West Coast Aerospace

B.C. aerospace’s players are spread out across the province. “You’ll find OEM Viking Air and the VIH Aviation Group in Victoria; Cascade Aerospace in Abbotsford; and SkyTrac Systems in Kelowna,” said Ken Ohrn, BCAC vice-chair. “The range of aerospace products, airports and flight services offered in B.C., plus the need for aviation suppliers to be close to certain regions, as with natural resource activities, means that the aerospace sector is well distributed geographically.”

But just how well is B.C. doing when it comes to getting its share of the aerospace pie? “From our perspective, the B.C. aerospace industry is thriving,” said Brian O’Flynn, who is VP of sales at SkyTrac Systems, a provider of flight following, flight data monitoring and satellite hardware and services. “B.C. 

offers a unique environment for aviation operations; (it is) ideally suited for fixed and rotary wing regional aviation operations, industrial aviation, as well as major hub operations,” he said. “Our business has been growing year-over-year and we see continued growth for the foreseeable future.”

The B.C. aerospace industry serves clients within the province, and around the world. For instance, VIH Helicopters (a division of the VIH Aviation Group) has a fleet of Kamov KA-32A11 BCV and Sikorsky S-61 helicopters. These are heavy-lift helicopters ideally suited to carrying people and supplies into the wildest parts of the province, which is why VIH Helicopters’ client list includes a lot of local natural resources and government customers.

“B.C. has an abundance of natural resources,” said VIH Helicopters general manager Jen Norie. “Because of this, we believe that in the future, the B.C. helicopter industry will see many opportunities for helicopters to be applied in current and upcoming sectors such as forestry, oil and gas, mining, and potentially offshore oil exploration and production.”

“The good news is that there seems to be a lot of opportunities for domestic work,” Norie added. “The logging business is picking up again, power lines are being constructed, and there are even some longer-term, multi-year contracts which are generally unheard of in the onshore market.”

In contrast, Viking does not have B.C. customers for its de Havilland Twin Otter 400 series aircraft. The Series 400 version is the improved, modernized version of the legacy Twin Otter, for which Viking holds the type certificate. 

“Actually, 90 per cent of the Twin Otters we build are exported, with 80 per cent of them going to Asia, the Pacific Rim, and Russia,” said Dave Curtis, Viking Air’s president and CEO. “Those are the areas that need a rugged, reliable 19-seater like the Twin Otter; not B.C.”

The B.C. aerospace industry is also heavily integrated with that of the American Pacific Northwest, which is anchored by Boeing in Seattle, Wash. 

“There is a free flow of traffic between the U.S. and B.C., with Canadian companies such as Anotec Industries (anodizing) and Pyrotek Heat Treating providing services to U.S. OEMs,” said Melanie Jordan, executive director of the U.S.-based Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance (PNAA). “This flow is helped by the fact that Canadian and U.S. currencies are near par, the two countries share a common language and culture, and steps have been taken by the two federal governments to speed shipments through the border.”

There is such a variety of aerospace firms in B.C. that it is impossible to cover them all in a single article. Still, here is a selection of who’s operating in the province.

Alpine Aerotech Ltd. is a Bell Helicopter-approved customer service facility (CSF) located in Kelowna. The company performs MRO work on Bell 206/206L, 205, 212, 407 and 412, plus the tailboom for the B427. It also does painting, radio and avionics installation and repairs, specialty welding and extensive sheet metal resources. Alpine even manufactures its own exhaust components for the B412. Its active customer list contains over 400 operators and government agencies from 32 different countries, making Alpine Aerotech a truly global player.

“We have had a very strong past couple of years,” said company VP Jim Campbell. The only downside is finding qualified help: “People seem to want to go to university instead of getting their hands dirty,” he said. “We have been getting some long-term work lined up, but finding people is a problem.”

As the prime contractor for Canada’s legacy-model C-130 Hercules aircraft, Cascade Aerospace (now an operating unit of IMP Aerospace & Defence) has provided in service support (ISS) for the RCAF since early 2006. This includes fleet management, engineering, aircraft modification – covering more than 50 different types of mods – integrated logistics support, maintenance, and aircraft system and component repair and overhaul.

“Cascade also provides support to Canada’s new fleet of 17 CC-130Js through a 20-year contract with Lockheed Martin, and is one of only two Lockheed Martin-authorized CC-130 heavy maintenance centres in the world, as well as a Lockheed Martin-authorized CC-130 service centre,” said Dwayne Lucas, Cascade’s senior vice president. “Today, Cascade is leveraging its CC-130 capabilities into the international marketplace.”

In addition to its defence-related activities, Cascade manages complex programs for OEM and commercial customers, and designs, certifies and manufactures specialty products such as high fidelity trainers, and special purpose aircraft and modification kits including passenger-to-freighter conversion kits.

Latitude Technologies in Victoria sells satellite telephone, tracking, and messaging avionic equipment and services, including the company’s own compact SkyNode aeronautical communication devices. 

“We have been busy bringing our newest flight data monitoring (FDM) solutions to market,” said Peter Parrish, the company’s vice president of operations. “Our latest product is the IONode FDM, a fully functional lightweight flight data recorder. It meets all FDR, QAR (quick access recorder), and other recording and reporting requirements, with built-in spatial, navigational, GPS, inclinometers, digital compass, serial BUS, analog, and digital input/outputs covered.”

NGRAIN is a Vancouver-headquartered maker of 3D visualization, application and simulation software. “In the defense and aviation sector, we deliver dynamic, interactive and results-driven training and performance support for equipment maintainers and operators,” explained Gabe Batsone, NGRAIN’s CEO. “Our clients include all branches of the United States and Canadian militaries and most of the major systems integrators and OEMs.”

