Buttonville Airport Closing Nov. 30

In a move that everyone knew was coming, Buttonville airport tenants were notified by letter on May 30 that the privately owned airport, known as Buttonville Municipal Airport (CYKZ) and located in the Toronto suburb […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Give Hope Wings 2023 Expeditions Set to Take Off

Now in its sixth year, Give Hope Wings (GHW) is again taking off on a mission to raise funds for, and awareness of, Hope Air, the national charity that provides travel arrangements for those in […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

TC Extends VMC/IMC Consultation Period

In our May 20, 2023 newsletter we reported to you on Transport Canada’s Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA 2023-005) to the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) that would, among other things, tighten criteria used for defining […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

DND To Consolidate Flight Training Programs

The Department of National Defence will consolidate its RCAF flight crew training programs into one contract when the current contracts that are in place expire. The new program has been named the Future Aircrew Training […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

ALPA Reaches Agreement for Bearskin and Perimeter Pilots

Another deal has been reached with pilots flying for Canadian airlines. The Air Line Pilots Association International has been negotiating with Perimeter Airlines and Bearskin Airlines of Winnipeg for more than three years. Both airlines […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Jet-Fueled Piston Engine Certified

The FAA has received Type Certification for a 180-hp piston engine that will run on either jet fuel or SAF (sustainable aviation fuel). The DHK180 was developed by DeltaHawk of Racine, Wisconsin, and they say […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

TC Proposes Tightening of VFR Definitions/Regulations

Earlier this month Transport Canada released a Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA 2023-005) that proposes significant changes to the CARs that affect visual flight rules. Proposed changes include replacing the terms VMC (Visual Meteorological Conditions) […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Sunrise Glare a Possible Collision Factor – TSB Report

Glare from a rising sun last September may have been a factor in the fatal collision between a Cessna 172 doing pipeline work and a communications tower near Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. The accident claimed the lives […]

Posted in News, TSB Incidents | Leave a comment

Bombardier to Bid for Airborne Surveillance Fleet Replacement

In February we reported that Defence Minister Anita Anand and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne met with Boeing officials in Washington, D.C. to discuss the eventual procurement of P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft to replace the RCAF’s […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Red Deer to Host Air Races

The inaugural Canadian International Air Racing Championships will be held in conjunction with the Red Deer International Airshow on July 29 and 30 at that city’s airport. What the city is billing to be an […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Canadian North Retires Last 737-200

The last gravel kit-equipped Boeing 737 ended its four-decade-long career in Canada’s North this week with a round-trip flight between its Yellowknife, NWT base and Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Boeing provided an optional kit for the […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

NORAD Celebrates 65th Anniversary

Two RCAF generals joined NORAD commanding officer in marking the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s 65th anniversary at the organization’s base at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado. Joining USAF General Glen VanHerck were retired […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Snowbirds To Get Major Avionics Upgrade

The RCAF’s fleet of Canadair CT-114 Tutor aircraft, used by Canada’s famed Snowbirds air demonstration team, will receive a major avionics upgrade from U.S.-based L3Harris. The work forms part of the federal government’s CT-114 Tutor […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

DJI Drone Saves Lives in Northern Ontario

A sophisticated drone from DJI, known for their line of consumer-oriented drones, is being credited with saving not one, but two lives in the past week in an isolated community near James Bay in Northern […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

COPA Recruits New CEO

After a nearly year-long search, the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association has finally hired a new president and CEO to replace Christine Gervais, who lasted only two years in the job. Former Calgary resident Mark […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

E-Cigarettes Pose Hazard in Any Aircraft

On April 20, the battery inside an e-cigarette began overheating and emitting smoke during the cruise portion of a Sunwing flight travelling to Cancun, Mexico from Moncton, New Brunswick. The e-cigarette had already burnt a […]

Posted in News, TSB Incidents | Leave a comment

Electric Beaver Update

It was just a few weeks before the COVID pandemic descended upon the world that Vancouver’s Harbour Air (HA) revealed its battery-operated de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver to the public during a highly publicized flight that […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

2023 Webster Trophy Competition Cancelled

In a surprise announcement on Thursday (April 27), the board of directors of the entity that organizes the annual Webster Memorial Trophy competition has cancelled this year’s competition, citing financial challenges. This year’s competition, which […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

RCAF SAR Using Cellphone Signals to Locate Victims

The Search and Rescue (SAR) service of the RCAF is now able to use cellphone signals to geolocate people in distress. This comes after the acquisition of eight ‘Lifeseeker’ units supplied by Spanish company Centum. […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

TC To Study Southern Ontario Airport Needs

On Tuesday of this week (Apr. 18), Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced that his department has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) that seeks to identify qualified aviation consultants who can advise the department on […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Ottawa Announces Funding for COPA

Bill Blair, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, announced this week that the federal government will fund the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) to the tune of $558,903 for a three-year project that aims to […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Lack of Procurement Experts Delaying RCAF Equipment

The federal government’s series of recent announcements of new military equipment purchases, including for the RCAF, is considered by many to be “too little and too late”, but the situation may become even worse as […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Annual Airworthiness Reporting Suspension Is Temporary

In our newsletter issued on January 6 of this year we reported on what appeared to be a suspension of the requirement to file the Annual Airworthiness Information Report (AAIR) as required by CARs section […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Alberta Funds Aviation Industry Training

The government of Alberta is providing $5 million in funding over two years to Edmonton-based Elevate Aviation to provide training in aviation-related fields to young Albertans. Elevate, founded and led by Edmonton air traffic controller […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Snowbirds’ 2023 Schedule Released

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds, together with the CF-18 Demo Team, are back again this year as strong as ever. Their schedule of appearances has been released: Date    Event/Location           June 3-4      Thunder Bay, Ontario 7          North […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

De Havilland Vampire to Go On Display

Last week we reported on a Hawker Typhoon being restored to flying condition by a group of volunteers near Comox, British Columbia. This week we can report on another vintage aircraft that will soon be […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Chorus Aviation Launches Aviation Academy

Halifax, Nova Scotia-based Chorus Aviation Inc. is launching an aviation academy that will prepare cadets with an integrated Airline Transport Pilot Licence and aircraft type rating, all part of a 20-month program. Cygnet, as the […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Airline Pilot Organizations Object to Single-Pilot Cockpits

Several airline pilot groups are joining forces to protest any move toward single-pilot operations by airline companies or airliner manufacturers around the world. Representative of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), the […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Hawker Typhoon to Fly Again

On Vancouver Island, not far from CFB Comox, a group of dedicated volunteers is rebuilding, to flying condition, a British-designed and built Hawker Typhoon fighter-bomber that saw action in the Second World War. The group […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Purchase of Boeing Patrol Aircraft One Step Closer

Earlier this week the Government of Canada announced that it has issued a Letter of Request (LoR) to the U.S. government requesting an offer for the procurement of up to 16 Boeing P-8A Poseidon to […]

Posted in News | Leave a comment