In last year’s Federal budget, the government of Canada followed through with a proposal to introduce a tax on the sale of new luxury cars and aircraft with a retail sale price over $100,000, and new boats over $250,000.

The tax would be calculated at the lesser of 20 per cent of the value above these price thresholds or 10 per cent of the full value of the luxury vehicle, aircraft or vessel. Subject to Parliamentary approval, this tax would come into effect on September 1, 2022.

As part of its process to implement the tax, Ottawa on March 11 released for public comment draft legislative proposals. The draft legislative proposals reflect, and respond to, input received during consultations with stakeholders.

The government explains these draft legislative proposals build on, and replace, the backgrounder that was released on August 10, 2021, as part of the consultation on the proposed Luxury Tax.

Two notable new provisions contained in these draft legislative proposals are as follows: Relief is proposed to be provided to after-sale improvements that are made to vehicles, aircraft or vessels purchased below the relevant price threshold; and relief for aircraft is proposed to be expanded to take into account qualifying flights that are conducted in the course of a business with a reasonable expectation of profit.

Canadians are invited to share comments on these draft legislative proposals by April 11, 2022, by emailing fin.luxury-luxe.fin@fin.gc.ca.

(Photo: Adobe Stock)

MFC Training, described as Canada’s largest professional flight school, on March 14 announced the return of its seasonal flight school to Goose Bay Airport in Labrador for 2022. Building on the success of last year’s inaugural class, MFC Training explains it will offer numerous modular training programs, providing future pilots from the Canadian north with even more access to world-class training options.

“We are proud to return to Happy Valley-Goose Bay for 2022 with a wide range of training options for prospective students,” said Blair Springate, Vice President of Training at MFC Training. “We are also excited to see familiar faces return as last year’s students continue their flight training.”

Headquartered in Moncton, New Brunswick, MFC Training traces its roots back 1929 when it began operations as the Moncton Flying Club. Now one of Canada’s most experienced flight training schools, MFC Training graduates more than 350 fully trained commercial pilots every year for many of the world’s airlines. With a fleet of more than 50 aircraft, MFC Training provides all levels of pilot training for both domestic and International markets from Recreational Pilot Permits through to our Professional Commercial Pilot and Instructor Programs.

Training operations at Goose Bay Airport will start on May 16, continuing until September 16, with two full-time instructors, a supervisory instructor and two Diamond DA-20 aircraft. Training options will include obtaining a Private Pilot Licence, getting a night rating, or starting on a path towards a full Commercial Pilot Licence.

(Photos: MFC Training)

Safran Helicopter Engines and Bell Textron reached a new partnership deal to jointly explore the technical performance and economic impacts of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on the Arrius 2R-powered Bell 505, which is primarily built at Bell Textron Canada’s facility in Mirabel, Quebec. A single, dedicated Bell 505 aircraft will conduct flights solely with the use of blended SAF.

Both Bell and Safran Helicopter Engines will evaluate engine and aircraft performance data to better assess the collateral benefits associated with the incorporation of SAF.

“We strongly believe in SAF, as it contributes to significantly reduce CO2 emissions,” said Bruno Bellanger, executive vice president, Programs, Safran Helicopter Engines. “As all our helicopter engines, the Arrius 2R is already certified to operate on up to 50 per cent SAF, and we are fully ready to assist all Bell 505 operators worldwide in their transition from conventional fossil fuels to SAF.”

Safran has publicly announced its objective to certify in the coming years the use of 100 per cent SAF, which, according to the company, can potentially result in carbon lifecycle emissions reductions by up to 80 per cent. In 2021, Safran conducted ground test campaign for a Makila 2 running on 100 per cent SAF and followed this with successful flight tests.

Since last June, Safran Helicopter Engines has been using SAF at every site in France, initially at a level of 10 per cent of total aviation fuel usage, with a target of 50 per cent by 2025. It has also recently deployed SAF to its UK facility at Fareham.

(Photo: Bell Textron, Safran)

The Government of Canada, through Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP), will provide Charlottetown Airport with more than $1.4 million toward safety programs. The funds will be used for the replacement of wildlife control fencing and the purchase of a runway sweeper, as well as a second aircraft rescue firefighting vehicle.

“The Charlottetown Airport is an important hub for residents and businesses in this province,” said Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown, who made the announcement on behalf of Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra. “This investment will help maintain safe and reliable airport operations for Prince Edward Island residents, many of whom depend on their local airport not only for personal and business travel, but also for access to routine and emergency medical care in larger centres.”

This funding is in addition to the more than $1.5 million in Airports Capital Assistance Program funding provided to the airport in May 2021, to support the replacement of an airside apron panel and the purchase of an aircraft rescue firefighting vehicle.

Since the Airports Capital Assistance Program started in 1995, the Government of Canada has invested over $1.2 billion for 1,215 projects at 199 local, regional and smaller National Airports System airports across the country.

(Photo: Charlottetown Airport)

— By Fadi El Masry, Director of External Relations, COPA

We were pleased to see the NOTAM restricting the airports of entry lifted on February 28, it was our hope that it meant all CANPASS locations would re-open. Unfortunately, over 10 days later, and that is still not the case.

While more airports are being added (currently 92 airports), we have not seen the plan for the rollout, especially for regions that are disproportionately affected, such as the prairies. COPA has reached out to CBSA to ask for the re-opening plan and advocate for more airports, especially CANPASS, to re-open as soon as possible.

Out of the 48 CANPASS airports of entry, only five are now open, and out of the 65 general aviation airports only 29 are open. CANPASS’ users are approved low risk travelers, it only makes sense to re-open all CANPASS airports as soon as possible to help speed up the border crossings across the country.

