On Oct. 3, 2014, a team from L3Harris Technologies travelled to the Middle East to support the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) during Operation Impact, a mission by the Global Coalition to degrade and defeat Daesh in Iraq and Syria.

This was the first time in Canadian history the CC-150 Polaris entered a combat theatre as an air-to-air refuelling tanker, and for the next four years, L3Harris technicians worked around the clock to ensure the fleet was ready to fly at a moment’s notice.

Although this mission was unique, and certainly a significant milestone — one that landed L3Harris many commendations and resulted in a departure reliability of more than 97 per cent — it was merely one example of the commitment L3Harris has shown as the primary in-service support (ISS) provider for CC-150 Polaris aircraft fleet over the last decade.

“It is an honour and privilege for us to be a provider of solutions to the RCAF, and we don’t take that responsibility lightly,” said Ugo Paniconi, general manager of L3Harris Technologies, in Mirabel, Que. “If we go back through our heritage as Canadair and as a unit of Bombardier, we have a 75-year legacy of providing the RCAF with sustainment solutions and we take a lot of pride in this important role.”

L3Harris began providing ISS for the RCAF’s five CC-150 Polaris aircraft in March 2012. This multirole platform consists of modified Airbus A310-300 airliners operating an array of missions — from VVIP transport to cargo, refuelling and other passenger configurations.

L3Harris is the primary provider of fleet management, engineering, operational and heavy maintenance, logistics, material management and support of all deployed operations for the RCAF fleet. It carries out this work at the RCAF 8 Wing Trenton facility in eastern Ontario, where the CC-150s are based, as well as at the L3Harris facility in Mirabel.

In addition, L3Harris also provides ISS for five other key RCAF platforms: the CF-188 Hornet, CT-114 Tutor (Snowbirds), CP-140 Aurora, CH-147 Chinook, and CH-148 Cyclone helicopters.

“As a result of our long-standing relationship, we’ve developed significant expertise when it comes to sustainment and in-service support,” Paniconi said. “We understand what is important to Canada, in terms of performance, flexibility, value for money and high-value Canadian jobs. We think about all these key aspects and make sure the solutions we bring to the table are affordable, flexible and effective in meeting the RCAF’s operational needs. We always look for ways to be innovative and to continuously improve.”

As the RCAF transitions to the procurement and preparation of Airbus A330-200 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft that will replace the CC-150 Polaris, L3Harris is positioning itself as the ideal ISS provider for this new fleet.

“It really comes down to the capabilities and credentials we’ve built in developing and delivering complete, integrated sustainment solutions, backed by demonstrated performance and offering a low-risk solution at a level of readiness expected by the RCAF,” Paniconi said. “We invest a lot of our expertise and energy in making sure that all the necessary pieces come together to deliver mission success to the RCAF.”

Over the last 10 years, L3Harris said it has proven its ability to deliver that mission success by achieving dozens of milestones in support of the CC-150.

L3Harris began by rapidly achieving the required airworthiness accreditations in June 2012, followed by just-in-time support for the G8 summit in June 2013.

The VVIP transport aircraft was repainted and refurbished to properly represent Canada’s national identity and colours. It was also equipped with a secure voice communication system, satellite communication and WiFi capability, clearly demonstrating L3Harris’ leading capabilities.

In July 2013, the CC-150 Polaris team from L3Harris was recognized for outstanding performance during the Department of National Defence Operation Southern Reach in South America.

L3Harris received a new multi-year contract for ISS of the CC-150 Polaris in August 2013, and this work continues up to the present day, with a high degree of praise from the RCAF.

In December 2013, L3Harris provided RCAF 437 Squadron with the ability to use CC-150 Polaris aircraft to evacuate injured soldiers, installing four patient transfer units within 30 days — on time and on budget.

Then, in November 2015, L3Harris completed installation of an improved traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) on the fifth CC-150 aircraft — also on time and on budget.

This ensures the entire CC-150 fleet is now equipped with the latest TCAS, extending its lifespans and improving safety.

Many other milestones have followed since, and now that the Canadian government has begun engaging industry for its new A330 (CC-330) MRTT program, L3Harris is already planning an integrated supply chain solution for ISS.

Drawing on its experience and expertise, L3Harris said it is well-positioned as the logical, low-risk choice and ideal ISS provider to work with Airbus and Canada for the full lifecycle of this new platform.

“We are proud of the work we have done in support of the CC-150 fleet and look forward to the opportunity to continue this support on Canada’s new CC-330 MRTT fleet,” Paniconi said. “For many decades, we’ve dedicated ourselves to helping keep the RCAF flying safely and effectively. This is a job we take very seriously, know how to do well, and look forward to continuing to offer trusted, reliable, and effective fleet management solutions for many years to come.”

