
IN-PERSON ONLY! BCAC's February Hangar Hangout February 23rd @ 6pm-8pm, Chinook Helicopters
Welcome to Hangar Hangout, BCAC’s Youth Engagement Committee's monthly aviation and aerospace community initiative! Here you’ll have an opportunity to connect and converse with fellow aviation enthusiasts and professionals in the BC aviation and aerospace community.
Join us on Thursday, February 23rd, 2023, from 6pm-8pm for our seventh IN-PERSON casual get-together. We are excited to announce that this event will be held at Chinook Helicopters. This will be a nice change of scenery for those that mainly work in the YVR area. Chinook Helicopters is one of the world's leading flight training facilities that offers both rotary and fixed wing training. You won’t want to miss out on the guided hangar tour & aircraft static displays! There will be time towards the end of the evening to ask any questions you may have.
BCAC's intention is to create an inclusive, friendly, and inviting environment for everyone to meet new people, socialize, and connect in the “hangar” setting we’ve all been missing.
EVENT LOCATION
Chinook Helicopters - Abbotsford Airport (YXX)
30720 Rotor Drive, Abbotsford, BC
This event is free and open to all. Donations to BCAC's growing Scholarship Fund and other Services/Programs are graciously accepted. Tax receipts will be issued for any personal donations.
Special thanks to Chinook Helicopters for opening their hangar doors to us to hold this exciting event!
We look forward to seeing you there!
(Photo: Submitted)

Hangar Hangout January
On Tuesday, January 10th, the BCAC Hangar Hangout took place at the Elibird Aero facility at the Boundary Bay Airport (CZBB) in Delta, BC. This Hangar Hangout coincided with the launch of Elibird Aero - an aero tech company that is 100% Indigenous woman-owned and led by former BCAC board member Teara Fraser, Founder and Chief Pilot of Iskwew Air.
The event was well-attended by people of all ages, and delicious refreshments were provided by Elibird Aero. Numerous Indigenous arts and craft vendors occupied booths throughout the hangar, drawing interest from everyone.
An audio-visual presentation kept attendees informed and entertained.
For more information about Elibird Aero and their trailblazing path to advanced air mobility, please visit http://www.elibirdaero.ca/. Our sincere thanks to Elibird Aero for hosting our sixth in-person Hangar Hangout!
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(Photo: Submitted)

From Student to Immigrant? Multi-step Pathways to Permanent Residence
This data briefing explores the immigration pathways of international students in Canada and how to improve access to permanent residence for international students.
Document Highlights
- The number of international students in Canada doubled between 2000–01 and 2009–10. The pace of growth has accelerated further since 2010.
- But Canada lacks a strategy to coordinate between granting study permits and selecting international students for immigration.
- Study alone is rarely enough to make international students eligible for permanent residence. Of international students who gained permanent residence, 88 per cent had multiple temporary visas before transitioning to permanent residence.
- Multi-permit immigration pathways mean international students spend long periods in Canada without permanent residence, which can increase their vulnerability to exploitation by employers or losing their immigration status.
- International student enrollment in college/certificate programs is growing quickly, but students at this level of study have few purpose-built immigration opportunities.
READ MORE in the attached PDF
(Source/Photo: The Conference Board of Canada, Kathryn Dennler)

After School: Keeping International Students In-Province
This research examines whether international students remain in their province of study after their first study permit and how provincial governments can increase retention in the province of study.
Document Highlights
- The number of new international students nearly tripled from 2010 to 2019.
- Five times more new international students got a study permit for college/certificate programs in 2019 than in 2010.
- One year after the expiration of their first study permit, most international students who remained in Canada are in the province where they studied, with the highest retention in Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta.
- Former international students who are employed in Canada three years after their study permit expires tend to work in the province where they studied.
READ MORE
(Source: The Conference Board of Canada, Kathryn Dennler)

