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  28 mai 2020 | Local, Sécurité

  Leonardo’s AW139 supporting COVID-19 operations in Canada

  Posted on May 28, 2020; by Leonardo Helicopters During the spread of COVID-19, Leonardo has seen operators of its aircraft adapt, react and overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic across geographies. Air ambulance operators Ornge and STARS have managed to continue conducting life-saving missions across Canada throughout the emergency. Both of these healthcare organizations have shared with Leonardo how they were adapting to the ‘new normal' and how the Leonardo AW139 helicopter has been supporting their patient transportation missions during these difficult times. STARS serves Western Canada, catering to remote areas and communities as well as highways and passenger transportation. The provinces STARS operates in includes Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The air ambulance operator is seeing around 12 per cent of its missions involve patients with influenza-like illnesses, which may include COVID-19. “Our team has adapted very well to the challenges posed by COVID-19. We have undertaken significant efforts to develop and train crews on enhanced procedures and secure supplies of critical equipment to protect our crews,” said Mike Haska, director of marketing and communications at STARS. Ornge also shared similar sentiments and emphasized how the great people behind these organizations are ensuring it is business as usual despite these trying times. “Like every healthcare organization, the health and safety of Ornge staff and patients is our top priority. Ornge staff have adapted to the pandemic and helped implement a number of innovative solutions including enhanced telemedicine support, an expanded critical care land ambulance program and more,” said Joshua McNamara, public relations officer at Ornge. Ornge is a vital lifeline to the people of Ontario and its AW139 fleet, comprising of a dozen helicopters alongside aircraft and land ambulances, performs duties from one of 12 bases across the province. Both operators are adhering to guidelines and directives from the provinces' health authorities as well as Transport Canada regulations. The twin-engine AW139 is operated around the world and, in September 2019, the 1,000th helicopter of the type was delivered. The helicopter is an ideal EMS platform with its spacious and configurable cabin which can accommodate up to 15 people. “The AW139 is a state of the art aircraft allowing Ornge to access patients in remote locations. Additionally, the AW139 travels faster and allows our crews to transport patients safely due to state of the art navigation and on board technology,” added McNamara. “The range, speed, and versatility of the aircraft allow us to respond to a variety of types of patient transports, which is critical as we respond to COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients across the province.” Within the STARS fleet portfolio are three AW139s, alongside other aircraft, which enable the air ambulance operator to operate 24-7. “The AW139 is a modern and capable helicopter for EMS operations. We continue to see steady mission volumes across our bases so ensuring we are ready to respond to patients in need, whether their medical circumstances involve COVID-19 or not, is crucial,” Haska commented. The AW139 has been adapted to the challenges posed by the pandemic — not only are the crew more adept and learned with wearing PPE but they have adapted the helicopter's configuration and equipment placement within each aircraft to suit the mission, Haska explained. He continued that “select equipment or supplies [can] be off-loaded prior to responding to a COVID-19 positive or suspected patient to reduce the amount of decontamination required post-mission.” STARS' air medical crews are extremely experienced and highly trained to deal with many types of infectious diseases, so the team's existing processes were able to deal with the COVID-19 threat well. However, the frequency has increased by which the crews use PPE such as masks, gowns and gloves on all types of missions during this time. “This is to ensure our staff are not required to self-isolate in the event a patient is later found to have been COVID-positive. This helps us ensure we can maintain 24-7 operations across our bases,” explained Haska. This approach is similar to Ornge which has enhanced its cleaning to high touch areas. “Leonardo has provided Ornge with instruction for approved methods of disinfection in the cockpit and cabin for the AW139. The company remains supportive and responsive and continues to provide seamless support for maintenance activities since the onset of COVID-19,” said McNamara. “We're also grateful that, as the world faces a strain on the supply chain due to numerous requests and organizational shutdowns, Leonardo's supply chain remains uninterrupted and Ornge continues to receive the necessary parts to maintain our aircraft.” As operators like STARS and Ornge continue to meet the threat of COVID-19 head-on, Leonardo plays a key role in the work of the air ambulance services and the crucial role they play in transporting people by providing and supporting helicopters which undertake life-saving missions around the world, day after day. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/leonardos-aw139-supporting-covid-19-operations-in-canada/

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  22 juillet 2020 | Local, Aérospatial

  L3Harris Technologies awarded $380 Million IDIQ contract for Westcam MX-Series products and support

