Canadian Helicopter Company Profiting From Charity Work, Former Employee Says

A member of the board of directors of the Canadian medical transportation non-profit organization Helicopter Air Life Operation (HALO) is also the owner of the helicopter company that leases aircraft to the charity, and that constitutes a conflict of interest, according to a former HALO employee.

Fred Lewis was a pilot for HALO from 2008 to 2013, according to a report appearing in the Medicine Hat News. Lewis and HALO both admit that he left the company less than amicably.

Now, Lewis is charging that Rangeland Helicopters, which is owned by Les Little who is also on the HALO board of directors, receives $30,000 (Canadian) per hour for the time HALO uses the company's aircraft. He says the public that donates money to the non-profit needs to be aware of the situation. "Numerous helicopter operators would jump at the chance to earn as much as $700,000 per year for flying less than 50 hours," he told the paper.

Documentation from the Canada Revenue Agency shows that the Southern Alberta Medicair Society (SAMS) does spend the majority of its $500,000 to $750,000 budget with Rangeland for helicopter services. Rangeland is licensed by Transport Canada to operate the aircraft for HALO.

Little said that Rangeland made the arrangement with HALO before he owned the company, and that it charges far less than bids received from other companies when the non-profit was established. Little said he bought the company when the previous owner and the non-profit had a disagreement about the lease, and he has continued to make the aircraft available at a price that the non-profit can realistically raise from the community.

Little says he recuses himself from any board vote that deals with the helicopter lease, and that he is not compensated for his service on the board, other than expenses.

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