Malcolm

Spirit Airlines and Airbus have agreed to defer all its aircraft expected to be delivered in 2025 and 2026 to 2030-2031 as the airline seeks to improve its financial position following its failed merger with JetBlue. The agreement with Airbus will improve Spirit’s liquidity position by $340 million in 2025 and 2026. The deferred aircraft don’t include two direct-lease aircraft scheduled for delivery in the second and third quarters of 2025, and the ones on order for delivery in 2027-2029. Additionally, Spirit will furlough around 260 pilots beginning September 1, 2024, in response to grounded aircraft from engine availability issues and the new aircraft delivery deferrals. "I am extremely proud of our dedicated Spirit team for their focus and resilience over the last few years,” said Spirit’s President and CEO, Ted Christie. “Unfortunately, we had to make the difficult decision to furlough pilots given the grounded aircraft in our fleet and our deferral of future deliveries. We are doing everything we can to protect team members, while balancing our responsibility to return to positive cash-flow and thrive as a healthy company with long-term growth prospects. I thank the Spirit team for continuing to deliver affordable fares and great experiences to guests." Spirit has been struggling financially following the government’s interference in a possible merger between Spirit and JetBlue. When the government won the lawsuit claiming antitrust concerns, the merger ended.

spent it grocery shopping.

Or perhaps the current evs do not fit the normal driving habits (distances etc) of most americans?

the secret is, if you are going net zero, you must look ahead and plan for wear and tear etc. Just like aircraft.

These Powerful Engines Changed the Aviation Industry | Watch (msn.com)

Of course there was an earlier attempt to go net zero but is currently failing.\ Drake Landing, a solar energy community south of Calgary, loses its sizzle as system starts to fail | CBC News Drake Landing Solar Community (dlsc.ca)

Bermudair Canada is getting a new airline with direct service to Bermuda and no middle seats© Provided by Narcity Canada Get ready! Canada is getting a new airline offering direct service to Bermuda this spring as well as some swanky in-flight features. BermudAir, a new boutique airline based in the British overseas territory, has announced its first routes between Canada and Bermuda L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA) in Hamilton, Bermuda. Offering low-cost airfare, no middle seats, and an affordable business class, here's what to know about the new airline. BermudAir launched in 2023 as the first Bermuda-based airline with year-round service catering to "business and tourism needs with comfort, connectivity, and convenience." The airline will be launching its first flights from Canada this spring, with new routes from Toronto and Halifax. BermudAir will be operating between its base at L.F. Wade International Airport to Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) starting May 17, 2024. The route will be operated three times a week on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. On May 25, the carrier will begin flights from Bermuda to Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), with flights operating as a weekly Saturday service. BermudAir will also be the only airline to offer nonstop service between Halifax and Bermuda. Tickets for the new routes are available online now, with sale fares available until April 10. With the special pricing, fares are as low as US$149 ($202 CAD) from Toronto and Halifax to Bermuda, and US$199 ($270) from Bermuda to Halifax and Toronto. BermudAir says it provides "meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to passenger satisfaction." On board, economy-class passengers can expect roomy two-seat aisles with no middle seats, as well as complimentary locally sourced snacks and a wide selection of beverages.The airline's Economy Light fare, its cheapest fare class, comes with one free checked bag of up to 70 pounds, as well as one piece of hand baggage and one personal item, and free seat selection. In the air, passengers can connect to BermudAir's Wi-Fi network and get complimentary access to a range of TV shows, movies‚ magazines‚ and more. In Bermuda, economy-class passengers can also enjoy lounge access at a discounted rate. If you want to travel in style, BermudAir's business class is also quite affordable, with fare for a trip from Toronto to Bermuda ringing up at US$449 ($609). For comparison, a business class flight from Toronto to Bermuda with Air Canada (the Bermuda-based airline's competitor) costs upwards of $2,000. Business class travellers also get priority boarding and increased baggage allowances, as well as access to BermudAir's partner lounges. BermudAir is the latest airline to offer cheap airfare from Canada. In March, Japanese leisure airline ZipAir launched non-stop service between Canada and Tokyo, allowing Canadians to easily travel to Japan and enjoy a luxury flight for the price of economy tickets. BermudAir launched passenger service in September, beginning with flights to Westchester, New York, Boston and Fort Lauderdale. It recently expanded to Baltimore and Orlando. The start-up operates two E175s configured with a mix of 14 seats in the business cabin and 52 in economy

Ford Motor delays production of electric vehicles at Oakville plant until 2027 /content/dam/cp24/en/images/2023/4/11/a-line-worker-1-6350765-1681236321223.jpgA line worker works on a car at Ford Motor plant in Oakville, Ont., on Friday, January 4, 2013. Ford Motor Co. says it will invest $1.8 billion in its Oakville Assembly Complex to turn it into an electric vehicle production hub. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Published April 4, 2024 7:29 a.m. MDT Share Ford Motor Co. is delaying the start of electric vehicle production at its plant in Oakville, Ont., to 2027. The U.S. automaker had planned to start production in 2025 at the Canadian plant which employs 2,700 workers. Ford announced plans last year to spend $1.8 billion to transform its Oakville assembly plant into a hub for electric vehicle manufacturing including vehicle and battery pack assembly. RELATED STORIES Ford Motor Co. provides details on plans to spend $1.8B in Oakville to produce EVs Feds, Ontario ante up millions to produce electric vehicles at Ford's Oakville plant It says work to overhaul of plant will begin in the second quarter of this year as planned, but the launch of the new three-row electric vehicles to be produced at the factory won't happen until 2027. Ford spokesman Said Deep says some employees will remain on site during the plant transformation but there will be layoffs. The company says it will work with Unifor, which represents workers at the plant, to mitigate the impact the delay will have on its workforce. Report an error

