VOL. 2, NO. 1 — SPRING 2005

IN THIS ISSUE: • A different kind of fire fighting • If you restore it, they will come • The Westjet culture • VIH: fifty years of adventure J u n e 2 0 0 5 ON APPROACH – NEWSLETTER OF THE VICTORIA AIRPORT AUTHORITY Rent going down The VAA’s long standing con- mented, Victoria will be treated Editor’s tention that its annual rent is fairly.” out of line with that paid by similar sized airports across “The good news is that the desk the country has brought rent’s going down,” stated Welcome to the Spring 2005 results. On May 9, the Minister Richard Paquette, CEO of the issue of On Approach. of Transport announced that a Victoria International Airport. new equitable rent formula will “This was achieved with a lot In this issue, we will be introduc- be phased in between now and of help from a lot of people ing you to a number of interest- 2010. in this community.” Paquette ing people in the airport commu- said that the board is commit- nity. You’ve seen their big yellow “This is good news for our ted to pass the savings on to crash trucks on the runways; community, and the passengers users of the airport. “It could now you can find out how airport who use our airport,” said VAA be to passengers directly or to firefighters spend their days. Chair Linda Petch. “This has airlines. We haven’t dealt with Ever wondered about the Westjet been a long standing and dif- that yet. It’s going to be some culture? I asked Karen Tuttle, ficult problem, and we appre- time before we see any real manager of the local office, what ciate the efforts of Minister savings.” makes WestJet different. She told Lapierre, Minister Emerson, me everything, and now I’m pass- Transport officials, and Under the new formula the ing it all on to you. Elsewhere all the community leaders in rent will be reduced each on these pages, you’ll read Victoria who helped with this year for five years, beginning about the BC Aviation Museum, resolution. We are encouraged with $50,000 in 2006. By and the fascinating people who that Transport Canada now has 2010 the annual rent paid spend time there. By the way, a simple rent formula that will by the Victoria Airport will the museum is holding an open be phased in for all airports be $400,000, instead of the house on August 6, so be sure to over the next four years. When $1,800,000 required under mark that date on your calendar. the rent formula is fully imple- the old formula. People in aviation and the com- On Approach is a panies they build are always fascinating. Based right here publication of the at the Victoria International Victoria Airport Airport, we have Vancouver Island Authority. , the largest privately owned charter compa- Phil Jensen, editor ny in Canada. Starting with a sin- (250) 383-0667 gle and one pilot in April [email protected] 1955, VIH has been in business for half a century. To help cel- Paul Connolly, Community ebrate their fiftieth anniversary, Relations Coordinator we’ve included a brief history of (250) 953-7500 the company in this issue. [email protected]

Laura Lavin, Production Happy reading, [email protected] and safe flying,

Victoria Airport Authority Phil Jensen, 201-1640 Electra Blvd., Sidney, B.C. editor Savings realized by the new rent formula V8L 5V4 will be passed on to users of the airport. www.victoriaairport.com

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Fire service crash trucks can shoot fire A different kind of firefighting retardant foam a dis- tance of 160 feet. As an airport watcher, you’ve ing we associate with regular people who operate vehicles on probably caught occasional municipal fire departments. the runways. This includes air- glimpses of a big yellow truck Crash trucks are designed so port maintenance staff, security rumbling down the runways. that a single firefighter can staff, aircraft fuelers, and mem- There are three of them at direct a 160 foot stream of bers of the fire service itself. YYJ, but you’d have a hard foam concentrate at a burn- As Rick lists off the varied time telling one from the other. ing aircraft, and extinguish the expectations of the fire service, Somewhat reminiscent of mili- blaze without ever leaving the a “bird strike” call comes in tary combat vehicles, they are driver’s seat. over the radio. A small plane fighting machines of another was hit just after takeoff, and kind. The 575 hp E-ONE Titan Unlike what you’ve seen in crash trucks are designed to movies, the fire service never combat aircraft related fires, spreads foam on the runway and they are the special tools prior to a bad landing. “These of the Victoria Airport Fire trucks are capable of dumping Service. their load in two minutes,” Rick says. “To foam a runway, we’d Located in the West Camp, have to fill the truck ten times. the Fire Service is tucked into We wait until the aircraft comes a quiet corner adjacent to to a stop. If there’s a fire, we’ll the 443 Maritime Helicopter deal with it. Squadron. From that location they can respond expeditiously The department has a long and to emergencies anywhere at varied list of activities, includ- the airport. “We have a man- ing responding to aircraft inci- date to leave the fire hall in 30 dents, medical calls, wildlife seconds, and be anywhere on control and “stand by” calls. the airport in three minutes,” In 2004, they responded to Captain Rick Robertson says. more than 500 separate inci- “We can do it in two minutes. dents. The service can respond We can reach the midpoint of to off site incidents, such as the farthest runway in less than fuel spills at service stations, a minute and a half.” or multi-vehicle crashes where Marc Bourassa, fire fighter; Rick Robertson, Captain; Jim fuel spills are a factor. Other Wood, firefighter. It’s a different kind of work responsibilities include driver from the structural firefight- testing and radio testing for continued on page 5

