April 30, 2009, Kelowna, B.C. - Kelowna Flightcraft Ltd. is pleased to announce that it has been assigned a long term contract to perform heavy maintenance for the Department of National Defense (DND) FixedWing Search & Rescue (SAR) aircraft that service British Columbia & the Yukon.
Kelowna Flightcraft will support the Buffalo (DHC-5) and Twin Otter (DHC-6) Aircraft on behalf of the Canadian Forces. The Buffalo aircraft are based out of Comox, BC, as part of 442Squadron, and are an integral part of the Search & Rescue work performed on the vast WestCoast of Canada. The Twin Otter are based out of 440 Squadron in Yellowknife, NWT, providingsupport to the Canadian Forces, Canadian Rangers, and Cadets across Northern Canada.
The work scope includes Tier 3 Aircraft Maintenance, Buffalo Avionics Life Extension modifications, and Component Repair & Overhaul. The contract, worth over $39 million, begins May 1, 2009 and extends to March 31, 2013. It is anticipated to extend to 2015 and possiblybeyond. This work will provide steady, long term employment for 50 highly skilled techniciansand support staff.
Flightcraft has a long history of working with DND, completing T-33 and Cosmo upgrades in thelate 90’s, and operating the Canada Wings Training Center since 2005, where over 100 pilots are trained annually on behalf of the Canadian Air Force. In addition, Kelowna Flightcraft is committed to a teaming arrangement with Field Aviation and OEM Viking Air to maximize theoperational readiness of the aircraft for DND.
“We are very pleased to acquire this maintenance & modification work for DND, as it continues to add to the long term stability of Flightcraft here in Kelowna, especially as we face this significant economic downturn around the world” says Barry Lapointe, President and CEO of Kelowna Flightcraft. “As many of you know, DND is already a primary customer of Flightcraft with our Canada Wings facility. In that contract we built facilities to train Military Pilots in Manitoba, and acquired and modified 34 aircraft, 2 full motion simulators, 3 buildings and advanced flight training software for the 20 year commitment there.
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