Federal minister says nuclear power is key part of renewable energy expansion Story by The Canadian Press • 5h • 4 min read VANCOUVER — The federal minister responsible for innovation and industry says Canada could be at risk of losing out on attracting green industries if it doesn't consider all options for renewable electricity, which he says include nuclear power. François-Philippe Champagne said in an interview with The Canadian Press that he considers nuclear power part of the renewable energy portfolio that needs to grow to support the country's lean into "the economy of the 21st century." "Nuclear, definitely," Champagne said on Friday. "For me, we have to look at hydro, we have to look at nuclear, we have to look at small modular reactors, we have to look at wind, we have to look at solar." Small modular reactors are a type of advanced nuclear power plant that the International Atomic Energy Agency says can be prefabricated and shipped to sites unsuited to larger conventional reactors. The federal government has previously said it wants to become "a global leader in SMR deployment." "I can tell you when investors are calling me, they are not looking for subsidies," said Champagne. "They are looking for renewable energy, they're looking for talent, they're looking for the right ecosystem, they're looking for access to market. So, I would say that today, renewable energy is key to attracting investment, and that's why we're going to be there.ns Canada has announced a number of new investments designed to integrate into global green supply chains in recent years. They include a billion-dollar battery plant expansion in Maple Ridge, B.C., that was unveiled last November and is aimed at producing up to 135 million batteries a year. Officials from battery maker E-One Moli said one of the reasons its Taiwanese parent company chose Canada for the expansion is the availability of sustainably produced electricity. Champagne said in a previous interview that Canada was reaching its renewable energy production limits, something he reiterated in Vancouver while pointing to nuclear technology as a key part of the solution. "I think you have to look at all the renewable sources of energy, and I think certainly British Columbia like Manitoba or like Quebec has been blessed with hydro power," he said. "Oftentimes, I say we live out of the dividend of people who came before us in terms of renewable energy. Now, for us, I think the dividend that we need to leave to the next generation is to make sure that we make the investments now so we will continue to have the power to develop our natural resources in a sustainable and responsible way. And obviously, renewable energy has become key." York University professor of environmental and urban change Mark Winfield said the federal government's recent inclusion of nuclear power among options for decarbonizing electricity production is troubling. "Yes, compared to fossil fuel sources (nuclear) is relatively low carbon, depending on certain assumptions," Winfield said. "But it carries with it a huge, a very serious range of negative trade-offs. It essentially fails every other test of sustainability." Among Winfield's concerns are typically high initial capital costs during construction of nuclear plants, which have previously included cost overruns and delays in Canada. He said he also worries about the management of nuclear waste "on time scales of a million years" as well as the impact of uranium mining. Industry proponents point to nuclear power's dependable nature, since it doesn't rely on weather conditions that can affect solar and wind generation. George Christidis of the Canadian Nuclear Association said the strength of nuclear power was its ability to provide "non-emitting base load power generation, which basically means that it provides a foundation in an energy system and an energy mix." "That means more clean energy generation that then helps to decarbonize other sectors," he said. Christidis said while nuclear plants have high initial capital costs, those costs are amortized over a longer period compared to other power plants, meaning more stable costs than facilities at the whim of fluctuating fossil fuel prices. He said the potential for small modular reactors is huge, as other countries will look to Canada to produce such reactors for decarbonizing power generation. Within Canada, smaller nuclear reactors of various sizes are being planned or explored in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and Christidis said they could be "fundamental to shifting away from the use of coal" in these provinces. "The applications (of SMRs) to widen the transition into these clean energy solutions in the small reactor space, they're very real," he said. Winfield, however, said people should be skeptical because the small modular nuclear reactors being discussed are designs that have not been realized. "Nobody has built an SMR anywhere," he said. "This is part of the problem; they don't exist, even as prototypes." Winfield said, even beyond the cost and waste management aspects, nuclear power presents too much risk to warrant consideration as part of Canada's bid to bring more green industry online. "You have catastrophic accidents, safety, security, weapons proliferations, risks that just don't exist in relation to any other energy technology … all of which would suggest that this technology would be an option of absolute last resort when all other options around decarbonization have been fully developed and optimized," he said. "I don't think we're anywhere near that in Canada at this stage." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 6, 2024. Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press

