Ottawa's NATO Flying Training in Canada scheme is celebrating the confirmation of two new customers for its Bombardier-delivered pilot training mechanism, with Australia and Austria having both signed short-term deals to use spare capacity on the 42-aircraft system.
Australia signed an initial memorandum of understanding in September to send 12 pilots to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where they will complete Phase IIA basic training using the school's Beechcraft T-6A Harvard IIs by December 2008. "The Royal Australian Air Force has supplied two instructor pilots to the Phase II programme, and the first four of its students started training in October," says Lt Col Dave Hughes, deputy director air for the Canadian Forces' contracted force generation office.
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© Craig Hoyle/Flight International |
The interim deal has been initiated while Australia waits to launch its Project Air 5428 pilot training contest, and while its Pilatus PC-9 basic trainers undergo upgrade. "The Canadian Forces and Bombardier are working with the RAAF to ensure that their future requirements will be met," says Bill Ryan, NFTC sales, marketing and international training for Bombardier Military Aviation Training.
Bombardier says Australia's initial requirement can be met without ordering additional aircraft, but Ryan notes: "Any decision to acquire new Phase II aircraft will depend on the outcome of continuing discussions with the RAAF."
The air force says: "Offshore training is one initiative in a strategy to increase the number of pilots that defence will require for the new aircraft being introduced into each of the services over the next 10 years. Defence is considering ongoing pilot training at NFTC until delivery of the Project Air 5428 pilot training system, which is expected to be delivered in the 2012-14 timeframe."
Industry sources linked to the NFTC system have meanwhile confirmed that Austria signed a three-year deal during July, and that its first of six students are already in conversion training in Moose Jaw before conducting Phase IV fighter lead-in work at Cold Lake, Alberta using the BAE Systems Hawk 115. Vienna's MoU covers two students a year, although it is also believed to be studying the possibility of supplying instructors to the Canadian system.
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© Craig Hoyle/Flight International |
A military source confirms that Vienna is to continue its involvement in the planned nine-nation Eurotraining programme, but says it has engaged NFTC to train ab initio pilots as a stop-gap measure, possibly including some for its 15 Eurofighter Typhoons, two of which have now been delivered.
Source: Flight International
