Bombardier Aerospace: NATO Flying Training in Canada Now
Operational at Moose Jaw
MOOSE JAW, SASKATCHEWAN-- JULY 6, 2000
International training commitments valued at more than $800
million
Bombardier Aerospace, Defence Services and the Deparment of
National Defence today inaugurated the NATO Flying Training in
Canada (NFTC) program here with the official opening of its
operations at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Moose Jaw.
Participants in the event included Defence Minister Art Eggleton
and Natural Resources Minister Ralph Goodale (MP (L),
Regina-Wascana); Saskatchewan's Minister of Post-Secondary
Education, Glenn Hagel; Lieutenant-General Lloyd Campbell,
Commander, 1 Canadian Air Division/Canadian NORAD Region; and,
Jacques Auger, president, Bombardier Aerospace, Defence Services.
A 1994 Bombardier initiative, NFTC provides NATO-standard flying
training in a unique private-public sector partnership.
Bombardier heads an industrial consortium that provides and
maintains two fleets of training aircraft and flight simulators,
as well as other training equipment and support services. The
Government of Canada, through the Department of National Defence,
provides program management, facilities, infrastructure and
instructor pilots from the Canadian Armed Forces.
Said Bombardier's Mr. Auger: "NFTC is clearly the world's most
modern and most innovative pilot training program and we are proud
to be a partner in it. NFTC builds on Bombardier's proven success
with the Canadian Aviation Training Centre-at Southport,
Manitoba*-and demonstrates that industry and government working
together can deliver the optimum in pilot proficiency at the
lowest total system cost."
To date, Canada, Denmark, the United Kingdom, the Republic of
Singapore and Italy have committed to participate in NFTC. The
contractual value of these training commitments totals more than
Cdn$3.5 billion. over the next 20 years. Direct benefits to
Canada include more than 5,600 person-years of long-term
employment.
NFTC training proceeds in three phases at CFB Moose Jaw,
Saskatchewan and at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta, and capitalises on the
bases' more than 700,000 square kilometres of unrestricted
military airspace, including the tactical training range at CFB
Cold Lake, widely regarded as one of the best training facilities
in the world.
At present, 141 Canadians and nine foreign students are scheduled
to train annually in Phase II, using Raytheon Aircraft Co. T-6A
Harvard II turboprop aircraft at CFB Moose Jaw, prior to Advanced
Jet, Multi-engine or Helicopter training. The first course,
including students from Canada and Italy, began June 12, 2000.
Phase III training, using British Aerospace (BAE) Systems Hawk 115
jet aircraft will begin in October. At present, 32 Canadian and
13 foreign students are scheduled to follow this program to
Canadian Armed Forces Wings standard. In addition, 20 Royal Air
Force students will complete a tailored conversion program prior
to starting Phase IV.
Phase IV training will begin at CFB Cold Lake, early in 2001, also
with Hawk 115 aircraft, in a fighter lead-in training role
designed to prepare pilots for operational conversion training on
current and next generation tactical aircraft such as the F-16 and
F-18, and Eurofighter. At present, 23 Canadian and 33 foreign
students are scheduled to participate annually.
Mr. Auger added: "Today marks the start of a new way to train
tomorrow's military pilots, and I believe many more countries will
soon recognize the benefits NFTC offers and join the program."
Bombardier Aerospace, a unit of Bombardier Inc., is the leading
business, regional and amphibious aircraft manufacturer. With
full design and production capabilities in three countries, it
offers the most comprehensive families of turboprop and regional
jet aircraft and the widest range of business jets. It also
provides the Flexjet fractional business aircraft ownership
program, technical services, aircraft maintenance and pilot
training for business, regional airline and military customers.
Bombardier Inc., a diversified manufacturing and service company,
is a world leading manufacturer of business jets, regional
aircraft, rail transportation equipment and motorized recreational
products. It is also a provider of financial services and asset
management. The Corporation employs 56,000 people in 12 countries
in North America, Europe and Asia, and more than 90 per cent of
its revenues are generated outside Canada. Bombardier's revenues
for its fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2000, totalled Cdn$13.6
billion.
Note to editors:
Southport Aerospace Centre, Manitoba was previously known as CFB
Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. Bombardier Aerospace, Defence
Services operates the Canadian Aviation Training Centre there,
which provides training aircraft and support services, as well as
primary flying training, for 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training
School. 3 CFFTS provides Phase III multi-engine and Phase III
helicopter flying training.
BACKGROUNDER
NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) meets contemporary
international needs for increased tactical aircraft pilot
training, within a context of the most efficient use of scarce
financial and aircraft resources. At the same time, NFTC
increases the Canadian presence in and contribution to NATO.
The NFTC concept partners the Government of Canada (providing
program management, facilities, infrastructure and Canadian Armed
Forces instructors) with an industrial consortium headed by
Bombardier Aerospace (supplying and maintaining two fleets of
training aircraft, simulators, training materials and related
support services) to deliver optimally trained pilots at the
lowest total system cost.