New Jersey Introduces Annual EV Fee, Punishing Owners Who Go Green Story by Tom Moloughney • 46m • 7 min read The new "EV Tax" is the highest in the nation and will likely put the brakes on EV adoption in the Garden State. With the stroke of a pen, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has unplugged the state's pro-electric-vehicle position, signing into law a new EV road tax that is the highest of its kind in the nation. Starting in July, New Jersey EV owners must pay an annual $250 road tax fee in an effort to offset the state's loss in fuel tax revenue. The new fee will increase by $10 each of the next four years until it reaches $290 in 2028. To make matters worse, New Jersey requires buyers and leases of all new vehicles to pay four years of registration fees upfront and the new EV fee will be included in that initial payment. Therefore, beginning in July, any new electric vehicle purchased or leased in New Jersey will cost $1,060 more than it does today. That's considerably damaging since the higher initial cost of an electric vehicle is one of the biggest impediments to EV adoption. Buyers and leasees of new electric vehicles in New Jersey won't be smiling when they find out they need to shell out an upfront road tax fee of $1,060 before they drive off the lot. As a lifelong resident of New Jersey as well as a long-time EV owner, it pains me to see the state initiate what I consider an unreasonable tax on clean-energy vehicles so prematurely. I say prematurely because I have always maintained that electric vehicles should pay their fair share of road taxes, which help fund the state's infrastructure repair and development. However, I believe that should only start once electric vehicles have reached a point of being 5% of the total light vehicle fleet in the state. Estimates have that figure currently at about 1.8%. Additionally, once such a fee was imposed, I would support the amount to be similar to what the average combustion vehicle in its class pays per year through the state's gasoline tax. Murphy's current law will have many EV owners paying twice as much as the owners of a comparable combustion vehicle pay in the gasoline tax. And the pain doesn't stop there. Since 2004, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have enjoyed a sales tax exemption in New Jersey, and that luxury will now begin a three-year phase-out period. The sales tax exemption has been an enormous incentive to Garden State residents wanting to ditch the pump, helping to close the gap between the cost of a comparable combustion vehicle and the more expensive EV. I understand the sales tax exemption wouldn't—or shouldn't go on forever. I figured that by the end of this decade EVs would have near cost-parity with combustion vehicles and the incentives wouldn't be needed anymore. However, today, and for the next few years, the incentives are still important in helping many that want an EV, afford it. The fact that the sales tax announcement was made at the same time the new EV road tax was signed into law made the news for New Jerseyians even harder to swallow. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the state's ChargeUp EV incentive program, which offers up to a $4,000 point of sale incentive on electric vehicles. Signed into law in 2020, ChargeUp is funded by the Board of Public Utilities which has $30 million set aside every year for 10 years to pay for the rebates. Each year since its inception, the fund runs out well before the year does, and the program gets suspended until the following year's funding is in place. While the program's intentions were great, the way it has been administered has made it very difficult for dealers and EV buyers, because there are many months of the year when there is no rebate and no clear date when the program will receive its next traunch of funding. I think that what's disappointed me most is that with the recent changes the state is going from one of the best states to buy an EV, to one where, over time, it will cost more to own one. Starting this July, new electric vehicles at New Jersey Dealerships will come with an additional $1,060 road tax bill at the time of sale or lease. I'm certainly not the only person who shares these opinions. I reached out to Pam Frank, the CEO of ChargEVC, a non-profit coalition that promotes the sustainable growth of the electric vehicle market in New Jersey for her thoughts on the recent developments. Frank sent me a copy of a letter the organization sent to members of the New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee a few weeks ago along with a request to amend the new EV tax, and hopefully lower the annual fee to something more reasonable. Below is an excerpt from the letter: There are three main reasons supporting this position: First and foremost, it is imperative that we keep our eye on the ball. New Jersey has set aggressive statewide clean energy and EV adoption goals to combat the emissions that harm our environment and harm people’s health. The Murphy Administration and the New Jersey Legislature have prioritized efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. This has included implementing a range of incentives to support the purchase of EVs and the charging infrastructure necessary to charge these vehicles. Imposing an EV fee of $250 would negate the impact of these rebates and tax credits. It would also slow progress towards achieving our statewide goals. In fact, a 2020 nationwide survey of current EV owners by UC Davis concluded that a $100 annual registration fee on EVs would reduce sales by over 10%. At $250, New Jersey would have the highest, most punitive EV fee in the country. We must ensure that New Jersey remains a national leader in the fight against climate change.

WestJet Encore pilots vote for strike mandate, adding to airline's turbulence Strike could begin as soon as April 17 Christopher Reynolds · The Canadian Press · Posted: Apr 02, 2024 1:23 PM MDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago A parked WestJet aircraft is pictured. Pilots with WestJet Encore voted 97 per cent in favour of strike authorization after contract talks around pay and career progression stalled, the Air Line Pilots Association said. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press) WestJet Encore pilots could go on strike as soon as April 17 after they approved a strike mandate Tuesday, increasing the prospect of headwinds after a bumpy year for the airline's owner. Aviators at WestJet's regional carrier voted 97 per cent in favour of strike authorization after contract talks around pay, schedules and career progression came to a "near standstill," the Air Line Pilots Association said. Some 89 per cent of pilots cast a ballot. "What that signals to me is that our pilots are frustrated," said Carin Kenny, who heads the union's WestJet Encore contingent. The 355 pilots it represents can walk off the tarmac 72 hours after union leadership files a strike notice. The potential job action or lockout can only take place after a 21-day cooling-off period that started when federal conciliation between the two sides wrapped up last week. WestJet Encore employs the lowest-paid regional pilots in Canada, driving some to seek jobs elsewhere, Kenny said. The pilot shortage that she says persists at Encore makes the leap to WestJet's higher-wage mainline operation a rare feat, since flight crew for its roughly 35 De Havilland Dash 8-400 turboprop planes are needed at the regional service. "Right now, there's nobody coming in, particularly into the captain ranks," Kenny said. "We're not replacing them, and the captains are generally the ones that have the seniority to move over to WestJet. It's sort of a revolving door of trying to fix that." Encore is recruiting newer pilots, she qualified. "But the problem is that they're not staying. They're getting their experience and then they're going elsewhere — to Porter or Jazz or Air Canada or Flair. Some are going overseas." WestJet Airlines president Diederik Pen said a strike authorization vote marks a common step by unions in the context of labour negotiations. "We are steadfast in our commitment to reach an agreement with ALPA that addresses the unique concerns of our Encore pilots, is competitive within Canada's airline industry and ensures we have a long-term sustainable future so that we can continue to operate critical air service for millions of Canadians, while providing meaningful employment for thousands at the WestJet Group," Pen said in a statement. the airline narrowly averted a strike last year after talks with a different set of pilots came down to the wire, prompting the carrier to cancel more than 230 flights in preparation for job action before a deal was reached hours ahead of the walkout deadline. The collective agreement with pilots at WestJet and its Swoop subsidiary — but not WestJet Encore — granted a 24 per cent pay bump over four years. WestJet announced in June last year it would wind down the five-year-old Swoop and fold the budget airline's operations under its main banner. The potential labour disruption comes as Canada's second-largest carrier faces indefinite delays on dozens of new aircraft deliveries after a panel blowout on a Boeing 737 Max plane in January pushed back certification for the Max 10 as the U.S. aircraft maker contends with greater scrutiny from regulators.

