The Return of De Havilland with a Capital ‘D’
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COVER STORY ULTRA LONG-HAUL BACK TO THE FUTURE The return of De Havilland with a capital ‘D’ by HOWARD SLUTSKEN 62 WORLD OF AVIATION ISSUE 001 COVER STORY ULTRA LONG-HAUL e Havilland Canada is back, a newly resurrected company that is celebrating its ties to the past while it looks to the future. Now under the umbrella of Longview Aviation Capital, what was previously the Bombardier Q400 regional turboprop has been Drestored to its original designation, the Dash 8-400. The “Q” is gone. De Havilland Canada – or DHC – will go forward as a new brand that respects the legacy of aviation pioneer Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, who established the Canadian division of the British company in 1928. Alaska Airlines’ regional “We’re the new stewards of the brand. However, carrier, Horizon Air, is one we’re differentiating it by reintroducing the well- of the largest operators of the De Havilland Canada known name with a capital “D,” said Dave Curtis, Dash 8-400. Executive Chair, Longview Aviation Capital, in an HOWARD SLUTSKEN interview with World of Aviation. THEWOFA.COM WORLD OF AVIATION 63 COVER STORY ULTRA LONG-HAUL Longview concluded its acquisition strengths – and weaknesses Canada’s WestJet Encore beginning with the 1908 flight of of the program from Bombardier in – of Canada’s aviation industry. only flies the De Havilland Alexander Graham Bell’s Silver Dart in Canada Dash 8-400, with June 2019, including the Dash 8 final But before looking to the future 47 aircraft in the fleet. The Baddeck, Nova Scotia. assembly line in Toronto, and Curtis of DHC, it’s important to understand airline flies regional routes, With close ties to the United knew that the DHC brand was a key the past. coast-to-coast. Kingdom, famous aero-marques HOWARD SLUTSKEN component of the agreement. The realities of Canada’s massive including A.V. Roe, Bristol, Hawker “Frankly, as part of our geography made it a natural incubator Siddeley, de Havilland and Vickers negotiations with Bombardier, we for aviation. Despite having the eventually set up shop in Canada. made it clear that obtaining the de United States as an influential Over 11,000 aircraft were Havilland name was critical to the next-door neighbour, Canada’s manufactured in Canada during deal,” he said. “We’ve got 1,300 new innovative aerospace sector developed employees that came across from independently. Bombardier, and I can tell you that Although there have been the love for the brand at this site (in missteps along the way, the country’s The realities of Toronto) is incredible.” aerospace manufacturers continue Canada’s massive geography It took more than 25 years and a to be a key component of the world’s very circuitous path before the way aviation landscape. made it a natural incubator was paved for the return of the DHC Canada has a rich aviation heritage brand, a path that speaks to the dating back well over a century, for aviation 64 WORLD OF AVIATION ISSUE 001 DE HAVILLAND BACK TO THE FUTURE Short-Take-Off-and-Landing (STOL) Jazz Aviation operates Air props and powerful Pratt & Whitney Dash 7 and regional Dash 8 turboprop Canada Express (below), Canada turboprop engines, an active another Canadian operator airliners rounding out the DHC lineup of the Dash 8-400. Bottom: noise and vibration system was until the company’s purchase by Boeing Porter Airlines is based at installed. in 1986. the compact Billy Bishop Pilots, in an updated cockpit Toronto Island Airport (YTZ) In 1992, acquisition-hungry in downtown Toronto. with digital displays, cruise the Bombardier bought DHC from Boeing. HOWARD SLUTSKEN technologically-advanced, speedy By that time, only the Dash 8 remained turboprop at 25,000 feet. in production in Toronto, with the Bombardier now had the combo 37-seat -100 series, and the 50-seat of its industry-changing CRJ-series -300 series. of regional jets and the Q400 to meet Under Bombardier, the Dash 8 airlines’ fleet requirements, from evolved into the larger 75-seat Q400, regionals to mainline carriers. with the “Q” for “Quiet.” To reduce in- But the Montreal-based airframer cabin noise from the large, six-bladed aspired – and struggled – to evolve into World War II, from trainers to fighters and bombers, from Tiger Moths to Hurricanes, Mosquitos and Lancasters. Post-war, the Canadian industry was at the forefront of global aeronautical technology with designs such as Avro Canada’s Arrow and Jetliner. But while neither of those remarkable aircraft entered production, the legendary planes of de Havilland Canada have endured for over 70 years. The DHC-2 Beaver bush plane first flew in 1947, leading to the larger Otter and then the turboprop-powered Twin Otter in 1965. DHC’s Caribou and Buffalo transports began flying in the late 1950s and 1960s, with the THEWOFA.COM WORLD OF AVIATION 65 something greater, an objective