Silver Wings Industry and Scholarship Award Celebration October 26, 2023

At our annual Silver Wings Industry and Scholarship Awards Celebration, we recognize outstanding achievements by British Columbians in the aviation and aerospace industry. We also award almost $100K in scholarships annually to aviation and aerospace students studying in BC – the largest program of its kind in Canada.

Please join us at our gala celebration for an inspiring evening of fine food, live entertainment, engaging awards ceremony, online auction, 50/50 draw, and superb networking opportunities. Visit our Silver Wings webpage to learn more about this event!

 Register at bit.ly/SW-23

If you're traveling to Vancouver for our Silver Wings Celebration, our Lead Hotel Partner the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre would be pleased to offer you a preferred rate. Visit the "Hotel Partners" tab on the Silver Wings Registration page for all hotel partners and accommodation options. You will also find our generous travel partners.

Sponsorship? Interested in sponsoring this event or donating to the Online Auction? Contact Dave Frank at dave@bcaviationcouncil.org

Questions? Contact us at info@bcaviationcouncil.org

May 27-29 Conference 2024 Save-the-Date

We're excited to announce that our May Conference 2024 has been scheduled for May 27-29, 2024 in Nanaimo (YCD) which serves Central Vancouver Island. Mark your calendar now and check out our draft event webpage closer to the date for more details including agenda, speaker profiles, sponsorship opportunities, activities (including add-ons), travel and hotel partners, etc.

The proceedings at the May Conference drive the BC Aviation Council's policy/program initiatives and focus for the year.

Questions? Please contact dave@bcaviationcouncil.org.

(Photo/YCD - Andrew Latrielle)

De Havilland builds new firefighting planes on Vancouver Island

Across the world this summer, wildfires have destroyed forests, habitats and homes, with the International Panel on Climate Change reporting that fires are becoming more frequent and extreme.

As demand for better wildfire fighting tools grows worldwide, aircraft manufacturer De Havilland Canada says it has begun building new DHC-515 Firefighters, or what some might call water bombers. Neil Sweeney, vice-president of corporate affairs at De Havilland, says the DHC-515 can scoop up about 6,000 litres of water in about 12 seconds.

According to the company's website, the plane can deliver multiple drops of water in rapid succession and handle high winds that are often present with large scale wildfires. Sweeney says it's also a short take-off and landing plane, meaning it doesn't take long to get off and on the water.

"You're talking about a very large volume of water that can drop on a fire very rapidly," Sweeney told All Points West host Jason D'Souza. 

"In countries like France, they'll use a squadron of four at a time — close to 25,000 litres of water being dropped onto a fire every 10 minutes or so. That's why the countries around the world really like this aircraft."

DHC-515 Firefighters aren't entirely new to the wildfire-fighting scene — they build on Canadair planes CL-215 and CL-415, which have been used for fighting wildfires for over 50 years, De Havilland Canada says. The new model includes upgrades that will increase functionality and effectiveness, the company adds. 

When a wildfire rages in B.C., some people have asked why the Martin Mars water bomber hasn't been used. The firefighting aircraft has sat on Sproat Lake near Port Alberni since being retired in 2016. It was built as a transport plane for the U.S. Navy in 1946, and can carry more than 27,000 litres of water. Because of its size, however, it was only able to land on large bodies of water.

Creating jobs

Sweeney says the company currently has a contract to build 22 aircraft for the European Union, and expects more orders to be placed in coming years. The aircraft will be built in part in North Saanich, near the Victoria International Airport. He says parts of the fuselage and wings will be manufactured in B.C., while final assembly will be done at the company's facility in Calgary.

Sweeney says about 125 people are currently working at the North Saanich plant, but estimates upwards of 300 individuals may be needed to work there in coming years.

(Source: CBC News with files from All Points West, Photo/N. Fazos, De Havilland Canada)

Delta council gives thumbs-up for industrial use at Boundary Bay ZBB

Delta council last week gave the go-ahead for an application by Maximum Nutrition Inc. to build a new industrial building on Niagara Street at the Boundary Bay Airport. The 87,203-square-foot vacant lot is located between Churchill and Ottawa streets and is surrounded by airport and agricultural lands.

The current zoning of the site is Airport Terminal Industrial Zone, intended for airport and aviation-related uses as well as business park uses. The zone permits non-aviation warehousing, wholesaling and distribution. Council recently approved expanded uses for the Boundary Bay Airport lands.

The Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment expanded the area of non-aviation specific uses allowed to include a property on Churchill Street, changing the designation from Transportation Terminal to Industrial.

The city-owned Boundary Bay Airport comprises more than 1,000 acres (almost 430 hectares) southeast of the 72nd and Churchill streets intersection, immediately north of Boundary Bay.

Approximately 484 acres (196 hectares) of the airport and the lands are leased to Alpha Aviation until 2099, including about 190 acres (77 hectares) that over the past decade have already been redesignated for industrial and warehouse purposes. Alpha Aviation subleases to various businesses, primarily on the lands adjacent to Churchill Street.

A Delta staff report noted there are interests to expand non-aviation uses to attract a variety of commercial and industrial tenants, including manufacturing, technology, warehousing and logistics. Other permitted uses would include restaurants, cold storage facilities, film production studios, among others.

(Source: Delta Optimist, Sandor Gyarmati, Photo/Alpha Aviation)

Air cadets from across the province graduate with pilot licence at Kamloops Airport

(Source: Castanet.net, Mya Toews, Photo/Kamloops This Week)

BC Aviation Museum adds ‘Flying Bananas’ Cold War-era choppers

They’re outside the hangar, but the two newest additions to the BC Aviation Museum are used to the elements.

