(Left to Right) Colonel Dan Coutts, Wing Commander, 15 Wing; Jeff Fletcher, Site Manager for KF Aerospace/Allied Wings; Major Ryan Snyder, Deputy Commanding Officer 3CFFTS

We are excited to share that the KF Aerospace-led Allied Wings team has received the Wing Commanders Commendation award for their outstanding work in upgrading the Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopters with advanced navigation systems.

Throughout the summer and fall of 2023, the team at Southport upgraded ten Jet Ranger helicopters with new RNAV (Area Navigation) capabilities. This upgrade was essential to keep up with changes from NAV Canada, preventing obsolescence and ensuring that our training programs can continue smoothly until the end of our contract.

What makes this achievement truly remarkable is how the Allied Wings team managed the upgrades. They skillfully coordinated the fleet, always ensuring sufficient helicopters were available for training while the fleet was being upgraded. This careful planning and flexibility meant that there was no interruption in our operations – we maintained full training capacity and output. This fleet upgrade also included a significant modification to the B206 Level 7 flight simulator. It was a careful dance that involved expert management, flexibility and teamwork.

This award further highlights our dedication in service to our highly-valued customer – the Royal Canadian Air Force/Department of National Defence. The hard work and commitment to excellence demonstrated by the Allied Wings team ensured   Canada’s critical military pilot training program continued without disruption. This accomplishment showcases our teamwork and common vision with DND as we strive to excel in everything we do.

Special recognition goes to our industry partners Maxcraft Avionics and Frasca International, Inc. for their crucial contributions to this project, our Allied Wings team member Canadian Helicopter Ltd., and as always, the Royal Canadian Air Force for entrusting us with this partnership (and the appreciated recognition!)

Congratulations to the Allied Wings team for this well-deserved award and for setting a high standard of excellence at KF Aerospace!

Led by KF Aerospace, Allied Wings has managed the CFTS military pilot training program at Southport, MB, since 2005. Through its SkyAlyne partnership with CAE, KF Aerospace was recently awarded the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) Program contract by the Government of Canada to continue training and in-service support for the RCAF at Southport for the next 25+ years.