- Bombardier continues its record-breaking streak with its Global 7500, having set 50 speed records between city pairs in 50 weeks. The aircraft, whose top speed is Mach 0.925 and baseline range is 7,700 nm, clocked average speeds of over 621 mph (1000 km/h) in its 10 fastest speed records. Bombardier is now working on their Mach 0.94 Global 8000.
- Reckless laser owners are once again endangering aircraft and their crew and passengers, this time in the West Hants area of Nova Scotia. Between August 16 and 23, local police received four reports of laser strikes on aircraft, all occurring in early morning hours. Police are looking for help in finding the culprits, and are taking advantage of the opportunity to remind the public that aiming lasers at aircraft is a criminal offence punishable by up to $100,000 and/or up to five years in prison for those found guilty.
- The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is hosting a bi-national Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) at 19 Wing Comox on Vancouver Island from September 9 to 13. Twenty-four units from the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as Canada’s Civil Aviation Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) will join the CAF in over 60 simulated scenarios. “Many organizations are involved due to the wide range of terrain and weather in North America. The list of partners is made up of government, military, volunteer and industry groups. We need to work together to provide effective SAR services,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Francois Fasquelle, Commanding Officer of Comox’s 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron.
- Following up on their announcement last week that Air Canada pilots would begin “informational pickets” at several major Canadian airports, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) members came out in force. No work stoppage resulted as picketing pilots were on days off. However, the cooling off period that is currently in place will expire on Sept. 16, at which time the pilots could legally go on if a contract with their employer has not been agreed to.
- The Ninety-Nines, the international organization of female pilots which recently held its annual convention in Vancouver, is U$1 million richer thanks to a bequest from Frederic Messenger (Bill) Wallingford Jr., the son and only child of 99s founding member Josephine (Jodie) Wallingford Wood. Bill Wallingford was born in 1937 and died in 2023. According to Robin Hadfield, International president of the 99s, “…the funds will be placed in an investment fund to provide for educational outreach programs, aviation awareness programs, support programs at our two museums – 99s Museum of Women Pilots in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kansas.”