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April 1st, 2024 marks 100 years since the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was officially established. Ahead of Monday's celebration, Southport will feature memories from the long relationship shared between the RCAF and Southport! A familiar sight! This T-133 "Silver Star" has been displayed at Island Park in Portage la Prairie since June 9, 1966. Two days later on June 11, Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Portage la Prairie presented the jet to the city of Portage la Prairie at a special Air Force Appreciation Day ceremony. On March 9, 1987, the T-33 was removed from its base at Island Park, sent to CFB Portage la Prairie for refurbishment, and returned to its pedestal at the park on June 22, 1987. #Southport #SouthportAerospace #ProudMilitaryHistory #RCAF100 #RCAF100Years #YourAirForce RCAF Centennial / Le centenaire de l'ARC All reactions: 5858

Air Canada’s Hong Kong jet maintenance deal amid China discord raises security concerns By Andrew McIntosh Global News Posted April 1, 2024 4:00 am Updated March 29, 2024 8:47 am 9 min read WATCH: According to a CSIS briefing that Global News obtained under the Access to Information Act, CSIS knew "that the People's Republic of China (PRC) sought to clandestinely and deceptively influence the 2019 and 2021 federal elections." David Akin explains the details, and why the top secret report predicts Canada's foreign interference problem will get worse – Feb 1, 2024 Air Canada has awarded a Hong Kong company a major contract to perform heavy maintenance on 56 of its wide-body jets, sparking concerns about Chinese spies bugging the planes and aircraft becoming trapped in China if a military conflict erupts with Taiwan. The maintenance company, HAECO, unveiled its major Air Canada deal with fanfare on Feb. 28, 2024, replacing ST Aerospace company, which performed the work at its Texas facility from 2017 to 2022. The arrangement with HAECO was signed last September during a period of increasingly acrimonious political discord and military tensions between Canada and China, which has assumed a great deal of political and judicial control over Hong Kong. The deal, whose value is unknown, was not announced last fall. “It’s a head scratcher, for sure,” said Phil Gurski, president of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting, and a former senior analyst at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. “Given what China has done here in terms of interference in our elections, and running secret police stations, the prudent approach would be, for the time being, less China, not more China,” Gurski said. “I’d be hitting the pause button pretty damn quickly.” Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a board member at the China Strategic Risks Institute, also voiced disapproval and wasn’t surprised the new maintenance deal was kept under wraps for months as Canada and China traded barbs for most of 2022 and 2023. “I have serious concerns about sending business away from our closest allies to a country that has treated Canada in the last six years with malign intent and has, as its first priority, Chinese interests,” said McCuaig-Johnston, also a senior fellow with the University of Ottawa’s Institute for Science, Society and Policy. “Giving complete access to each of our planes does not strike me as a secure tactic.” “We have to be careful not to be too suspicious, but at the same time, we’ve been shown so many times that China takes advantage of our naivete,” she added. Track record for safety and reliability Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said the carrier hired HAECO after requesting proposals from different aircraft maintenance suppliers. “Following prudent business practice, we do evaluate suppliers from time to time, and in this case we placed some of our base maintenance with HAECO following an RFP,” Fitzpatrick wrote. “We selected HAECO, which is fully certified by Transport Canada (TC), EASA and FAA regulatory authorities, because of their well-established track record for safety and reliability, and they are a supplier to major global airlines around the world.” Transport Canada confirmed HAECO is a certified foreign maintenance organization. For its part, HAECO says it undergoes regular audits and approvals by regulatory authorities to ensure adherence to international standards. “We reject any allegations that we would compromise our integrity, and remain committed to upholding the highest standards of safety and quality for all our customers,” wrote spokeswoman Tracey Kwong. But McCuaig-Johnston explained companies operating in China are legally required to follow orders from Chinese intelligence services, or risk prosecution. They must keep spying operations secret. Fitzpatrick did not respond to questions about why Air Canada picked a Hong Kong company, despite increasing Canada-China political and military tensions.2:02Ex-member of Chinese cyber warfare department was living in Winnipeg: officials He also did not comment on Chinese intelligence agents potentially conducting eavesdropping operations in first-class seating areas where top Canadian business and political leaders tend to sit and work on long trips. Video cameras, hidden microphones and even Wi-Fi-enabled devices can be illicitly installed in passenger cabins — unbeknownst to flight crews — to capture screens, messages or chat as executives enjoy a drink or two over dinner. French intelligence officers allegedly bugged Air France Concorde jets and other overseas flights in the 1990s. U.S. and Canadian security agencies warned executives travelling in first class, saying they should assume conversations were monitored. U.S. and U.K intelligence agencies have also monitored mobile phone calls from jet cabins. Why airlines outsource maintenance to China Aircraft maintenance technicians in China earn just over $10 an hour, compared to triple that in Japan and Australia, according to a 2023 study of the aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry in Northeast Asia. Calgary's breaking news sent to your email as it happens. Chinese companies also enjoy lower costs to build, operate and maintain airplane hangars. At the same time, U.S. MRO facilities are facing increasing capacity problems because of aircraft maintenance technician shortages. HAECO’s Air Canada contract covers heavy maintenance on 38 Boeing Dreamliner 787 and 18 Airbus A330 jets for five years, with a five-year extension option. HAECO did not respond to requests for comment. In its news release, HAECO Chief Commercial Officer Gerald Steinhoff said: “We are very pleased to partner with Air Canada and are confident that our expertise will ensure the highest level of service and support for their fleet.” Deal kept under wraps It was perhaps not surprising that HAECO didn’t announce Air Canada as a new client last fall, given the frictions in Sino-Canadian relations at the time. In 2023, Canadian media organizations, lawmakers, and intelligence services exposed China’s efforts to interfere in several Canadian elections allegedly to undermine and defeat candidates critical of Beijing. A Chinese diplomat was expelled. A Canadian public inquiry is underway into the alleged interference. 