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King of the air Fixed-wing medical care
The Zero airman My afternoon with a Kamikaze Pilot
PHOTO CREDIT TK
JULY/AUGUST 2019
Brant Arnold-Smith, Director, Security and Terminal Operations, Victoria Airport Authority
CANADA’S NATIONAL AVIATION MAGAZINE
唀匀㨀 䄀氀戀愀渀礀Ⰰ 䄀氀攀砀愀渀搀爀椀愀Ⰰ 䄀甀猀琀椀渀Ⰰ 䈀甀爀戀愀渀欀Ⰰ 䐀愀氀氀愀猀Ⰰ 䜀甀氀昀瀀漀爀琀⼀䈀椀氀漀砀椀Ⰰ 䠀漀甀猀琀漀渀Ⰰ 䤀渀搀椀愀渀愀瀀漀氀椀猀Ⰰ 䰀愀欀攀 䌀栀愀爀氀攀猀Ⰰ 䴀攀搀昀漀爀搀Ⰰ 䴀漀猀攀猀 䰀愀欀攀Ⰰ 伀爀氀愀渀搀漀Ⰰ 刀椀挀栀洀漀渀搀Ⰰ 刀椀瘀攀爀猀椀搀攀Ⰰ 刀漀洀攀Ⰰ 匀愀渀 䄀渀琀漀渀椀漀Ⰰ 匀琀⸀ 䰀漀甀椀猀Ⰰ 匀琀攀渀渀椀猀Ⰰ 匀礀爀愀挀甀猀攀Ⰰ 吀愀氀氀愀栀愀猀猀攀攀Ⰰ 吀漀瀀攀欀愀Ⰰ 吀甀挀猀漀渀Ⰰ 嘀椀挀琀漀爀瘀椀氀氀攀Ⰰ 圀栀椀琀攀 倀氀愀椀渀猀Ⰰ 夀甀洀愀 䌀愀渀愀搀愀㨀 吀漀爀漀渀琀漀Ⰰ 嘀愀渀挀漀甀瘀攀爀Ⰰ 䌀愀氀最愀爀礀 䌀栀椀渀愀㨀 䈀攀椀樀椀渀最 䌀漀氀漀洀戀椀愀㨀 䌀愀爀琀愀最攀渀愀 倀甀攀爀琀漀 刀椀挀漀㨀 匀愀渀 䨀甀愀渀
JULY/AUGUST 2019
UPFRONT 6 Leading edge
Squeeze on airline profits
8 On the fly
CAHF 2019 inductees, Fort Langley Air, and Bombardier Aviation
12 Watchlist
Managing fatigue, safer than fighting it
14 Air Traffic
Anywhere we are needed, life as a STARS captain
BACK 40 Marketplace 42 On final
My weekend with a Kamikaze Pilot
From top: Adele Dobler describes life as a STARS Air Ambulance captain. P.12. Erika Armstrong describes an afternoon with Zero pilot Masijiro Kawato. P.42.
Olena Zagoskina, senior mechanical engineer and TCCA delegate, Cascade Aerospace, Abbotsford, BC. P. 20
FEATURES 16 KING OF THE AIR, A ONE-OF-A-KIND, LIFESAVING AIRCRAFT
An extensively modified Super King Air 200 operated by PAL Aerospace provides medical care from the Halifax Stanfield International Airport BY CARROLL MCCORMICK
18 AGENTS OF CHANGE, TOP 20 UNDER 40
Influencing Canadian aviation: Brant Arnold-Smith, Yannic Boily, Logan Brown, Travis Burrows, Jason Doell, Darryl Dowd, Laura Foote, Darrel Forest, Ginny Koseruba, Connor Hart, Kevin Lawes, Sukhvir Mavi, Keith McCormack, Anthony Norejko, Tyler Perin, Allison Rumbolt, Toby Spitzer, Jessalyn Teed, Peter Wheatley, and Olena Zagoskina
PHOTOS: PLANES OF FAME EAST, ELEVATE AVIATION
BY JON ROBINSON
COVER PHOTO: JESSE HLADY STUDIOS
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AVIATION THIS WEEK Looking to catch up on the latest hot news from around aviation and aerospace? Check out Aviation This Week, a live digital version of the top news stories affecting a variety of key markets. It's quick, essential information you need to know! WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
2019-06-18 3:48 PM
LEADING
EDGE
By Jon Robinson |
A squeeze on airline profits IATA downgrades 2019 profit outlook for air transport
I
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Airlines will still turn a profit this year, but there is no easy money to be made. mention the 737 MAX grounding in its profit-projection report, but its effects represent both immediate and near-future costs for many significant players. After what IATA describes as an exceptional performance in 2017 (+9.7 per cent growth), cargo demand growth slowed to 3.4 per cent in 2018. IATA anticipates this sector will be flat in 2019 with cargo volumes of 63.1 million tonnes (63.3 million
1. WestJet’s 787 Dreamliner will offer 24,000 more GatwickCalgary seats per year on the same number of aircraft (P. 8) 2. FlightSafety provides more than 1.4 million hours of training each year (P. 9) 3. Pilatus in May reported year-end results above the 1-billion mark (P. 10) 4. TSB identified sleep-related fatigue as a contributing factor or a risk in at least 90 occurrences since the early 1990s. (P. 12) 5. Between three aircraft, EHS completes more than 900 missions per year. (P. 16)
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WINGS | July/August 2019
tonnes in 2018) because of the impact of higher tariffs on trade. Cargo yields are expected to be flat in 2019 after a 12.3 per cent improvement in 2018, explains IATA, as cargo load factors fall further, and supply-demand conditions weaken. Passenger demand growth is expected to be more robust than for cargo, according to IATA, which points to global GDP growth that is expected to remain relatively strong at 2.7 per cent, albeit slower than in 2018 (3.1 per cent). Governments and central banks have responded to slower economic growth with more supportive policies, explains IATA, which is providing an offset to trade weakness. But IATA continues to explain that economic growth and household incomes will still grow more slowly, so total passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers, is expected to grow by 5.0 per cent (down from 7.4 per cent in 2018). Airlines have responded to the slower growth environment by trimming capacity expansion to 4.7% (ASKs), states IATA, which also notes total passenger numbers are expected to rise to 4.6 billion (up from 4.4 billion in 2018). All regions are expecting a reduction in profitability with the exception of North America and Latin America, according to IATA. The association states North American carriers will deliver the strongest financial performance with a $15 billion post tax profit (up from $14.5 billion in 2018). That represents a net profit of $14.77 per passenger, according to IATA, which is described as marked improvement from just seven years earlier ($2.3 in 2012). IATA concludes that net margins, forecast at 5.5 per cent, are down from 2018 levels owing to what the association describes as higher than expected fuel costs and slowing growth. | W WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
PHOTO: BOEING
nternational Air Transport Association on June 2 released a report highlighting a downgrade of its 2019 profit outlook for the global air transport industry. The association, which represents some 290 airlines comprising 82 per cent of global air traffic, projects the sector’s 2019 profit will reach US$28 billion, a decrease of 11.8 per cent from the $35.5 billion mark forecasted in December 2018. IATA points to rising fuel prices and what it describes as a “substantial weakening” of world trade, including the effects of a U.S.-China trade war. Its projections do not become rosier, including an expectation, that in 2019, overall costs will grow by 7.4 per cent, outpacing a 6.5 per cent rise in revenues for the year. From these numbers, IATA expects net margins “to be squeezed” to 3.2 per cent (from 3.7 per cent in 2018 ) with profit per passenger also facing a decline to $6.12 (from $6.85 in 2018). Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s CEO, notes 2019 will represent the tenth consecutive year in the black for the airline industry. But he continues to point to rising competition among airlines and the impact of weaker trade on cargo, which can trickle into passenger traffic. “Airlines will still turn a profit this year, but there is no easy money to be made,” said de Juniac. He also states airlines have broken the boomand-bust cycle, that a downturn no longer plunges the industry into a deep crisis – even if investors may not see their normal levels of profitability over the past decade. Fuel costs will account for 25 per cent of operating costs (up from 23.5 per cent in 2018), according to IATA, which also projects non-fuel unit will rise to 39.5 cents per available tonne kilometer from 39.2 cents, because of higher labour, infrastructure and other costs. IATA does not specifically
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THE LEAD COMMERCIAL PEOPLE AWARDS BUSINESS AVIATION DRONES
THE LEAD
CAHF INDUCTS FIVE NEW MEMBERS Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame (CAHF) on May 16 introduced its five newest inductees, bringing its members to 233 since formation in 1973. The induction took place during the 46th Annual Induction Ceremony gala at Bombardier’s Laurent Beaudoin Completion Centre in Montreal. This year’s aviation hall of fame additions include: David Charles Fairbanks, a three-time recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, who enlisted in the RCAF in 1941 and by 1955 became a test pilot for de Havilland Canada; John Peter Holding, executive with Canadair/Bombardier and past CAHF chairman; Barry Lapointe, founder and CEO of Kelowna Flightcraft, which is now known as KF Aerospace, employing more than 1,000 people; James McDougall, founder of Harbour Air, based in Richmond, BC, which is now the largest floatplane organization in the world; and William Paris, WWII fighter pilot and a Member of the Order of Canada.
COMMERCIAL
WESTJET TO BE ACQUIRED BY ONEX WestJet Airlines Ltd. entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Onex Corporation in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $5 billion, including assumed debt. Under terms of the agreement, Onex and its affiliated funds will acquire all outstanding shares of WestJet, after which WestJet will operate as a privately held company. WestJet expects to close the transaction in the latter part of 2019 or early 2020. The purchase agreement closely followed a number of significant firsts for the airline, including the inaugural commercial flight of its new 787-9 Dreamliner from Calgary to London, Gatwick. WestJet’s Dreamliners carry 320 guests in a threeclass cabin configuration. The launch of the 787 Dreamliner will offer around 24,000 more Gatwick-Calgary seats per year on the same number of aircraft. WestJet also celebrated the opening of its new 787 Dreamliner maintenance hangar at its hub at Calgary International Airport. As a result of the $50 million investment to build the 125,000-squarefoot hangar, WestJet is the first Canadian airline to base its Dreamliner aircraft out of YYC. The hangar accommodates one 787-9 Dreamliner or up to four 737 aircraft. It increases the airline’s campus size to 500,000 square feet or 11 acres.
Members of the flight crew for WestJet’s first transatlantic 787 Dreamliner flight from Calgary to London, Gatwick.
AIR CANADA MOVES TO ACQUIRE AIR TRANSAT Air Canada in May 16 entered into an exclusive agreement to purchase all issued and outstanding shares of Transat A.T. Inc., with the ultimate goal of integrating the operation. The agreement included a period of exclusive negotiation until June 26, according to the CBC, before which Group Mach of Quebec made a rival offer for Transat. The Air Canada deal is valued at approximately $520 million based on offering $13.00 per share of Transat. Air Canada states the purchase would create a Montreal-based global travel services company in leisure, tourism and travel distribution operating across Canada and internationally. “It will also allow us to further grow our hub at MontréalTrudeau Airport, where we have added 35 new routes since 2012 to the benefit of the Montreal and Quebec communities, and from which we carried 10 million customers in 2018 alone,” said Calin Rovinescu, president and chief executive of Air Canada.