  The Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) has awarded L3Harris Technologies an eight-year, $380 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to procure Wescam MX-Series products and services in support of global U.S. Army surveillance and targeting operations. The contract enables continued upgrades and support for the U.S. Army's robust installed base of fixed-wing, aerostat and unmanned platforms while supporting expanding Foreign Military Sales requirements. “L3Harris is proud to once again supply its Wescam MX technologies and solutions to the U.S. Army, as it highlights our role as a trusted global supplier of advanced imaging solutions to the defence industry,” said Sean Stackley, president, Integrated Mission Systems, L3Harris. “Through this contract, our highly specialized optics and leading technologies can continue to meet the needs of emerging mission portfolios, including time-sensitive response operations.” L3Harris' Wescam MX-Series products have successfully supported U.S. Army aviation programs for more than two decades. Wescam MX-Series systems have logged over four million hours of combat operations with the U.S. Army and continue to be a resource in on-going global intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. L3Harris' portfolio of Wescam MX-Series systems provide high-precision situational awareness — while delivering an advanced capability to collect critical mission information that assist in overcoming emerging threats. In addition to the U.S. Army, Wescam MX systems are operational within the U.S Navy and Air Force Special Operations Command where they continue to support programs in the fight against global terrorism. The CCC is Canada's government-to-government contracting organization for sales of defence and security technology and expertise from Canada. Each CCC contract provides the U.S. DOD with the Government of Canada's assurance that the contract will be fulfilled in accordance with its terms and conditions. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/l3harris-technologies-awarded-380-million-idiq-contract-for-westcam-mx-series-products-and-support

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  14 mars 2019 | Local, Aérospatial

  Canadian military wants retired pilots to come back - system needs to be flexible to allow that, says general

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The Canadian Forces says it is bringing in new initiatives to boost the numbers of pilots and the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Lt.-Gen. Paul Wynnyk recently outlined some of those for Members of Parliament. At the Commons defence committee Feb. 28 Wynnyk pointed out the issue of pilots who are assigned to staff jobs but who want to keep flying. He suggested there could be changes that will allow that but didn't provide many details. Wynnyk did note that the call will be sent out for retired pilots to come back to the RCAF. “We're reaching out to retired individuals from the Canadian Forces and seeing if they'd like to join and particularly making it more flexible for pilots who have retired to go into the reserves to perhaps look at ways of getting into Cold Lake, Bagotville, or wherever we need to fly them,” he told MPs. Wynnyk also mentioned “potential bonuses” but didn't provide details. Late last year RCAF commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger told MPs the reasons behind the fighter pilots leaving but money appeared to be low on the list of issues forcing pilots to leave. “Certainly the feedback from those who are releasing is it's a question of family, challenges for their family,” Meinzinger explained to the Public Accounts committee. “There's a dimension of ops tempo, work-life balance, predictability in terms of geographical location, and then typically fifth or sixth are comments about financial remuneration.” “We find that, unless there's a degree of predictability and positive career management over that individual, we often find individuals who are vexed,” Meinzinger further explained. “They come up to a point where they may not have anticipated they were going to move, or we're asking them to move their family to a location where perhaps their spouse cannot find employment.” Another factor is that some fighter pilots are not happy being streamed into administrative jobs. They want to keep flying. “We find a lot of individuals often don't wish to move to headquarters and work in an office versus work in an aircraft,” the RCAF commander acknowledged. “We recognize that and respect it. But that dialogue, which must happen at the margin, before we force an individual to move, is very, very important.” The U.S. Air Force has had mixed results with its bonuses offered to stem the exodus of various pilots to commercial aviation jobs. Last year the USAF announced that, for the first time, some bomber, fixed-wing combat search-and-rescue, special operations, mobility and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance pilots would be eligible for the same maximum bonus that were previously given only to fighter pilots, Stephen Losey of Air Force Times wrote in December 2018. That maximum is $420,000 but to receive that a pilot must commit to serving 12 more years. “But turning on the cash spigot appears to have had limited effect,” Losey wrote. “According to statistics provided by the Air Force, the overall percentage of eligible manned aircraft pilots agreeing to take the bonuses — known as the take rate — increase from 44 percent in 2017 to 45 percent in 2018. That halted two years of declines, after the take rates dropped from 55 percent in 2015 to 48 percent in 2016, and to 44 percent in 2017. But even though the take rate ticked up, overall number of pilots signing up for retention bonuses dropped from 476 to 418, the statistics showed.” Losey's article is here: https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2018/12/10/alarming-number-of-mobility-pilots-decline-bonuses-to-keep-flying-overall-bonus-take-rates-tick-up-slightly/ https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canadian-military-wants-retired-pilots-to-come-back-trying-to-make-system-flexible-to-allow-for-that