- Another small recreational aircraft manufacturer is experiencing financial hardship. Progressive Aerodyne (PA) of Florida, which builds both the SeaRey kits and the factory-built versions, has halted production and is searching for a buyer. “The doors are closed until there is a new owner or other resolution,” said PA’s CEO until 2023. Some SeaRey owners and supporters welcome the news, hoping the manufacturer will return to U.S. ownership after being owned by Chinese interests since 2016.
- The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers held a protest in Abbotsford, British Columbia earlier this week to highlight a wave of violence that it says is driven by the rampart smuggling into prisons of drugs and weapons by drones, “almost on a daily basis,” according to union official John Randle. The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) says it is “taking multiple steps to combat the evolving threat.” The CSC points out that it currently lacks the legal authority to use drone-jamming technology, though it is trying to obtain it.
- British Columbia-based Western Community College (WCC) has announced it has become the only training facility in Canada, other than IATA itself, authorized to offer IATA-certified training programs. WCC, a private college, maintains a series of small campuses around B.C., most of them in the province’s Lower Mainland. The aviation campus is located at the Abbotsford airport (CYXX) and will offer flight training in addition to training for cabin crew, logistics and cargo operations and air navigation.
- Nav Canada and CAE have joined forces to develop and provide training programs for ATC trainees. CAE has built a dedicated Air Traffic Services Training Centre at their Montreal campus. “With CAE’s extensive background in advanced training delivery and modern learning sciences, our partnership with Nav Canada is a natural extension of our business and core mission to make the world a safer place,” said CAE CEO Marc Parent. First student intake is expected in the fall of this year.
- Shell Aviation announced Friday (April 19) that it has made its first Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) delivery in Canada. The purchaser was WestJet. “We are delighted to supply WestJet with SAF, as we continue to support our customers on their decarbonization journeys, while simultaneously building out the supply chain in Canada to enable more customers to access SAF,” said Shell Aviation GM for the Americas Christine Bassitt.