MITSUBISHI MRJ NAMED SPACEJET
Barry Lapointe (right), founder and CEO of KF Aerospace, is inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame. 8
WINGS | July/August 2019
Mitsubishi Aircraft unveiled the commercial name of its new regional jet series, which began test flights in November 2015 under the name of Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ). The family of aircraft represents the first passenger aircraft WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
PHOTO: KF AEROSPACE; WESTJET
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developed in Japan in more than half a century; and the first by Mitsubishi Aircraft. The SpaceJet family, powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, includes the M90 (previously known by the developmental designation of MRJ90, which was a clean-sheet design) and the new SpaceJet M100.. Mitsubishi explains the M100 is designed to be scope clause compliant in a 65-76 seat, three-class cabin configuration. It can also be configured for other global market needs of up to 88 seats, single class. The company is planning to deliver the SpaceJet M90 in 2020.
AUSTRIAN AIRLINES ADDS MONTREAL
PHOTO: AUSTRIAN AIRLINES; FT. LANGLEY AIR
Austrian Airlines launched a new, nonstop service between Vienna, Austria, to Montréal, scheduled to occur daily throughout the summer and five times per week during the winter. With its new gateway in Montréal, the operator explains Lufthansa Group’s passenger airlines are now fully represented in this region. Now, all passengers in the Montréal area will have the entire Lufthansa Group passenger airlines (Austrian, Lufthansa and SWISS) at their disposal when choosing to travel internationally. “Choosing Montréal to continue its expansion in Canada strengthens YUL’s status as an international hub,” said Philippe Rainville, president and CEO of Aéroports de Montréal. Austrian Airlines explains the flight connection between Toronto and Vienna will be taken over by
With its new service, Austrian Airlines expects to transport approximately 75,000 passengers between Montréal and Vienna by the end of this year.
Star Alliance and Joint Venture partner Air Canada, also operating daily in the summer and five times weekly during the winter season.
NEW OWNERSHIP FOR FORT LANGLEY AIR
the addition of two Cessna 180 float planes and two DHC-2 Beavers. Situated north of the Fraser River, YPK is regarded as a gateway to the Vancouver Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley regions. The operation has also renovated its satellite base at the Fort Langley Airport, which will continue to serve as a location for some of its training and instruction.
Fort Langley Air, based in Pitt Meadows, BC, is now operating under the ownership of Scott McIntosh, an entrepreneur who comes from a family of pilots. With new branding to accompany its new ownership, Fort Langley primarily provides floatplane instruction and custom charters. The operation purchased a new hangar at the Pitt Meadows Airport (YPK), which now serves as its primary base. Renovations have also been completed at Fort Langley Airport satellite location, which will continue to provide training for seaplane ratings and 50-hour bush pilot certification. Fort Langley Air’s expansion includes
David Davenport becomes president and CEO of FlightSafety International. He most recently served as Co-CEO and president, commercial. With more than 2,000 instructors, FlightSafety provides more than 1.4 million hours of training each year to aviation professionals from 167 countries and independent territories. Ray Johns, who previously served as Co-CEO, will continue as president, government and manufacturing. He oversees the services and products FlightSafety offers to government and military agencies,
PEOPLE
DAVENPORT BECOMES CEO OF FLIGHTSAFETY
A DHC-2 Beaver in front of Fort Langley Air's new hangar at Pitt Meadows Airport (YPK). WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
July/August 2019 | WINGS
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ON THE
FLY
as well as the design and manufacture of simulation products and visual systems.
KULIAVAS JOINS LEVAERO Ray Kuliavas has joined the executive team of Levaero Aviation as vice president with an emphasis on business development. Bringing more than 40 years of experience, he will be based out of Levaero’s Toronto office. In addition to extensive MRO capabilities, Levaero is the exclusive authorized Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24 sales and service authority for Canada. The company explains Kuliavas’ knowledge in bringing new aircraft to the Canadian market will prove invaluable as it begins deliveries of the new PC-24 aircraft in Canada. Pilatus in May reported year-end results with sales revenues once again reaching above the 1-billion mark, at approximately 1.1 billion Swiss francs ($1.5 billion Canadian), for the first time since 2015. The
company delivered 128 aircraft in 2018, including 18 PC-24, 80 PC-12 NG, 27 PC21 and three PC-6 aircraft.
AWARDS
NORTHERN LIGHTS 2019 ELSIE AWARDS The Northern Lights Aero Foundation announced the 2019 winners of its 11th annual Elsie MacGill award program, honouring Canadian women who have made outstanding contributions to aviation and aerospace. The 2019 honourees include: Wendy Tayler (Business Award), president and majority owner of Whitehorse-based Alkan Air; Dr. Suzanne Kearns (Education Award), associate professor of aviation at the University of Waterloo; Lyndsey Poynter (Engineering), project engineer for MDA; Major Alexia Hannam (Flight Operations), RCAF helicopter pilot and commanding officer of 417 Combat Support
Major Alexia Hannam, commanding officer of 417 Combat Support Squadron, is to receive the 2019 Flight Operations Award from Northern Lights.
Squadron in Cold Lake, AB. Kathrine Stewart (Government), Special Constable Helicopter pilot with RCMP; captain Mary Cameron-Kelly (Pioneer), the first female non-commissioned member to
...is pleased to congratulate:
& Ginny Koseruba Program Manager
Olena Zagoskina Senior Mechanical Systems Engineer
…. Of Cascade Aerospace; both being recognized as Canada`s Top 20 under 40 in Canadian Aerospace. Cascade Aerospace is an Operating Unit of IMP Aerospace & Defence
IMP Aerospace & Defence www.impaad.com For more information contact Kim Tamminga, ktamminga@impaad.com.
10 WINGS | July/August 2019 WG_Cascade_JulyAug19_CSA.indd 1
WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM 2019-06-13 1:48 PM
become a CP-140 Aurora pilot, among other firsts; Dr. Joelle Thorgrimson (Rising Star), a pilot, physician, physicist and future flight surgeon; and Lauren Egglestone (Rising Star), who is flying 737s for Air Canada.
BUSINESS AVIATION
BOMBARDIER RESTRUCTURING UNDER AVIATION Bombardier in May unveiled plans to consolidate its aerospace assets into a single Aviation business unit. The Montréal company currently operates four distinct units, including Transportation (rail), Business Aircraft, Commercial Aircraft, and Aerostructures and Engineering Services. Bombardier also plans to sell its Belfast and Morocco aerostructures businesses, noting it will focus its such activities in Montréal, Mexico and the recently acquired (February 6, 2019) Global 7500
WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM WG_diamondair_half-June-Bas.indd 1
wing operation in Texas. Bombardier Aviation will be led by David Coleal, currently serving as president of Bombardier Business Aircraft.
DRONES
DDC AGREEMENT WITH AIR CANADA CARGO Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) entered into a 10-year agreement with Air Canada, whereby Air Canada Cargo will market and sell DDC’s drone delivery services in Canada. Subject to DDC obtaining the required approvals, the company plans to build and operate up to 150,000 drone delivery routes in Canada. As part of the agreement, DDC explains Air Canada Cargo will not use or engage with any other drone delivery service providers over the term. In June, DDC made changes to its management team and board, with Michael Zahra being appointed CEO, succeeding
Tony Di Benedetto, who takes on a business strategy position. Vijay Kanwar, who currently serves on the board of the Business Development Bank of Canada, has joined the DDC board.
DHL DRONE DELIVERY IN CHINA DHL Express entered into a strategic partnership with EHang of China to launch what the companies describe as a fully automated drone delivery service for a specific DHL customer in China. A customized route covers a distance of approximately eight kilometres, reducing one-way-delivery time from 40 minutes to just eight, saving costs of up to 80 per cent per delivery. The EHang Falcon drone deployed by DHL can carry up to 5kg of cargo per flight, taking off and landing via intelligent cabinets that connect with processes like sorting, scanning and storage of express mail – with the potential for facial recognition and ID scanning. | W
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2019-06-12 8:54 AM
WATCHLIST By Missy Rudin-Brown |
Managing fatigue, not fighting it Inside a critical issue on the Transportation Safety Board Watchlist
O
12 WINGS | July/August 2019
even their families, think about fatigue so that the risks can be minimized. First, all employees in safety-sensitive roles must be made aware of the risks of fatigue and how to minimize its effects. Whether through education or awareness training, employees need to understand what can happen if they work when fatigued. They also need to know what factors can make it worse; and what countermeasures might make it better. Second, employers and operators need to develop a FRMS plan – and not just a general plan, either. It won’t cut it to just tell employees, “Get more rest.” Rather, the plan must be specific to the elements that create or exacerbate fatigue within their specific operations. In the meantime, TSB will continue to look for signs of fatigue and its effects on human performance – in all occurrences it investigates. Where we identify that progress has been made to combat the risks of fatigue, we’ll be sure to say so. Where more still needs to be done, we’ll say that too. The safety of passengers everywhere, people on the ground and, indeed, the entire aviation community, depends on it. | W
Marc Garneau introduced new Flight and Duty Time regulations in late-2018. hours and the first officer for more than 12. The report also found that Canadian regulations at the time did not always “allow for sufficient rest” and could result in “pilots flying in a fatigued state.” Among the subsequent recommendations was one for Transport Canada to revise its regulations “to address the potential for fatigue for pilots on reserve duty who are called to operate evening flights that would extend into the pilots’ window of circadian low.” In December 2018, Canada’s Minister of Transport, Marc Garneau, announced that changes to Canada’s flight and duty time regulations had been finalized. Those changes introduce lower limits on annual, monthly, and weekly flight times, as well as reduced duty-time maximums. Although it remains to be seen what effect these new measures will have, the Watchlist makes it clear that other steps are needed. More specifically, Canadian air operators must implement Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS) to address fatigue-related risks specific to their operations. What will these systems look like? Well, they will require a profound change in how companies, their managers, employees and
Missy Rudin-Brown, Ph.D., CCPE, is a senior human factors investigator and the Manager of the TSB’s Human Factors and Macro Analysis group. WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
PHOTO: JON ROBINSON, AIAC, NOVEMBER 2018
ne third of Canadian adults indicate they sleep less than the recommended seven to nine hours per night, according to a 2017 Statistics Canada study. Fatigue is pervasive in our modern societies, which rely on 24/7 industries like transportation. Insufficient quantity or quality of sleep degrades aspects of human performance in ways that may lead to accidents. In the transportation industry, fatigue is even more likely because of challenges to the human body’s circadian (daily) rhythm caused by shiftwork and travel across time zones. Fighting fatigue when it occurs is better than doing nothing, but managing the risks for fatigue before it occurs is much safer. This is why Fatigue Management in Rail, Marine and Air Transportation is on the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) Watchlist 2018. In the transportation industry, crews often work long and irregular schedules – sometimes in challenging conditions or crossing multiple time zones – that are not always conducive to getting sufficient restorative sleep. As a result, the TSB has identified sleep-related fatigue as a contributing factor or a risk in at least 90 occurrences since the early 1990s – 43 of them in the aviation sector. Perhaps the most-recent, high-profile occurrence involving fatigue took place in July 2017 at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), when an Air Canada flight cleared to land on runway 28-A lined up instead at the adjacent, parallel taxiway. The aircraft was just 100 feet above the ground when the crew recognized the situation and initiated a go-around. Meanwhile, below them, four other aircraft were lined up on that same taxiway, awaiting departure. The investigation found that minimum separation between the occurrence aircraft and those on the taxiway was between 10 and 20 feet. The subsequent investigation into that near miss, and the report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), found that the aircraft’s captain and first officer were both fatigued “due to the number of hours that they had been continuously awake and [to] circadian disruption.” The captain – a reserve pilot – had been awake for more than 19
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AIR
TRAFFIC By Kendra Kincade |
Anywhere we are needed
Adele Dobler describes life as a STARS Air Ambulance captain
T
he world of aviation is full of inspiring people like Adele Dobler. When I spoke with her in mid-2019, Dobler was a captain with STARS Air Ambulance, flying out of Grand Prairie, Alberta, helping to provide time-sensitive access to medical care. At the time, she was preparing to embark on a new life journey to fly a BK 117 for an air ambulance operation in Kenya. Dobler became a pilot because she loves everything about aviation – weather patterns, navigation, air law, aircraft systems, seeing beautiful places from the air, and problem-solving on a daily basis. I spoke with Dobler to better understand what it means to be part of an air-medical crew. What does a day in your life at work look like? Dobler: A day in the life of a STARS pilot can be hard to predict. Generally, we start off by checking in and getting a brief from the previous crew about the aircraft or any missions they had the night before. We will then do some checks and a daily inspection to make sure the helicopter is ready to go for the day. Then we are on standby until a tone comes in and we slide down the metaphorical firefighter pole to push the helicopter out of the hangar and be on our way in under 10 minutes. Our destination is anywhere we are needed, whether that is a rural hospital to pick up someone who needs immediate surgery or a highway to pick up someone who has been in a horrific car accident. The air medical crew then does the hard work of stabilizing the patient, so that it will be safe to transport them in the helicopter. We fly them either to the hospital in Grande Prairie or all the way to a facility in Edmonton. What is the best part of your job? I have had the privilege of flying in some amazingly remote and incredibly beautiful areas, including Haida Gwaii, Prince Rupert, Willmore Wilderness Area, Jasper National Park, Monkman Provincial Park and others. What is the hardest part of your job? One of the hardest things about my job 14 WINGS | July/August 2019
[Soon] I will be moving on to another role flying the BK 117 in Kenya for an air ambulance company. I have always wanted to fly internationally, and I will have the opportunity to see some more incredible places in the near future.
