport of personnel and cargo to remote locations, fire suppression, conducting seismic surveys, aerial lift for construction and high voltage transmission line projects. The company, with associated flight training and maintenance operations, including Heliwelders, is located in eight Canadian province and territories.

COLDSTREAM HELICOPTERS

Kelowna, BC, coldstreamhelicopters.com

With bases in BC and Alberta, Coldstream

specializes in emergency helicopter services like fire suppression, mountain rescue and disaster support, as well as longlining.

CONAIR GROUP

Abbotsford, BC, conair.ca

Conair is a global leader in aerial firefighting, offering the largest privately-owned fixedwing fleet of specialty aircraft in the world. Operating in Canada, the US, Europe, Australia and beyond, the organization provides a comprehensive range of aircraft, crew, maintenance, and training to support government agencies fighting wildfires. With a focus on safety, Conair offers pilots a Training + Tactics Centre, providing crews access to specialized aerial firefighting simulators that produce successful missions in real world operations. Conair’s versatile fleet of 70 aircraft includes Bird Dogs, Land-Based Airtankers and Amphibious Aircraft, including the CL415 and AT802 Fire Boss. The newest airtanker Conair is converting is the Dash 8-400 airtanker, with a 10,000 litre capacity to drop water or retardant over diverse geography.

COUGAR HELICOPTERS

St. John’s, NL, cougar.ca

Cougar has been providing SAR services since 1991, primarily focusing on its core offshore oil and gas clients with Sikorsky aircraft. The company also holds a Transport Canada Approved Maintenance Organization facility.

COULSON AVIATION

Port Alberni, BC, coulsonaviation.com

You Flying!

With more than 36 years of experience in aerial fire suppression, Coulson is one of the world’s largest players in the sector with operations in Canada, Australia, Chile and the United States. In addition to its modification of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters for fire suppression, Coulson’s other rotary-wing operations include heli-logging, powerline construction, passenger transport and heavy lift.

CUSTOM HELICOPTERS

St. Andrews, MB, customheli.com

Founded in 1977, Custom Helicopters holds a fleet of around 25 helicopters providing a range of services, including fire suppression, as well as applications for powerline, construction, mining exploration, oil and gas (utilities, including offshore), medevac, SAR, Class D external loads and wildlife surveys, among others.

DELTA HELICOPTERS

Sturgeon County, AB, deltahelicopters.com

In addition to its Edmonton head office, Delta holds five other base locations and has more than 45 years of experience working with the forestry industry across Canada. For fire suppression support, Delta provides sling gear, longlines, nets, drip torch, water bucket, infrared and video scanning equipment.

DISCOVERY HELICOPTERS

Atlin, BC, discoveryheli.ca

Founded in 1990 as a family-owned company, Discovery’s helicopters are fire suppression capable with satellite-based flight following systems, satellite phones, Bambi buckets, and longlines. Its crew members are trained in mountain flying and fire suppression.

EAST WEST HELICOPTERS

Salmon Arm, BC, eastwesthelicopters.com

Founded in 1997 to focus on logging operations, East West Helicopters holds vast longline experience and work in aerial firefighting. The company specializes in precision lift work, holding a self-contained service facility and its own tanker for helicopter refueling.

ECLIPSE HELICOPTERS

Penticton, BC, eclipseheli.com

With bases in Penticton and Cranbrook, BC, Eclipse Helicopters provides a range of services including aerial firefighting, as well as search and rescue and U.S.-based operating experience.

EDMONTON REGIONAL HELICOPTERS

Edmonton, AB, erhelicopters.com

A privately held operator, Edmonton Regional holds a main base at Edmonton International Airport (CYEG), with offices at Executive Flight Centre Terminal 1. The company provides a range of forestry services throughout central Alberta, including west to the Rocky Mountains.

