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    Discovery Air Head Office Grand Opening

    Discovery Air Inc. hosted the Grand Opening of our new corporate head office in Yellowknife on March 2, 2010.  Seen here is Adam Bembridge, Gp President Northern Services; Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister Bob McLeod; Premier Floyd Roland, Dave Jennings,CEO Discovery Air; Kivalliq Aviation President Victor Tootoo; Dehcho Regional Helicopters President, Joanne Deneron cutting the ribbon.

    Discovery Air Head Office Grand Opening
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    The Great Slave Helicopters Win Third Place

    Discovery Air would like to congratulate the Great Slave Helicopters that recently won the third place metal in the Yellowknife Minor Hockey Junior Tournament. The team is sponsored by Discovery Air and recently spent the day looking over Discovery Air's Alpha Jet, which was in Yellowknife for the grand opening of the new headquarters.

    The Great Slave Helicopters Win Third Place
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    Top Aces' ICATS Contract Extended to 2011

    Discovery Air Inc. announced on February 22, 2010 that its Interim Contracted Airborne Training Services (ICATS) Type 2 Standing Offers have been extended by the Government of Canada for a further one year period. This follows last week’s one-year extension of the ICATS Type 1 Standing Offers.

    Top Aces' ICATS Contract Extended to 2011
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    At the Polar Bear's Level

    Hudson Bay Helicopters Churchill base manager Jon Talon takes a moment to get at the same level as a sedated polar bear during the fall research survey. The bear was darted from the helicopter in the bacground and will remain immobilized while the scientists, assisted by Jon, perform a variety of tests to determine over-all health and condition. Polar bears in the Churchill, Manitoba area are the most studied bears in the world and are viewed by scientists as an indicator of the effect climate change will have on Canada's North. 

    At the Polar Bear's Level
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    Top Aces Extension

    Discovery Air is pleased to announce a one year extension to the Interim Contracted Airborne Training Services (ICATS) contracts with the Government of Canada.

    Top Aces Extension
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    Diavik Diamond Mine

    Paul Wickens took this photo of three of Air Tindi’s Dash 7s and a Twin Otter while awaiting his turn to depart from the Diavik Diamond Mine. Air Tindi, along with their partner Tli Cho Air, supply crew rotations and cargo flights on a daily basis to the Diavik Diamond Mine as well as to the Ekati Diamond Mine and Snap Lake Diamond Mine.

    Diavik Diamond Mine
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    Top Aces as Red Air in Maple Flag

    Maple Flag is an exercise held annually in Cold Lake, Alberta in May and June that simulated an integrated coalition air combat campaign. Forces from Canada, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, NATO, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States participated in this year’s exercise. Top Aces flew as part of the “Red Air” Team (also known as the Bad Guys!). The exercise this year was integrated with the army, and provided some excellent training for the military forces. Top Aces had 10 jets in the exercise and flew over 200 hours in MF 2009!

    Top Aces as Red Air in Maple Flag
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    Baker Lake

    Jason Pineau, a load master with Air Tindi, braved the wind and -40 degree temperatures for a few quick pictures, while the loader offloaded pallets of equipment. Air Tindi’s Dash 7 was delivering equipment and a few workers to set up cell phone service in Baker Lake, Nunavut.

    Baker Lake
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    A New Role for the Beechcraft C-90

    In 2008, Walsten Air’s (a division of Hicks & Lawrence) smallest King Air, a Beechcraft C-90, was fitted with such MNR desired options as a new audio panel, a two-way FM radio, dual GPS/Navcom radios, a multifunction display to enhance terrain and radar depiction and a loud-hailer, then stationed in Dryden for evaluation as a birddog aircraft. That first season went well, and this year the plane was awarded a full-time contract as a primary birddog aircraft, and showed its strengths.

    A New Role for the Beechcraft C-90
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    16 Alpha Jets now in Operation

    Aircraft 104, the last Alpha Jet of the 8 jet importation and modification program, entered service with the rest of the fleet on September 9, 2009. Top Aces now had 16 Alpha Jets and 4 Westwind in its fleet!

    16 Alpha Jets now in Operation
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    Biggest Building To Date

    Discovery Mining’s 4 man crew constructed a 60 x 130 foot structure (7800 sq. feet) in just over 2 weeks (planning and constructing) in Fort McKay, just North of Fort McMurray. This was the first time Discovery Mining has constructed a building of this magnitude.