Adele Dobler fulfilled a dream flying STARS, before accepting a new role to fly a bk 117 in kenya. is staying impartial to the patient. Sometimes, we get a call and the weather is unflyable… but we are responsible to make the safe decision that won’t put our crew in danger in order to save the patient. It can be very difficult to make the call not to dispatch when someone in need. What stands from your time at STARS? One thing I will never forget... is a flight I took at night in the middle of winter. For flights at night, we use night-vision goggles to enhance the safety and visibility when we are out flying in places with no light. I looked out as we were leaving the city and the Northern Lights burst across the horizon and brilliantly started dancing in the distance. Goosebumps covered my skin and I had to focus on my job, because I couldn’t stop looking at them! The goggles pick up each photon of light, so they just filled the entire sky. Is this your dream job? Working for STARS had been a goal of mine for many years since I grew up in Alberta. They are a great company that does an amazing job serving the people of remote and rural towns in this province...
What pilot advice would you share? Breathe – It sounds silly, but there will be times that you feel overworked, overtired, task-saturated and behind the aircraft. Just take one second and remind yourself to breathe, slow down, prioritize and complete one thing at a time. On my approach checks, I secretly add this to my checklist before I land each time. Why would you encourage others to become a helicopter pilot? It is a challenging, rewarding and beautiful career, but there are sacrifices you need to make to achieve your flying goals. There might be times you need to mop the hangar floor at a job in the middle of nowhere. Then you might have to fly in the bush for a few years to gain experience… Hopefully, those times will teach you to persist, because you cannot picture yourself doing anything other than flying over beautiful places that no one else will ever see. | W Kendra Kincade is the founder and executive director of Elevate Aviation. WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
NAV CANADA SALUTES LAURA FOOTE AND THE 2019 NOMINEES TO THE TOP 20 UNDER 40 AWARDS NAV CANADA would like to congratulate Laura Foote, Air Traffic Controller for being selected as one of the 2019 Top 20 Under 40, and we thank her for her dedication, hard work and leadership. NAV CANADA salutes all of the 2019 Top 20 Under 40 Awards nominees for their contribution to the aviation industry.
WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
July/August 2019 | WINGS 15
KING OF THE AIR
AN EXTENSIVELY MODIFIED SUPER KING AIR 200 PROVIDES MEDICAL CARE IN NOVA SCOTIA BY CARROLL MCCORMICK
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hen there is a need for speed, medical air services operator EHS LifeFlight has three aircraft ready to deploy from the Halifax Stanfield International Airport: Two Sikorsky-76C+ helicopters and one Super King Air 200, which LifeFlight describes as a oneof-a-kind aircraft in the world. The Super King Air 200 is an all-weather plane, with two PT6A-41 Pratt & Whitney turboprop engines, each developing 850 shaft horsepower, and wing de-icing systems. The aircraft is owned and operated by PAL Aerospace, which first made it available to EHS in 1997. In 2009, it switched to a dedicated contract. EHS is an emergency medical transport provider for Nova Scotia and provides services to Prince Edward Island and 16 WINGS | July/August 2019
back-up/speciality services to New Brunswick. It operates under the management of Emergency Medical Care Inc., a private company that in turn operates under contract to the Nova Scotia’s Department of Health and Wellness, Emergency Health Services division. The Super King Air 200 has the range needed for the trips EHS makes and has good payload and short-runway capabilities. But to bring the plane more into line with its mission to transport critically ill patients, attended to by teams of top critical care specialists, PAL extensively modified the plane in 2013 and 2014. First, a working group from EHS and PAL designed a patient-centric cabin outfitted with equipment that turned the plane into a flying emergency room or critical care suite. The plane then went under the
knife, so to speak. Colin Flynn, Program Manager, EHS LifeFlight, describes the modification specialists: “They completely stripped the interior of the aircraft. They took away the floor aisles, leveled it and piped in oxygen. There is an oxygen containment system at the back of the aircraft. It contains six hours-worth of oxygen from dual, redundant oxygen cylinders. There are 12 electrical outlets powered by two separate and redundant inverters. There are two complete and
PAL DESIGNED A MORE PATIENTCENTRIC CABIN... IN EFFECT, TURNING THE PLANE INTO A FLYING EMERGENCY ROOM. independent air and suction systems. PAL even developed the first Transport Canadacertified medical sharps receptacle that we know of. All of the interior equipment is operated from a single control panel.”
The plane can accommodating all patient populations; that is, critically ill patients ranging from premature babies to adults. “We can load two ambulance-style stretchers through the King Air door. Once the patient is secured on our stretcher, they do not have to be moved to be placed in any of the Province’s transport vehicles,” Flynn notes. Since the loading areas at most of the small airports are very dark, the refit included modifying a tail light to shine down and light up the loading areas. “The LED light is a huge advance.” Flynn describes the mission-improved Super King Air 200 as “... a smooth ride – quite a culture shift.” PAL provides the pilots who fly the plane. Minimum qualifications are 3,500 hours, plus 1,000 hours of turbine engine time, for captains and a minimum of 800 hours for first officers. The three aircraft, the pilots, engineers (Canadian Helicopters Ltd. owns and operates the Sikorskys) and medical teams are stationed at the EHS hangar at the Stanfield airport, as is a Freightliner critical care WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
PHOTO: GLENN SENTNER
Rolling out EHS LifeFlight’s Super King Air 200, a one-of-a-kind, all-weather aircraft owned and operated by PAL Aerospace.
ground unit, adult clinical teams and program administration. The medical teams, the composition of which changes according to each mission and the patients being moved, are made up of critical care paramedics, critical care nurses and registered respiratory therapists. “We have adult, pediatric/neonatal and obstetrics team configurations,” Flynn explains. “If the patient is over 16, we send the adult team. Less than 16, we send the pediatric team. Less than 28 days old [is] neonatal, which would require incubator transport. A physician representing each speciality group is also available by phone to support our responding teams. “We transported 160 patients in 2018 for neonatal services,” he adds. “All of the outlying hospitals fly premature babies to the IWK Health Centre in Halifax. The Children’s services team is based at the IWK and consists of nine critical care nurses, nine registered respiratory therapists and eight obstetrical specialty nurses.” Two helicopter pilots and two medical specialists are each on 12-hour shifts; EHS provides 24/7 coverage. The King Air pilots are on stand-by, off-site. Everyone and everything are kept in a state of readiness that allows wheels up in as little as 10 minutes. “One Sikorsky is always mission ready, while the other undergoes routine maintenance. The expectation is 10 minutes wheels up during visual flight rules conditions and 20 minutes wheels up during IFR conditions,” Flynn says. “The Super King Air 200 is expected to be wheels up in 60 minutes or less in our current contract with PAL.” Between the three aircraft EHS completes more than 900 missions per year and demand is increasing. “We’ve set a record every one of the past five years. If both helicopters are ready and the crews are fresh, we can put both Sikorskys in the air,” Flynn says, noting all three aircraft are in the air on rare occasions. The Sikorskys – think first responder go where the Super King Air 200 cannot. “Normally, a ground ambulance will arrive on-scene first and determine if the patient requires critical care transport, but there are times when EHS LifeFlight will arrive first in cases of remote scenes,” Flynn says. All of the pilots assigned to support the LifeFlight program must have solid instrument flight rules experience and previous Medivac and maritime flying experience. They are also trained in to how best to assist the medical teams in the event of mass casualty or hazardous materials situations. The helicopters fly to wherever they are required. They may land on a cordoned-off highway near an accident scene, on a beach, or fly to a hospital landing pad or community landing pad. For the latter, scattered throughout the Nova Scotia, EHS has a
network of more than 10,000 Landing Zone Officers it has trained, mostly volunteer firefighters. “They look for level ground free of obstructions. They control the area until the helicopter lands, and the engine shuts down, and they monitor the takeoff, too,” Flynn says. The King Air is more of an inter-facility transporter. “Inter-facility transports are the hospital-to-hospital transfers for escalation in care. Once a patient gets too sick or requires a specialty service, we step in for the care and transport,” Flynn says. The program is dispatched out of the
provincial Medical Communications Centre located in Dartmouth. The Centre handles all requests for ground and air ambulance transport through calls from individuals or transfer requests from hospitals, through the provincial 911 system. As EHS LifeFlight says of its service, “EHS LifeFlight brings a specialty team directly to the patient, dramatically increasing the speed at which the patient begins receiving critical care. Additionally, our service supports both hospitals and ground ambulance paramedic teams in managing patients with time-dependent injuries.” | W
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Stan Kuliavas, Vice President of Sales | sales@levaero.com | 1.844.538.2376
www.levaero.com July/August 2019 | WINGS 17
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Brant Arnold-Smith, Director, Security and Terminal Operations, Victoria Airport Authority.
