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Vanguard Aviation
Written by Gary Watson   
47-vanguardNestled on a quiet back street a few blocks south of Calgary International airport is an unassuming blue building housing some of the most sophisticated aviation maintenance equipment in Canada. Vanguard Aviation Corporation is a small specialty AMO providing unique services to the aviation industry, particularly to airlines and larger AMOs.The company started in Calgary but has recently expanded eastward to Toronto where it serves such companies as Skyservice Airlines.

"We have a staff of 12 in Toronto," said Paul Barnfield, Vanguard's president. "Our Calgary facility has approximately 15, with some variation due to contracted work. One of our principal airline customers is WestJet; we provide wheel and brake overhauls for both their B737- 200 and -700 aircraft."

A four-year contract with Honeywell Aircraft Landing Systems, manufacturer of the steel brakes for the -200 and the carbon-fibre variant for the -700,ensures that Vanguard has a close tie with one of the world's leading wheel and brake manufacturers. Vanguard operates the newest and most advanced independent wheel and brake shop in Western Canada and provides services for both airliners and smaller aircraft sizes. Being the wheel and brake AMO for rapidlyexpanding WestJet ensures a constant flow of revenue for the company.