FOREST HELICOPTERS

2022-08-23 1:12 PM

Kenora, ON, foresthelicopters.com

Founded in 1997, holding an AS350-focused fleet, Forest Helicopters supports all aspects of fire suppression. With decades of aerial firefighting experience, its pilots’ proficiency extends beyond baseline requirements for crews to hold in-depth knowledge of fire behaviour, logistical support, and tactical applications like aerial ignition.

FRONTLINE HELICOPTERS

Williams Lake, BC, frontlinehelicopters.ca

With its main base located just south of Williams Lake, Frontline Helicopters provides wildfire suppression and related services like air taxi, infrared scanning and mapping, as well as wildlife capture and survey. Frontline Helicopters is a Transport Canada Approved Maintenance Organization.

GREAT SLAVE HELICOPTERS

Yellowknife, NT, gsheli.com

Great Slave Helicopters operates a diverse fleet of more than 30 single- and twin-engine helicopters, with more than 20 per cent being aboriginally owned, through partnerships with a range of operators. As a result, this Northern Canadian group runs around 15 bases with a range forestry services including wildfire suppression.

GRIZZLY HELICOPTERS

Campbell River, BC, grizzlyhelicopters.com

Founded in 2008 as a family owned and operated business, Grizzly flies ASTAR350 B2 helicopters out of bases in Campbell River and Port McNeill, providing firefighting services in the region, as well as forestry applications like remote access, medevac, powerline patrols and wildlife management.

GUARDIAN HELICOPTERS

Calgary, AB, guardianhelicopters.com

Guardian was founded in 1995 in Fort Nelson, BC, before relocating its head office at Springbank Airport. Beyond its oil and gas work, Guardian provides a range of forestry services for management and protection, as well as fire suppression with expertise in aerial ignition, infrared scanning, cone collection, GPS and video mapping.

HELI SOURCE

Red Deer, AB, helisourceltd.com

Heli Source provides a range of services for the forestry sector including fire suppression, aerial seeding and fertilizing, logging support, heli-torching and more. This includes mountain flying and vertical reference (longline) operations, while being equipped for water delivery and crew transport.

HÉLICOPTÈRES HÉLICARRIER

Royale, QC, helicarrier.com

Founded in 2010, Hélicarrier holds heavy lift capabilities and provides a range of forestry services including firefighting by both bucketing or deploying retardant. The Sikorsky-equipped company provides fire suppression throughout North America and internationally.

HELIQWEST AVIATION

Sturgeon County, AB, heliqwest.com

With a second base near Duncan, BC, in addition to its Edmonton-area location and Colorado international headquarters, HeliQwest is a charter company specializing in external load and operations like fire suppression, as well as seismic, aerial harvesting, inspection and surveillance, mapping, photography, survey, and general transport.

HIGH TERRAIN HELICOPTERS

Nelson, BC, highterrainhelicopters.com

Serving the Kootenays since 1992, High Terrain operates Bell and Airbus helicopters out of Nelson, Nakusp and Kaslo following aerial firefighting guidelines set-out by CIFFC and HAC. Its capabilities include longline slinging, water bucketing, bird dogging, and crew transport.

HORIZON HELICOPTERS

Whitehorse, YT, horizonhelicopters.ca

Based at Whitehorse Airport with a satellite base in Dawson City, Horizon since its founding has provided wildfire support within

WE KEEP YOU FLYING WITH PRECISION W E K E E P YO U F LY I N G W I T H P R

E C I S I O N

HIGHLY QUALIFIED, RELIABLE AND ALWAYS ON TIME. At Select, we specialize in repairing and overhauling helicopter hydraulic components and cargo hooks, so you can get back in the air with confidence. HYDRAULIC COMPONENTS CARGO HOOKS

AMO 92-04 EASA.145.7268

200 – 6220 Lapointe Drive, Kelowna, BC, V1V 2S2 Canada info@selecthelicopter.com | P: 1.250.765.3317

Alberta, BC and the Yukon, leveraging a fleet primarily comprised of AS350 helicopters.