AGENTS OF CHANGE I
TOP 20 UNDER 40, INFLUENCING THE FUTURE OF CANADIAN AVIATION
n the annual Top 20 Under 40 program, sponsored by the Seneca School of Aviation, WINGS recognizes inspiring young leaders influencing the direction of Canadian aviation and aerospace. Presented here alphabetically, these leaders, who are all under the age of 40, were initially put forward through a nomination process lasting over several months. WINGS then determined the 20 honourees based on their demonstration of leadership, innovation, influence, achievement and/or dedication shown to their organization and the Canadian aviation industry. 18 WINGS | July/August 2019
BRANT ARNOLD-SMITH
Director, Security and Terminal Operations, Victoria Airport Authority Victoria, BC Brant Arnold-Smith, age 37, is the youngest member of Victoria Airport Authority’s executive team. He has been directly involved in aviation for just nine years, after focusing the early part of his career in emergency services, begining as a volunteer firefighter in his home town of Victoria. Arnold-Smith moved to the mainland to serve as an on-call firefighter with Surrey Fire Service and shortly after found his
first opportunity to work in aviation when Vancouver International Airport (YVR) put out a competition for its Aircraft Rescue Team. The airport decided to move these services inhouse and Arnold-Smith was one of 24 successful applicants, among some 3,000, to join the team. His role expanded as an airfield operations specialist, but he decided to leave YVR to join the Vancouver Police Department, where he served as a constable and sergeant for nine years. He was then approached to oversee YVR’s aviation security program. “It really helped with relationships at the airport with CBSA, U.S. WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
PHOTO: JESSE: HLADY STUDIOS
BY JON ROBINSON
SENECA CONGRATULATES THE
2019 WINGS Top 20 Under 40 winners.
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Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group congratulates
Logan Brown Aircraft Services Sales & Business Development Manager
For being chosen as one of the
Contact Logan to learn more about IEAG’s aircraft management and technical services solutions. Innotech-execaire.com
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Yannic Boily, Maintenance Manager, Premier Aviation Québec.
customs, RCMP, CSIS... I walked a mile in their shoes as a police officer, so you have that instant connection and credibility,” he explains. Eventually, Arnold-Smith’s responsibilities at YVR grew to include the Integrated Operations Centre/Emergency Operations Centre, where he was the primary management representative responsible for safety, security and efficiency of all airport facilities and operations (terminal, airside and groundside); in addition to managing all aircraft and airport emergencies. This came in the midst of incredible growth for Canada’s second largest airport, which is now approaching 27 million passengers per year – from a mark of around 17 million passengers in 2003 when Arnold-Smith worked on the Aircraft Rescue Team. In late 2018, Arnold-Smith returned home to join Victoria International Airport (YYJ), which is also experiencing exponential growth, reaching above two million passengers last year (December 2018) – 5.9 per cent growth year over year. At YYJ, Arnold-Smith is responsible for aviation/corporate security, terminal/ airport operations, regulatory compliance, emergency management and project management. “You never know what is going to get thrown at you in an airport and that is the beautiful thing of working in operations. It is a very dynamic and challenging environment – every day is different,” he explains. “Safety and security is the core of the aviation business. It is what passengers and employees expect. It is the cornerstone of what we do.” A January 2018 economic impact study by InterVISTAS Consulting, shows YYJ 20 WINGS | July/August 2019
generated 4,200 full-time equivalent jobs, $270 million in wages and $880 million in total economic output; amid an investment of $189 million into the airport since transferring to a local airport authority in mid-1997. Currently underway is a $19.4 million terminal building expansion. This 27-month project, that began in January of 2018, is the airport’s largest singular capital investment to date and the third phase of a multi-phase terminal and apron expansion. “YYJ is one of the best airports in North America. We are the only one of two airports in Canada that have zero debt,” Arnold-Smith says, noting how much he has already learned joining the airport’s seasoned executive team. He also serves on the Canadian Airports Council Security Committee, Airports Council International Public Safety & Security Steering Group, BCAC Airports Committee, and BCAC Silverwings Awards Planning Committee.
YANNIC BOILY
Maintenance Manager, Premier Aviation Québec Québec City, Québec Yannic Boily, age 38, found his passion for aviation growing up near Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB). He graduated in 2003 from the National School of Aerotechnics in St-Hubert, Quebec, in aeronautical construction. He then began his career at C&D Aerospace Canada (Zodiac) as a programmer/operator of CNC machinery, focusiong on corporate aircraft interiors manufacturing. Returning to Québec City in 2007, Boily
became a licensed structural engineer, then team leader at Exceltech Aerospace and Discovery Air. During these years, he performed several major structural repairs on regional aircraft such the Bombardier CRJ, Dash-8 and Saab 340. “The structures side is more heavy work. When you do a preparation on the airplane, some people are stressed about it, but I really liked it,” he explains. “The bigger the repair was, the happier I was.” In 2013, after less than two years as a structural supervisor, he progressed as a base maintenance manager overseeing maintenance, avionics, sheet metal and interior technicians, as well as painters. Having been in the field of aviation for 16 years, Boily quickly asserted himself as a key leader on the Premier Aviation Quebec team, which took over the Discover Air operation in 2016. He now leads a team of more than 100 people for Premier. “We have a really nice core. We are experts on regional aircraft and I really like the culture of the company and the vision of the owner,” he says. Holding six lines, Premier aims to turn four lines per month, explains Boily, which equates to working on approximately 40 to 48 aircraft per year. Focusing on continual learning, Boily is pursuing a Certificate in Management at Laval University. “I've always liked to be a leader, a decision maker, to initiate change and make progress.”
LOGAN BROWN
Business Development Lead, Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group Toronto, ON Logan Brown, age 34, grew up in the world of aviation with a father who recently retired after 30 years as an aircraft mechanic with Air Canada. Brown holds a breadth of aviation knowledge from taking on a range of roles early in his career. This includes being a certified AME and licensed pilot, but extends to his experience in aircraft design. During his time at Diamond Aircraft, Brown worked on helping to design modern avionics for the D-JET, which included handling power distribution and needed regulation requirements. Brown then joined Air Canada and ultimately took on responsibilities for setting up all of its international stations for the 787 cabin design. “I spent four years in the airline industry and it is a different life style. I wanted to go back to what I love and that’s private aviation or general aviation,” he says. “Innotech-Execaire has such a vast share in the marketplace… I wanted see WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
what I could do to grow the company.” Brown for the first time took on a sales position, which in April 2018 turned into his current business development role. He has helped grow Innotech-Execaire Aviation’s third-party maintenance partnerships within the commercial airline sector, resulting in the hiring of 16 more mechanics across Canada to handle the new business. Brown’s background in aircraft design has also helped the company in closing transactions around internationally imported aircraft. His extensive knowledge on regulations, requirements and certifications, helps him serve as a consultant for IEAG’s clients, which now includes managing approximately 50 aircraft.
TRAVIS BURROWS Standards Captain, WestJet Encore Calgary, AB Travis Burrows, age 31, grew up in a small town and found his way into aviation from a neighbour who was building an airplane in his garage. Burrows took his first flight on that home-built plane down the Red Deer Valley toward the badlands of Drumheller. He now often takes aspiring pilots for discovery flights along the same route in his co-owned 1948 Cessna 170. “I would never have been able to get into flying as a career if it wasn’t for people who took the extra time and put that into mentorship to be there for me,” Burrows says. “Part of it is paying it forward, but on the other side, it is just super important for the growth of our business to help out new people coming along.” Burrows joined WestJet Encore five years ago as one of the regional airline’s first pilots. At the time, Burrows remembers WestJet Encore had five airplanes and it now has 47 and some 600 pilots, many of which he is in direct contact with as a Standards Captain, trainer, recruiter and ambassador for Encore – the fourth largest operator of the Bombardier Q400, now running regional routes across the country and into the U.S. In addition to being on the WestJet Pilot Selection Team, Burrows is heavily involved in improving Encore’s flight procedures, which recently included a major project to implement RNP approaches to save huge amounts on fuel, among other operational efficiencies, as well as a new flight data monitoring program. “I get to work on some cool projects, which is amazing from a career standpoint. But at the end of day, I love WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
Congratulations from the staff at Fast Air to
Kevin Lawes on being selected as one of Canada’s Top 20 Under 40 in Aviation
KEVIN IS THE CHIEF P I LOT O F VA N G UA R D AIR CARE, A DIVISION O F FA S T A I R . Kevin leads the pilot team in its challenging task of providing safe flights in the complex realm of air ambulance services in remote areas of Northern Canada.
FlyFastAir.com
| 1-844-831-7714
July/August 2019 | WINGS 21
being in the airplane, being proficient in the flight deck,” he says, “and I can’t see my life without that either.”
JASON DOELL
Lead Hand, Chinook Aviation Calgary, AB Jason Doell, age 38, discovered his love for airframes during the three-year aeronautical engineering program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. He then joined one of North America’s leading helicopter airframe repair specialists in Chinook Aviation and continued to learn about his airframe passion, obtaining his structures license, also from SAIT, in 2003. Founded in 1986 by Helge Kirmse and located at the Springbank Airport in Calgary, Chinook is a Bell Authorized Customer Service Facility, holding certified airframe fixtures from the OEM and a 7,000-square-foot hanger built in 2002 to accommodate several medium-sized machines. “I'm like a pig in mud there, completely immersed in it. Everything about
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Helge’s hangar and his tooling is airframe. There is no deviation from that and I feel really blessed to be part of that team,” says Doell. Doell has been the lead hand at Chinook for around 10 years, currently working with four fully equipped licensed technicians focusing on structural issues like parts fabrication, fuselage fixes, and mobile Maintenance Repair Parties. “No one can predict airframe problems and we are the company that fixes the serious ones,” Doell says, noting his need to travel at a moment’s notice is only be possible because of the support of his wife, Amber. “I will go out to some far-flung base and be the hero, but there is a lot of support that goes unrecognized,” he says, also noting the importance of logistics organized by Chinook’s team back at home base, particularly when it comes to on-demand structural repairs that often relates to a grounded aircraft. “We are surrounded by enthusiastic airframe techs. It’s hands-on learning with a small shop, even with our high-water mark of 10 technicians.” Doell also serves as treasurer with the Classic Aircraft Restoration Society, which is unique in its goal to make machines fly, which includes the group’s current de Havilland Chipmunk project.
DARRYL DOWD
Vice President, Airport Operations, Winnipeg Airports Authority Winnipeg, MB Darryl Dowd, age 39, initially wanted to become a pilot, following in his grandfather’s footsteps who flew for Air Canada, but his direction changed on the morning of September 11, 2011, when he was sitting with his flight examiner watching the tragic events unfold in New York. Instead, Dowd has built a successful career in airport management and is now responsible for the on-going operation of James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG), which welcomed approximately 4.5 million passengers in its most recent year. He has been with Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA) for more than six years, after building a wealth of knowledge with the Greater Toronto Airport Authority. When he first came to YWG, Dowd focused on revamping the airport's integrated opertions centre. “I work here with a great team and we are able to put
WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
the right people in place to provide a good system for the day-to-day operations and incident management. Now we are starting to see the benefits of that to get much better data,” he explains. “We are using a product called IBM Maximo and we are really excited about what the next few years will bring with artificial intelligence and machine learning. We think we can get very predictive in the day-to-day factors that drive operations.” WAA continues to invest in its airport campus, including ongoing construction of a $27 million Ground Services Equipment Building set to open this fall. In March 2019, YWG introduced Otto as the first autonomous airport snowplow in North America. The specially designed ATI Snow Mauler is about 30 per cent of they way there, explains Dowd, understanding this winter will be a critical testing point for its ability to remove snow from the airfield.
