The two-seat model is primarily designed for flight training and owns European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) CS-23 and FAA Part 23 certification. It is now certified under Transport Canada’s Part V Subpart 21, allowing Tecnam to begin deliveries to private owners and flight training organizations in the country.

Designed to train students from first flight until they earn their commercial pilot license, the P-Mentor includes a variable pitch propeller, simulated retractable landing gear, and ballistic parachute. It also comes with a Garmin touchscreen and avionics and is powered by a Rotax 912iSc3 engine.

The model supports both VFR and IFR training at a cost of operation of just 89 Canadian dollars ($64.71) per hour, by Tecnam’s estimate. That efficiency enables it to fly for about nine hours between refuelings.

The company also claims the P-Mentor can reduce flight school emissions by as much as 60 percent. The aircraft could represent a fresh injection into a fleet of training aircraft that is largely aging.

“We look forward to working with all the Canadian flight schools to improve the quality of training and support lowering hourly rates,” said Giovanni Pascale Langer, managing director of Tecnam.

During last year’s EAA AirVenture, Tecnam introduced the P-Mentor in North America after agreeing to a deal with EpicSky Flight Academy for the purchase of 15 aircraft. The company earned full FAA Part 23 certification just a few months later. It started U.S. deliveries in June, beginning with a shipment to Kansas-based Kilo Charlie Aviation.

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The move brings the engine one step closer to entry into service, the company said.

Last year Textron Aviation announced it planned to use the PW545D to power its new Cessna Citation Ascend business jet.

• READ MORE: Textron Aviation Unveils Cessna Citation Ascend in Geneva

“As the latest derivative in the PW500 engine family, we look forward to the Ascend’s entry into service,” said Cedric Gauthier, vice president of sales and marketing for GA at Pratt & Whitney Canada. “Certification was granted following 630 hours of engine testing, in addition to 230 hours of flight testing on the Ascend prototype test aircraft.”

Pratt & Whitney has been making aircraft engines since 1925, when the company, which was established as a precision machinery manufacturer in the 1860s, built its first aircraft engine, the Wasp. 

About the PW545D

According to Pratt & Whitney, the PW545D engine uses an advanced mixer and efficiency improvements in the compressor and turbine sections. This allows for a lower fuel burn, thus reducing operating temperatures.

The new engine is also equipped with Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) technology which is included with many PW500 models. The engine enables the Citation Ascend to integrate new autothrottle technology for simplification of engine operation, reducing pilot workload while maximizing efficiency.

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So when the younger Goddard earned his pilot’s license near his home in British Columbia, Canada, earlier this year, he knew who would be among his first passengers. The duo slipped the surly bonds together in a Cessna 172 from Campbell River Airport (CYBL), and Ryan’s two-camera video of the flight has become a local viral sensation on Vancouver Island.

Granny lived up to her grandson’s billing as the most positive influence in his life and whose attitude helped him decide to learn to fly.

“Oh, this is so beautiful. Thank you, God, for making my life so beautiful. And take care of my most loved pilot,” Colleen said as they lifted off.

The two took a few laps around the local area, including a tour of some snow-capped mountains. A second flight is planned.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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For most of its first century the RCAF has generally punched above its weight in terms of capability and influence, playing a major role in World War II and in Cold War defense of North America. Although it has struggled with procurement and personnel issues in the last 20 years, the RCAF is currently on a massive rebuilding program. It has ordered 88 F-35s, 16 P-8 Poseidons and nine A330 transport/tankers and is overhauling its flight training division. It is also creating a drone squadron with 11 MQ-9B Reapers to be deployed at three bases.

• READ MORE: Canada Pledges $60 Million for Ukraine F-16s

“As we continue to face threats to global stability, the RCAF is more important than ever. That is why the Government of Canada has invested $44 billion over the past 16 months to provide the RCAF with 138 new or refurbished aircraft—from a new fleet of fighter jets to new multi-mission aircraft,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a statement. “This strategic investment is the largest recapitalization of the RCAF in a generation, and it will ensure that the RCAF is well positioned to contribute to operations at home and abroad for decades to come.”

The RCAF’s air demonstration teams, the Snowbirds, and the F-18 demo team are now training for the coming airshow season. The Snowbirds will perform at EAA AirVenture in July, and the F-18 is now being painted in commemorative livery for its shows across Canada and the U.S.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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The Boeing 737-based Poseidon is used for submarine hunting, as well as anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

• READ MORE: Boeing Delivers First P-8A Poseidon Maritime Aircraft to New Zealand

The U.S. Navy award includes 14 P-8s for the Royal Canadian Air Force and three for the German Navy.

