17 mars 2023 | Local, Aérospatial
ITPS Canada has invested in a new Advanced Aircraft Simulation Centre that takes realistic test pilot and tactical training scenarios to a whole new level.
https://skiesmag.com/features/superior-simulation-look-inside-itps-new-aircraft-simulation-center/
5 juillet 2021 | Local, Naval
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Premier Iain Rankin, also minister responsible for military relations, participated in the June 26 commissioning of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Harry DeWolf, the Royal Canadian Navy’s lead ship in its class of Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessels, the premier’s office said. ...
14 mars 2019 | Local, Aérospatial
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
20 août 2019 | Local, Aérospatial
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has awarded MDA two contracts related to the NASA led Lunar Gateway project which is part of the greater Artemis moon program. The contrast are a result of the Deep Space Exploration Robotics (DSXR) request for proposals the CSA had posted in April of this year. The DSXR initiative includes two Gateway External Robotic Interfaces. They include an “exploration large arm” (XLA) and an “exploration dexterous arm” (XDA). The first contract is for the development of robotic interfaces for the “exploration large arm” and is valued at $3,292,136.66. The second contract, also for the development of robotic interfaces, is for the “exploration dexterous arm” and is valued at $4,598,971.26. The Phase A work builds on the heritage of robotics MDA developed for the Canadarm on the Space Shuttles, and the Canadarm2 and Dextre on the International Space Station. The new Canadarm3 program will take robotic tools to another level, merging cutting edge robotic hardware with Artificial Intelligence software. http://spaceq.ca/mda-awarded-7-9-million-for-lunar-gateway-robotics-phase-a-contracts/