LAURA FOOTE Air Traffic Controller, NAV Canada; Operations and Branding, Elevate Aviation Edmonton, AB Laura Foote, age 34, served in the artillery branch of the Canadian Armed Forces for 13 years. After moving to Edmonton from the East Coast, she became instrumental in the development of Elevate Aviation, a non-profit designed to inspire youth to join the world of aviation, with an emphasis on mentoring young women. She took on many of the administrative roles during Elevate’s quick rise, including her work on grant proposals that secured approximately $700,000 in funding over the past two years. “We now have a couple hundred women in the mentorship program. As of last year, we estimated that we have reached about 5,000 people [primarily through crosscountry tours] in previous years; and this year alone we are probably going to double that,” Foote says. With its growth, Elevate is starting an ambassador program to develop provincial leadership. This will also help in the group’s goal to open more learning centres across the country, after starting up its first such centre at Edmonton International Airport earlier this year. Foote also began training as an air traffic controller in 2015 and took her place in the Edmonton control tower focusing on highartic routes. Foote is currently leading Elevate’s Status of Women Project, which involves the primary grant from the Federal government, as well as Elevate’s branding, Website and the annual fundraising gala. WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
DARREL FOREST Production Manager, CF34/CFM56 Business Unit, StandardAero Winnipeg, MB Darrel Forest, age 38, joined StandardAero as a technician 16 years ago, rising through the ranks to reach a leadership role within the company’s CFM56/CF34 business unit. He joined StandardAero Winnipeg as a repair and overhaul technician in 2003, initially working on the company’s RollsRoyce T56 turboprop team. The focus of his four years working on the T56 was in the reduction gearbox cell, contributing to the high-quality MRO services delivered by StandardAero to military operators of the C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orion. In 2007, Forest moved to StandardAero’s Plant 6 facility in Winnipeg, home to the company’s GE CF34 and CFM International CFM56 engine lines. He worked in various roles as a technician supporting the CF34 and CFM56 for eight years, the CFM56 line being introduced under a contract signed in June 2009. In 2014, Forest was recognized through StandardAero’s True Blue Award for being part of a fourperson team to tackle a CFM56 Fuel Leak Reduction at Test project, thereby improving test cell first time pass-off rates.
Darrel Forest, Production Manager, CF34/CFM56 Business Unit, StandardAero
Since 2015, Forest has served as production manager within the CF34/CFM56 business, which represents the highest value production line within the Airlines & Fleets sector, itself the largest of StandardAero’s four divisions. He oversees a team of 38 technicians. “StandardAero is a great family and the opportunity for growth is giant… A huge impact for me personally is watching my team become better.” Forest is focused on problem-solving and continuous improvement through training, information sharing and mentoring. He lives by the same standards of
Darryl Dowd
VP, Operations Winnipeg Airports Authority
CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations Darryl from all of us at Winnipeg Airports Authority. Your commitment to lead transportation, innovation and growth continues to inspire everyone at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport.
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Ginny Koseruba, Program Manager, Cascade Aerospace.
continual learning and is currently studying for his Certificate in Management from the University of Manitoba, to add to his existing accreditations from Red River College and StandardAero.
GINNY KOSERUBA
Program Manager, Cascade Aerospace Abbotsford, BC Ginny Koseruba, age 38, found her passion for aviation through an uncle who was a career pilot. She has progressed rapidly through various roles at Cascade, where she began as an AME-E apprentice in
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2004. Her technical knowledge and organizational skills soon resulted in a promotion into a maintenance planner role. A graduate of the Lean Sensei Belt program, Koseruba then became a planning supervisor, helping to lead a diverse team focused on maximizing productivity in all of Cascade’s operations. She then received a promotion to her current role as program manager, overseeing all aspects of program delivery for key customers. She manages the third line maintenance in Abbotsford for Lockheed Martin supporting the CC-130J Super Hercules program for Canada. Also for Lockheed, she oversees a
Contractor Maintenance Team and group of Field Service Representatives who provide support at CFB Trenton, as well as to deployed troops requiring technical support. Another key current program for Koseruba involves overseeing the Boeing 757 Large Display Screen speed line modification program for a large freight carrier, with 75 aircraft conversions to an upgraded cockpit configuration. “I’m most grateful for the mentors, both personal and professional, I’ve had the opportunity to work with during my 15 years at Cascade,” says Koseruba, who is also the company’s leader for the Girls Fly Too event that takes place at Abbotsford Airport.
CONNOR HART
Ground Operations Manager, WestJet Calgary, AB Connor Hart, age 27, was studying marketing at university and found his way into aviation through a family friend’s Facebook post about a ramp job at WestJet. After graduating, he continued with WestJet as a frontline
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ramp agent and quickly became a daily shift manager to take on more responsibilities with ground operations in Calgary. This included helping to oversee training and introducing new ground equipment for the airline’s towing team. As operations manager, he is now a senior operational leader for WestJet’s hub airport with more than 150 flights per day. He liaises with the airport authority and external agencies, as well as internal safety and standards teams and follows up on incident and hazard reports. He is also heavily involved with leading continuous improvement for ground operations, including a new Auxiliary Power Brant-Arnold Smith Unit (APU) fuel savings initiative, which Director, Security and Terminal Operations adds another task to the staff – immediately plugging an arrived aircraft into the bridge, before accessing baggage, to turn off the APU. His focus on continuous improvement We’re happy to have you on our team and thank is also steered toward training with the you for your dedication to airport operations and ground workforce of 700 people. “We security. Congratulations to all of the recipients were able to decrease our training budget by 20 per cent within the first three for their contributions to the aviation industry. months of taking on that role, working B:5.125 in with my training manager who was a www.victoriaairport.com huge help.” In addition to making better T:4.625 in training products, Hart was also tasked S:4.625 in with helping to oversee a new Widebody Performance Team, created to look after the full turn of WestJet’s new 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which is also a major focus of the new ground-operations training; WG_VictoriaAirport_JulyAug19_CSA.indd 1 and subsequently expanded Hart’s role beyond below-the-wing operations to above-the-wing customer service. “My team takes a lot of pride in making sure the [787] is working well. Even if we take a one-minute delay it definitely does not sit well with my team. It is great to see people riled up about a really minor miss on something that might have been completely out of our control, but we do not get flustered – one aircraft at a time.”
Congratulations Brant from all of us at Victoria Airport Authority!
Congratulations
Chief Pilot, Vanguard Air Care Winnipeg, MB Kevin Lawes, age 33, grew up around aviation with his mother recently retiring from Transport Canada. His first aviation job, as he was going to university, was working in ground operations at Keewatin Air, where Lawes would eventually take his first flight line position running charters into the north. Six months later, by October 2011, he joined a medevac flight crew, initially to gain more hours, based out of Nunavut.
S:5 in
KEVIN LAWES
2019-06-11 2:58 PM
to Connor Hart and Travis Burrows for all that you do to support the aviation industry and WestJet.
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Lawes then joined Fast Air in mid-2014 and eventually became the Winnipeg operation’s chief pilot in the 703 sector, before serving for a short stint at Sky Regional Airlines operating out of Toronto. When he rejoined the Fast Air team in late-2017, Lawes brought a wealth of knowledge with him as both a turboprop and jet captain, with experience in 604, 703, 704 and 705 operations. His return to Fast Air led to him becoming the chief pilot for the operation’s restructured Vanguard Air Care division, which now operates from four bases to
primarily cover the needs of Manitobans, once again taking on the demanding role as a medevac pilot. “You never know when you are going so it can be difficult, but you are obviously maintaining a high level of safety,” Lawes explains. “You are dealing with potentially more adverse weather on a more frequent basis, while still ensuring you are following the rules and that you don’t allow the mission to take over your judgement. Even if you have an urge to go help that person, you have to make sure the safety of the crew is maintained.” As chief pilot for Vanguard Air, he is
BIGGER. BETTER. BOLDER
OUR MISSION IS TO BE THE BEST TO WORK FOR The h world’s ld largest l independent d d MRO provider d With over a century of proven excellence, StandardAero has built a reputation as the industry leader and best place to work. Serving the most discerning clients and maintaining premier aircraft, the global StandardAero family takes pride in offering extensive MRO services and customized solutions through trusted service partnerships with our customers.
which is a hallmark of StandardAero’s 6,000 employees, and we are proud to see them included in Wings’ Top 20 Under 40. Congratulations to Darrel, Peter and all of this year’s winners!
www.standardaero.com
26 WINGS | July/August 2019
responsible for 18 pilots, in addition to regular roles in flight training at Fast Air. One of the primary administrative functions in which Lawes excels centres around ensuring all company Minimum Equipment Lists are current and relevant to the Fast Air/Vanguard operations, which includes serving as a conduit to Transport Canada.
SUKHVIR MAVI Manager, Projects and Facilities Management, Nieuport Aviation Infrastructure Partners Toronto, ON Sukhvir Mavi, age 30, began his career in aviation by focusing on becoming a commercial pilot, which included finishing his flight training in Miami. He then went back to India to get his license there, before joining an airline in the Philippines for about five months. Mavi came to Canada in 2013 with the goal of becoming a flight instructor in Ottawa, but instead joined the Georgian College Aviation Management program, which ultimately led to jobs with Air Georgian and then Air Canada as a SOC duty manager. Around two years ago, Mavi joined Nieuport Aviation, which owns and operates the passenger terminal at the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, helping to enhance customer service for the airport’s 2.8 million passengers. The airport accounts for more than $2.1 billion in economic output each year and supporting 6,500 jobs, including 1,960 associated directly with airport operations. Over the last four years, Nieuport has invested more than $50 million in the airport, including the recently completed terminal upgrade. “We completed the project within two years time, under the date that was promised, so it feels great part of the project itself,” Mavi says. He started with Nieuport in a project coordinator role, serving more on the construction-team side of the terminal upgrade project. This involved leveraging his aviation background to establish a milestone schedule for the operations team and other stakeholders. Based on his performance, however, Mavi last year was promoted into a project manager position to help oversee the completion of the terminal upgrade. “I have a long-term goal to become the CEO of an airline,” Mavi says. “I would definitely have the opportunity to work internationally and use a zig-zag pattern to get to my goal… and it is imperative to take on different kinds of roles and build my experience.” WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
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Manager, Global Partnerships, Air Canada Mississauga, ON Keith McCormack, age 31, received his Bachelor’s degree in Commercial Aviation Management at Western University, which allowed him to experience the global aviation industry by participating in international studies at the European Business School near Frankfurt, Germany. His career began in 2011 with Lufthansa before joining Air Canada’s growing cargo sector, where he has held multiple positions over the past six years. His current role is to manage Air Canada’s top cargo customers, engaging with the world’s largest logistics companies to ensure Air Canada is a top-of-mind partner. “Cargo is a company within company. You get to touch all of the departments that you find in the airlines, such as revenue management, sales, finance and operations,” he says, noting this structure helps him ensure Canadian products can access world markets. In 2018, McCormick participated in a trade mission to Shanghai to improve product knowledge of Canadian seafood in China. Air Canada ships about 40,000 kilograms of freight per day to China. “We have gone into business with a company in China that is an e-commerce platform, which is quite advanced,” he explains, focusing on Canadian lobster. Customers in China can now order lobster online, as it gets packed in Halifax and moves onto Air Canada to the destination. “From there it is sent out to market by this ecommerce company and it is delivered to the door of the person who orders it.” McCormick recently received the Award of Excellence from Air Canada and in 2018 completed his Masters at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He is also a licenced commercial pilot and flies small aircraft in his spare time.
ANTHONY NOREJKO President and CEO, Canadian Business Aviation Association Ottawa, ON Anthony Norejko, age 39, took on the leadership of the Canadian Business Aviation Association in August 2018, four years after he joining the WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
organization’s board to focus on strengthening the association’s membership, which currently includes some 400 members located across the country. He also played a pivotal role in working with the Greater Toronto Airport Authority on slot restrictions, helping to establish the CBAA/ GTAA Technical Working Group. Norejko provides a strong blend of aviation and strategic planning knowledge. His leadership in business aviation largely began when he served as director of aviation and chief pilot for Walmart Canada; and later as the principle of his own aviation-service company, CrewSked. Norejko then left aviation to hone his financial and strategic planning skills as vice president, strategy and operations, north, at FirstService Residential. As president and CEO of the CBAA, Norejko is injecting a new mandate to promote and simplify business aviation. “The association needs to play a role foundationally in the public perception about the use of business aviation… it is a tool that a business uses to conduct its work,” he says, describing the promotional side of his mandate and noting there are approximately 250 operators in the sector providing positive economic impact. “Simplifying business aviation sounds simple, but when you think about the
amount of complexity and the busy lives of our chief pilots and directors of flight operations… how can we make the lives of our operators easier,” continues Norejko. “I know from firsthand account what it is like to manage Safety Management Systems, to take best practices and promote good ideas.”