1:02Suspected Chinese spy balloon entered Canadian airspace: defence sources China denied interfering in Canadian politics. In an apparent retaliation for the inquiry, China removed Canada from its list of approved Chinese tour group destinations. China also was accused of operating secret police stations in greater Toronto and Montreal; it was caught flying a high-altitude spy balloon over Canada; and two Chinese scientists in Manitoba allegedly misappropriated dangerous virus cultures from a high security federal government laboratory in Winnipeg. The scientists were fired and left Canada. RCMP are investigating. Military tensions In mid-September 2023, Canadian and U.S. naval ships sailed through the Taiwan Strait between mainland China and Taiwan as part of a freedom of navigation operation. The Canadian support infuriated Beijing. China responded by sending a carrier strike group into the area that included an aircraft carrier,12 other warships and 26 fighter jets. China claims historic rights to all South China Sea waterways. An international tribunal rejected its claim. A Chinese fighter jet also fired flares in front of a Canadian Navy helicopter patrolling the South China Sea on Oct. 29. 0:52Blair says Canada remains ‘very vigilant’ in defending itself against foreign interference Defence Minister Bill Blair accused the Chinese pilots of being reckless and endangering lives. China considers Taiwan a renegade province and aims to “reunify” the island with communist China. Most Taiwan citizens reject that plan. At odds with 'friend-shoring' Air Canada’s contract appears to be at odds with the Canadian government’s public policy of “decoupling” trade with China and other authoritarian nations, while engaging in “friend-shoring” or shifting trade to friendlier democratic foreign partners to cut supply chain risks. “That’s why so many companies are getting out of China, not going in there right now,” McCuaig-Johnston said. 2:27Former Canadian Conservative leader targeted by China Her Strategic China Risks Institute thinks China annex Taiwan is “not a remote possibility.” “President Xi Jinping has repeatedly reiterated the Chinese Communist Party’s desire to ‘reunify’ the island with the mainland and refuses to rule out the use of force to do so. Top US intelligence officials claim that Xi has ordered the Chinese military to have the capabilities ready to invade Taiwan by 2027,” the institute said in a report. If a conflict erupts, Canada may impose sanctions. However, China has shown it will retaliate against Canada and its companies “with anything it can,” McCuaig-Johnston said. Canadian jets and other assets in Hong Kong risk being seized. After Russia illegally invaded Ukraine and faced sanctions, Russia seized 400 foreign-owned passenger jets. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT Canadian aerospace workers react After HAECO announced its deal, Canadian aerospace workers reacted coolly on the LinkedIn professional networking platform. Scott McNab, who identified himself as a civil aviation inspector at Transport Canada, stated:“Work that should be done in Canada. This is a Canadian Carrier and the skilled maintenance jobs should be in Canada where Canadians pay to fly on Air Canada.” Another Transport Canada inspector agreed. McNab did not respond to a phone message. A third man who identified himself as an Air Canada aircraft maintenance worker questioned the economics and quality of work done by overseas heavy maintenance companies. “Bring back our own heavy maintenance,” the worker said. “The poor work done by these third-party companies costs twice as much when the aircraft return from a check and require days of additional work to be done to fix all the problems caused by sub-par work at these companies.” STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT Aerospace analyst Michel Merluzeau suggested Air Canada perhaps had “little choice” but to hire HAECO for Dreamliner and A330 heavy maintenance due to capacity shortages. “You have to compromise where you go and get it. There’s a lot of demand and we’ll need to bring back (MRO) capacity to North America at some point. For now, the companies in China are really good companies and they do a good job.” Air Canada’s Aveos chapter Air Canada had a heavy maintenance operation until 2004, when it was spun off and renamed Aveos. By 2012, Aveos went bankrupt. It was liquidated amid allegations that Air Canada did not deliver jets for repairs and solicited undercut bids from offshore rivals, breaching requirements in its privatization law that all its aircraft maintenance be performed in Canada. By 2016, Ottawa removed the only-in-Canada maintenance requirement. McCuaig-Johnston said Canadian lawmakers may want to revisit the issue. Air Canada spends more than $700 million annually on aircraft maintenance but does not disclose how much is by its own workers versus outside vendors. ST Aerospace, the Texas operation where Air Canada previously sent its Dreamliners, did not respond to messages. ST Aerospace still does “base maintenance” on Air Canada’s Boeing 777 airplanes. Smaller Air Canada Boeing 737 and Airbus A 320 jets undergo heavy maintenance in Canada at U.S. aviation giant AAR Corp. facilities in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, and Windsor, Ontario, and an Avianor facility near Montreal. Who is HAECO? HAECO Hong Kong is an affiliate of Swire Pacific, a publicly-traded Asian conglomerate that owns a 45% stake in the Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific, which it co-owns with government-owned Air China (30 per cent), and Beijing controlled Hong Kong government (9 per cent). Swire also has substantial real estate, sugar, Coca-Cola bottling operations, and other business interests across mainland China. Under pressure from China in 2019, Cathay Pacific allegedly buckled and fired 26 of its Hong Kong employees who marched in pro-democracy airport protests against Beijing. Cathay Pacific CEO Rupert Hogg also was forced out. Critics suggested those moves highlights how Swire Pacific acts to preserve its long-standing business interests in China. MORE ON CANADA

