Watch Conair’s new video celebrating 50 years of aerial firefighting
May 22, 2020Conair Aerial Firefighting has released a new video highlighting 50 years of aerial firefighting in 5 minutes. Originally called Conair Aviation Ltd., the company was formed in 1969 as a subsidiary of Skyway Air Services of Langley, British Columbia. Current CEO, Barry Marsden, was one of the founding members of the company that began with 35 employees and 19 aircraft. While initially doubling as both a budworm spraying and aerial fire fighting business, the next two decades saw significant expansion of Conair’s fleet, capabilities and services in the aerial fire fighting sector. Today, with more than 300 employees and 68 aircraft, Conair Aerial Firefighting is a world leader in fixed wing aerial fire management services and products. Conair safely flies 8,000 to 12,000 aerial firefighting flight hours with over 70 aircraft each year and has operations in Canada, USA, France, and Australia.
Western Innovation Forum connects Western Canadian innovators to investment and growth opportunities
March 6, 20208th annual conference focuses on defence, security, marine and aerospace sectors Vancouver, British Columbia – Western Economic Diversification Canada – Original Link Over 250 innovators from the defence and security sectors are meeting in Vancouver to explore new business ventures and learn how to participate in major defence-related government contracts. They are taking part in the Western Innovation Forum (WIF) 2020, hosted by Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) in collaboration with the Association of British Columbia Marine Industries and the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada-Pacific.
The Sky’s the Limit – Girls Fly Too – event postponed to October
March 5, 2019The 2019 Sky’s No Limit – Girls Fly Too! event, originally scheduled for March, has been re-scheduled to October 5 & 6, 2019 at the Abbotsford International Airport. The event coincides with the International Day of the Girl and will feature an appearance by NASA Astronaut Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper. For more information, visit girlsfly2.ca
AIAC Pacific hosts inaugural meeting of the Canada-China Aerospace Technology Association
November 6, 2018The Aerospace Industries Association of Canada – Pacific (AIAC Pacific) was pleased to host the inaugural meeting of the Canada-China Aerospace Technology Association (CCATA) on September 27, 2018 at BCIT’s Aerospace campus in Richmond. The meeting brought together a range of small and medium-sized aerospace organizations to collaborate and explore opportunities in the Chinese market. Yuping Guan of Astrom Aviation presented his vision of CCATA, and how an initiative of this nature can positively contribute to stronger relations between the two countries’ aviation industries. The mission of the CCATA is to assist technology-based Canadian aviation companies in exporting their products and services to the Chinese market. As one of the largest and fastest growing aviation markets in the world, China represents a significant opportunity for Canadian companies seeking to expand their business into the global aerospace market. To learn more, contact Taylor Briggs at AIAC Pacific tbriggs@aiac.ca or (604) 652-3324.
Longview Aviation Capital Contracts Cascade Aerospace for Viking Enhanced Aerial Firefighter Conversion Program
September 12, 2018On August 10, 2018, Longview Aviation Capital of Victoria, in cooperation with Viking Air Limited, signed a contract with Cascade Aerospace of Abbotsford to provide training and resources in support of the Viking CL-415EAF (“Enhanced Aerial Firefighter”) Conversion Program. Longview Aviation Capital selected Cascade to provide assistance with the Viking CL-415EAF conversion program in order to leverage Cascade’s previous experience converting nine Canadair CL-215 firefighting aircraft to CL-215T turbine configuration for the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The full news release and contract signing photos are available here.
CARIC and Catpult UK seek participants for Bombardier-sponsored AI innovation challenge
September 12, 2018The Consortium for Aerospace Research and Innovation in Canada – CARIC (CAN) and Digital Catapult (UK) are looking for established start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs or researchers from Canada and the UK to develop and pitch innovative AI solutions that address a core challenge for the aerospace sector, in particular for Bombardier. The challenge is related to a real world problem of icing on aircraft. For information, visit: caric.aero/news/uk-canada-ai-innovation-challenge-open-call/ or contact Dwayne Lucas, CARIC Director for BC and Alberta, dwayne.lucas@caric.aero
MTU Maintenance Canada celebrates 20th anniversary
August 14, 2018MTU Maintenance Canada, a North American affiliate of German engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines, celebrated its 20th anniversary in August 2018 with customers, partners, and employees. The event included a ceremony at the facility as well as a trip to the Abbotsford Airshow. Over the past 20 years, MTU Maintenance Canada has seen over 1,100 engine shop visits. Its Accessory Repair Center of excellence, opened in 2011, completes over 11,000 accessory repairs per year. To read the full news release, click here.
UrtheCast Appoints Don Osborne as Chief Executive Officer
June 20, 2018On June 19th, UrtheCast Corp. announced the appointment of Donald F. Osborne as Chief Executive Officer. Osborne is a seasoned technology executive, having spent more than 30 years in the satellite, space and defence industries – most recently with MDA. He will assume his role with UrtheCast on July 5th. To read the full news release, click here.
Amandeep Kaler named CEO of Avcorp
May 11, 2018On April 18, 2018, the Board of Directors of Avcorp Group announced the appointment of Amandeep Kaler as CEO of Avcorp Group. Kaler, previously General Manager of Avcorp’s Delta operations, succeeds Peter George, who resigned as CEO in April. George will remain on the Board as a non-executive member and will chair the executive committee to support the transition of Kaler to the Chief Executive role. To read the full text of Avcorp’s news release, click here.
KF Aero “can’t hire fast enough” – news report
November 23, 2017In a November 21 report in the Okanagan Edge online business report, Kelowna’s KF Aerospace describes the staffing challenges they’re experiencing as they try to meet current demand. To read the full news story, click here.