TYLER PERIN Manager, Hub Operations, Air Canada Mississauga, ON Tyler Perin, age 28, received an introductory flight out of Kingston Airport as a high-school graduation gift and realized his passion for aviation within minutes of lifting off the ground. He attended Algonquin College’s relatively new aviation management program at the time, and earned a multi-engine rating to fly floats and a commercial pilot’s licence. He moved to Yellowknife for a job with Air Tindi, hoping to get on its flight line, and eventually took a second job with Strategic Aviation, where he would come to manage ground operations. In 2012, Perin then moved back to
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Ontario for a job with Air Canada’s cargo operation, where he would quickly rise through three positions to help manage the company’s largest and busiest hub. Approximately one million kilograms of cargo moves through the hub on a daily basis, 1.3 to 1.5 million during peak periods. Ultimately, Perin and his team of 10 managers are responsible for the safe and swift movement of this cargo. “I love the challenges of being the hub, being the centre of attention, managing the largest cargo operation in Canada,” Perin says, noting the cargo operation’s main facility is 265,000 square feet in addition to a recently acquired second facility of 60,000 square feet to accommodate growth. “Last year, Air Canada grew the second fastest out of any cargo belly carrier in the world – second only to Turkish.” Perin continues to explain the growth is related to Air Canada bringing on new planes with more capacity and fuel efficiency, including the 787 Dreamliner, which are ideal for the routes they fly along key trade routes into the U.S., Europe and as far as China. To put the impact of air cargo into perspective, Perin explains, “Although only two per cent of the world’s global trade travels by air, that two per cent represents 40 per cent of the value of global trade.”
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July/August 2019 | WINGS 29
ALLISON RUMBOLT
S92 Pilot, Cougar Helicopters St. John's, NFLD Allison Rumbolt, age 29, grew up in Mary’s Habour, a town of around 400 people in southern Labrador where aviation served as a regular means of transportation for the isolated community. Her mother worked part time for the local airline, Air Labrador, and her father took a position with the provincial government as the operator of the Mary’s Habour airport. From a young age, Rumbolt regularly met pilots and she remembers a particular helicopter flight, arranged by her father when she was about 10 years old, along a popular salmon-fishing river. She became hooked on the dream of becoming a helicopter pilot. Before graduating high school, with her passion for aviation well-known in the community, Rumbolt was approached to become a junior dispatcher for Canadian Helicopters in Goose Bay, as she prepared to attend flight school that summer. She eventually began flying AStars at age 18 for Canadian Helicopters. She has now been with Cougar Helicopters for five years and has amassed 3,700 flight hours. Rumbolt is first officer on the operation’s heavy S92 helicopter, flying to fulfill Cougar’s contracts with oil-and-gas companies operating offshore in Newfoundland. “Our biggest challenge in Newfoundland is the weather. It is always changing,” she says. “You will get an 1/8th of a mile of fog and 120 kilometer per hour winds. I like the challenge that every day is something different, even if we might go to the same rigs.” Rumbolt explains she cannot wait to get back into the helicopter after a rest period, which, as a member of COPA flight 97 and Whirly Girls, a mentor with Elevate Aviation, as well as volunteering for the local minor hockey association, is often filled with
Allison Rumbolt, S92 Pilot, Cougar Helicopters.
giving back to the communities that provided her with so much opportunity. “One of the things I am most proud of is flying into my home town of Mary's Harbour, landing, and going home to have dinner with my parents.”
Ready Set Fly (RSF) is a not-for-profit organization that specializes in educating high school students about careers in aviation. RSF focuses its efforts in three main areas: 1. Creating awareness of career opportunities in aviation
2. Highlighting the skills and education needed to achieve a specific career
3. Building an industry network to connect students and aviation organizations.
Ready Set Fly communicates these points via career presentations at high schools throughout Ontario. Ready Set Fly looks to expand nation wide and become the premier aviation educator for high school students in Canada. The aviation industry is growing at a very rapid pace, which has led to significant shortfalls in the supply of aviation professionals. Ready Set Fly is positioned to bridge this gap. Ready Set Fly looks forward to working with aviation industry partners, to educate and build up Canada’s future aviation professionals. If you would like Ready Set Fly to visit your high school, please contact info@readysetfly.ca and book today! 30 WINGS | July/August 2019 WG_ReadySetFly_JulAug19_EJS.indd 1
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PHOTO: DAVID W. HEBBARD/COIUGAR HELICOPTERS
TOBY SPITZER
Aircraft Maintenance Engineer and Pilot, Slave Lake Helicopters Slave Lake, AB Toby Spitzer, age 39, grew up in Squamish, BC, where he discovered a passion to both fly and fix helicopters. He took his first solo flight at age 16 and had his private fixedwing license at age 17. Two years later, he acquired his commercial rotary-wing license, but his true passion was still focused on engineering. “I always wanted to be a pilot-engineer. That way I can take care of my own machine,” he says. “The ability see this piece of technology fly, and make it do what it can, to be a part of that is great.” Spitzer attended the British Columbia Institute of Technology on his way to gaining an AME license in 2005 at the age of 24. In 2011, he joined Slave Lake Helicopters where he focuses on rotary-wing aircraft repairs and heavy maintenance, as the operation’s lead hand. His willingness to tackle and trouble-shoot issues and his out-of-the box, creative ways to strategize, have made him an indispensable asset to the everyday operations at Slave Lake, which primarily focuses on the forestry industry, as well as holding contracts with a prime electrical company in the region. Spitzer still flies from time to time, particularly if the operation, which runs seven modern helicopters (two B3s, three B2s, a 120, and a 206), is short a pilot. Slave Lake has five technicians and Spitzer enjoys passing on his engineering knowledge to the younger generation. “You are treated like family here, with a small group of people who get along well together,” Spitzer explains.
JESSALYN TEED First Officer, Sunwing Airlines Mississauga, ON Jessalyn Teed, age 24, found her passion for aviation at age eight when her parents saw an ad in a newspaper and took her to a kids-can-fly event at Muskoka Airport. She was the last person to go up, getting an extra-long ride, and was so mesmerized by the experience that she set her mind toward becoming a pilot. In 2017, she graduated from the University of Waterloo, Geography and Aviation BES, completing a four-year degree in three years, while also volunteering for the aviation program. This set Teed on an early path of mentorship for her peers. “I was a little intimidated by that at first, because I am young. Was I ready to give back – do I have that knowledge? I do not think it is necessarily about that. I want to be a resource,” she says. “My path is so relevant to students graduating today… The industry has very much accelerated in the past few years, so it is important for me to be able to share my experiences with them.” Teed has been working with a Sunwing colleague and the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre to develop a course focusing on multi-crew environments. Set to launch this summer, Teed explains the course topic is becoming critical for younger pilots, who are finding more career opportunities with airlines. This summer will also see the launch of a Sunwing Mentorship Program that Teed has developed to pair up experienced Sunwing pilots with new pilots. Still, Teed who crews the 737-8 is focused on the pure enjoyment of flying. “When I do the walk-around and I’m at the tail of that aircraft and I look up – ‘Oh my goodness, I just landed this thing.’ And it may have been into a very mountainous terrain area with a short runway, and bad weather. Looking back five years, [when I was] landing a little Cessna 152 in a cross wind and struggling with that, to see where I am today is just fantastic.”
studying for his BSc in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Manitoba. He graduated in 2007, after completing the five-year program one year early. Upon graduating, Wheatley joined StandardAero full time as a production engineer, participating in numerous highvisibility projects, including a redesign of the method for tracking rework components using capacity modeling. Two years later, he accepted a role as quality manager, providing strategic direction for the quality function within the Turboprops and Fleets (TPAF) team, which he
happened to name. In 2011, he was appointed as a senior service engineer within the TPAF Service Centre function. In this role, Wheatley mentored five engineering employees within the Service & Production Engineering group, and facilitated the Training Development Plan process for the TPAF Engineering function. Two years later, Wheatley was promoted to the role of service engineering manager within the TPAF group, leading 12 direct reports. Here, he successfully led the PT6A-68 First Article Inspection process, and helped increase the TPAF team’s First
We’re all about the craft.
We’re all about the craft
PETER WHEATLEY Director of Sales Operations, Airlines & Fleets, StandardAero Winnipeg, MB Peter Wheatley, age 34, has 15 years of experience in the aerospace MRO industry, having initially joined StandardAero’s Winnipeg team as a summer intern in 2004 while WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
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Test Pass Rate to historical highs. Wheatley also completed his MBA at the University of Manitoba while in this role. In 2018, Wheatley was appointed as director of sales operations for StandardAero’s $2 billion Airlines & Fleets team, managing the global sales and operations planning process for the division’s transactional sales team and serving on the division’s sales leadership team. He has spearheaded a revamp of the team’s Salesforce CRM system, focused on accurate dashboarding and induction planning. “Through each of my different roles, I
found a way to drive change and improvement within that area and I think that would be what I am most proud about in my career,” Wheatley explains. In June, he was also appointed chair of the University of Manitoba Alumni Association.
OLENA ZAGOSKINA Senior Mechanical Engineer and TCCA Delegate, Cascade Aerospace Abbotsford, BC Olena Zagoskina, age 32, found a passion for aviation at an early age with her father Olena Zagoskina, Cascade Aerospace.
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being an aerospace engineer. They both attended the National Aerospace University in Kharkiv, Ukraine. She joined Cascade Aerospace in 2011 and quickly reached her current role by looking after the development and certification of system-related aspects for highly complex modification programs. Working on a variety of projects, she was a leader in the very challenging, five-year conversion of a Bombardier Q400 to multi-mission role. The modification added large auxiliary fuel tanks essentially doubling the aircraft’s mission time. As a technical lead for fuel tank safety, she was responsible for meeting aviation safety needs in case of a lightning strike, electrostatic discharge, and other ignition sources. This included the responsibility to develop subject matter expertise in the design and certification of fuel systems and leading the highly complex developmental and certification of ground and flight tests. Zagoskina’s technical skills and ability to interact at a peer level with senior and experienced individuals have led Cascade to have her represent the company on industry and regulatory committees. She was a member on the FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee, developing recommendations for new regulations to enhance aircraft safety in case of emergency landings. She is also a Cascade representative on the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada’s Civil Aviation Committee. Zagoskina is also currently leading the system safety aspect for a major avionics upgrade on CL 215/415 aircraft used for fighting fires. This is another complex program for Cascade Aerospace beginning from concept development In early 2019, Zagoskina was authorized by Transport Canada as one of its youngest ever Delegate Engineers. “When I was granted delegation by Transport Canada it was validation that all of my hard work paid off; and that they believe I am strong enough to actually have the privilege to approve design,” says Zagoskina, who became a Canadian citizen four years ago. | W WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
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NEWS BRIEF CEO’S CORNER
Flight Ops Leaders Drive CBAA Agenda Forward CBAA’s first Flight Ops Leadership call, held on May 30th, successfully brought together business aviation leaders from across Canada to share relevant news, learn from each other and set CBAA’s agenda going forward. “This call was a critical step in redefining how the CBAA works with its members” explained association president and CEO Anthony Norejko. “Our aim is to promote and simply business aviation. The way we succeed is to listen, learn and act, based on what our members are saying they need.” Using a web-based app allowed the CBAA to hear from different participants, share information on screen and record the call. Those who couldn’t participate can listen to the recorded discussion online, accessible via the CBAA’s website.