Happy 100th! Calgary to mark RCAF centenary with flyover, flag-raising Calgary Sun 31 Mar 2024 MATT SCACE mscace@postmedia.com X: @mattscace67 PHOTO COURTESY CANADIAN FORCES COMBAT CAMERA, DND RCAF ground crew perform post-flight checks on a CF-18 fighter jet from 4 Wing Cold Lake during a mission in Kuwait in this photo from November 2014. A little under a century ago, Canada's military leadership looked to Calgary for similar reasons that commercial airline executives have selected it as their headquarters: its blue skies. “Alberta's contribution was very significant because of the weather,” says Bob Wade, a former member of Canada's aerobatic team and retired air force pilot who now works at the Air Force Museum of Alberta. The Canadian militia established in the early 1930s the Currie Barracks, still known as such, becoming a facility housing several corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Air-force activity in the area peaked during World War II when a triangular air strip was built to train Commonwealth pilots. “Here in Calgary, we get more days of sunshine than in most places, and it was deemed to be the best area in which to do that training,” Wade said. While Calgary's role in Canada's air force has sharply dwindled for various reasons since the 1950s, that history is part and parcel with the RCAF'S early footprint in Canada — one that will be highlighted over the coming months as the air force celebrates its 100th anniversary. Those celebrations will begin Monday at Calgary's Air Force Museum in Currie Barracks — an area familiar to most Calgarians that, despite its unique architecture, makes its history with the RCAF known through historic artifacts planted around the neighbourhood. Starting at 10:30 a.m. Monday, the museum will celebrate the opening of the RCAF Centenary exhibition in the Founders' Gallery — an exhibit that will celebrate “human experience in Canadian military aviation over the past century,” which will include interactive elements, and combine personal narrative and material culture, according to the Air Force Museum Society of Alberta. Later on Monday at 1:50 p.m., Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Col. Andrew Abbott will raise the RCAF flag shortly after a flyover by an RCAF Gonzo, a heavily modified De Havilland Dash 8 aircraft based out of Winnipeg that the RCAF uses for training. Dan Rossi, chief training pilot at RCAF who will be flying the plane over Calgary, said Calgarians should look upwards at exactly 2:01 p.m. on Monday. However, due to legal limits on how low he can fly, the plane won't be larger than one's thumb pointed at the sky, he said. “It's not going to be all that exciting,” Rossi said jokingly. Rossi will fly in from Winnipeg on Monday, dropping his altitude to 1,000 feet when he reaches Medicine Hat and will hold that height along Hwy. 3 until he reaches Crowsnest Pass. “I'm just happy to do it ... I serve this country to try and give something back because I'm proud of it,” he said. While Calgary's direct involvement with the military has shrunk since the Second World War, the city has landed several contracts that make it a contributor to Canada's national defence efforts. Most recently, Calgary-based Arcfield Canada Corp. was awarded a $211.6-million contract from Canada's Department of National Defence. The contract will allow the company to continue providing maintenance for Canada's aging CF-18 fighter fleet. Last January the federal government ended a long-standing debate over how to phase out its CF-18S when it announced it's buying 88 Lockheed Martin F35 jets for $19 billion. Canada's CF-18S will be about 50 years old when they're fully phased out in 2032. The new F35s will be based out of Cold Lake, Alta. — one of Canada's largest fighter jet bases. Monday's celebrations won't be the last commemorating the RCAF'S centennial: The museum has five more events planned over the next year, Wade said, including one at Calgary Stampede and the Little Britches Rodeo in High River. The Stampede celebration will include a flyover during the parade while an old decommissioned RCAF plane will be towed through the procession, Wade said. Article Name:Happy 100th! Publication:Calgary Sun Author:MATT SCACE mscace@postmedia.com X: @mattscace67 Start Page:5 End Page:5