Travel to the U.S. from YVR just got faster
US Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) has introduced Mobile Passport Control, an app that will speed up your journey to the U.S. from YVR.
Mobile Passport Control (MPC) is a new app from US CBP that allows travelers to submit information digitally prior to moving through the border process, helping speed up the departures experience from YVR for those traveling to the U.S. The MPC app can be downloaded for free from the Apple App store and Google Play .
You do not need pre-approval to use the MPC app. After downloading the app, you’ll create a profile with your name, gender, date of birth, country of citizenship, and passport information. When going through US Customs before a flight at YVR, travelers will select Vancouver International Airport, take a photo of themselves, and answer CBP inspection-related questions on the app.
Once you submit your information through the app, you’ll receive an electronic receipt with an encrypted QR code, which you will show to a CBP officer to finalize their inspection for entry into the US.
Travelers using the MPC app will no longer have to complete a paper form or use an APC kiosk. They will still be processed by a CBP officer but will be directed to a specific processing lane for a streamlined entry process. A single household can submit the same MPC form on the app, which further streamlines the process for families traveling together.
As a result, travelers may experience shorter wait times, less congestion and efficient processing. If you have questions, please visit USCBP’s Mobile Passport Control FAQ page.
(Source: YVR Stories Blog, Photo: YVR)

Nanaimo airport makes the finals for international marketing award
The Nanaimo airport (YCD) has received some international recognition for its efforts to help connect people from coast to coast. The airport was a finalist for the Airport Council International award for excellence in airport marketing, communications, and customer experience for their summer promotional campaign connecting the west and east coasts.
Nanaimo Airport partnered with Halifax Standfield International Airport for a contest to connect travelers as restrictions were eased in early 2022 as part of their #Reconnect with Canada Coast-to-Coast campaign.
The grand prize was a six-night trip to Vancouver Island, which was won in a random draw by a nurse working in a COVID ward, who used the prize to take a honeymoon with her husband from Halifax to Vancouver Island.
Dave Devana, president and CEO of the Nanaimo Airport Commission, said they wanted to symbolize all of Canada reconnecting post-COVID restrictions, with Halifax to Nanaimo being an easy one-stop flight connecting the coasts.
“We’re thrilled to be nominated for the impact we made on Canadians from the Atlantic Ocean to the Salish Sea and then onto the Pacific Ocean on the west coast of the Island,” Devana said. “We worked closely with Halifax Airport and our airline partners to continue to expand the traveling choices for the communities we serve.”
Halifax and Nanaimo were the smallest airports to be nominated and make it to the finals for the North America reward. The eventual winner was Vancouver and Sea-Tac (Seattle), and a Milwaukee and Denver combination, all airports with much larger promotions budgets.
(Source: Namaimo News Now, Photo: mcfarlane biggar architects + designers)

Hangar Hangout at Helijet - November 22
Many thanks to our hosts Danny Sitnam, President and CEO of Helijet, for hosting last month's Hangar Hangout at the Helijet terminal at YVR. We had a great turnout and everyone had a fun and informative time. Check out our Events Calendar for the next Hangar Hangout event!


Flair Airlines expands fleet, adds routes, including Victoria and Comox
As Canada’s largest airlines struggle amid COVID-19 pandemic, an Edmonton-based discount carrier with ambitious expansion plans has been looking for opportunities that include Victoria and Comox.
Flair Airlines — which bills itself as an ultra-low-cost carrier offering unbundled, bare-bones fares — announced Tuesday it is increasing the size of its fleet and expanding its service to new destinations in Canada and the U.S. The airline said it will add four new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to its fleet in the spring of 2022.
This brings Flair’s total aircraft count to 16, and will allow the airline to expand its route offerings by 33 per cent. Flair will launch service this spring to new destinations including San Francisco, Nashville and Denver.
Its new routes serving Vancouver Island are:
• Victoria-Toronto, once a week starting May 7, 2022
• Victoria-Kelowna, three times a week starting May 16, 2022
• Comox-Calgary, three times a week starting March 29, 2022
• Comox-Edmonton, three times a week starting March 29, 2022
A privately held company, Flair launched in 2004 as a charter operator and transitioned to scheduled service three years ago. But it’s only been in the last 12 months — a period that coincided with a collapse in demand for air travel due to the pandemic — that Flair has been aggressively pursuing growth plans, stating that it wants to grow its fleet to 50 aircraft within the next five years.
In an interview, Flair chief executive Stephen Jones said the pandemic has been an opportunity for his company. Flair has been able to scoop up experienced pilots who have been laid off from major airlines. It has also been able to negotiate good deals with airports that suffered service reductions when major airlines slashed their routes in response to COVID-19. READ MORE
(Source: Times Colonist, Amanda Stephenson, Photo: Flair Airlines)