The number one need identified by members was to have a consistent and reliable source for detailed and accurate information. This is a need that the CBAA has been working to fulfill. “We realized how important this was in our work related to the proposed reservation system at CYYZ” Anthony explained. “There was a period when the situation was changing on almost an hourly basis – and even the airport itself couldn’t keep an accurate flow of information going out to operators. The CBAA was able to step up, and through its Members Forum, provide an ongoing source of credible and useable information.” CBAA is improving how members can receive –
and share – information. “Our Members Forum is a primary tool and we are currently in the process of enhancing its accessibility and speed” said Anthony, “It’s where we post information and documents and where members can comment and ask questions – we see it as our virtual 24/7 roundtable.” The CBAA is also developing new sharable tools to support operational compliance and business activities. These include a template that operators can use to confirm their compliance with new deicing requirements and a CBSA tracking document that will allow us to deal with border issues more effectively by tracking members’ real time experiences and concerns. More tools will be coming down the pipe in the future. The flight ops calls will be a routine part of CBAA’s ongoing work for its members. “The next Flight Operations Leadership meeting will be a face-to-face meeting at CBAA 2019” Anthony explained. “We’re holding it as a convention session called ‘From the 604 Flight Deck’ where we will again share relevant news, exchange ideas and ask questions – and get answers.” The Flight Ops session will be followed the next day by a high-level government and agency update, featuring senior executives from Transport Canada, Nav Canada and the TSB, where many of the questions raised by operators will be addressed. In order to maximize our operators’ attendance, the CBAA offers all PORD-holding members one free registration to attend CBAA 2019, that includes access to all sessions, the exhibit hall and static, meals and social functions. Only the Hope Air golf tournament and the Fun Night are additional. Anthony stressed the importance of CBAA creating opportunities to bring operators together. “The more our members come together to focus our priorities and drive the agenda, the more successful the CBAA can be in addressing – and resolving – their issues.”
Access. Access. Access. For real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. For business aviation, it is all about access. For a number of years, business aviation’s place- and rights - within the airport eco-system have not DGGP XGT[ YGNN FGƂPGF 1WT members’ position is crystal clear: in order to support the needs of Canadians and our economy, business aviation needs fair access to our airports. But, as passenger numbers continue to grow, this relationship is under increasing pressure: CYYZ is ready to impose an onerous reservation program which some believe could result in future access issues at Canada’s largest airport. CYUL’s runway rehabilitation project keeps BA operators wondering about their status from one day to the next. In addition, timely access to fairly-priced deicing facilities continues to be a challenge at
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1 Rideau Street, Suite 700 1VVCYC 10 - 0 5 Tel: (613) 236-5611 • Fax: (613) 236-2361 Email: lberndt@cbaa.ca • Website: www.cbaa-acaa.ca
STAFF MEMBERS President & CEO #PVJQP[ 0QTGLMQ GZV CPQTGLMQ"EDCC EC Executive Assistant and Director of Administration #KOG 1o%QPPQT GZV CQEQPPQT"EDCC EC Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs /GTNKP 2TGWUU ORTGWUU"EDCC EC Membership and Communication Services Manager Lindsay Berndt, 613.236.5611 ext. 221, lberndt@cbaa.ca Industry & Public Relations Debra Ward, 613.274.0619 dward@cbaa.ca Events Coordinator .KUG *QFIUQP NJQFIUQP"EDCC EC
Welcome New Members W
Finance accounting@cbaa.ca 613.236.5611 ext. 222
BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair • Peter Bing &KTGEVQT #XKCVKQP 1RGTCVKQPU %JKGH 2KNQV Sobeys Inc.
CEO’S CORNER continued from page 1 some airports. It goes without saying that the airport environment is extremely complex, and that compared with scheduled service, business aviation makes up a UOCNNGT RGTEGPVCIG QH VJG QXGTCNN VTCHƂE at Canada’s major airports. However, it is equally worth noting that business aviation doesn’t use critical airport infrastructure and facilities – the ones that are most under capacity restraints: passenger terminals, security screening and international arrivals. What’s left? Access to runways and deicing. Let’s look at each of these KP VWTP 1WT GZRGTKGPEG YKVJ CKTRQTVU tells us that they are quick to claim that runway capacity is maxed out during morning and evening “rush hours”. *QYGXGT YJGP YG KPENWFG 0CX %CPCFC in the discussion, it’s clear that airport metrics are different from ATC’s view - there is in fact more capacity to land aircraft safely than airports assert. Deicing is a more complicated issue as it deals with both access to facilities and pricing.
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At most major airports access to the CDF and competitive pricing for BA are challenging because those facilities RTKOCTKN[ HQEWU QP CKTNKPG VTCHƂE #V UOCNNGT CKTRQTVU VJG KPHTCUVTWEVWTG equipment along with costs can be an issue because there is no opportunity to levverage our individual needs for deice. The federal government has safety oversight sight for all airports and aerodromes aerodromes. Every Canadian, regardless of what type QH ƃKIJV VJG[ CTG QP QT YJGTG VJG[ CTG ƃ[KPI HTQO JCU VJG TKIJV VQ GSWCN s CPF equally safe -access to deicing – and in our view, the government has a responsibility to help make that happen. Safety is the most important issue for GXGT[QPG KPXQNXGF KP ƃKIJV #KTRQTVU must serve all Canadians – including the ones in business aircraft and the ones YJQ CTG ƃ[KPI VQ CPF HTQO TGOQVG CPF 0QTVJGTP EQOOWPKVKGU $WUKPGUU CXKCVKQP is part of the transportation fabric in %CPCFC 1WT CEEGUU GPUWTGU %CPCFKCPU can compete in a global, fast paced economy. But only if we can access the facilities and services we need.
Vice Chairr • James Elian 2TGUKFGPV %JKGH 1RGTCVKPI 1HƂEGT AirSprint Past Chairr • Rod Barnard Director Aviation and Travel Services and Chief Pilot -CN #XKCVKQP )TQWR Secretary r $KNN /E)QG[ President Aurora Jet Partners Treasurer • Scott Harrold
BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE JJean-Christophe Ch i t h G Gallagher ll h r r 8KEG 2TGUKFGPV CPF )GPGTCN 8K 2 KF V F ) N Manager - Customer Experience Bombardier Business Aircraft Gary Wood • Director – Corporate Sales & Marketing Flying Colours Lisa Clarke e • Regional Sales Manager FlightSafety Canada Ltd. Ehsan Monfared • Partner YYZlaw Lyn Shinn • VP, Central Region, HondaJet Sales and 2TG 1YPGF #KTETCHV 5CNGU Skyservice Business Aviation Inc. Jacqueline Bailey • 82 +PƃKIJV5VGTNKPI +%(5 #XKCVKQP )TQWR Paul Carter • Director of Maintenance Skycharter Limited Ivano Mosca • CPA, CMA Vice-President Finance and Administration +PPQVGEJ 'ZGECKTG #XKCVKQP )TQWR Ian Darnley • Director of Business Development Sunwest Aviation Ltd. David Arbon • #KTETCHV /CKPVGPCPEG /CPCIGT &1/ Canadian Utilities Ltd.
www.cbaa-acaa.ca
ADVOCACY AND NEWS Update on Business Aviation Access at CYUL/CYYZ
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BAA continues to work directly with both airports on a virtually daily basis to ensure our continued access. While there are still many unknowns, we believe that trials for Airport Collaborative Decision Making (ACDM) may begin as early as September. With runway rehabilitation continuing at CYUL, through our airport technical committee, we’re committed to ensuring BA has representative access every hour during construction. The situation is quite fluid at both airports and will be discussed in greater detail at the CBAA 2019 session dedicated to answering operational questions, From the 604 Flight Deck.
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BAA’s Chair, Peter Bing and Director Paul Carter joined President & CEO, Anthony Norejko as CBAA co-hosts of the Aviation Day on the Hill Reception on May 7th in Ottawa. “Great to make new connections with our elected leaders, Senators and their staff. Thanks to our association coalition, including the Air Transport Association of Canada, the Canadian Airports Council, the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, the Helicopter Association of Canada and the National Airline Council of Canada, we came together to make this event a success.” said Anthony.
2019 CBAA Compensation Survey Update
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t this writing, over 70 member organizations have downloaded the survey documents and the 2019 CBAA Compensation survey seems to be on track to exceed participation rates in the first survey, conducted in 2017. The 2019 version has been improved to include 11 new positions, modified flight crew positions to aircraft class rather than weight, for more accurate findings and added a new section on staff attraction, retention and turnover. Preliminary results are expected to be shared with delegates at CBAA 2019, during the special session, An Insider’s Guide to Recruiting, Educating and Retaining Top Talent. Members who participated in the survey will receive the general report at no charge. For more information, contact Aime O’Connor, aconnor@cbaa.ca.
Connect with Young Professionals on BizAv YTI’s New Website
he BizAv Young Talent Initiative has officially launched their new website – www.bizavyti. com. Students, young aviation professionals, and professionals in any industry looking for a career change can now explore the world of business aviation and all the wonderful opportunities it has to offer. The website features information on the industry, interviews the BizAv YTI team has conducted as part of its ongoing Talent Tuesday and Flight Crew Friday campaigns, and pictures from events the team has attended and organized. As part of the team’s mission to raise awareness about business aviation careers available in Canada, a Job Board has been set up on the website as well. Job postings will be open to BizAv YTI sponsors. (More information to follow on the 2019 sponsorship package before the CBAA Conv Co nven enti tion on.) .) If yo y u wo woul uldd li like ke to join the BizAv YTI team or if you would be interested in becoming a sponsor for 20192020, please contact bizavyti@ cbaa.ca.
CBAA-ACAA News Brief
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EVENTS AND MEETINGS
A Great Beginning to 2019!
Thanks to our CBAA 2019 Committee members for their hard work and dedication to making our event a success. CONVENTION PROGRAM COMMITTEE
King Air Summit 2019
Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame 2019
Anna April, Sunwest Aviation Ltd. Jamieson Collins Collins & Company Heather Genesis, Genesis Aviation Dr. Suzanne Kearns, University of Waterloo Leo Knaapen, Bombardier Kate Latis, Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group Jim Lewis, The Mente Group Kristen Petrie, Sterling Aviation Simon Roussel, Skyservice Business Aviation Inc. Doug Shields, Shaw Communications Inc. Anneke Urquhart, Sobeys Group Inc.
LOCAL/GOLF COMMITTEE
Natalie Armitage, clearGRID Ltd. Craig Mariacci, Skyplan Services Limited Maxine Ressler, Sunwest Aviation Ltd. Stacie Scott, Genesis Aviation Hannah Strelau, Trainingport.net
Thanks to our 2019 Sponsors DIAMOND
PLATINUM
Careers in Aviation 2019
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
AVIATION SERVICES INC.
