Switzerland is in talks to sell its 18 retired BAE Systems Hawk trainers to a Canadian company that wants to lease them to the Canadian Forces to replace the ageing Canadair CT-114 Tutors flown by its Snowbirds display team.
Toronto-based Venga Aerospace Systems has made an unsolicited offer of a 20-year lease, and its business partner Arinc Engineering Services has inspected the Swiss Hawks, three of which are in flyable condition and the remainder stored in caves. The aircraft are in "pristine" condition, with an average of only 1,000 flight hours, says Chris MacIntire, Arinc senior director for training programmes.
Venga would own the aircraft and Arinc maintain them. Venga president Hirsh Kwinter says the Hawk per-hour lease cost will be similar to the operating budget for the Tutors, support for which ends in 2010. A decision could be included in Ottawa's imminient defence capabilities plan.
Source: Flight International