NGRAIN’s 3D simulation software is being used to maintain the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet. “They now track damage assessment and repairs associated with the signature of the aircraft virtually,” Batstone said. Being able to analyze F-35s using 3D software increases operational availability through faster repairs, allowing technicians to work more efficiently in the process. NGRAIN’s 3D software has also improved diagnostic accuracy and flight safety for the F-35, “because maintainers are able to visualize the damage on 3D models instead of doing so manually, which reduces the probability of mistakes,” said Batstone. “Because our software showed immediate results, it was soon implemented on the F-22 Raptor.”

SkyTrac Systems is heavily focused on satellite-based communications equipment for aircraft. Its product range includes the portable DSAT-300 automatic flight tracker, the fully integrated ISAT-200 in-cockpit flight tracker/satellite communications unit, and the new ISAT-200A – which is like the ISAT-200, plus full flight data monitoring (FDM) capability. “Our aviation products and services are used daily in B.C. to support air medical, airborne law enforcement, oil and gas logistics, search and rescue, and forestry operations,” said Brian O’Flynn, VP of sales.

The past 24 months have been good to SkyTrac, with more clients being added and its customer base expanding. “We won a major contract with the Canadian Coast Guard, to outfit their helicopters and ships with flight following systems,” O’Flynn said. “On the technology front, we launched the next generation of integrated aeronautical communications systems, the ISAT-200A. The ISAT-200A provides automatic, global, real-time flight following, and high-volume data transfer using Iridium’s next generation satellite modem, which is ideal for flight data monitoring programs (FDMPs) and safety management systems (SMS).”

VIH Helicopters is Canada’s oldest privately-owned helicopter company. It was launched in 1955 as Vancouver Island Helicopters by Ted Hensen and Bill Boeing Jr., the latter being the son of Boeing Aircraft founder William Boeing. The company started with just one Bell 47G2 helicopter. Today, VIH Helicopters is part of the VIH Aviation Group, which evolved out of Vancouver Island Helicopters.

Beyond operating its fleet of Kamov KA-32A11BCs and Sikorsky S-61 models, the VIH Aviation Group has diversified into other sectors, such as leasing out a variety of helicopters from Bell, Eurocopter, Agusta Westland and Sikorsky. It also operates VIH Aerospace, a third-party helicopter overhaul and maintenance facility; runs VIH Execujet, a Victoria-based fixed wing jet charter business catering to the corporate travel market, and operates Cougar Helicopters, an industry leader in the offshore helicopter transport and private search and rescue sector.   

“VIH Helicopters services domestic and international contracts for a global clientele, with a team of over 100 experienced and highly skilled professionals,” said GM Jen Norie. “The past 24 months have been successful for us, but because the B.C. marketplace is highly competitive, we’re fortunate to have the expertise to be able to diversify and operate our helicopters both domestically and internationally.”

Viking Air has become an aerospace success story, thanks to its support of legacy de Havilland aircraft, including the DHC-1 Chipmunk, DHC-2 Beaver and DHC-3 Otter, as well as its own upgraded and modernized versions of the DHC-2T Turbo Beaver and DHC-6 Twin Otter. 

“We currently employ about 600 people with about $130 million in annual revenue,” Dave Curtis, president and CEO, told Canadian Skies “The Twin Otter 400 series is a major product for us, with the company delivering one every 12 days, and a sales backlog stretching into 2015. Viking didn’t intend to start OEM’ing the Twin Otter when we got into this business, but eventually it made good sense – and has been a real boon to the company.”

On the aerospace education front, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in Burnaby offers five aerospace diploma courses at its 285,000-square-foot Aerospace Technology Campus. The courses offered cover aircraft gas turbine technician, aircraft maintenance engineer categories M and E/B2, airport operations, and airport and flight operations – commercial pilot (in partnership with the Pacific Flying Club). BCIT’s facilities include a 40,000-square-foot hangar that is home to the school’s fleet of light piston, turboprop, corporate, and jet transport aircraft, plus light and medium helicopters.

“We are seeing very strong demand for our courses,” said Gordon Turner, associate dean of BCIT’s aerospace programs. “That is why our air maintenance engineer program, which is 64 weeks long, has continued enrollment staggered such that we are graduating a new class every eight weeks.”

Clearly, there is a lot going on in British Columbia’s aerospace sector. But the industry is not without its challenges. Finding qualified employees is an issue, as Alpine Aerotech’s Jim Campbell noted. 

“Weather and our mountainous terrain can also cause problems for transporting goods,” said the BCAC’s Ken Ohrn. “Our industry is also affected by the health of the tourism and natural resources sectors. As they rise and fall, so do our revenues.”

The good news: The B.C. provincial government has grasped the importance of this $2 billion sector. Through its “Connecting with the World” aviation strategy, released in December 2012, the government aims to boost aerospace jobs and increase traffic at B.C. airports – a position bolstered by the provincial government’s recent cancellation of jet fuel taxes on international flights.

“Aviation is critical to help bring new investment into our economy and to create and protect jobs for families in every region of the province,” said British Columbia minister of transportation and infrastructure, Mary Polak. “Through the B.C. aviation strategy, we can strengthen and grow our aviation sector, support the B.C. Jobs Plan, help B.C. move goods to international markets, and further open our province to investment.” 

The plan is being applauded by the BCAC. “It shows that the government understands how important aerospace is to our economy,” said Ken Ohrn. “Still, more needs to be done for our industry to realize its full potential.”

The bottom line: B.C. aerospace is strong, diverse, and thriving. Although it faces some challenges, the industry’s overall performance seems to assure its future success.