Vancouver Regional Chapter
MEDIA
Stay Tuned for NBAA BACE in LAS! CBAA will be at NBAA BACE in Las Vegas, Oct. 22-24, 2019! Keep an eye out for updates in our weekly e-bulletin and on our website, www.cbaa-acaa.ca. 4
CBAA-ACAA News Brief
www.cbaa-acaa.ca
MEMBERSHIP
The CBAA Honours…
T
he CBAA annual convention is our opportunity to recognize outstanding individuals and companies who collectively have contributed to the success of Canadian business aviation. Here are some highlights. Long -time CBAA member and former director, Gordon Berturelli has been named the 2019 CBAA Honorary Lifetime Gordon Berturelli Member for his outstanding contributions to the association. Gordon’s key role in connecting people in the business aviation community and his meritorious contribution to the CBAA Board of Directors for 14 years is most deservedly
recognized through this award. The CBAA National Safety Awards Program was inaugurated in 1981 to recognize outstanding achievements by members in maintaining a high standard of professionalism and safety in their business aircraft operations. This year we recognize the safety record of Aurora Jet Partners with the Company Safety Award and the following individual pilots at Aurora: Bill Fisher, Brad Pridmore, Trevor Frieser, Kris Loitz and Scott Sprurrell. CBAA also would like to take this opportunity to thank and say goodbye to departing executive committee member and president of Aurora Jet Partners, Bill McGoey. He was a dedicated and supportive member of the board for six years. We wish him well in all of his future endeavors.
Welcome New Members AVIAA
AVIAA is the only global group purchasing organization in general aviation that works across all areas of fleet purchasing. We combine human expertise and proprietary algorithms to streamline procurement for both operators and vendors. We help members increase their buying power, using our network to negotiate the best value for the services they need. Our suppliers get committed volume, business intelligence, and reduced friction, without the overhead. AVIAA is headquartered in Irvine, California, with offices in Park City, Utah, Munich, Germany, and in the UK at London Oxford Airport. Learn more at aviaa.com.
Valcora SARL
Valcora delivers an intuitive digital fuel purchasing platform combining pricing transparency, a reliable fuel card and a team of dedicated multi-lingual 24/7 account managers, to enable real time fuel quotes and purchasing around the globe. With headquarters in Geneva, Valcora has offices in Canada, Ireland, Singapore and South Africa. Valcora’s system delivers a service which is used by individual aircraft owners, corporate fleets, and some the world’s largest business aviation operators. Valcora also offers our customers European VAT exemptions at no additional cost.
A new program sees Valcora offering business jet operators the chance to adopt and help endangered species and contribute to reforestation efforts through a new wildlife conservation initiative.
CD Aviation Services
CD Aviation Services provides Honeywell TPE331 & TFE731 engine services, as well as GTCP36 APU services in the US, Canada, and Europe. We started as a one-man shop, and though we’ve grown, we prioritize the same specialized services and customer care we’ve had since our small shop days. CD Aviation Services focuses on maintenance for the TPE331 engine.
SiriusXM Aviation
From wheels up to wheels down, you’ll have superior graphical weather at your fingertips to maximize your situational awareness and comfort. Whether you fly a Light Sport Aircraft at 1,500 feet, a Corporate Jet at FL450, or anything in between, SiriusXM lets you fly with confidence. Add on SiriusXM entertainment at a discount. SiriusXM Aviation weather and satellite radio services are available for pilots using various Garmin portable products and the Garmin Pilot™ app for iPad® and Android tablets. SiriusXM Aviation is also available for pilots using the ForeFlight Mobile™ app on their iPad® with the Garmin GDL 51/52 Receivers.
CBAA 2019 GOLF SPONSORS
CBAA-ACAA News Brief
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CBAA-ACAA News Brief
www.cbaa-acaa.ca
ATAC’S VIEW ON THE NEW DESIGNATED SCREENING AUTHORITY ATAC appeared before the House Standing Committee on Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities on May 7 and before the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications on June 4 to comment on Bill C-97, an act which allows the creation of a new screening authority to take over from CATSA. ATAC supports the transformation of CATSA or the creation of a new Designated Screening Authority (DSA) on the condition that it be granted the necessary tools to maximize efficiencies in the short term and be able to keep pace with the growth of our industry. We caution, however, against high expectations of immediate efficiency gains at the operational level, as the benefits of privatization will be realized through a greater autonomy of the DSA in its long-term planning, staffing and financing. ATAC supports the amendments proposed by the National Airlines Council of Canada with regards to compensation for the cost impact of ministerial directives related to security and the abolition of the Air Travelers Security Charge (ATSC). The Government is anxious to apply the framework which led to the successful privatization of Air Navigation Services (ANS) and the creation of NAV CANADA. A very short deadline, however, has been set, which some would even qualify as unrealistic if the commercialization of airport security screening is to produce a net advantage in terms of cost and efficiency which would improve the passenger experience. A price tag of over $500 million is being shamefully attached to this privatization in an effort by the Government to cash in on the CATSA book value. This is totally unacceptable as the traveling public has already
paid for CATSA’s capital assets. In fact, passengers have already paid for them twice because the ATSC has generated well over $500 million in surpluses over the CATSA budget allocations in the past 5 years alone. Transport Canada is not clear on the price tag issue. One day we are told that the book value price is non-negotiable, and the next day we are told that everything is on the table. Let us not forget that every year the Government of Canada imposes on the aviation industry a Fuel Excise Tax – collecting over $100 million, Airport Rent - $350 million, the ATSC - over $700 million, and now the Carbon Tax. The Government collects well over $1 billion each year, not even including consumer, corporate and income taxes, but doesn’t reinvest any of it back in aviation. Airport infrastructure is entirely paid for by the passenger, as is aviation security. Airlines assume all costs of air navigation in Canada. No other mode of transport left to completely finance its infrastructure and operations, the Canadian air transport industry has been made into an important revenue stream for the Government, seriously impacting our competitiveness, domestically against other modes of transport, and internationally against foreign operators. We believe that anything other than a nominal price of $1 for CATSA’s assets is unacceptable and could very well compromise the process. A clear precedent was set when the Government divested itself of hundreds of airports across Canada in a previous Liberal Government. A major concern is that to pay for this outrageous price tag, the new DSA will have to include the debt payment when setting the new passenger screening charge. Need it be said again that Canada already has one of
Air Transport Association of Canada 1505 - 222 Queen Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5V9 Phone: (613) 233-7727 • Fax: (613) 230-8648 Website: www.atac.ca
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the highest aviation security charges in the world, which negatively affects our competitiveness in the international market. Finally, the Government does not deny that it would probably seek compensation for the loss of the hundreds of millions generated by the ATSC surpluses. This is probably why the Bill doesn’t abolish the current ATSC. If not through the current charge, how else would the loss of this revenue for the Government be compensated other than by additional fees and charges to our passengers and carriers? Minimizing the cost to the public is critical to maintaining Canada’s competitiveness and to address the leakage to the US market. It is the Government’s responsibility to ensure that its policies support rather than hinder the competitiveness of the air travel services to Canadians. Further milking the air transport industry and its passengers is unacceptable and detrimental to our industry. Once established, the new DSA will be in place for a long time before changes are made again. Canadians deserve that the process of transforming or replacing CATSA not be governed by an electoral agenda, that air travelers not incur an increase in costs, and that all concerned take the time required to develop a strong, efficient, autonomous, transparent and well governed model. John McKenna President and CEO Air Transport Association of Canada
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July/August 2019 | WINGS 41
ON
FINAL By Erika Armstrong |
My weekend with a Kamikaze Pilot Masijiro Kawato, who flew an AM6 Zero, visits Flying Cloud Airport
M
42 WINGS | July/August 2019
three days and finally hid out on a nearby island for three months. He was eventually picked up by Americans and taken to a P.O.W. hospital in Australia. He was declared dead in Japan and a funeral was held in his honour. Three and a half years later, Mike went home. Since he was talking to war bird enthusiasts that day, Mike didn’t mention that in 1976 he had flown his single-engine Piper Comanche nonstop from Tokyo to California – more than 5,000 miles in 35 hours and 15 minutes. Instead, he gave them riveting accounts of aerial combat between his Japanese Zero and American F4U Corsairs. He recounted watching an unusual sight of an F4U Corsair chasing a Zero and right behind him, another F4U being chased by a Zero. The lead Zero burst into flames and then moments later, the F4U went down in flames. Watching this from 6,000 feet above the ocean, Kawato dove and joined the battle by lining up behind the second F4U that was chasing a Zero. At 1,000 feet above the ocean, Kawato hit his target. The American pilot was forced to bail out of his disabled aircraft. It was later confirmed/rumored that the American pilot was Pappy Boyington. Yes, there has been debate about this, but we will let the story ride as told. My dad eventually made it through the snowstorm and met us for dinner on day two. They teased each other and unintentially discussed a passion for flying. Mike passed away in 2008, but watching them that night taught me a valuable lesson that enemies are often in that position by circumstance and that our enemies often bring out the best in us. | W
The top of the display read: “WWII Japanese Fighter Ace, masijiro kawato”. conversation and made the connection with the case – we have an actual enemy pilot in our presence. Phone calls were made and soon Bob Pond, avid collector and owner of the museum, walked in and asked Mike to sit with him for a few minutes. When any two pilots tell stories it tends to draw in more fliers and within moments there were at least a dozen pilots (many veterans) sitting at the table with Mike. With broken English, he answered their questions in his own manner, with a twinkle in his eye. I learned Mike had 17 bullet wounds in his body; that he was downed five times; and that his fifth was meant to be a suicide crash into an American destroyer. Instead, he was steered off course from return fire, which ripped a wing and cartwheeled him into the ocean. With a disabled pistol, he drifted in the ocean for
Erika Armstrong is the author of A Chick in the Cockpit. WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM
PHOTO: PLANES OF FAME EAST
y dad had made friends with Masijiro “Mike” Kawato, during his research into recovering old war birds in the Guadalcanal area. Mike and my dad, both pilots, hit it off and became lifelong friends. Mike was a WWII Japanese airman – flying the AM6 Zero – speculated to be the pilot who shot down Pappy Boyington. I was a 20-year old pilot the day I picked Mike up at the airport and, because my dad was stuck in a snowstorm, began my mission as Entertainment Director for what I thought would be a crazy Kamikaze Pilot. Instead I found a demure, hysterically deadpan, polite and reserved gentleman. Thirty years later, I have learned the difference between Kamikaze and fighter pilots, Shinto beliefs and war from my Marine dad. I have also learned, on my own, about being a pilot, human nature, integrity and honour. At the time of meeting Mike, I naturally wondered about enemies becoming friends. I just didn’t realize the treasure that was sitting beside me while I groaned about what to do with him. What do you do to entertain any pilot? Bring them to an air museum, of course. I worked and flew out of Flying Cloud Airport near Minneapolis, MN, which held the Planes of Fame East museum (gone now). War birds routinely flew in and out of the field. I made about $5/hour working at Elliott Beechcraft and could hardly afford to pay for our admission into the museum. I named-dropped Mike Kawato, but the guy at the ticket counter couldn’t care less about who either of us were – “$18 for two adults, please.” I rolled my eyes and took him in. We strolled through the main hangar, oohing and awing at gorgeous airplanes. As we turned a corner, there, in full-glass display, was an exhibit about Masijiro “Mike” Kawato. Mike got there before me and said, “Oh, look! Me! That’s me!” Inside was a photo of an 18-year-old Japanese kid with a leather helmet and deer-in-headlights expression. The top of the display read: “WWII Japanese fighter ace, Masijiro Kawato”. The display held images, a kamikaze headband and a flight suit. A museum volunteer overheard our
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