“We are proud to add Canada to the list of international P-8 partners as well as to Germany’s fleet of maritime patrol aircraft,” Philip June, vice president and program manager of Boeing’s P-8A program, said in a statement. “The Poseidon is a proven aircraft, with more than 600,000 flight hours, that will serve Canada and Germany well in today’s challenging security environment and for decades to come.”

• READ MORE: German Military Signs Deal for 82 H145M Helicopters

Boeing said that Canada, which announced in November it intended to purchase up to 16 P-8As to replace its current fleet of Lockheed CP-140 Auroras, will receive its first aircraft in 2026.

Germany’s order will increase its existing P-8A fleet to eight. Its navy will receive its first aircraft, which are set to replace its fleet of P-3 Orions, in 2025.

• READ MORE: Canada Awards $2.28B Contract for CH-146 Griffon Sustainment

According to Boeing, there are 200 P-8s in service or on contract in nine countries.

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The move comes less than two weeks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy created a separate military branch devoted to unmanned system forces.

The small, multirotor Teledyne FLIR SkyRanger drones are manufactured in Waterloo, Ontario. They feature automated and autonomous navigation systems, which allow them to deploy surveillance for detecting and identifying enemy targets. They are also capable of carrying up to nearly 8 pounds of payload, including munitions.

• READ MORE: International Coalition to Supply Ukraine with Thousands of Drones

“These drones are critical for surveillance and intelligence gathering and can also be used to transport and deliver supplies,” the Canadian government said in a statement. “Canada is working with Ukraine on a training plan and delivery schedule, with delivery expected to begin this spring.”

Canada’s $95 million donation in military gear comes less than a week after it also pledged $60 million for setting up Ukraine’s F-16 fighter capability through supplies, spare parts, avionics, and ammunition.

• READ MORE: Canada Pledges $60 Million for Ukraine F-16s

“As we approach the second anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion, Canada stands firmly with Ukraine in defense of freedom and democracy,” said Bill Blair, Canada’s minister of national defense, in a statement. “In coordination with our allies and partners, we will continue to provide Ukraine with the military aid that it needs to fight and win this war. [This] announcement ensures that Ukraine has the drones it needs to detect and identify targets which are critical to Ukraine’s ongoing fight. Canada will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”

Following Russia’s invasion in February 2022, drones have provided a force multiplier for Ukrainian forces.

• READ MORE: Industry Minister: Ukraine on Track to Make 1M Drones in 2024

Earlier this week, for example, Ukrainian drone operators located a warehouse in southern Ukraine that housed Russian army T-72 and T-80 tanks prepositioned for a planned offensive. The drone pilots flew the armed drones through the warehouse doors left open and “systematically demolished the vehicles inside,” Forbes reported.

The war has turned Ukraine into a “giant war lab and confirmed the status of drones as the weapons of the future,” an Atlantic Council report said Wednesday. “With Ukraine no longer assured of further military aid from the U.S. and increasingly obliged to ration ammunition, drones are a cost-effective solution that plays to the country’s tech sector strengths.”

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“Specifically, the funds will help source vitally needed F-16 supplies and equipment such as spare parts, weapons stations, avionics, and ammunition,” the Canadian government said in a statement. 

The pledge comes on the heels of Canada’s announcement in January that in the next year it will provide an additional $15 million in civilian flight instructors, aircraft and contracted support staff, as well as English-language training to Ukrainian Air Force personnel. Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, Canada said it has provided more than  $2.4 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. 

• READ MORE: Norway to Send F-16s to Denmark for Ukrainian Pilot Training 

Bill Blair, Canada’s minister of national defense, first made the announcement while participating in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of more than 50 countries that meet regularly to coordinate military aid for Ukraine, which met in Brussels on Wednesday. The contribution is part of $500 million in military assistance announced by Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in June.

“As brave Ukrainian soldiers fight for their country’s freedom and sovereignty, Canadians stand with them,” Blair said in a statement. “Through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, more than 50 countries are also working together to provide Ukraine with the tools that it needs to win. Canada is committed to deepening coordination and cooperation with allies and partners as we work together to strengthen our support for Ukraine’s self-defense and protect the rules-based international order.”

