Help On The Way For Canada's Demonstration Team?
ARINC Engineering Services, LLC, and its Canadian partner Venga
Aerospace announced this week they have started technical
discussions with the Swiss Air Force in a bid to provide modern
replacement aircraft for Canada's famed precision military flying
team, the Snowbirds.
In an important step to the program first announced in
September, a team including pilots and engineers from ARINC and
Venga has just completed a fact-finding trip to Switzerland. While
there, they inspected Hawk trainer aircraft available from the
Swiss Air Force, as well as maintenance and modification documents
for the planes.
The Snowbirds currently fly older Tutor trainer aircraft (below)
designed in the 1960s. ARINC and Venga have proposed replacing the
Tutors with Hawk trainers from the Swiss. Eighteen Hawks would be
acquired from the Swiss, their cockpits would be upgraded, and they
would be delivered to the Snowbirds under a 20-year lease including
a comprehensive maintenance program.
"Our Hawk leasing proposal will not only enable the Snowbirds to
fly newer, safer and better-performing aircraft, but at a cost not
exceeding their current operating budget," stated Venga President
Hirsh Kwinter.
The Canadian Forces are familiar with Hawk trainer aircraft, and
currently use them to train military pilots. But acquiring
brand-new Hawks for the Snowbirds—at a cost of $20 million
(USD) per plane—is out of the question considering budget
priorities for the Canadian Forces.
"The 18 Hawk trainer aircraft we are considering have been
meticulously maintained by the Swiss," stated Chris MacIntire,
ARINC Engineering Services Senior Director for training programs.
"We expect to employ 35-45 people for maintenance and support at
the Snowbirds' home base in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan."
As Aero-News reported, Venga
and ARINC submitted a cost analysis based on a Tutor-to-Hawk
comparison, following the Canadian Forces' Cost Factors Manual.
Their results indicate a turnkey lease proposal for 18 Hawks should
cost the Snowbirds no more than continuing to maintain the old
Tutor planes—and the Snowbird team would benefit greatly. The
newer and more capable Hawks offer many operational and safety
advantages, including zero-zero ejection seats, newer cockpit
avionics, and longer range.
"ARINC and Venga are quite excited to offer the Canadian Armed
Forces a truly cost-effective solution for modernizing the
Snowbirds' fleet. We look forward to a positive response to our
leasing proposal when due diligence is completed by all parties,"
concluded MacIntire.
Venga Aerospace Systems Inc. is a 20-year-old Canadian public
company focused on providing services for civil and defense
programs. Through a subsidiary it also markets an advanced line of
3-D graphic products and services.
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