Some of this Week’s Other Highlights in Brief

March 2, 2024 Editor News 0

  • Bell Textron has appointed Chinook Helicopters of Abbotsford, British Columbia as an authorized dealership of its Canadian-manufactured Bell 505 Jet Ranger helicopter. “As a premier rotorcraft and fixed-wing training academy in British Columbia, Canada, Chinook Helicopters has established a strong network of operators and maintainers,” Bell Textron’s managing director Lane Evans said. Chinook currently has two of the single-engine turbine helicopters. There are currently 23 505s on the Canadian registry, first introduced to the market on March 7, 2017.
  • The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance (FINA) issued on Monday (Feb. 26) a series of recommendations to the federal government on finance-related issues in the lead-up to the 2024 Federal Budget. Among them is Recommendation 327: Exclude aircraft and vessels from the luxury items tax.
King Air aircraft at 8 Wing Trenton on September 29, 2016.
Photo by Cpl Rod Doucet, 8 Wing Imaging
© 2016 DND-MDN Canada
  • The RCAF announced Thursday (Feb. 29) that it will not be renewing its lease of King Airs for its Multi-Engine Utility Flight (MEUF) contract with Air Tindi when it expires at the end of March. There are two of the King Air 350s included the current contract. The RCAF expects to save $7.2 million by using commercial flights or other military assets to transport Canadian Armed Forces personnel. The aircraft are currently based at CFB Trenton in southern Ontario.
  • Niagara Helicopters announced on Thursday (Feb. 29) that it has placed an order with Airbus for six H130 helicopters. The Niagara Falls, Ontario company typically provides tourists with nine-minute aerial tours of the falls. “In order to continue to deliver a first-class visitor experience, we felt it was time to upgrade our aircraft,” said Niagara Helicopters COO Denis Pilon.
  • The Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) has short-listed three candidates to host future National Championship Air Races, previously known popularly as the Reno Air Races. The three are Casper (Wyoming), Pueblo (Colorado) and Roswell (New Mexico). A total of 38 inquiries were made by potential host cities and 11 candidates attended bidder conferences organized by RARA. Six candidates submitted formal bids. RARA expressed gratitude for the bid efforts made by Buckeye (Arizona), Thermal (California) and Wendover (Utah). The final decision is expected in April, 2024.
print