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As the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) prepares to select its partner for the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program, it faces a critical decision that will determine the effectiveness of Canadian military pilots and aircrew for decades into the future. It is a decision that will impact the security of Canada and its allies and alignment with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and other international bodies.

The stakes are incredibly high, and SkyAlyne — an all-Canadian partnership between incumbent RCAF training providers CAE Inc., from Montreal, Que., and KF Aerospace from Kelowna, B.C. — is uniquely up to the task. The specifics on how SkyAlyne will expertly manage air force training for the next 25-plus years are laid out in its FAcT proposal due January 2023.

“SkyAlyne’s team is composed of highly specialized Canadian companies, founded by past military members and presently employing many veterans,” said Maryse Carmichael, a retired lieutenant colonel with the RCAF and a special adviser in aircrew training for SkyAlyne. “So, it’s more than just a contract to us — it is personal.”

Keeping Canadian aircrew training in Canadian hands is the top priority of the SkyAlyne team.

“We want to see Canada succeed,” Carmichael said. “We want to see Canada secure. We want to see communities grow through this program. We are rigorously ensuring that we are putting together the very best training solution for Canada’s next generation of pilots and aircrew. We also have a vast network of Canadian suppliers and subcontractors, literally in every region of this country, which means that when SkyAlyne is selected, all the benefits of the program will stay here at home.”

SkyAlyne is a 50/50 partnership between two of Canada’s revered aerospace firms. Formed in 2018, SkyAlyne has the single goal of continuing the RCAF’s long tradition of exceptional, made-in-Canada training and in-service support (ISS) for military aircrew and pilots, air combat sensor officers (ACSOs) and airborne electronic sensor operators (AES Ops).  

CAE and KF Aerospace know the importance of consistent and sustainable training, as they currently train all RCAF pilots through two contracted programs.

CAE has emerged as one of the world’s top aviation training and simulator manufacturing companies since its founding shortly after the Second World War by a former RCAF officer and now retired group captain Ken Patrick. CAE is also the manager of the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) Program at RCAF bases in Moose Jaw, Sask., and Cold Lake, Alta. This program covers Phases II and III of pilot training and fighter lead-in training.

KF Aerospace has grown into Canada’s largest commercial aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company since its founding in 1970 by Canadian entrepreneur Barry Lapointe. KF manages the Contracted Flying Training and Support (CFTS) Program in Southport, Man. This includes ab initio (beginner) pilot training and Phase III helicopter and multi-engine fixed-wing training.

SkyAlyne combines the expertise, experienced personnel and resources, with the goal of continuing long-established partnerships with the RCAF when these programs are transitioned to FAcT over the next several years.

“We also have the direct experience and expertise of managing the current programs jointly with the RCAF and other militaries’ programs around the globe,” Carmichael said. “We are the highly experienced training integrators, capable of delivering excellent training programs for Canada’s next-generation aircrews.”

SkyAlyne leverages decades of experience supporting Canada’s military to build the program success of the next generation of Canadian aviators.

A typical day in the life of a SkyAlyne aircrew-in-training would encompass everything from classroom sessions to live flying training missions, simulator training, and all points in between.

SkyAlyne would provide student accommodations, meals and recreation, courseware design and live flying instruction, and access to cutting-edge training methods and equipment. SkyAlyne would also take full responsibility for building, maintaining and managing the facilities across three training sites in Moose Jaw, Sask., Southport (Portage la Prairie), Man., and Winnipeg, Man.

“It’s really a holistic, comprehensive, and integrated solution that we’re delivering for Canada,” Carmichael said. “We are procuring several fleets of aircraft for the various phases [of training]. They will be perfectly suited to train Canada’s pilots and aircrew and are some of the most advanced, most capable trainers available to military customers worldwide.”

Together with a team of highly capable subcontractors, SkyAlyne’s group of companies employs 19,000 people in Canada with unparalleled resources and experience that would be implemented and improved upon as the FAcT partner.

“Our people are there, on the ground in these communities where the training takes place,” Carmichael said. “We already have strong existing relationships with not only the Canadian military, and the Department of National Defence [DND], but also with local community leaders, including Indigenous communities, local governments, academic institutions and non-profits. We’re ready to spool up into this new program and expand to the scope Canada requires for the Future Aircrew Training program. But we’re doing so on that solid foundation.”

Although the RCAF and DND will weigh several factors when selecting a partner for the FAcT program, SkyAlyne is positioning itself as the best and most logical choice.

