News
Successful launch of new training division

Oct. 20, 2009, Ottawa – Flight Test Centre of Excellence (FTCE) Inc. has announced that it successfully launched its new training division, the Aerospace Flight Test Training Centre (AFTTC), within West Capital Developments’ Aerospace Business Park at the Carp Airport, west of Ottawa on Oct. 15, 2009. 

Aerospace Flight Test Training Centre launched on Oct. 15, 2009

The AFTTC is the first of three planned FTCE divisions.  In the near future FTCE will also open an Applied Aerospace R&D division and an Aerospace Test and Evaluation Operations division.  The opening of the FTCE at the Carp Airport is a combined effort of Marinvent Inc. of Montreal and Gladstone Aerospace Corporation Inc. of Ottawa in collaboration with the Empire Test Pilot School (ETPS), a division of QinetiQ Corporation of the United Kingdom.

“The AFTTC is the first of the three pillars required to bring the FTCE to full operational capability,” stated John Maris, President of Marinvent.  “The launch of the AFTTC will provide the foundation for delivering on an idea that began three years ago to bring to Canada a full aerospace flight test and evaluation capability that does not exist at this time.”

The AFTTC will provide a range of courses intended to train pilots, aerospace engineers and senior technicians how to identify, establish and conduct flight test and evaluation projects.
 
“The AFTTC will be a training centre like no other in the aerospace test and evaluation market. Between Gladstone, Marinvent, the ETPS and other collaborating companies and organizations, we intend to provide the students with a fully blended learning environment that will require them to use simulation as the first medium for conducting tests and evaluations before they do flight testing.” stated Keith Gladstone, President of Gladstone Aerospace.  “This approach will allow the students to explore all aspects of a project in a safe, yet robust environment before embarking on an actual test flight on Marinvent’s Piaggio Avanti or Cheyenne test platform.”

The ATTFC opening ceremony was well attended by representatives from industry, academia and government.  The keynote address was given by the Honourable Gordon O’Connor, Member of Parliament for the Carleton-Mississippi Mills riding that includes the Carp Airport.

Mr. John Phillips, President of West Capital Development, the company developing the Carp Airport, stated, “We are delighted that the FTCE is establishing itself within the West Capital Airpark.  In addition to our Residential Fly-In Community and our General Aviation Airport, the Aerospace Business Park was designed to service industry manufacturers, service providers, and businesses like the FTCE. 

The capability our newest tenant brings to the Aerospace Business Park will be a cornerstone for developing an Aerospace Cluster at Carp that will encourage Aerospace companies in the Ottawa area, in particular west Ottawa, to use this airport as their test development location.”

The AFTTC begins delivering training programs on Monday, October 19, 2009 with the conduct of a two-week Avionics Flight Test and Evaluation course that involves computer-based training, simulation and test flights. 

This course will be closely followed by an Introduction to Fixed Wing Flight Test and Evaluation course in November. Over the next two years, the AFTTC will increase the number of flight test and evaluation courses to meet the needs of Canadian and international military and civilian sectors.