HY-RIDGE HELICOPTERS

Coleman, BC, hyridge.ca

Also flying out of Sparwood, BC, Hy-Ridge provides a range of mountain-focused services, including fire suppression, leveraging an AS 350 B3 throughout Western Canada.

MAG AEROSPACE CANADA

Dryden, ON, magaero.ca

Founded in 1950, MAG operates, deploys, and maintains fixed-wing and RPAS aircraft for fire surveillance (detection and mapping) and airspace management (air attack/lead plane) services. It provides civilian operators with a spectrum of aerial fire services: pilots and mission systems operators; maintenance for the aircraft, sensors and mission equipment; logistics and support; and site and program management. The company’s multiintelligence data collection and processing/ exploitation/dissemination services include electro-optical infra-red (EO/IR) full motion video (FMV), multispectral imagery (MSI), and satellite data downlink..

MONASHEE HELICOPTERS

Vernon, BC, monasheehelicopters.com

WG_SELECT_SQUARE_AUG_BAS.indd 1

With a new base in High Level, AB, to better serve the north, in addition to its existing Vernon home base, Monashee provides firefighting, construction, film and movies work, and passenger transport services.

MOUNTAIN VIEW HELICOPTERS

2022-08-11 2:52 PM

Calgary, AB, mvheli.com

Based at Springbank Airport since 1995, and with a newer location at Drumheller, Mountain View provides a full time Commercial Helicopter Pilot training program, including a hangar that houses a state-of-the-art FLYIT simulator, in addition to its onsite AMO.

MUSTANG HELICOPTERS

Blackfalds, AB, mustanghelicopters.com

With a multi-type fleet of around 30 helicopters, including lights, intermediates, mediums, heavy lift and twin-engine Cat A & Class 1 capabilities, Mustang provides a range of forestry services like transporting crew, water bucketing, belly tank, running an aerial ignition device or moving cargo.

PANORAMA HELICOPTERS

Alma, QC, helicopterespanorama.com

Founded in 2000, Panorama provides a range of aerial firefighting services like detection, logistics (transportation of personnel and equipment), bucket watering (Bambi), IR imaging and related services like medevac.

PHOENIX HELI-FLIGHT

Fort McMurray, AB, phoenixheliflight.com

Phoenix provides a range of light and intermediate helicopter firefighting services like initial

attack, sustained action and heli-torching on fires of all sizes, as well as experience in using aerial ignition techniques.

PRAIRIE HELICOPTERS

Gimli, MB, prairiehelicopters.com

In addition to its flight training, Prairie Helicopters offers a full range of helicopter charter services including fire suppression. The company operates Bell helicopters and was founded in 2000.

RANGE HELICOPTERS

Drayton Valley, AB, rangeheli.ca

Range Helicopters provides fire suppression services including crew/camp moves, infrared scanning, water bucketing, GPS mapping and drip torching.

RIDGE ROTORS

Blue Ridge, AB, ridgerotors.com

Ridge Rotors provides services primarily in Northern British Columbia in addition to Alberta for the forestry sector through timber cruising, VRI surveys, mountain pine beetle surveying and extermination projects, as well as fire suppression, emergency evacuation and SAR.

SARVAIR AVIATION

100 Mile House, BC, sarvair.com

Operating out of Williams Lake, BC, and 100 Mile House, Sarvair specializes in longline and vertical lift missions like heli-logging, drill moves, tower and cone construction, and fire protection, as well as general charter, medivac, heli-hiking or fishing.

SELKIRK MOUNTAIN HELICOPTERS

Revelstoke, BC, smheli.com

Founded in 1991, Selkirk provides aviation services to heli-skiing operations as well as SAR support, while also aiding in avalanche snow safety and firefighting across the region, including drip torch and Class D certification.