Since February 2022, the international coalition has committed more than $85 billion in military aid to Ukraine, U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday.

• READ MORE: Netherlands Stops F-16 Sale to U.S. Firm, Pledges Fighters to Ukraine

“Later this month, we’ll mark two years since the Kremlin launched its reckless war of imperial aggression against Ukraine,” Austin said in a statement following the group’s meeting. “When [Russia President Vladimir] Putin ordered his unprovoked and indefensible invasion, he assumed that Ukraine’s forces would collapse—and that Ukraine’s friends would cower. But Ukraine’s troops have fought like lions, and countries of conscience from around the world have raced to get Ukraine’s back”

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Personally, all my initial international experience was at the airlines, and it wasn’t until I owned my Piper Pacer from 2014-16 that I flew a light aircraft to the Bahamas and Mexico. I wish I had known how easy it is. I would have done it years earlier. With a little planning and legwork, even fairly new private pilots can safely make cross-country flights to International destinations. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) maintains an excellent comprehensive database of what’s required for each country—Canada, Bahamas, and Mexico. 

That said, here is a summation of the requirements as they exist at this time.

Aircraft Requirements

The first thing you need is an airplane that can be taken internationally. It’s obviously easier to simply own an aircraft (with the permanent registration certificate in your name—not a temporary one), but there are also quite a few rental aircraft that are permitted to be taken across borders. If your FBO/flight school doesn’t allow it, look around. Many Florida FBOs authorize Bahamas flying for their aircraft, as do several places in the Phoenix, San Diego, and Los Angeles areas for Mexico. If you take a rental aircraft, make sure you get a notarized letter of authorization confirming that you have permission to take the aircraft out of the country. 

Canada and the Bahamas welcome experimental aircraft, but Mexico recently banned them. Mexico also requires a 406 MHz ELT. You should have a Mode C transponder, though you don’t need ADS-B in Canada or the Bahamas (Mexico’s ADS-B mandate mirrors the United States’).

The U.S. removed the need for aircraft to have a radio station license some years ago, but the requirement remains in place in the Bahamas and Mexico, and U.S. law technically requires it when flying outside borders. It is quite easy to obtain one via FCC Form 605.

If crossing an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) for Bahamas or Mexico, your aircraft should have 12-inch N-numbers. Temporary N-numbers, such as those applied using painter’s tape, are acceptable (Duct tape is a little too permanent and may take paint off). 

Your aircraft will need a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) user fee decal to reenter the U.S. It costs $35 per calendar year and can be obtained at the CBP DTOPS website. 

Avgas is limited in Mexico, the Bahamas, and northern Canada. Pay close attention to your aircraft’s range, call ahead to verify 100LL availability, and carry extra (sealed and secured) jerrycans as necessary. All three countries have a good deal of remote terrain that makes good survival gear a necessity and satellite communication (Garmin Inreach, SPOT, etc.) a very good idea. The Bahamas requires life vests. Better yet, rent a life raft from one of the several Florida FBOs that offer them at reasonable weekly rates. 

Pilot and Passenger Requirements

You should have at least a private pilot certificate and a valid third-class or greater medical certificate to fly to Mexico or Canada. The Bahamas accepts both light sport pilot certificates and BasicMed certification. 

You’ll need an FCC-restricted radiotelephone operator’s permit to fly internationally. It’s a one-time license with no expiration, and the process to obtain it is fairly easy and very similar to the aircraft radio station license.

You and all passengers should hold a valid passport with at least six months remaining before expiration. Make sure your passengers have their passports with them.

Leaving the U.S.

U.S. CBP requires pilots exiting the country to file an eAPIS manifest with the names and information of all crew and passengers aboard at least 60 minutes before departure. You’ll do this on the eAPIS website.

You’ll need to file an ICAO-format IFR or VFR flight plan, which is a bit different than the domestic format. If crossing an ADIZ VFR, you’ll file a DVFR flight plan and put your expected crossing time in the remarks. 

If VFR, activate your flight plan after departure, then call the appropriate air traffic control facility and obtain VFR flight following. A discrete transponder code is required for crossing the border, whether entering an ADIZ or not. Before the border, ATC will hand you off to the foreign controlling facility. 

Entering Mexico

In addition to U.S. CBP eAPIS, you must file a Mexican APIS manifest 24 hours before departure and again one hour before departure. There are a couple third-party pay websites/apps to do this, or you can do it by emailing an excel spreadsheet—see instructions here and spreadsheet here.