3 J u n e 2 0 0 5 ON APPROACH – NEWSLETTER OF THE VICTORIA AIRPORT AUTHORITY If you restore it, they will come a wreck,” he says. there was a big demand for “The next one was business skills in the post war the Norseman. We era, Vern went back to school worked on that and became an accountant. Norseman for eight “But I’ve always had an interest or ten years.” Now in working with my hands. So 83, he’s reduced it was great joining this outfit, his volunteer time when I got out here.” to a few days a week. But he isn’t With the Anson finished, he’s ready to give it working on a Lincoln Sport, a up completely. homebuilt aircraft popular dur- “You can’t spend ing the twenties and thirties. all your time just With only drawings in a maga- mucking about in zine as a guide, the job will be the garden and a different kind of challenge. going to lunch,” The BC Aviation Museum on Chick says. Jacqueline Frampton is the Norseman Road is a treasure first woman to become actively trove of aviation history. It con- Vern Turley is another museum involved in the organization. tains lovingly restored aircraft treasure. He and his wife With a strong background in such as a Bristol Bolingbroke, arrived from Montreal in 1992, administration and marketing, an Noordyun Norseman, and and a year later he got involved she fits well into the roles of an Mark II. But the with restoration of the Avro media relations and artifact treasure consists of much more Anson. “It was great joining management. “We’re always than airplanes. this outfit after I got here,” he looking for volunteers,” she says. Re-building old airplanes says. “Not only ground crew The museum attracts a variety isn’t as big as a stretch as it and maintenance types, but of volunteers, some of them might seem for a retired char- administrators, library workers, historical figures in their own tered accountant. Vern right. Stanley James (Chick) was a pilot in the air Henderson was a flight engi- force during the Second neer with the RAF during World War. World War II, and earned a Distinguished Flying medal for “I flew mostly Ansons. his participation in an incred- I was stuck in Training ible 53 bombing operations. Command … much to A naturally modest man, he’s my chagrin.” Vern was not inclined to reveal that he still anticipating an was a member of the legendary overseas assignment, Dambusters Squadron, nor that when the Americans he was involved in the sinking dropped the bomb on of the Turpitz, sister ship to the Japan. “We were back Bismark. Clearly, he is one of on ‘Civi Street’ almost the museum’s treasures. overnight,” he says. “It was quite a shock.” Chick joined the museum 13 years ago, bringing his engi- With 15,000 pilots neering skills to the restora- suddenly out of work, tion of historic aircraft. “That competition for jobs was Bolingbroke was pretty much fierce. Realizing that Chick, Jacqueline, Vern.

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it does to com- The Museum Open House will plete an air- take place on August 6 this craft the group year. The BCAM has a website evolves further. at www.bcam.net. Some will work through to the end, while oth- ers drop out along the way. Sometimes the fellows don’t want to even finish an air- Part of the Aviation Museum collection. plane. After all those years … to fund raisers, media people. have completed Each of us brings our own it, and it’s all over …” background.” It will be interesting to see who During nine years at the muse- the latest acquisition attracts. um, she’s noticed an interest- CF-THG, an old Vickers ing pattern. Whenever a new Viscount 757, was barged project begins, people inter- over from Vancouver in April. ested in the particular aircraft “We’re hoping to have a pad being restored just start show- built for the Viscount and have ing up. “The T33, the Anson, it in place by Open House,” the Harvard: people show up Jacqueline says. “People who and the group evolves,” she want to work on it will just This is the Aviation Museum’s most says. “When it takes as long as show up.” recent acquisition.

to investigate, and returns hit the aircraft and died on Firefighting a few minutes later with a impact. As it turned out, nei- from page 3 report. An eagle was chasing ther the ducks nor the plane two ducks, when they flew suffered any damage. The across the aircraft’s flight three firefighters shake their the pilot was returning to the path. Unfortunately for the heads at the strangeness of it airport to check for damage. eagle, it was just far enough all. “Never a dull moment,” Firefighter Jim Wood goes out behind the ducks that it someone mutters.

Firefighter Marc Bourassa (inset) stands by as a 433 Squadron Sea King is refuelled.