COPA will continue to work with CBSA and the Department of Public Safety to ensure that our members and CANPASS users who are trusted travelers get back this much needed service across the country.

(Photo: Adobe Stock)

— By Jason Rosewell, Digital Marketing, Infinite Flight

If you’re like most modern pilots, your flight bag includes at least one mobile device loaded with the latest EFB. While powerful and time-saving, these products can be quite complex, and the cockpit is no place to learn how to use them. Thankfully for ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot users, Infinite Flight comes to the rescue allowing pilots to start a flight from the safety of their sofa, or airport lounge.

Let’s say you’re excited to test a new feature like Hold Advisor in ForeFlight. You watch the training video but you have no muscle memory using this feature because you’re not flying. Fear not. By turning on ForeFlight Link on your Infinite Flight device, you can now use it the same as you would in the airplane, provided you’re on the same wifi network.

ForeFlight Link sends GPS and AHRS data to ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot just as if you were in a real cockpit. And while you can certainly do this with your favorite desktop simulator, Infinite Flight has given you a way to practice and carry your passion for learning no matter where you are. Best of all, you can use Infinite Flight on iOS and Android devices.

Don’t let the name “ForeFlight Link” scare you off if you’re a Garmin Pilot user. This feature started out as a link to ForeFlight, but has since been made compatible with Garmin’s. Locate Flight Simulation in Garmin Pilot’s settings to enable use of flight simulator data.

Flight plan sharing between Infinite Flight and ForeFlight
Practicing your flight just got easier with flight plan sharing between your mobile flight simulator and ForeFlight. With a few taps, you can send flight plans back and with ease between the two apps.

Infinite Flight also has a robust Replay System. Replay allows Infinite Flight pilots and ATC to load a previous flight and play it back exactly the way it happened. Did you fly at night but want to see your flight played back during the day? No problem; simply adjust the time of day during your replay. Best of all, you can reply the flight as many times as you like hands-free, all while honing different skills in ForeFlight.

While Infinite Flight PRO gives you access to the entire globe, multiplayer, ATC, and all aircraft, you don’t need a subscription to enjoy the benefits of connecting to ForeFlight. There are plenty of regions and aircraft to enjoy with your initial purchase to help you become a pro with your EFB. COPA members can now get a free 90 day trial of Infinite Flight Pro, unlocking a whole world of possibilities – more information on this COPA member benefit available here. Give Infinite Flight a try today, and keep learning!

(Photo: Infinite Flight)

On March 8, International Women’s Day, Air Canada announced the 2022 recipients of the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship. Air Canada explains the scholarship, named in honour of its first female pilot, recognizes high-potential young women pursuing aviation and aerospace careers as commercial pilots or aircraft maintenance engineers and who may not have the financial means to do so.

“On International Women’s Day, we celebrate and recognize the successes and achievements of the more than 14,500 women who work at Air Canada worldwide,” said Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources officer and Public Affairs at Air Canada.

Judy Cameron became the first female pilot hired by Air Canada, Canada’s largest airline, in April 1978 at the age of 23. She was the first woman to graduate from Selkirk College’s Aviation Technology Program in 1975. Throughout her flying career of 40 years and over 23,000 hours, she has flown the DC-3, Twin Otter, Hawker Siddeley 748, DC-9, Lockheed 1011, Airbus 320, Boeing 767, and Boeing 777.

In 2019, Air Canada committed to awarding $20,000 per year for three years toward the Captain Judy Cameron scholarship, and in 2021 re-committed its support for an additional three years. Administered by the Northern Lights Aero Foundation, the scholarship program is open to women who are Canadian citizens and who are enrolled in a fixed wing aviation flight program at a college, university, or flight school, or an aircraft repair and maintenance program anywhere in Canada.

This year’s Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship winners, who each receive $5,000 toward their studies in aviation, include:

Tanisha Galway
A second-year student in the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Program at College of the North Atlantic in Gander, Newfoundland, Galway is also President of the Student Council, a member of the Sexual Harassment Policy Committee, Student Union Representative for her college for the Canadian Federation of Students Provincial Executive and the Students with Disabilities Representative for the Canadian Federation of Students.

Winnie Ho
Ho just received her Group 1 IFR and is finishing the Integrated ATPL program at the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre, while in her final year of the Science and Aviation Program at the University of Waterloo, Ontario. She is a Teaching Assistant for an introduction to aviation course at the University and a member of the Northern Lights Junior Board of Directors, taking leadership to inspire, empower, and encourage women in aviation and aerospace. Ho aims to become an Air Canada 787 or 777 Captain.

Alissa Stirling
Stirling is in her final year of the Commercial Aviation Program at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. Working as an Air Canada flight attendant sparked her interest to pursue a career as a pilot and she completed her Private Pilot License in just three months to secure her entrance to her program. Stirling is President of the Aviation Student Executive, on the Safety Management System Committee, and a member of the Alberta 99s, the BC Aviation Council and the Alberta Aviation Council.

Madeline Ungurain
Ungurain recently completed her flight Instructor training at Principal Air in Abbotsford, BC, and is now working on her multi-engine Instrument rating. She is an active member of the Ninety-Nines where she volunteers as news coordinator and has created an international FAQ document for new members. As a single mother of twin boys, she has had to overcome significant obstacles but has never given up on her ambition to complete her goals. Madelaine plans to work as a multi-engine IFR instructor, sharing her expertise with others and promoting women in aviation.