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Tutor Turns 50

The Tutor turned 50 this year and there was a celebration in Moose Jaw.
The Tutor turned 50 this year and there was a celebration in Moose Jaw.

The Canadair CT-114 Tutor jet celebrated its 50th Anniversary Oct. 3 at CFB Moose Jaw, west of Regina.

Serving the Canadian Forces as the primary jet trainer until the Harvard II took its role with the NFTC (NATO Flight Training in Canada) program, the Tutor jet trained thousands of Canadian military aviators for almost four decades, some of whom are still active CF pilots today.

The celebration commenced with flyby by a pair of Tutor jets, one in the original Big 2 Flight Training School scheme with the second in the Snowbirds livery, and a pair of BAe Hawks which are now used by the NFTC program, followed with the year-end airshow by the Snowbirds to complete the 2014 airshow season for 431 Sqn.

On Saturday, a dinner was held in the 7 Hangar attended by current and past pilots, ground crew, and public. Wing Commander Col. Day opened the event with a short speech, Maj. Yogi Huyghebaert who flew as #9 Solo pilot in the 74/75 seasons, then as the “Boss” leading the team in the 85/86 seasons, provided a candid account of his time flying the Tutor jets to close off the dinner event.

The fact this aircraft is still being flown today by the Snowbirds is a testament of how well designed, built, and maintained these jets are. The red, white, and blue colour scheme of the Snowbirds have been an icon for Canada, showing off the skills and dedications of the Canadian Forces pilots, ground crew, and support staff over the skies in Canada and U.S. airshows since 1971 in front of millions of people.

See more photos on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CanadianAviatorMedia

Air Canada, Pilots Settle Contract

Air Canada pilots have reached a tentative 10-year contract deal with the airline.
Air Canada pilots have reached a tentative 10-year contract deal with the airline.

Air Canada and its pilots have reached a tentative 10-year deal that will ensure labour peace until 2024 if ratified.

The deal was reached after three weeks of bargaining between the company and the Air Canada Pilots Association. The majority of the union’s 3,000 members must approve the deal in a vote that will be scheduled after a series of information meetings to explain the deal to the pilots.

Details will not be made public until after the vote but ACPA President Capt. Craig Blandford is clearly pleased with the contract.

“We are very pleased to have reached a new agreement with Air Canada that will provide our members with stability and security of employment, career progression, fair compensation and most importantly, a share of our airline’s financial success,” Blandford said in a statement. “At the same time our new agreement provides Air Canada with the stability and flexibility to grow and prosper, with is good for all its stakeholders, including our members.”

The deal is a sharp contrast to the strike action taken by pilots in 2012, mainly over Air Canada’s creation of the new budget carrier Rouge.

 SmartPilot Announces Contest

SmartPilot is running a contest for pilots who view its videos.
SmartPilot is running a contest for pilots who view its videos.

SmartPilot.ca has announced a contest in which those who view a safety video can win one of four survival-related prizes.

SmartPilot is an initiative to increase pilot safety awareness in Canada and uses videos and other materials to enforce safe flying attitudes. It is done by the the Civil Air search and Rescue Association through a grant from the National Search and Rescue New Initiative Fund. It has produced more than 40 videos that are all free for viewing on the Web site.

The Be Ready contest emphasizes being prepared in case of a forced landing or other “bad day” scenarios.

Those who enter the contest can win one of four “crash kits” from Crash Kit International. First prize includes a 406 PLB with GPS.

Full details are available at smartpilot.ca/contest.

McLeod Prepares for Las Vegas

Pete McLeod is due for a win in Las Vegas.
Pete McLeod is due for a win in Las Vegas.

Red Bull Air Race pilot Pete McLeod, of London, ON, is in Las Vegas getting ready for the last North American race of the season this weekend.

Canadian Aviator will be joining him for a unique look at the young pilot’s amazing journey to the top echelons of that race circuit.

We’ll be with McLeod as he and his team prepare for the race, which could be his if his performance this year is any indication.

He’s shown he’s especially effective in the tight confines of the venue at Las Vegas, a NASCAR race track.

All the action, including the takeoffs and recovery of the aircraft, takes place within the huge facility and McLeod did well at the Red Bull race at the NASCAR track in Fort Worth in September, earning his second third-place finish of the year.

Watch canadianaviator.com  and our Facebook page at (canadianaviatormedia)for regular updates from Las Vegas throughout the weekend.