This week Canada Post issued five commemorative stamps that celebrate Canadians and Canadian technology in the field of aviation. The Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa collaborated in the initiative.

Three Canadian aviation legends are being honoured. First World War ace and Victoria Cross recipient William George Barker, VC, remains the most decorated member of the military in the history of Canada and the British Empire.

Legendary bush pilot C.H. ‘Punch’ Dickens made the first reconnaissance flight across the Northwest Territories, which back then included all of present-day Nunavut. Dickens was also a First World War ace and received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

The first woman in Canada to receive an electrical engineering degree was Elizabeth ‘Elsie’ MacGill. She was also the first woman in the world to earn a Master’s degree in aeronautical engineering. As a professional aircraft designer, MacGill oversaw the production and design refinements of the Hawker Hurricane, for which she was dubbed ‘Queen of the Hurricanes’.

Also recognized are two aircraft that illustrate Canadian technical ingenuity. The Lazair is a family of twin-engine ultralight airplanes that were sold in kit form between the years of 1979 and 1985. Designed by Port Colborne, Ontario native Dale Kramer, the Lazair is considered one of the best airplanes in its class. Kramer was selected by the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute to receive the Roméo Vachon Award in 1983 for his outstanding contribution to the development of aeronautics in Canada.

Lastly, the Avro C-105 Arrow is remembered for its technological achievements, considered by many to have been ahead of its time.

“As Canada’s storyteller, Canada Post is proud to share these stories of personal bravery and ingenuity, and to commemorate the aircraft that demonstrate Canadian technological innovation,” says Doug Ettinger, Canada Post president and CEO.

Volunteers from Sault Ste Marie’s Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre have finished their labour of love, a replica of the de Havilland Fox Moth, designed in Britain in 1932. It took 25 years to reach this point, and the only thing preventing it from taking flight is some last-minute airworthiness ‘wrinkles’ that are expected to be resolved before the planned first flight scheduled to take place this summer between June 21 and 23, at which time Dave Hadfield is expected to pilot the biplane.

“We built it by hand. We scrounged everything we could,” volunteer John Lalonde told local news outlet SooToday as he explained how the group sourced as many original parts as they could.

Ninety-eight Fox Moths were built in Britain with another 53 assembled in Canada. “This is Canadian history. If we hadn’t finished it, the children of today would not have known how significant it was in developing the North and the Arctic. Some Canadian airlines started with the Fox Moth. Bearskin Airlines, which flies into the Sault, had one,” Lalonde explained.

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the museum, and the Province of Ontario offered up a grant of $507,600. According to a news release, the funds will go towards new exhibits, infrastructure and for the creation of three new jobs. An additional $438,000 from the federal government, $100,000 from the Sault St. Marie Development Corporation and $25,000 from Tourism Sault Ste. Marie added up to $1.2 million in total in grants to the museum.

Thanks to a donation from Stephen Costello of Costello Utility Consultants (CUC), the Fredericton, New Brunswick police department will soon begin drone operations using an Aeryon Skyranger R60 UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) that had previously been used by CUC for the inspection of power transmission lines and infrastructure.

“This drone is one of the best of its class,” said Costello. “It’s used extensively by police forces in Ontario, the RCMP, and the Ontario Provincial Police.” Equipped with infrared and thermal imaging cameras, the value of the drone is $150,000.

Speaking on behalf of the Fredericton Police Force, Chief Leanne Fitch said the Remotely Piloted Aerial System (RPAS) “can help us understand a situation that we need to respond to and allows us to learn about the factors that contributed or created an incident. Technologies, such as this drone, can also play a valuable role in locating missing persons during a search and rescue operation, or assisting during a disaster.”

The police force has said that video recorded by the RPAS will be protected under existing privacy regulations. Six police officers will be selected and trained in accordance with new TCCA rules and regulations that are set to take effect on June 1 of this year.

According to the Waterloo, Ontario-based RPAS manufacturer Aeryon, one of the capabilities of this model is the ability to read a licence plate from 300 metres away.

“It’s a high-quality digital camera with 30x optical zoom and a 60x digital zoom,” said Costello.

Aeryon manufactures state-of-the-art drones, exporting them to military, public safety and industrial customers around the world. They maintain offices in numerous U.S. cities, and has team members spread throughout the world in London, U.K., Dubai, U.A.E., Antalya, Turkey and Singapore.