NFTC originated as a Bombardier initiative to Canada's Department
of National Defence in 1994. Following initial discussions,
Bombardier, British Aerospace (BAE) Systems and the Canadian air
force jointly marketed NFTC to NATO nations. These efforts were
successful and the Minister of National Defence formally launched
NFTC in April 1997. A financing structure to support the program
was negotiated through mid-1997, followed by a Cdn$2.85 billion
contract between the Government of Canada and Bombardier Aerospace
as prime contractor, which became effective May 12, 1998. Since
that time, the two fleets of training aircraft have been ordered
and are now being delivered, simulators were manufactured and
installed, facilities have been renovated or built and all the
associated support contracts have been put in place.
/T/
Bombardier's industrial partners include:
* BAE Systems (UK)-Hawk 115
* Raytheon Aircraft Co. (USA)-T6A Harvard II
* CAE Electronics (Montreal)-electronic flight simulators and
* ATCO Frontec Corp. (Edmonton)
* SERCO Aviation Services
* ARAMARK Canada (Toronto)
/T/
Training
NFTC is a fully integrated and flexible modular fighter pilot
training program that emphasizes the development of flying
proficiency, initiative and situation awareness. Graduates are
expected to complete operational conversion training in minimum
time and at minimum cost, and then progress quickly through
squadron-level operational readiness training.
NFTC employs a variety of computer-aided training aids and
sophisticated flight training devices to complement each training
aircraft type. This enables the most effective use of each
student flying training hour and the achievement of higher
standards within allocated flying hours.
The NFTC total system approach employs the most modern 'glass
cockpit' aircraft and provides access to unrivalled flying
training areas. In addition, the program's flexibility enables
participants to select only the training phases needed, to vary
student loads among phases and to match the contracted training
period to their needs.
/T/
NFTC encompasses three training phases:
* Phase II-basic training conducted at CFB Moose Jaw on T6A Harvard
II turboprop trainers;
* Phase III-advanced training (Canadian Forces Wings standard), CFB
Moose Jaw, BAe Hawk 115 aircraft; and,
* Phase IV-tactical fighter lead-in training, CFB Cold Lake, BAe 115
aircraft.
NFTC Training Aircraft
Raytheon Aircraft Co. T6A Harvard II
A purpose-built turboprop trainer incorporating jet-like handling and
modern avionics and information display systems; more than 700 on
order for U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy; 24 ordered for NFTC, the
first of which arrived at CFB Moose Jaw on February 29, 2000.
Initial activities included technician training, flying instructor
conversion and syllabus validation.
* Single-engine (Canadian-built, Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68, developing
1,100 SHP), low-wing, all-metal, two-seat aircraft, developed from
Pilatus PC-9 trainer;
* Avionics include: electronic flight instrumentation system (EFIS)
and global positioning system (GPS).
* Maximum airspeed: 257 knots TAS, level at 15,000 feet; still air
range: 450 nautical miles at 15,000 feet;
* Length overall: 33 ft., 4 in (10.16 metres); Wingspan: 33 ft., 5
in. (10.18 metres); Height: 10 ft. 8 in (3.25 metres); Basic weight
empty: 4,907 pounds (2,230 kilograms)
* Crew escape: fully automatic Martin-Baker Mk US16LA ejection seats,
with zero-zero capabilty.
British Aerospace Systems Hawk 115
One of the most advanced and most capable fast jet training aircraft
in production; in training or operational roles with 16 nations,
which have ordered more than 700 Hawk aircraft, with more than one
million flight hours. The Royal Air Force operates the largest
fleet; 18 ordered for NFTC, the first of which arrived at CFB Moose
Jaw during the first week of July 2000; initial activities include
technician training and instructor conversion.
* Single-engine (Rolls-Royce Adour Mk. 871 turbofan, developing 5,845
pounds static thrust, at sea level), low-wing, aluminum alloy
construction, two-seat aircraft;
* Avionics include: head-up display (HUD), multi-function display,
hands-on-throttle-and -stick (HOTAS) controls; air combat
manoeuvring range instrumentation (ACMRI).
* Maximum airspeed: 540 knots TAS, sea level; still air range: 1,415
nautical miles;
* Length overall: 40 ft. 7 in (12.43 metres); Wingspan: 32 ft. 7 in.
(9.94 metres); Height: 13 ft. 1 in. (3.98 metres); Basic weight
empty: 9,700 pounds (4,400 kilograms)
* Crew escape: fully automatic Martin-Baker Mk 10LH ejection seats,
with zero-zero capability.
/T/
NFTC Flying Training Facilities
Both CFB Moose Jaw and CFB Cold Lake are fully functional military
airfields with parallel jet runways. Unrestricted military flying
space exceeds 700,000 square kilometres.
Military flying areas (as well as infrastructure and other
equipment) at CFB Moose Jaw are for the exclusive use of NFTC
participants. At CFB Cold Lake, NFTC tactical training operates
in conjunction with Canadian Armed Forces CF-18 training and
operational squadrons. In addition, NFTC participants at CFB Cold
Lake have access to the Cold Lake Air Weapons range. CFB Cold
Lake is also home to the Canadian Armed Forces Aerospace
Engineering and Test Establishment (AETE) and the Air Force
Tactical Training Centre (AFTTC). AFTTC has hosted the annual
international Maple Flag competition, which attracts about 120
aircraft and 4,500 personnel for a six-week period, since 1978. |