Biden's electric road to nowhere: Two years after he vowed to spend $7.5 billion building 500,000 charging stations only SEVEN have been plugged in Biden's electric road to nowhere: Two years after he vowed to spend $7.5 billion building 500,000 charging stations only SEVEN have been plugged in | Daily Mail Online Only seven electric vehicle charging stations built with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds are currently operational $5 billion was allocated to go toward the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program The law says the charging stations must be held to a certain standard and created a multi-step process before construction could commence By NIKKI SCHWAB, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER PUBLISHED: 17:17 EDT, 29 March 2024 | UPDATED: 17:18 EDT, 29 March 2024 More than two years after President Joe Biden pledged to build 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations throughout the United States only seven are operational across four states. The Washington Post reported Friday on the sluggish pace the allocated $7.5 billion in infrastructure funds have been put to use. The bulk of the funds, $5 billion, are to go toward building fast chargers along major interstates - what's being called the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI program. To satisfy the federal program's requirements, chargers must be built at least every 50 miles over major highway routes and be operational 97 percent of the time. They also must take credit card payments and certain components must be made domestically. More than two years after President Joe Biden pledged to build 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations throughout the U.S. only seven are operational across four states Additionally, states must submit proposals to the Biden administration for approval, solicit bids for construction and then can award the funds. So after the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was passed in November 2021, only seven charging stations are operational. They are in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Hawaii and New York and offer 38 spots for cars to charge. Twelve additional states have been awarded contracts for construction to begin, while another 17 states haven't even submitted proposals. 'I think a lot of people who are watching this are getting concerned about the timeline,' Alexander Laska, deputy director for transportation and innovation at the center-left think tank Third Way told The Post. Nick Nigro, founder of Atlas Public Policy, told the newspape that some of the delays are to be expected. 'State transportation agencies are the recipients of the money,' he told The Post. 'Nearly all of them had no experience deploying electric vehicle charging stations before the law was enacted.' 'I expect it to go much faster in 2024,' Nigro added. If Republicans take back full control of Congress and also the White House - some of these programs could see a backslide. Biden's challenger, former President Donald Trump, has been openly antagonistic toward the Democrat's green agenda. In mid-February at a campaign stop in the battleground state of Michigan, Trump said that Biden 'ordered a hit job on Michigan manufacturing' with mandates to move the American car industry away from gas guzzlers toward EVs. And GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill also haven't been impresssed. 'We have significant concerns that under your efforts American taxpayer dollars are being woefully mismanaged,' read a letter sent to the Biden administration from a group of Republican representatives in February. 'The problems with these programs continue to grow — delays in the delivery of chargers, concerns from States about labor contracting requirements and minimum operating standards for chargers,' said the letter, which was signed by GOP Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Jeff Duncan and Morgan Griffith.

Four female pilots leaving their plane, ‘Pistol Packin' Mama’, at the four engine school at Lockbourne AAF. They are members of a group of Women Airforce Service Pilots who have been trained to ferry the B-17 Flying Fortresses. World War II, 1944.

Russia jams GPS signals for aircraft over Baltic region - Politico Story by Kateryna Shkarlat • 1h • 2 min read Archive photo: Russia jams GPS signals for aircraft over the Baltic region (facebook com wizzair)© RBC-Ukraine (CA) Aircraft flying over the Baltic region are experiencing cases of GPS signal jamming. Russia is considered the culprit of these issues, reports Politico. "The blackout episodes — known as GPS jamming — have been occurring regularly since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022," the source writes. Politico specifies that the interferences are concentrated in the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation. "Russia is regularly attacking the aircraft, passengers, and sovereign territory of NATO countries," said Dana Goward, President of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation. She called these incidents real threats and reminded how during the accidental jamming in 2019, a passenger plane narrowly missed crashing into a mountain. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency is studying this issue, but regulators currently state that GPS issues do not pose a danger to flights. GPS disruptions are on the rise Cases of interference reported by pilots have steadily increased since January 2022. This was stated by the European Aviation Safety Organization, which receives reports from pilots through its voluntary incident reporting system, EVAIR. Related video: Will Russia attack NATO if F-16s are sent to Ukraine? Here's what Putin has to say (WION) Loaded: 11.82% Play Current Time 0:01 / Duration 2:31 Quality Settings Captions Fullscreen WION Will Russia attack NATO if F-16s are sent to Ukraine? Here's what Putin has to say Unmute 0 View on Watch "During the first two months of 2024, EVAIR recorded high increases in GPS outages reports. In absolute figures we received 985 GPS outages compared with 1,371 for the whole of 2023," Eurocontrol reported. They added that the number of incidents in the first two months of this year was almost seven times higher than in the first two months of 2023. Example of Israel Politico reports that last year, Israel began jamming and spoofing GPS signals at the border with Lebanon to protect its territory from Hezbollah missile attacks. Recently, Israeli disruptions have caused problems for civilian aviation in Lebanon. It was reported that planes bound for Beirut were forced to turn back due to signal shutdown. "While disruptions may be inconvenient, they do not pose a significant risk to safety. An aircraft can safely navigate the globe without GPS," said Stuart Fox, Director of Flight Safety and Technical Operations at the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This is not the first time when Russia has been accused of jamming GPS signals for aircraft In January, the Institute for the Study of War reported massive disruptions in GPS systems in Poland and the Baltic region. At that time, it was not ruled out that this was a result of the operation of Russian electronic warfare (EW) systems in the region. Later, Estonia accused Russia of being behind the increase in cases of satellite signal jamming used by airlines, smartphones, and weapon systems in Eastern Europe. More recently, Russia jammed the satellite signal of the aircraft carrying UK Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps as it flew near Russian Kaliningrad.