SEQUOIA HELICOPTERS

Abbotsford, BC, sequoiahelicopters.com

Founded in 2004, Sequoia Helicopters is active with provincial forestry agencies across Canada aiding in fire suppression, utilizing Bambi Buckets with foam kits and extensive longline experience.

SIERRA HELICOPTERS

Pitt Meadows, BC, sierrahelicopters.com

Sierra provides a range of services throughout Vancouver’s lower mainland and beyond, including fire suppression and other forestry missions like LiDAR imaging, logging, tree planting and wildlife surveying.

SILVER KING HELICOPTERS

Smithers, BC, silverkingheli.com

Silver King provides a range of services for the forestry and mining sectors, including fire suppression by working with initial attack

crews and water bucketing. The company also specializes in providing emergency services.

SKY HELICOPTERS

Pitt Meadows, BC, skyhelicopters.ca

Founded in 2011 and now holding six helicopters in its fleet, SKY has relationships with provincial governments to assist in wildfire management and forestry work. This includes holding year-round wildfire suppression pilots. The company also provides thermal imaging to detect hot spots.

SKYLINE HELICOPTERS

Kelowna, BC, skylinehelicopters.ca

Founded in 1996, Skyline operates from its main base in Kelowna and a satellite base in Terrace, BC, specializing in longline mountain operations with a strong focus on oil and gas, forestry and heli-skiing. The company has long been involved in firefighting operations for multiple agencies across Canada.

SLAVE LAKE HELICOPTERS

Slave Lake, AB, slheli.com

Founded in 1998, Slave Lake specializes in providing services for the forestry sector, including fire suppression and related services like LiDAR and infrared scanning, as well as crew transport. The company is also equipped for SAR, medevac and Class D external cargo.

STAR HELICOPTERS

Cold Lake, AB, starhelicopters.com

2022-08-24 7:54 AM

Star has been involved with the forestry industry since 1982, carrying out operations from firefighting to wildlife surveys, including infrared scanning of hot spots with Flir cameras, longline and drip torch services.

SUMMIT HELICOPTERS

Kamloops, BC, summithelicopters.ca

Summit delivers remote helicopter aviation solutions in Western and Northern Canada with bases in BC, Alberta and Northwest Territories. The company holds a fleet of intermediate Bell 407s and AS 350 aircraft, as well as an intermediate Bell 412, to support wildfire suppression and forestry research.

SUNWEST HELICOPTERS

Qualicum Beach, BC, sunwesthelicopters.com

Founded more than 27 years ago, SunWest, based on Vancouver Island, provides a range of services with its fleet of light, intermediate and medium Bell helicopters. In addition to its longstanding work in fire suppression and crew transport, the company holds experience in longlining, medivac, SAR, exploration, and tower applications.

TAIGA AIR SERVICES

Winnipeg, MB, taigaheli.com

Taiga specializes in providing strategic

Photo: Alexandre Dubath

thermal scanning for fire suppression, as well as environmental and biometric analysis, powerline and pipeline integrity, infrastructure management and maintenance. This includes detection and mapping of hot spots, hotlines, and risk areas to effectively deploy resources.

TRANSWEST HELICOPTERS

Oliver, BC, transwesthelicopters.com

TEstablished in BC over 50 years ago, Transwest currently operates a fully-equipped Bell412EP based out of Oliver Municipal Airport. In addition to specializing in firefighting and utility missions, Transwest provides MRO, part sales and support, with an emphasis on Bell medium and legacy helicopters.

VALHALLA HELICOPTERS

Kelowna, BC, valhallahelicopters.com

Valhalla has more than 20 years of experience supporting ground forces in fire suppression. The company leverages SEI water buckets that are Aqualaunch/Powerfill foam equipped. Valhalla explains its retardant delivery system can be used for a variety of fire applications.

VALLEY B AVIATION

Manning, AB, valleybaviation.com

With Robinson and Airbus helicopters,

Valley B Aviation provides a range of services for the forestry sector, including thermal spotting, hot spot detection, wildfire suppression, aerial photography, forest management, wildlife survey and pipeline patrol.