5 J u n e 2 0 0 5 ON APPROACH – NEWSLETTER OF THE VICTORIA AIRPORT AUTHORITY The WestJet Culture

“We get a lot of resumes appear under WestJet colours. through here,” Karen says. Another recent innovation on “We’ve had 400 in the Westjet planes is the bent up past three months. And wing tips. The technicians say those are just the people the winglets increase perfor- who make it through the mance, allowing the pilot to filter.” She explains that use lower thrust settings. This applicants are screened saves fuel, extends engine life, for some experience and and decreases overall main- computer skills. But those tenance costs. A benefit not who make it through mentioned in the literature is WestJet staffers the filtering process are that winglets look so darn sexy. Wendy Hladun (left), estJet people are passion- selected on another basis. “We Louise Hicking, W ate about their jobs. “This hire for personality and train As Karen talks about WestJet, Dina Ventura, Ali is the best company that any- for skills.” It also seems that it’s clear that she believes there Wanless, Kelly body could ever work for,” says age is not a factor. Locally, the is something very unique about Vincent, Jamey Karen Tuttle, Victoria branch employee age ranges from the her employer. Part of it, she Harbottle, Jeff early twenties to almost sixty, says, is that we're all share- Shepard, and Karen manager. With eight outgoing but Karen isn’t saying where holders. “And we have lots of Tuttle. flights a day at YYJ, the airline (Above) Captain Greg has a strong local presence, she fits in on the scale. “They fun with our guests. It’s what Hunter and Customer and the pattern is repeated have an average of five years you would do with your own Service Associate across the country. It all started with the company,” Wendy Hladun wave less than ten years ago. she says. “And when from the cockpit. they leave here, they In 1996, four Calgary entre- leave to do something preneurs, led by Clive Beddoe, else with WestJet: saw an opportunity for a low some to jobs as flight fare carrier providing service attendants, and others to strategic points in the west. to higher level posi- Using similar carriers in the tions elsewhere.” US as a model, they launched the new passenger service One strategy the air- with three Boeing 737-200s, line uses to keep costs Karen Tuttle (left) and Canwest baggage han- providing passenger service to down is specialization dlers Ryan Michno, Arpad Szatory, Nick Bruce, Kris Reaville, Jeff Souza five cities, and a staff of 220 in one type of aircraft, employees. Today WestJet oper- the Boeing 737. But ates 57 aircraft with flights they do still move with the family. It’s part of our culture. to 24 Canadian and nine US times. The comfortable and And even though this group cities, and a charter service to classy 136 passenger 700 has grown so much in nine 23 destinations. By the end of series aircraft are being phased years, we haven’t lost the small June 2005, Charlottetown and in, and the 125 passenger 200 company feel. We take our jobs San Diego will be added to the series will all be gone by the seriously, but not ourselves. list. The company provides jobs end of this year. Meanwhile, Clive [Beddoe] is like that, for 4,800 people, 30 of them the first of the 166 passen- and it’s like that from the top in greater Victoria. ger 800 series are starting to down.”

6 NEWSLETTER OF THE VICTORIA AIRPORT AUTHORITY – ON APPROACH J u n e 2 0 0 5 Vancouver Island Helicopters: fifty years of adventure and they married a few years later. In 1963 Alf took over as president at VIH, a position he held until 1985. During those years, VIH helicopters became a familiar sight in the skies of western Canada. Then came heli-logging, and the begin- ning of a phenomenal period of growth.

