-
Discovery Air is a Tier One sponsor of the Discovery Air Hawk One Project – Celebrating 100 years of powered flight in Canada! To learn more, please visit www.hawkone.ca.
-
Headquartered in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Great Slave Helicopters and its group of companies is one of the largest helicopter operators in Canada.
-
Discovery Mining Services is a mining service and expediting company serving the needs of companies operating throughout Canada.
-
Air Tindi operates a diversified fleet of fixed-wing aircraft and offers air ambulance, tourism, cargo transport, charter flying and scheduled service across Canada’s north.
-
Discovery Air Defence Services is the prime supplier of Airborne Training services to the Canadian Army, Navy and Air Force.
-
Discovery Air Inc.’s Class A common voting shares and unsecured debentures trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbols DA.A and DA.DB.A, respectively).
-
Discovery Air Technical Services (DATS) is a Transport Canada Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO 23-10) with a wide range of capabilities. We are authorized to perform maintenance and modifications on all U.S. registered aircraft as listed in the U.S./Canada bilateral agreement (Ref. CFR 43.17) and under EASA 145 (European Aviation Safety Agency).
Great Slave Helicopters, Discovery Mining Services rescue two Inuit hunters
IQALUIT, NU, March 15, 2011 – Discovery Air Inc. subsidiaries Great Slave Helicopters and Discovery Mining Services are celebrating the efforts of several employees this weekend resulting in the harrowing rescue of two Inuit hunters from the icy waters of Frobisher Bay.
The pair was polar bear hunting when one of them fell through some soft ice. Great Slave Helicopters had part of its fleet in Iqaluit and, after obtaining a release from its customer Peregrine Diamonds, dispatched a Eurocopter AStar 350 B2, registration C-GFHN, to locate and rescue the men.
“Discovery Mining Services Logistics Manager Jennifer Burry got the call in Iqaluit and quickly made all the arrangements to initiate the Search and Rescue mission,” said John Curran, Discovery Air Marketing Manager – Northern Services. “The hunters were roughly 120 nautical miles from Iqaluit nearing the mouth of Frobisher Bay when our flight crew spotted them – one of the hunters was floating on his komatik and the other was on the ice.”
Pilot James Kitchen then maneuvered the helicopter in close while Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Will Ward plucked the two men, one-by-one, into the warmth and security of the hovering helicopter.
“It was about an hour and 25 minute flight to get them back into Iqaluit and all the while our assistant operations manager Louis Trottier was monitoring the helicopter’s progress from Yellowknife using our GPS satellite tracking system,” added Curran. “He was able to stay in contact with the Search and Rescue coordinators and provide real-time updates to the emergency medical services staff standing by to meet the helicopter upon its return to Iqaluit.”
Discovery Air’s subsidiaries annually assist in approximately a half-dozen Search and Rescue missions around the North. As a company, Discovery Air has a true passion for the North and is proud to help ensure all Northerners are protected when something goes wrong out on the land.
“We certainly respect our First Nation, Metis and Inuit partners and their desires to hunt and maintain their traditional lifestyles,” said Curran. “When something does go wrong in a case such as this, our team is only too happy to work with local rescue officials to help ensure a safe and timely Search and Rescue for the individuals involved and deliver them home to their loved ones.”
ABOUT DISCOVERY AIR AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES
Founded in 2004, Discovery Air Inc. is a specialty aviation services company operating across Canada and in select locations internationally. With over 130 aircraft, it is one of the largest air operators in Canada, employing more than 600 flight crew, maintainers and support staff to deliver a variety of air transport, maintenance and logistics solutions to a wide range of government, airline and business customers. The Company’s Government Services segment includes three subsidiaries: Top Aces, which delivers airborne training and special mission services to the Canadian military; Hicks & Lawrence, a supplier of airborne fire management services to the Ontario government and charter services to government agencies and corporate customers; and Discovery Air Technical Services, which provides a range of maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification, engineering and certification services from its Quebec City location. The Company’s Northern Services segment includes three subsidiaries: Great Slave Helicopters, the second-largest VFR helicopter operator in the country; Air Tindi, the largest fixed-wing aircraft charter provider based in Northern Canada; and Discovery Mining Services, which constructs and rents all-weather exploration camps and provides expediting and logistics support services.
CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Discovery Air’s public communications may include written or oral forward-looking statements (as defined in applicable securities laws) regarding the future performance of the company and/or its subsidiaries. Forward-looking statements by definition are based on assumptions and are as a result subject to risks and uncertainties, including those identified in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis section of Discovery Air’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2010, available at www.sedar.com. As a result of such risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those discussed in forward-looking statements, and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Forward-looking statements represent expectations as of the date they are made, and Discovery Air disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements it may make, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities laws.
Discovery Air’s shares and debentures trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (Symbols DA.A and DA.DB respectively).
For further information, please contact:
Media Relations
John Curran
Marketing Manager, Discovery Air - Northern Services
john.curran@discoveryair.com
(867) 446-1997
To download a PDF copy of this press release, pleaseclick here.
-
Both Great Slave Helicopters and Air Tindi are co-sponsors of the Government of the Northwest Territories Aviation Bursary Program that provides eight $5,000 scholarships to young Northerners looking to pursue a career in aviation within the NWT industry each year.
If you would like to concentrate on flying aircraft while knowing you are in the safest hands around, our team of maintainers will take care of all aspects of managing your fleet.
-
Discovery Air Fire Services operates with four divisions
Discovery Air Fire Services has been active in the aviation industry for over 60 years and is organized into four operating divisions; Fire, Charter, Imagery and Training.
Read MoreDiscovery Air International was established to expand Discovery Air’s range of specialty aviation services domestically and internationally and will focus initially on executive charter, medevac and repatriation services out of Western Canada with its primary base and main operations based out of Calgary, Alberta.
-
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 twelve partnerships operating in this profitable model around the NWT and Nunavut. On top of that, Air Tindi has an additional four Aboriginal partnerships and Discovery Mining Services has two.
We are committed to providing our customers with specialty aviation solutions whenever and wherever they are required. Our pilots, maintainers, logisticians and administrators operate with precision and pride in some of the most challenging environments in the world.
-
Discovery Air is committed to recruiting and retaining the best talent in aviation industry. By joining Discovery Air you will have the opportunity to participate in a unique and dynamic environment focused on growth, entrepreneurship, innovation and teamwork.
Discovery Aviation Academy is a flight school based in Sudbury, Ontario that offers many different types of pilot flight training to meet the needs of all aspiring aviators.