In a recently released announcement, U.S.-base Hartzell Engine Technologies says they have named Aero Recip (Canada) Ltd. as their first Canada-based maintenance and repair shop to earn designation as one of their Recommended Service Facilities (RSF). Together with an Oklahoma-based company, Aero Recip are the only two RSFs for AeroForce turbochargers.

“We are very proud to welcome our friends at Aero Recip (Canada) as the first Recommended Service Facility approved in Canada to provide inspections and maintenance on AeroForce turbocharger systems,” said Hartzell Engine Technologies president Keith Bagley. “We introduced our Recommended Service Facilities program in 2014 to give aircraft owner /operators who fly with our equipment a pre-approved network of shops that have the training, tools, and commitment to quality necessary to ensure that these customers get the highest level of repair and overhaul services for their units.”

Bagley made the point that being designated as an RSP for Hartzell is more than just signing an agreement. “RSF network shops must agree to adhere to our set of rigorous guidelines,” he said. “For example, they will be regularly audited, they have agreed to follow our manuals and will maintain the proper facilities with approved tools and equipment.” Bagley went on to add “In addition, they will send their technicians to our facility for ongoing training, and they have agreed they will only use genuine Hartzell/AeroForce replacement parts.”

Aero Recip, founded in 1988, is the largest piston engine and accessory overhaul shop in Canada specializing in Continental and Lycoming horizontally opposed and Pratt & Whitney radial engines.

Hartzell Engine Technologies is a sister company to Hartzell Propeller. It is a leading OEM supplier of a number of aviation products, including Janitrol Aero, AeroForce, Plane-Power, Sky-Tec and Fuelcraft brands.

Southern Ontario’s Windsor Flying Club (WFC) is using its 75^th anniversary celebrations to raise $75,000 by September that will be used to launch the commercial piloting careers for two bursary winners.

“We want to give back to somebody who may not have the financial resources to go through it but it’s always been their goal in life to have a career in aviation,” said WFC’s marketing and social media manager Miranda Dupuis.

The first fundraising event for the 200-member club, a dinner and dance, will have a ‘1940s Hollywood Canteen’ theme, and attendees are invited to dress in period costumes. Catering is supplied by Just Jeff’s and Walkerville Brewery. Musical entertainment will be provided by the Iron Tonic Jazz band and the Hep Cat Hoppers.

The event will be held this coming Saturday, March 23 at the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association (CHAA) museum at the Windsor airport (CYQG). Doors open at 5:30 pm and dinner will be served at 6:30 pm.

Admission tickets are available at both the WFC and CHAA offices, or purchase them online at the WFC’s website.

While there is much focus on the shortage of aircraft pilots in the aviation industry, both nationally and globally, another branch of the industry is suffering an acute shortage of skilled personnel.

U.S.-based global aviation services leader AAR, which acquired Premier Aviation of Trois-Rivières, Que. and Windsor, Ont. in 2017, is criss-crossing the country in an effort to recruit aircraft maintenance personnel for its Windsor facility. “We’re trying to make our presence known throughout Canada,” said David Robertson is AAR’s vice-president in charge of the Windsor operation.

AAR would like to more than double their 140-strong staff in the next one to two years to 300. “If tomorrow I could have 60 people, I’d take them right at the drop of a hat,” added Robertson. AAR is the biggest MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) company in North America, and Robertson says the Windsor facility is now thriving. Last December, for example, their hangar was at capacity with seven narrow-body jets inside for maintenance.

Robertson also concedes that part of his challenge is attracting people to relocate to Windsor. “We’re working very hard to change people’s opinion on Windsor,” he said. “Not just professionally, but from an economical standpoint, getting out of the rat race of the big city. It’s a good place to raise a family and just get away from the Torontos and Montreals.”

The City of Windsor’s mayor, Drew Dilkens, is simultaneously proposing to his council a $1 million initiative to rebrand the southern Ontario city. “I cannot be alone in this feeling about our community. Having lived here my whole life, I know this is a great place,” said Dilkens. “As reticent as I am to get on the rooftop and start shouting these benefits for fear of getting an onslaught of people here, I need to do it, I want to share the story, I want more people to come here.”