B.C. residents may want to continue using the ArriveCAN app. Here's why.
If you found Canada's ArriveCAN app frustrating to use, you are not alone. Numerous travelers have expressed frustration about having to submit their information to the app before they return to Canada, with several of them celebrating Canada's decision to make it optional. But the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) says travelers can save time at the border by continuing to use the app.
Moving forward, the ArriveCAN app is no longer a tool to collect health information but a way for travelers to have a streamlined experience at the border. CBSA spokesperson Judith Gadbois-St-Cyr told Vancouver Is Awesome that the agency is making the technology available at the border to give travelers "a more modern and faster experience" and to keep them safer.
Additionally, air passengers can submit their customs and immigration declaration in advance to save time at the airport. Travelers to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) already have access to the Advance CBSA Declaration.
ArriveCAN is now an optional tool for travelers who want to save time at the airport by providing their customs and immigration declaration in advance to the CBSA (up to 72 hours before they arrive in the country).
The Advance CBSA Declaration option is currently already available for those who arrive at the Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal airports and will become available at Winnipeg, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Québec City, Billy Bishop Toronto City and Ottawa international airports in the coming months.
"Early data shows that using Advance CBSA Declaration cuts the amount of time a traveler spends at a kiosk by roughly one-third, and over 30 [per cent] of travelers arriving at the airports are already using it," explains Gadbois-St-Cyr.
The CBSA is also exploring other features, such as providing travelers with easy access to information like border wait times and hours of service at ports of entry. For more information on how to use the Advance CBSA Declaration.
(Source: Vancouver Is Awesome, Elana Shepert, Photo: Getty)

How drones are replanting B.C.'s burned forests
The charred remains of Douglas fir and Lodgepole pine forests once sent their seeds fluttering through the air — often in the belly or beak of a bird — but not like this. When the six rotors of these heavy-lift drones hum to life, they each propel over 1,500 seeds into an automated swarm that some hope marks the start of a revolution in tree planting.
“Reforestation is arguably the best solution we have for pulling carbon out of the air,” said Bryce Jones, co-founder and CEO of Flash Forest, a Canadian drone tree-planting company with a growing footprint in British Columbia. “But there’s no technology. It’s literally people with bags and shovels. It’s been the same method for 100 years.”
In their short history, aerial drones have transformed our skies — in some cases delivering stunning images or medicine, in others, raining terror on soldiers and civilians alike. Now, a handful of companies are looking to re-purpose unmanned vehicles. Their goal: germinate landscapes scarred by wildfire, and in so doing, reforest a planet that by one estimate has lost half its trees.
Today, a confluence of logging, blight and wildfires is largely to blame for that loss, a deadly mix that in 2021 wiped out enough forest to cover all of New Zealand. When a tree is cut down, it stops absorbing atmospheric carbon. If it is burned, all the carbon gathered in its lifetime is released back into the air.
Many experts see reforestation as one of the best and most cost-effective solutions to fight both the climate crisis and a catastrophic loss in biodiversity — so much so that last year more than 140 countries agreed to halt and ultimately reverse the destruction of forests by 2030.
Whether to harvest wood, blaze new farmland or build cities, technology and automation have empowered human civilization to raze more forests in the last 100 years than in the previous 9,000. For proponents, the rise in drones offers a chance to turn such destructive technology on its head. Could drones help humanity engineer its way out of disaster? READ MORE
(Source: Times Colonist, Stefan Labbé, Photo: Flash Forest)