    Biggest Building To Date
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    On the Job at Doris Camp

    This summer Newmont Mining Corporation ran an extensive drill program. The whole program utilized two Astar B3s and two Bell Long Rangers running 24 hours a day. They operated out of an advanced heliport with four built up level pads, an operations office, supply shed and fully equipped maintenance shop. GSH also supplied Helicopter Operations Coordinators (HOCs) that were in charge of flight watch and passenger manifests for all the helicopter operations.

    On the Job at Doris Camp
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    New Partnership Denesoline Corp.

    Great Slave pilot Chuck Burke flies one of the company’s ultra-efficient EC130 B4s near Great Slave Lake – through a new partnership, such flights in the Akaitcho Territory will earn revenue for Denesoline Corp. and the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation. photo courtesy of Graham Lavery.

    New Partnership Denesoline Corp.
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    New Hangar in Sudbury

    The Greater Sudbury Airport has taken the initiative to construct a new facility that Hicks & Lawrence will occupy as the anchor tenant. As you can see, the new hangar in Sudbury is coming along nicely. Scheduled to be finished in March, the 15,000 square foot building is located next to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources base.

    New Hangar in Sudbury
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    Most Northern Job To Date

    Discovery Mining sent a 4 man crew to the most Northern point in Canada, Ward Hunt Island, to construct a 13 tent camp for the Polar Continental Shelf Program. The crew spent just over 3 weeks mobilizing and constructing the camp in negative 50 degree temperatures.

    Most Northern Job To Date

Welcome to Discovery Air

Discovery Air Incorporated ("DA"), founded and Incorporated in 2004, is a specialty aviation company that operates across Canada and in locations around the world. With 145 aircraft, Discovery Air is the second largest air operator in Canada. Discovery Air's 500 person team provides unique flying solutions to each of its customers, be they Government or business. Through its five operating companies, DA offers fixed-wing and rotary-wing services as well as logistics and remote operations management services. Services include vital Air Ambulance services, utility flying for mining exploration, forest fire detection and suppression, cargo and passenger services to remote areas of Canada and airborne training and special mission services to the Canadian Army, Navy and Air Force.

Did you know?

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    ...that at the Grand Opening ceremonies for the new Head Office of Discovery Air in Yellowknife, NWT the Tlicho Drummers performed a prayer song.

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    ...that The Directors College of McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business has an annual award for a graduate of The Directors College who demonstrates dedication to raising the bar for professional standards in corporate governance, both through their work in the Chartered Director program and in their experience as directors.
    This award is named after Discovery Air's Chairman, Gil Bennett, and is called the "Gilbert Bennett Gold Standard Award"

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    ...that 3 Top Aces pilots, Shawn "Burner" Byrne, Jeff "Beck" Beckett and Steve "Bunt" Nierlich have over 3000 hrs of flying time in the F-18 Hornet. Bunt was the only one to get all of his hours on the CF-18, both Burner and Beck completed exchange tours with the US.

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    … where Air Tindi gets its name? Tindi means “big lake” in Dogrib and the Dogrib Tli Cho people have always been one of our loyal customers.

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    …that Discovery Air is the second largest air operator in Canada.

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    Fred Carmichael, an associate of Discovery Air, was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2008 for his contributions and achievements as an Aboriginal leader, businessman and volunteer, as well as a committed and untiring advocate of autonomy for Native people. Great Slave Helicopters and Discovery Mining Services joint-venture partner William L. Lyall received the same honour in 2003 for championing Inuit business initiatives to create and expand economic development in northern communities.

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    At the Grand Opening ceremonies for the new Head Office of Discovery Air in Yellowknife, NWT the Tlicho Drummers performed a prayer song.

Read more

Northlinx

Northlinx-Photo.jpg

Northlinx Network

The Northlinx Network brings together many of the Great Slave Helicopters Aboriginal Joint-Venture Partnerships allowing all participants to benefit from pan-territorial mega-projects requiring helicopter services in the North. Presently there are eight partnerships operating in this profitable model around the NWT and Nunavut, including Denendeh Helicopters, Dehcho Regional Helicopters, Sahtu Helicopters, Kitikmeot Helicopters, Gwich’in Helicopters, Havgun Helicopters, Kivalliq Aviation and Akaitcho Helicopters.

Discovery Air News

2010-03-10
March 2, 2010 Yellowknife, NWT – Discovery Air Inc. hosted the Grand Opening of our new corporate head office in Yellowknife on March 2, 2010.&n...
2010-02-22
February 22, 2010 Yellowknife, NWT – February 22, 2010 - Discovery Air Inc. announced today that its Interim Contracted Airborne Training Servic...

Aviation News