“They’ve been outside for 20-plus years,” says museum president Steve Nichol.

The additions in question are a pair of Piasecki H21 helicopters, commonly known as 'Flying Bananas'. The Cold War-era choppers are on a gravel pad outside the museum’s restoration area. Both were used by the Royal Canadian Air Force for search and rescue, and later in commercial logging operations in B.C. They were delivered by flatbed trucks last week after a two-day journey from a donor in Golden.

“I think it was the world’s first really successful twin-rotor helicopter,” says Nichol.

The Flying Banana gets its nickname from the curious banana-like shape which accommodates its duel rotating blades. The American-made Piasecki H21 was deployed in conflicts all over the world and could handle hauling massive weight in addition to its troop-carrying capabilities.

“Twenty-one guys fully loaded, so they say,” says Nichol.

Despite the tropical nickname, the Flying Banana was capable of operating in frigid temperatures.

“It used to service the early warning radar sites in the high arctic,” says Nichol, who adds it could withstand temperatures as low as -58 C.

One chopper, rust-laden but still adorned with RCAF colours, will be used for parts, while the other will get the full restoration. Nichol credits the museum volunteers with restoring these pieces of Canadian aviation history.

“They only look good because our volunteers make them look good,” he says.

There’s no immediacy in getting the chopper ready for the museum floor. The most pressing project is the restoration of a Lancaster FMl04 bomber.

“It’s our biggest project so far,” says Nichol, who adds that the restoration of the bomber is done in pieces due to its size, and will be reassembled inside the museum once it’s ready to be viewed by the public. As for when you’ll be able to tour the restored Flying Banana? “You’ll have to ask my great-great grandchildren,” laughs volunteer Mike McGaw.

McGaw, a pilot himself, considers all aircraft to be beautiful, although he admits to the odd exception. Two of which sit outside on the gravel pad, waiting for a new life.

“The Flying Banana? That’s an ugly one,” laughs McGaw.

The BC Aviation Museum is located in North Saanich and is open year-round, seven days a week. More information via "I Heart Radio" here.

(Source: CHEK News, Jordan Cunningham, with files from the Vancouver Island Free Daily, Tanara Oliveira. Photo/BC Aviation Museum)

YVR collects international customer-service award

The Vancouver Airport Authority (VAA) has won recognition for strong customer service throughout its many touch points with passengers.

The Vancouver International Airport was one of only two airports in Canada, and 12 airports in North America to win Level 1 Airport Customer Experience accreditation from Airports Council International (ACI).

The industry organization this week held its ACI Customer Service Global Summit in Seoul, Korea, where it gave out awards. The VAA's chief experience officer Eric Pateman told BIV from Seoul that his airport's decision to bring its paid customer-service officers in-house, instead of continuing to contract a third party to provide the service was one thing that helped the airport's customer service in the past year.

This is the first time that the VAA has won the award, and it comes mere months after Pateman assumed his current role in February. YVR has about 400 customer-service volunteers, and about 130 paid staff, he said.

ACI's determination of an airport's customer-service level includes the service provided at franchised restaurants that operate at airports, as well as any other worker who interacts with passengers, Pateman explained. That means that having grouchy customs staff or dismissive restaurant servers could bring an airport's ranking down a notch. Having strong customer service also includes presentable facilities, and clean washrooms, Pateman added.

"It all factors in," he said. "The guests' satisfaction is ranked on their entire experience."

The only other Canadian airport to achieve ACI's Level 1 accreditation was Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ).

The other North American airports to achieve this accreditation include: 

• Dallas Love Field Airport (Dallas, United States);
• Detroit Metropolitan Airport (Detroit, United States);
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Atlanta, United States);
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York, United States);
• John Glenn Columbus International Airport (Columbus, United States);
• LaGuardia Airport (New York, United States);
• Newark Liberty International Airport (New Jersey, United States);
• Ontario International Airport (Ontario, United States);
• San Antonio International Airport (San Antonio, United States); and
• San Francisco International Airport (San Francisco, United States).

(Source: BIV Magazine, Glen Korstrom, Photo/VVA)

Why Canada is in Desperate Need of Pilots

Shane Hewitt, host of cross-Canada radio show The Shift, invited our very own Executive Director, Dave Frank, to discuss the labour crisis in aviation – why it's happening and what can be done to help. Listen here

(Photo/Niall Carson - PA Images/Getty Images)

CORPORATE SUPPORTER PROFILE

BCIT Aerospace Technology Campus Virtual Tour

Cheryl Cahill, Interim Associate Dean of the Aerospace Campus, is an active Director on the BCAC Board.

The BC Institute of Technology (BCIT) is now offering virtual, online guided tours of their five campuses. Tour BCIT's Aerospace Technology Campus below:

BCIT Aerospace Tour

As the administrator of Canada's largest aviation and aerospace scholarship program, the BC Aviation Council is proud to support educational institutions like BCIT that provide aviation/aerospace students with the knowledge, skills and technology that help to maintain and grow our essential industry.

(Photo/ BCIT)

Thank you to our Silver Wings Industry and Scholarship Awards Celebration event sponsors - you make a real difference!

Want to help? Take a look at our latest Sponsorship Opportunities brochure, attached in PDF format.

Want to donate an item(s) to the Silver Wings high profile online auction? Contact Dave and he will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.

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   Register here for the Silver Wings Industry and Scholarship Awards Celebration

Attachments

• SW-23 Sponsorship Opportunities