Magnanimity on the Wing
Bombardier has donated a Global 7500 business jet to Toronto’s Centennial College—the oldest publicly-funded college in Ontario and one of Canada’s top-ten collegiate research institutions. The Global is the second aircraft with which the Canadian aerospace titan has gifted the college in the last year.
In recognition of Bombardier’s generous and recurring support, Centennial College’s Centre for Aerospace and Aviation at Downsview Park will be renamed The Bombardier Centre for Aerospace and Aviation.
The donated Bombardier Global 7500 business jet—dubbed, The Architect—was used for the type’s flight-testing and certification, and will not fly again.
Centennial spokesman Mark Toljagic remarked in an email: “… students will benefit from having the latest airframe and avionics technology to learn and practice on.”
Since its inaugural flight on 28 September 2017, the Architect has accumulated 731 flight-hours. In retirement, the aircraft will be conveyed to a permanent spot outside Centennial’s hangar at its Downsview Park facility, which opened in January 2019.
In February 2019, Bombardier donated a CRJ200 regional jet to Centennial.
Centennial president and CEO Craig Stephenson put forth in a news release. “As the global demand for aerospace technicians and technologists continues to grow, the strategic advantage of Bombardier and Centennial’s relationship is only amplified. The commitment of both partners not only aims to support the increasing labor demands of the sector but also bolsters Ontario’s and Canada’s leadership position in a competitive global sector.”
Bombardier is also generously providing the college $150,000 for the completion of a landing gear research project.
Bombardier president and CEO Alain Bellemare remarked: “Bombardier is proud to continue supporting Centennial College in their mission to prepare the next generation of aerospace professionals. With this Global 7500 aircraft donation, students will receive incomparable hands-on training using the industry’s latest advanced technology.”
The Challenger and Global aircraft families are renowned among pilots and aerospace engineers for their innovation, performance, and reliability. Worldwide, Bombardier’s in-service fleet of some five-thousand business jets supports the flight operations of widely-known and highly-regarded multinational corporations, charter and fractional ownership providers, governments, and private individuals.
Headquartered in Montréal, Québec, Bombardier operates aerostructure, assembly, and completion facilities in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The company's customer support network includes facilities in strategic locations in the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, the UAE, Singapore, China, and Australia.
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