Tips to Overcome Year-round Labour Challenges
The logistics sector is expanding. The Logistics Managers’ Index, which is calculated using a diffusion index in which any reading above 50 indicates that logistics is expanding, came in at 65 in June 2021 and a record-high reading of 76.2 in March 2022. Continued growth is shifting how companies approach hiring.
Continued growth as a result of e-commerce spending removes the normal post-holiday staffing “reset period” many businesses experienced prior to the pandemic.
Finding top talent is now a year-round challenge. Competition for the best workers may heat up as we get closer to the holiday season, when e-commerce is at its busiest. Failure to adjust to consistent demand jeopardizes a company’s ability to capitalize on what could be a record year for consumer spending on e-commerce.
Now is the time to address the factors contributing to ongoing labor shortage challenges. Here’s how.
1. Attract workers with competitive compensation and faster onboarding. Many companies offer wage increases or bonuses when it’s time to staff up for the holiday season. Update this approach with increased demand in the earlier months.
Employers who offer wages in the top 50% of rates candidates are looking for have an easier time attracting high-performing workers and keeping up with their competitors.
Streamlining the onboarding process and getting new employees in the door as soon as possible is also crucial. Candidates are more likely to accept a job offer when they can start quickly.
2. Help employees add new skills. Workers increasingly look for employers who can offer more than a paycheck. They want to add new skills that can help them advance their careers.
When you don’t invest in the future learning of your employees—or they do not feel like there are any opportunities available for advancement in your business—they will quit. According to LinkedIn, 94% of employees will stay with a company longer if it invests in helping them learn and develop new skills. People do not want to be in “dead-end jobs,” and presenting workers with opportunities to learn new skills can prevent that.
3. Improve retention through referral programs. In a competitive labor market, look beyond short-term remedies for staffing challenges. Logistics workers know they have options and will explore other opportunities they feel align better with their goals. Implementing an employee referral strategy will help you secure workers for the long term.
Companies that help employees add new skills have an easier time retaining workers. They also set the foundation for an effective referral program that turns workers into ambassadors for a company’s job openings.
Creating an environment where experienced talent can amplify your hiring needs allows you to tap into a receptive audience—their friends and family. They may not have the referrer’s experience, but they’ll start their job with a positive outlook on your company.
Implementing a year-round staffing approach that focuses on better compensation, offers employees avenues to learn new skills, and includes employee referral programs will help companies meet demand and remain competitive.
(Source: Inbound Logistics, Tim Callaghan, Director of Strategic Sales, Aerotek)
The British Columbia Aviation Museum (BCAM) is located in Sidney, British Columbia, Canada. It is on the grounds of the Victoria International Airport (YYJ) at 1910 Norseman Road on the east side of the airport. The Museum consists of a display area spread over two hangars, a classroom, a restoration workshop, and a gift shop. Displays include historical civilian and military artifacts including uniforms, medals and models. Aircraft are displayed and museum volunteers are constantly working on restoring new acquisitions.
In September 2018 the museum acquired Avro Lancaster FM104, which is one of only 17 surviving Lancasters in the world. The aircraft, which was formerly in storage in Toronto, is now under restoration to airworthy status and will be finished in her post-War search-and-rescue configuration. In January 2021, the museum acquired an Grumman S2F Tracker that had been in storage with the Canadian Military Education Centre.
The BC Aviation Museum also has a video library that includes a video describing the history and significance of the Gibson Twin-plane, on display at the museum.

"The Gibson Twin-plane was the first aircraft in Canada that was designed, built and flown by a Canadian. All other aircraft of the day were American. William Wallace Gibson tried many times to get this craft airborne (and he succeeded on) Sept. 24, 1910, at Deans’ Farm. Today it is the location of Lansdowne Middle School - the intersection Lansdowne Road at Richmond, kitty-corner to Camosun College, in Victoria, BC. Gibson flew for 200 feet becoming the first Canadian to fly a Canadian aircraft. The plane was damaged on landing. Instead of fixing the aircraft, in 1911 he redesigned a new aircraft, the “Gibson Multi-plane”, reusing the engine and running gear. This aircraft had many successful flights, the last on August 12, 1911, in Calgary, Alberta. Join us at the BCAM were a full sized replica of The Gibson Twin-plane hangs from our ceiling." (Credit: Colin Bowley, Geoff Hallet, Randy Stagg)
Visit the BCAM website or take a look at their YouTube channel playlists (here and here) to learn more about Canada's aviation history!
(Source: BCAM, Wikipedia, Larry Dibnah/Victoria Flying Club, illustration: artist unknown, Photo: ChekNews)
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