VALLEY HELICOPTERS

Hope, BC, valleyhelicopters.ca

Founded in 1985 and leveraging a Bell fleet, Valley Helicopters has provided firefighting services for more than 30 years. Its pilots are trained in fire suppression with water bucketing, aerial ignition and crew transport.

VIH HELICOPTERS

North Saanich, BC, vih.com

Founded in 1955, VIH Helicopters provides a range of services to the forestry sector including fire suppression, helicopter logging, passenger movements and heavy lift operations with a diverse fleet of Sikorsky, Kamov, and Bell helicopter types.

WEST COAST HELICOPTERS

Port McNeill, BC, westcoasthelicopters.com

West Coast Helicopters is a light and intermediate service provider with bases in Nanaimo, Campbell River, Port McNeill and Bella Coola, as well as a fleet of around 18 helicopters. It provides forestry services

like fire suppression, tree planting and faller support.

WILDCAT HELICOPTERS

Kelowna, BC, wildcathelicopters.com

Wildcat Helicopters holds a fleet of Bell 412 and 212 mission-modified aircraft for a range of emergency services like fire suppression, including a Bell 412EP configured for extended search, rescue, and medical missions.

WHITE SADDLE AIR SERVICES

Bluff Lake, BC, whitesaddleair.com

White Saddle is a family operated company, providing services for more than 48 years. Its focus on fire suppression is emphasized by its 2019 purchase of Canada’s first commercial Bell 407 GXi.

WISK-AIR HELICOPTERS

Thunder Bay, ON, wiskair.com

Wisk-Air provides a range of helicopter services from firefighting and powerline support to mining and medivac. Its helicopters can be equipped with Bambi Buckets, longlines, cargo baskets, sling gear, and specialized equipment.

YELLOWHEAD HELICOPTERS

Prince George, BC, yhl.ca

Operating out of more than 10 locations in BC and Alberta combined, Yellowhead provides a range of forestry services like fire suppression, cone harvesting, aerial seeding and fertilizing, tree planting, drip torching, infrared scanning, GPS mapping, telemetry, crew and camp moves, and heli-logging supply.

ZIMMER AIR SERVICES

Blenheim, ON, zimmerair.com

Founded in 1975, Zimmer Air has focused on the forestry sector since its inception providing a number of services to the sector in Ontario and out of the province. The company provides drip torch and slash pile burning services.

ASSOCIATIONS

CANADIAN INTERAGENCY FOREST FIRE CENTRE

Ottawa, ON, ciffc.ca

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) is a not-for-profit corporation operated by federal, provincial and territorial wildland fire management agencies to coordinate resource sharing, mutual aid and information sharing.

HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

Nepean, ON, h-a-c.ca

The Helicopter Association of Canada is the sector’s primary voice for operators and suppliers, working closely with Transport Canada, TSB, and other key government agencies. HAC provides a range of resources for its membership. 613-231-1110 | W

A MUCH-NEEDED CHANGE OF COURSE FOR TRANSPORT CANADA

A strategic retreat for companies going through difficult times is to forgo certain ventures, services or product lines and concentrate on your core business while options are being assessed. The idea is to fall back to those activities that allowed you to grow and carve a niche in the market. Core services or products are usually the most profitable as you have achieved economies of scale and cost efficiencies. When market conditions improve, you then consider adding back or creating new product lines to create new profitable revenue streams. Most air carriers did exactly that during the pandemic, dropping some routes in favour of supporting the more profitable ones and concentrating on contractual obligations. Personnel cutbacks usually ensued as a cost saving measure associated with lower utilization. This is one of the main reasons why the recovery has been particularly challenging for airports and air carriers alike. Ramping up requires getting back furloughed staff and ensuring that their training and credentials are current. Unfortunately, in some cases, experienced personnel have moved to other industries as they could not afford to wait around for the airline business to return to normal levels.

