In photos: Team SkyAlyne and the RCAF visit Airbus, Grob, and Pilatus
Press Release + Noah Note
Over two weeks in late March and early April, members of SkyAlyne, CAE, KF Aerospace, and Royal Canadian Air Force teams had the opportunity to see vital assets for the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program in-person, with visits to several aircraft production facilities in Germany and Switzerland, along with attending the Military Flight Training Conference in Switzerland.
The itinerary included meetings and tours with Airbus, Grob, and Pilatus, where three of the aircraft fleets for the FAcT program are currently in production. These visits were very useful and provided a detailed view of manufacturing processes, quality control standards, and program progress at each organization.
At Airbus, in Donauwörth, Germany, the delegation toured production facilities and met with program representatives to review the CT-153 Juno (Airbus H135) aircraft being delivered as part of FAcT. The visit enabled direct engagement with the supplier while observing progress on the production line, including a test flight of a Juno recently out-of-manufacturing.
Similarly, the visit to Grob, in Tussenhausen-Mattsies, Germany, included a walkthrough of the manufacturing facilities, where the CT-102B Astra II (Grob G 120TP) is being produced. Important conversations with the supplier also took place, regarding the aircraft on order, including production status and milestones.
At Pilatus, in Stans, Switzerland, the delegation toured production areas and met with the teams to discuss the CT-157 Siskin II (Pilatus PC-21) aircraft being procured for the FAcT program. The visit provided an opportunity to observe the build process and engage directly on key aspects of delivery, and included a fly-by demonstration of the aircraft.
Following these site visits, the team participated in the Military Flight Training (MFT) conference in Lucern, Switzerland. The conference enabled engagement with industry stakeholders and military members and facilitated discussions on current trends and challenges in military pilot training.
Noah Note: First, I love the patch. Second, I appreciate that SkyAlyne has been very open to showcasing FACT and the milestones it achieves. It might not seem like much, but these kinds of public displays and acknowledgement of what the team is doing goes a long way I feel at engaging with people.
It also means I geg to show off the new trainers a bunch! Something I very much love to do. Absolutely stunning in their proper liveries aren't they? More companies need to be open to showing off not just whag they're doing but also the steps they're taking to try and make projects a success.
Its good for accountability, good for educating the public, and best of all good foe my photo album!