“Not only are we the lowest risk and the most capable, but we are the only Canadian solution for FAcT,” Carmichael said. “SkyAlyne will keep this capability and expertise fully in Canada’s hands, and really maximize the economic benefits at home, accelerate research and development, and help build Indigenous businesses and communities through this contract. We provide the best of all worlds for FAcT and we’re confident that our proposal clearly demonstrates that. At the end of the day, we expect the government will keep this program in Canada’s hands for the future.”

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New Zealand has a long, rich history of breaking with convention–of scuttling what’s familiar in favor of what’s exciting, better, and new.

It’s a quirky but progressive island nation founded by adventurers, populated by innovators and driven to make the world a better place, one pragmatic step at a time.

Within the aviation industry, there’s no better example of this spirit than Spidertracks, an Auckland-based global leader in tracking devices for aircraft.

“There’s this real frontiership and resourcefulness that comes through into our DNA down here,” said Dave Blackwell, Spidertracks CEO. “It’s a really powerful and core part of who we are.”

Spidertracks was created in 2007, after a helicopter crash that claimed the life of a prominent New Zealander. The antenna for the aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter (ELT) broke off in the crash and couldn’t transmit his distress.

After 15 days of searching 16,000 square kilometers of countryside, the aircraft was found less than 100 kilometers from the origin of the flight, Blackwell said.

“It was one of the most inefficient search-and-rescue efforts that New Zealand’s ever seen,” he added. “The public was outraged.”

A young engineer who was working for a helicopter pilot at the time went looking for a better, more cost-effective way to track and locate general aviation aircraft, and he created Spidertracks’ first product.

Using a GPS receiver, an Iridium transceiver, and a few other components, the product–called a Spider–was able to send position reports of an aircraft in real-time through a network and display it back to people on the ground.

“The commercial potential became apparent very, very quickly,” said Blackwell.

“The industry adopted the solution with open arms, and the rest is more or less history.”

Today, Spidertracks continues to set the standard for real-time aircraft tracking, partnering with the Iridium satellite network to track aircraft over every inch of the globe, from takeoff to landing.

Operators can view, manage, and communicate with their entire fleet using any internet-connected device, making use of custom apps for iPads, iPhones, and Android cellphones and tablets.

In addition to being a safety and productivity driver in the business, Spidertracks delivers a peace of mind to its customers that’s invaluable, particularly in today’s environment.

Blackwell speaks of the company’s standard practice of asking customers what it is that keeps them up at night.

“More and more, we’re seeing our customers aspire to a level of safety above and beyond any regulatory requirement. This comes against the backdrop of a global shortage of pilots, which often leaves operators no choice but to hire pilots with minimum qualifications and experience into their frontline operations. That’s something that drives a ton of anxiety.”

Spidertracks’ new innovations address this anxiety, providing operators with complete insight into and analysis of their aircraft and pilots before, during, and after a flight in ways that have traditionally only been available to airlines or operators with cash to burn.

The company is also developing an integration for automatic maintenance tracking systems, using leading software to add value by automatically capturing flight details and then integrating those details into other parts of the business.

Blackwell added that it’s about understanding the whole problem that needs to be solved.

“A huge part of any any business is trust, and we have a long history of meeting the needs of our customers in a way that allows commercial success to simply follow,” he said.

A genuine passion for aviation and a compassion for people who work in the industry has always been the impetus for innovation at Spidertracks. It’s part of what continues to move the company forward as it tries to revolutionize the way commercial and general aviation operators manage their businesses.

“We’re passionate about solving problems for our customers, and when we continue to do that better than anyone else, we get to keep them as our customers,” said Todd O’Hara, helicopter pilot and chief marketing officer for Spidertracks.

Along the way, the company is embracing diversity–its 25 employees have 14 different nationalities–and an agile approach that welcomes failure as a path to success.

“In many corporate environments, you see a great deal of risk aversion–a lot of safe choices being made,” said O’Hara. “People like to stick with what they know, and as a result you see a slowdown in innovation.

“You see a lot of very predictable outcomes in terms of what companies do, and these companies follow a trend in that they become less relevant over time.

“At Spidertracks in particular, we approach solving problems for our customers by celebrating our own failures. We believe that failure on a small scale allows us to be comfortable trying new things–to attempt to solve problems in ways that others haven’t thought of yet, and then to learn and become better rather than just seeing mediocre success.”

Another quirk of the culture at Spidertracks: every Friday at the office, beer is available–but only for colleagues who share their failures that week.

“I think that drives a big culture of shared learning and of improving the solution the customer gets at the end of the day,” said O’Hara.

“We’ve gone through the process of figuring out what does and doesn’t work, and we’ve celebrated the things we’ve done well alongside the things we’ve done wrong.

