Historic Marque Collects An Assortment of Aircraft Under One Roof with Beaver, Otter, and Dash-8

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada will become the face of a handful of companies under a plan created by new owner Longview Aviation Capital. Their intent is to use the most recognizable of the brand names in their portfolio to be the standard bearer of a consolidated company that brings Longview Aviation, Viking Air, Pacific Sky Training and De Havilland Canada. 

The consolidation means that for the first time in years the majority of De Havilland's most infamous aircraft are under the same umbrella. Viking Air's 2005 acquisition of the out-of-production De Havilland designs included the DHC-1 to DHC-7. Their production of the DHC-2 Beaver and DHC-6 Twin Otter will now join the Dash 8 under the same corporate roof. The unified heritage of the Canadian aerospace industry supports a fleet of more than 3,000 aircraft in service around the globe while employing 1,000 jobs across the country. 

Sherry Brydson, owner of Longview Aviation Capital, described the purchase of the De Havilland and the Dash-8 as the lynchpin of the decision. The highly visible, infamous “Our acquisition of the De Havilland Dash-8 program from Bombardier in 2019 united the entire De Havilland product line for the first time in decades, and we are proud to consolidate our aviation assets under the iconic De Havilland banner." 

In addition to announcing the new organizational structure, De Havilland Canada has also named Brian Chafe as Chief Executive Officer of the company. Chafe most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of the PAL Group, an aerospace company with a focus on aircraft engineering, maintenance and modification, in-service support, special missions, and search and rescue. He said De Havilland Canada boasts the best commuter aircraft lineup in the world, saying their "products are unrivaled in the regional and utility turboprop segment of the industry." 

FMI: www.dehavilland.com, www.lvav.ca