Contrary to the aviation industry, the Federal Government did not lay off thousands of people during the pandemic. In fact, many departments continued to hire. CATSA, largely operated by private contractors, is probably one of the few exceptions of public services that cut its personnel capacity over the past two years. Civil servants mostly worked from home, which clearly lowered the level of service, causing significantly increased service delays. Response to service requests, essential for airlines operations, have slowed to a crawl, resulting in much longer delays than the established aviation service standards or what is an acceptable industry standard considering the fees paid. This trend is unfortunately not limited to Transport Canada but extends to many government departments. Visa applications, RAIC cards, type certifications, medical approvals, license renewals, professional exams, pilot proficiency checks, aircraft certification, etc. are subject to delays never before encountered. These delays in processing are blocking our recovery and disrupting air service across Canada.

The Government barely acknowledges this crippling level of service and prefers to blame airlines and airports for not ramping up quick enough. This is unacceptable.

Transport Canada’s Number 1 Core responsibility has been identified as a Safe and Secure Transportation System. The Government’s mandate is to provide services such as setting standards, implementing regulations, and enforcement.

According to its 2019-2020 Departmental Plan Transport Canada is responsible “for developing and overseeing the Government of Canada’s transportation policies and programs so Canadians can have access to a transportation system that is safe and secure; efficient; …and green and innovative”. The department works towards these objectives by 1) proposing and updating policies, laws and regulations; and 2) ensuring oversight by conducting inspections, enforcement activities and surveillance of transportation industry equipment, operations and facilities.

We agree with and support the mandate that has been given to Transport Canada. The problem lies in the fact that the department is not properly funded nor staffed to carry out this important mandate. While demand for air services in Canada had been growing at an annual rate of almost 5% until the pandemic the Transport Canada - Aviation Safety budget had been consistently cut. Total Aviation Safety Estimates for 2017-18 were set at $185.5M, down from $248.5M in 2011-12. That is a $63M or a 25.4% cut in six years, making it near impossible for Transport Canada to properly carry out its mandate. Transport Canada’s budget has since continued to be under-funded, and the department’s efficacy has dropped to historic lows.

In the face of such circumstances, the department needs to buckle down to its basic core responsibilities. Concentrate resources on elements of the core competency that absolutely cannot be provided by third parties. Delegate to those in industry that have the expertise to execute other mandates which would simply require oversight from the government.

ATAC has been suggesting for almost two decades that Transport Canada mandate third parties for certain services. We have provided a list of services to the past three transport ministers that could be delegated without going through lengthy legislative or regulatory changes.

These include manual amendments, pilot licence renewal within air carriers, and the hosting of professional exams. ATAC proposes that while TCCA maintains overall responsibility for these administrative activities, mandating industry to carry out these time-consuming clerical duties would allow Transport Canada to concentrate its resources to its oversight responsibility, as recommended by the SMS Culture.

Delegating these clerical tasks will free up Transport Canada resources and help shorten the delays of services that have been crippling our recovery. While these suggested solutions, among others, were very pertinent prior to the pandemic, they are even more so in this recovery stage where delays and labor shortages are seriously threatening our ability to once again offer Canadians the first-class air transport services they need and deserve.

Benjamin Powless | guest columnist

Air Creebec celebrates 40 years

How Canada continues to benefit from a prosperous Cree owned airline

Four decades ago, Quebec Premier René Lévesque was skeptical of the idea of Crees running their own airline, telling the late Cree Grand Chief Billy Diamond that airlines already served Cree communities. But in the end, the province had no say: the Cree Nation, using capital from the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA), went on to build Air Creebec.

Now the airline is celebrating its 40th anniversary. It started out as a partnership with family-run Austin Airways, with the Crees owning 51%. In 1988, the Cree Nation bought out Austin Airways, and Air Creebec has been 100% Cree-owned ever since.