Female Electra airtanker pilots share experiences fighting wildfires in Western Canada BY DAYNA FEDY-MACDONALD | MARCH 10, 2023 Estimated reading time 11 minutes, 57 seconds. Pilots Kim McCully and Cristalle Fairbank didn’t get into aviation by following in the footsteps of a family member, like many do. Instead, they both ended up at the flight controls by matters of fate; now, they work together at Red Deer, Alberta-based Air Spray helping to control wildfires in Western Canada. In fact, McCully and Fairbank flew as an all-female airtanker team in an Air Spray Lockheed L188 Electra during the 2022 fire season. “I love the thrill of it… getting in and blasting off into the air,” said Fairbank, who is a captain on the Electra. “To have found a career where you can actually help people at the same time… there’s nothing better. And we get to work with some pretty great people.” “Most times when we go out, we are actually making an impact — helping, or at least seeing if we can help, with a fire,” added McCully. “It’s nice to feel useful.” Cristalle Fairbank (left) and Kim McCully (right) flew as an all-female airtanker team in the Electra during the 2022 fire season. Photo courtesy of Cristalle Fairbank This year is significant for McCully, as she’ll be upgrading to captain. Training has already begun to prepare for the 2023 fire season, which typically starts in April and fizzles out in late October. For McCully, the typical pre-fire season training looks a little different. “I have two weeks of ground school, which we currently are doing online. After that, I will do about a week-and-a-half in the simulator, then eight hours in the aircraft, then a flight test, and then I’ll be ready to go for the season,” she explained. Air Spray operates a fleet of L188 Electras, Twin Commander 690 and Commander 1000 birddogs, and the BAE 146 airtanker, among other aircraft. (The company also operates CL-215 and CL-415 scoopers on behalf of the Manitoba government, and has brought CL-215Ts into Alberta.) Every spring, the Electra and birddog pilots are assigned a contract where they are placed with an aircraft and a group — operating in either Alberta, British Columbia, or Yukon. The majority of the contracts are 123 days, with one 90-day contract, and the locations can change based on fire hazards, explained Fairbank. This year, Fairbank won’t be assigned a specific contract, as she’s part of what is called the “relief crew.” Fairbank (left) is a captain on the Electra. This year, McCully (right) is upgrading to captain at Air Spray. Photo courtesy of Cristalle Fairbank “Essentially, we give other pilots days off,” she said. “So, we’ll be going to B.C., Alberta, and Yukon, spelling people off for five days at a time. We then get a travel day and go to a different location for five more days.” McCully, on the other hand, is to be based in Prince George, B.C., this summer “with one of our captains who trains the new captains. . . . But who knows, there could be some type of scenario that ends up with Cristalle and I paired together again,” she said. From the Field Fire control missions for Air Spray pilots vary depending on where they’re based. In the southern regions of Alberta or B.C., most flights are fairly short due to the nature of where fires typically start in those areas. Whereas with aircraft that are based further north, in locations like Fort McMurray or Prince George, crews “can fly for over an hour to even get to a fire,” said McCully. “Some fires you get called out to are really small, and those would be initial attack sort of scenarios where your goal is to surround the fire and even potentially put it out,” she added. “Then there are the fires that are quite large and make the news; those fires are more of a longevity mission, so that ground firefighters can get in and do the work that they need to do. We might fly back to a fire multiple times in one day, or work on it for weeks.” Photo courtesy of Cristalle Fairbank Fairbank recalled the 2017 fire season in B.C., which became one of the province’s worst wildfire seasons on record. Between April and November, over 1,300 fires burned more than 1.2 million hectares. The province declared a wildfire-related state of emergency for the first time in 14 years. “Many communities were really affected by it, so it was amazing to see all the ground firefighters, the whole province, the military… everyone was out in full force,” said Fairbank. Adding to the already challenging task of fire suppression is the fact that Western Canada is known for having extreme, mountainous terrain. McCully said the most challenging environment she’s flown in was the Castlegar, B.C., area. “It’s the most mountainous area that I’ve ever flown in,” she noted. “The captain that I was paired with was [Air Spray’s] former chief pilot, Neal Fix. I have to say, he was one of the best people that I could have been paired with because he knew the area so well. He was able to teach me the terrain, how to maneuver the airplane, and the dos and don’ts of operating in that kind of region.” From left: Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia; Kim McCully; Dan Purcell, air attack officer; and Neal Fix. Photo courtesy of Kim McCully This year, after 38 years with Air Spray, Fix announced he is retiring from the company. Time for Change Today, McCully and Fairbank remain two of three female airtanker pilots at Air Spray. The pair say that while their experience at Air Spray has been quite positive, there is still work to be done to eradicate gender bias in aviation – and encourage more women to join the industry. “Cristalle and I have talked about the gender imbalance a lot, and it’s really frustrating,” McCully told Skies. “It’s 2023. . . . No one raises an eyebrow if you get a male nurse, and many people often prefer to have a female doctor; why can’t it be the same with pilots?” McCully shared a story where she experienced gender bias as a pilot, which she said has stuck with her through her aviation career. “I was working for the UN flying in Africa, and I was on an all-female crew. We had a female engineer, a female flight attendant, a female captain, and I was the co-pilot. We landed on a gravel strip in the middle of nowhere to pick up army personnel, and the General kept asking where the man was. . . . He didn’t understand that women could operate machinery or fly airplanes because he’d never seen it before. “He ultimately realized that his only way out was getting on that plane with an all-female crew. But you could tell when he was boarding the plane that he was genuinely scared.” Fairbank at the controls of an Air Spray Lockheed Electra, with wildfire smoke seen in the distance. Photo courtesy of Cristalle Fairbank Fairbank said she’s hopeful for a world where “it’s normal to have females up front [in an aircraft].” She added: “In the winter, I volunteer and fly for Angel Flight, and almost every flight there is someone who is surprised that I’m a pilot — or I get the comment, ‘I’ve never flown with a female pilot before.’ I look forward to the day when it’s not a special thing.” Another common experience for women in aviation is that they are often assumed to be flight attendants. McCully and Fairbank want to see that change, especially for the next generation of aviators. “Some of my best friends are flight attendants, but I just wish that wasn’t people’s first reaction,” shared McCully. “I think for little girls, it shouldn’t be their first reaction either. They should want to be up front in the cockpit — in charge and planning their own adventure.”

Air Spray Airtankers has the largest fleet of Lockheed L-188 Electra's in the world! They specialize in aerial firefighting and are based in Edmonton, Alberta. I had the privilege to catch these iconic aircraft in action as the airline prepares for the very busy wildfire season ahead. The airline's main hub is in Red Deer (YQF), Alberta. I will be posting my video of these iconic aircraft very shortly, which I am very excited about! All reactions: 447Glenn Thomas and 446 others