that operating costs and a lower noise An early morning arrival It would be five years from the would eventually bring de Havilland profile by the addition of a gear system of a Harbour Air DHC-2 launch of the program before the Beaver, at YVR’s floatplane Canada back to the commercial that allowed engine’s core and fan to terminal on the Fraser River. first flight test CS100 became airborne, aircraft business. spin at different speeds. ALL PICTURES THIS SPREAD, and then almost three more years After a decade-long gestation From launch, the CSeries faced HOWARD SLUTSKEN before the plane entered service with to bring a new larger regional jet to extreme competitive pressure from SWISS International Airlines, in market, Bombardier announced the Airbus and Boeing. Both the US July 2016. launch of the 100- to 130-seat CSeries and European planemakers worked Boeing also filed a US trade at the 2008 Farnborough Air Show. to block the CSeries from getting a complaint – ultimately rejected – that The new jet would be one of the foothold with airlines, having decided would have placed tariffs of nearly first to fly with the advanced Pratt to re-engine their single-aisle aircraft 300 per cent on any CSeries delivered & Whitney geared turbofan engine, with new technology engines in 2010 to US airlines. which promised greatly reduced and 2011. Bombardier had burned through billions of dollars – including significant government funds – during the plane’s development and was left with a stagnant order book that Beechcraft 1900 Leasing didn’t begin to get traction until early 2016 with orders from Delta and Air Canada. But the strategic damage caused by the trade complaint and the plane’s protracted development had been done. Ultimately, to save the program, Bombardier entered into a CSeries partnership with Airbus, transferring the manufacturing and marketing responsibilities for the jet to the European airframer. That agreement Awesome Aviation was closed in July 2018, and the CSeries was soon renamed the +61 (8) 6189 0700 Airbus A220. [email protected] In the meantime, the Q400 had awesomeaviation.net languished and lost marketshare to its main competitor, the ATR-series 66 WORLD OF AVIATION ISSUE 001 DE HAVILLAND BACK TO THE FUTURE A Seair DHC-2 Beaver heads off to a destination in British Columbia’s Gulf Islands, while (right) A Harbour Air DHC-3T turbine Otter departs YVR’s floatplane terminal From launch, the CSeries faced extreme competitive pressure from Airbus and Boeing of turboprops, a joint venture between production DHC models, from the Airbus and Italy’s Leonardo. DHC-1 Chipmunk post-WWII trainer Bombardier, now focused on its through to the DHC-7 Dash 7. The only line of Global, Challenger and Learjet plane missing from the list was the business aircraft, looked to sell the Dash 8. Q400 program – and there was a buyer By holding the TCs, Viking had in the wings. the ability to restart production of any Out on Canada’s West Coast, of the legacy de Havilland Canada Viking Air Limited had long been a aircraft. After an extensive market maintenance and overhaul facility, analysis, the updated Viking Twin and authorised parts supplier for DHC Otter Series 400 twin-turboprop was Beavers, Otters and Twin Otters. launched. More than 125 of the STOL The Victoria, British Columbia- utility planes have been delivered to Above: Harbour Air flies Below and right: The based company had gone one step operators in 33 countries since 2010. the Canadian flag with this prototype DHC Dash 7 further in 2006 when it purchased In 2016, Longview Aviation Capital brightly painted DHC-3T STOL airliner is in the turbine Otter at YVR’s Canada Aviation and the Type Certificates (TC) from was established to manage Viking, floatplane terminal. Space Museum in Ottawa Bombardier for all the out-of- flight-training operation Pacific Sky THEWOFA.COM WORLD OF AVIATION 67 TIMELINE DE HAVILLAND CANADA 1928 1970 De Havilland Aircraft Viking Air established 1986 1992 Company of England 1947 at Victoria International De Havilland Canada Boeing sells DHC establishes DHC in First flight of the Airport, British sold to Boeing assets to Bombardier Toronto. DHC-2 Beaver. Columbia. Commercial Aircraft. Aerospace. 1942-45 1965 1984 1988 In WWII, DHC builds First flight of the DHC-6 Dash 8-100 regional Boeing shuts down 1,133 DH Mosquitos, Twin Otter. turboprop airliner enters production of the DHC “The Wooden Wonder.” service. Buffalo, Twin Otter and Dash 7. Aviation, and a newly-created finance, The newly renamed Dash 8-400 it to recapture the 50- to 60-seat leasing and aircraft trade-in company. will continue to be produced at DHC’s turboprop market. What I’m really That same year, Longview Downsview/Toronto, Ontario plant excited about under Longview is that purchased the manufacturing and through 2023, when the factory’s we already have, in the very short design rights to the amphibious current land lease agreements expire.