After the JBNQA signing in 1975, the Cree held a planning session on how to invest and grow their capital. “One of the first things that came up was an airline,” said current Air Creebec President Matthew Happyjack, noting that most communities had no road access, and the only way to get down south was by plane.

Diamond knew the family that ran Austin Airways and negotiated an agreement with them. The rest, as they say, is history.

Happyjack said that the airline service was something special before roads connected most of the communities. “When the airplane came in, everyone would gather and watch it,” he recounted. “They’d watch the people getting on and leaving. Even today it’s still like this; the Elders still watch the planes coming in.”

The fledgling airline began with Twin Otters, before moving on to Beechcraft 1900s, which are 19-passenger turboprops. Then the company turned to Dash 8s, eventually buying 16 of them, which are now used for all its passenger services.

“They’re good planes for the North, efficient,” Happyjack adds, noting that they work well for shorter runways up North. The company also uses two Hawker Siddeley HS 748s for cargo.

At the beginning, Air Creebec ran a strictly passenger service. However, over the past 25 years, they’ve expanded to serve cargo and charter flights, particularly for medical services and mining companies. “During the pandemic, most of our service was medical shuttles,” Happyjack noted.

The company turned to Dash 8s, eventually buying 16 of them, which are now used for all of its passenger services.

The company operates three planes that fill medical roles in between the communities. The hangar in Montreal, operated outside of the main Montreal terminal, allows passengers to avoid long airport security lineups, which Happyjack says is particularly helpful for medical passengers.

The 40 years of service have been enough to bring the province around to see the benefits of a Cree-owned airline. During a recent presentation at an aviation summit, Happyjack said government officials told him they were happy to see Air Creebec is thriving, since they serve non-Cree communities as well, including Val-d’Or, Rouyn-Noranda, Moosonee and Timmins.

To mark the anniversary, Happyjack joined other officials in touring the communities served by the airline, between June 29and July 7. “We were there to promote Air Creebec’s 40 years, thank the customers – individuals and companies – and we had snacks, a 40th anniversary cake, and we had a draw,” Happyjack said. He estimates there were at least 50 people at each of the community celebrations.

As for Air Creebec’s future, Happyjack says the airline will go where the demand is, as it always has. “At the beginning, it was for the first 15 years more passengers. Then came along charters,” Happyjack explained. “Then after the demand came,

we bought more Dash 8s. It was easier financially for them; we saw the demand was there. We built a hangar in Montreal.”

Like all airlines, Air Creebec was drastically affected by the pandemic, saying it will take five years to get back to 2019 levels. Happyjack is optimistic, however, noting the airline is slowly picking up more passengers every month. The company hopes to go back to offering service six days a week soon if there’s demand.

While they’ve been affected by some of the delays affecting all airlines, they’ve been able to avoid others entirely. As headlines broke about staff shortages and baggage delays at airports across the world, Air Creebec has been able to keep up with demand by controlling all its systems, especially by not outsourcing baggage handling. However, other delays proved impossible to avoid, including recent construction at Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport closed one landing strip entirely. “There’s lots of planes waiting in Montreal, but we advise our customers,” Happyjack said.

Overall, Happyjack is happy with where the company is. Despite a deficit in 2020, he says the company recovered in 2021, and is “doing good” in 2022. “Our passenger service is picking up. We’re satisfied where we are. We knew it would be ‘slowly but surely’. We’ve managed to weather the storm.” | W

Benjamin Powless is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Nation.

PHOTO: JUKE SCHWEIZER

THE WORLD IS BEAUTIFUL PLACE

Keeping it that way is at the centre of all we do. That’s why, with our unwavering commitment to decarbonisation, Airbus is paving the way for sustainable aerospace. Today, our technological developments are already helping to safeguard our precious planet. Discover more about how we’re leading the journey, shaping a brighter future for generations to come.