“But there’s not much point in keeping all of this to ourselves. We have a huge depth of knowledge from more than 10 years of making mistakes, listening to our customers, and being involved as leaders in our industry. If we can help prevent even one accident by sharing this experience, then it’s all worthwhile.”

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Gill batteries and the company that makes them are woven deeply into the fabric of the aviation industry, with a history that stretches back nearly a century and a record of continuous innovation that finds them trusted by customers around the world.

What launched in 1920 as the original aircraft equipment battery manufacturer has become a fixture in the industry, thanks in part to its original product–a dry-charged battery that is still produced, and remains highly popular in certain segments of general aviation.

“Testimonials still come in from owners who have flown 10 to 20 years on the same incredible small pink battery,” said David Vega, Gill Battery’s western region sales manager.

“For this reason, Gill continues to manufacture dry-charged batteries–in a show of support to customers, long after most of the competition has stopped offering them. However, customers are rapidly upgrading to the new LT Sealed family when they see the superior performance and the value.”

Gill began offering sealed batteries more than 30 years ago and has constantly improved them, upgrading their internal chemistry, packaging, features and applications.

The result is a product line that consistently raises the bar for performance and reliability, with an increasingly diverse collection of aircraft to support. Gill’s sealed batteries are used in hundreds of aircraft types, including all major fixed- and rotary-wing original equipment manufacturer (OEM) platforms and models.

Now, Gill’s venerable sealed battery line includes the LT Series, a meticulously-developed group of valve-regulated batteries that reliably produce superior performance numbers.

“Gill is very fortunate to be part of the Teledyne family of companies,” said J.D. Anderson, general manager for Teledyne Battery Products.

“Teledyne maintains an extensive complement of staff and facilities for research and development. Teledyne’s support, coupled with Gill’s expertise in battery technology, allows Gill to continuously spin out exciting new products and certifications.”

Gill is formally announcing two major product releases for its LT series at this year’s National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in Las Vegas.

The models announced are the 7638-44, which is now Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified for variants of the Pilatus PC-12 single-engine turboprop; and the 7638-44T, which is now released and FAA certified for the variants of Cessna Citation aircraft that include a battery temperature sensor.

Both new products are aimed at supporting business aviation operators with the best value and the best choice. They’re tangible products of Gill’s mission to provide unparalleled service, quality and technical innovation in the aircraft battery market.

The 7638-44 was already available for many other aircraft types and is a top seller, which begs the question: Why go to the time and expense of securing parts manufacturer approval (PMA) and a supplemental type certificate (STC) to offer it for the PC-12?

It’s simple: the industry requested it, and Gill–more than anything else–is in the business of serving the industry.

“I have had a lot of customers asking, ‘When will you be able to sell me an LT sealed battery replacement for my present battery,'” said Kimberly Schmidt, customer service manager for Gill Battery.

“It’s difficult to imagine turning someone away because you don’t have what they want. Fortunately, Gill listens to their customers and I am very happy we can now satisfy the PC-12 need.”

This battery is now approved for use on the Pilatus PC-12, PC-12/45, PC-12/47, and PC-12/47E variants, as well as scores of other aircraft covered under the original approvals. A full list of supported aircraft is available online or on a specification sheet available at the Gill booth at NBAA (booth number N5113).

Gill’s second new model, the 7638-44T battery for Cessna Citation aircraft, also has the proven LT chemistry at its heart.

Citation owners demand the best performance, and getting stranded on the tarmac or stuck in an aircraft hangar is not an option. Gill’s LT chemistry meets those standards, providing superior results when compared to other lead acid-type batteries, according to spec sheet comparisons.

This battery is said to provide the Citation with higher starting power, higher residual power, and a faster recharge. It is now approved for the following variants: 500, 501, 525, 525A, 525B, 525C, 550, 551, S550, 560, 560XL, 650, 680 and the 750.

So, what’s next for the Gill brand? More of the same innovation that helped it become one of the most revered names in the business aviation community.

“We are approaching our 100th anniversary, and it is because we have a passion for what we do,” said J.D. Anderson. “We intently listen to our customers. We take their wants and needs and provide solutions in the form of innovative products, additional certifications, and service improvements in our distribution network.

“It is no accident that we are known as the aircraft battery company that most reliably starts those who soar. What is next? Continuous evolution in a way that will surprise our competition and delight our customers.”

Gill plans to continue to release additional LT sealed battery models and aircraft certifications in the coming months. In keeping with its mission to be the very best, Gill believes it provides better value than any other lead acid sealed battery on the market.

Aircraft owners, operators and maintenance crews are invited to review published lead acid sealed battery performance numbers against the Gill LT Sealed series and compare them, head-to-head. A full list of Gill distributors and aircraft served is available here.

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