The story of how the Kamov helicopter came to be used in logging is deeply rooted in Ken Norie’s past. He recalls that his dad, Frank, was a logger, and A Kamov engaged in heli-logging. they would fly in and out of Phil Jensen photo logging camps during his grow- ing years. “I was keen on flying April 2005 marks half a cen- nor the helicopter were ever pretty much from the time I tury of operation for Vancouver recovered. was born,” Ken says. “As soon Island Helicopters. The largest as my dad had a helicopter privately held company of its It started as little more than I was always bugging him to kind in Canada, VIH opened for a dream a few years before. put the duals in and teach me business in April, 1955 with Ted had limited flying experi- how to fly it … before I offi- one Bell 47 helicopter. The ence, no helicopter license cially started flying lessons, I next month, with a scant twen- and almost no money. Then he could fly.” Ken earned a fixed ty-five hours flying time to his met Bill Boeing Jr., a Seattle wing license on his sixteenth credit, Ted Henson started the based Bell dealer, and son of birthday, and a commercial company’s first season of work the founder of Boeing Aircraft. license with heli- at Homathko River in north- They formed a partnership and copter endorse- western British Columbia. Vancouver Island Helicopters ment the day he became a reality. turned eighteen. As business expanded, the A week later, on company founder was forced Ken Norie, current owner and July 15, 1973, he more and more into the role of president of VIH, sheds light started working for management, but he contin- on the partnership agreement. Vancouver Island ued to fill in as a pilot when “It looks like what happened is Helicopters. needed. This is how he came that, in order to acquire a heli- to be back at Homathko River copter, Ted Henson made a deal It was the late in the fall of 1957. On October for $12,000 cash and 46 per- eighties when 17, Ted climbed into the Bell cent of the company.” Boeing’s VIH started heli- 47 G (CF-IDX) for a five minute contribution was $18,000, plus logging with a flight along Tatlayoko Lake. flying lessons for his partner. Sikorsky S61, the Phil Jensen photo That was the last anyone ever civilian version Ken Norie, VIH Aviation Group presi- saw of him. Witnesses report During the years following Ted’s of the Sea King. dent and CEO. hearing a “thud” a few minutes death, his wife, Lynn, carried Ken was opera- after he left camp, but it was on running the business. Then tions manager by this time, never determined what caused she met Alf Stringer, a founder the crash. Neither his remains of Okanagan Helicopters, continued on page 8

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An unusual aircraft visiting Orlando, Florida. He says there the airport in late April caused are many practical applications Bell Blimp more than one driver to pull for the Lightships, but advertis- over for a closer look. When not ing is the most popular usage. cruising the skies above Sidney In this case, Bell hired the and environs, the “Bell Blimp” blimp for a six month period was tethered to a tall pole near to promote their business in Mills Road at the north side of western Canada. It arrived here the airport. under its own power from a gig Crew Chief Ben Archer explains in . The flight con- that the ship is owned by sisted of several hops of 500 the Lightship Group, out of miles a day. Lightship facts: • The craft is powered by two Lycoming aircraft engines, and average cruising speed is 44 knots. Maximum ceiling is 10,000 feet, and the ship can stay aloft for 24 hours. • Manufactured by the American Blimp Corporation, this model is the A 150. The ship is 28 feet high by 118 feet long, and it can accommodate a logo of 28 feet by 32 feet. There’s seating for six passengers, plus the aircrew. next year and a half, when they During this period, the com- VIH from page 7 were forced to park it until a pany had continued expanding certification program was com- on domestic and international and responsible for the logging pleted. By then VIH Logging fronts, taking on jobs in the operation. However, after two or was established enough that Sudan, China, Taiwan, South three years, the company direc- they were able to purchase two America, and other locations. tors decided logging didn’t fit S61s and continue logging. But And in 2003, they acquired well with other aspects of the it would take until 1997 to get Cougar Helicopters, a major company’s activities and they the Russian helicopter certified player on the east coast, bring- pulled the plug. for Canadian use.* ing them into the world of off- shore oil. “I still had the belief that it Company shares had changed was a viable business,” Ken hands several times over the Today, the VIH Aviation Group recalls. “We just needed the years, and in the late 1990s consists of VIH Logging, right people, and the right Ken Norie become sole owner Vancouver Island Helicopters, aircraft and the right mix of of VIH, acquiring all the Cougar Helicopters, Western customers to make it work.” So shares through the entity of Airways, and VIH Aerospace. with a $20,000 loan from his VIH Logging. Then at the end The large and diverse client dad, who owned some shares of 2000, Northern Mountain base brings important financial in the company, Ken started Helicopters, the second largest stability to the volatile helicop- a brand new company - VIH helicopter charter company in ter charter business, but how Logging. All he needed now was Canada, went into receivership. much growth is really needed? a suitable aircraft. “That’s a tough question,” Ken Ken thought it would be a Norie responds. “The way I view By lucky coincidence, the good idea to take over the it: if an opportunity looks good, Kamov Helicopter company tangible assets of the finan- we should assess it. It’s really sent some of their people to a cially strapped company and finding the mix of business that convention that Ken attended they made the deal just before works for us.” in 1991. It seemed to him Christmas, doubling the size of that the Kamov would make a the VIH fleet in two days. Along *The complete story of how good fit for heli-logging, so he with the extra equipment, they the Kamov came to Canada, began the process of import- took over some of the opera- and other events mentioned ing a Russian helicopter into tions, including the heli-skiing in this article, will be told in Canada. The first Kamov arrived at Blue River, the Prince George Phil Jensen’s upcoming book, that summer. They flew the base, the Fort St. John base, The Kamov Gamble: a history of foreign machine under a series and the Fort Liard base. Vancouver Island Helicopters. of temporary permits for the

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