You will land at an airport of entry and park in the designated international arrivals box. A military or customs official may approach and inspect the aircraft. If they don’t within a few minutes, it’s OK to get out and enter the operations building. The process varies by airport, but in general, you will file an arrival report with Despacho (which closes your flight plan), and then bring it to several different officials to complete various steps and get the arrival report stamped in turn. These include completing a declaration with customs, getting passports stamped and completing FMM forms (passengers only) with immigration, and obtaining an entry permit from the Comandancia. The cost for single-entry and multiple-entry permits is the same, so if possible, get the latter. 

Once you’ve completed all formalities and have the requisite stamps, you’ll file and open your onward domestic flight plan with Despacho. This works quite differently from the U.S.: It only tells the authorities where you intend to fly and has no search and rescue implications. It lasts until the next airport with a Commandancia (generally, those with a control tower), covers all intermediate airports, and can be open for many days until you close it at the next Despacho. 

Entering the Bahamas

Freeport, Marsh Harbor, Bimini, and Great Harbour Cay are preferred airports of entry, as Nassau is busy and expensive. Call the appropriate customs office before departure to give your ETA and confirm office hours. Prior to landing, close your flight plan with Nassau Radio on 124.2 or 128.0. 

Upon arrival you’ll complete immigration procedures and fill out an inbound aircraft declaration and C7A Bahamas cruising permit ($50), which allows you to move about the Bahamas as desired. Bahamian customs officials tend to be pretty friendly and helpful. Flight plans are not required within the Bahamas, though they can be filed, opened, and closed with Nassau Radio as in the U.S.. VFR flight following is available from Miami Center, though radar coverage is spotty at lower altitudes in the outer islands. 

Entering Canada

You must make your first landing at a Canadian airport of entry. Between two and 48 hours before entry, call CANPASS at 1-888-226-7277 and provide advance notification of arrival. If there is no customs official present when you land, call CANPASS again. It may clear you to enter or (rarely) have you wait for a customs inspector to arrive. 

Returning to the U.S.

Once again, you must file an eAPIS manifest with CBP at least one hour prior to departure—and if leaving Mexico, you must also file an APIS manifest with Mexican immigration at 24 hours and one hour prior to departure. Additionally, you must call the CBP office at your intended airport of entry to make advance notification of arrival at least one hour (and no more than 23 hours) before your expected arrival time

File an IFR, VFR (Canada) or DVFR (Bahamas, Mexico) ICAO flight plan, with ADIZ crossing time (if applicable) in the remarks section. If VFR, a Mexican flight plan will not get passed on to U.S. Flight Service, so contact FSS directly and activate once within radio range of the U.S. border. 

You need to be on a discrete transponder code when crossing the border. If returning from the Bahamas, contact Miami Center for flight following. From Mexico, the U.S. FSS that activates your flight plan should be able to provide a transponder code. From Canada, getting radar service from the appropriate air traffic control facility will yield a transponder code and a smooth handoff to U.S. ATC. 

After landing at an airport of entry, park in CBP’s designated yellow parking box and do not leave the airplane until cleared to do so. The customs and immigration process is usually quick and painless. Once you’re cleared, move the airplane quickly so others can use the CBP parking box. And be sure to close your flight plan if VFR.

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Under the contract, BTCL is to provide services including component repair and overhaul, procurement of spares, and heavy maintenance services on the utility tactical-transport helicopter. The award is expected to extend the life of the aircraft until at least the mid-2030s.

“The CH-146 Griffon provides crucial tactical aviation, special operations aviation, and search and rescue capabilities to the Royal Canadian Air Force, at home and abroad. This in-service support contract will be key in keeping this fleet going for the next 15 years,” Bill Blair, Canada’s national defense minister, said in a statement.

• READ MORE: Canadian Air Force Makes $2.49B MQ-9B Combat Drone Buy 

According to RCAF, its fleet of 82 CH-146 helicopters supports troop and materiel transport, search and rescue operations, as well as surveillance and reconnaissance. As of this year, the CH-146 operates out of 11 locations across the country, the government said.

“This in-service support contract with Bell Textron Canada Ltd. will help sustain the Canadian Armed Forces’ fleet of CH-146 Griffon helicopters, while also maintaining good jobs here in Canada,” Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of public services and procurement, said.

• READ MORE Chinese Fighters Accused of Intercepting Canadian Surveillance Aircraft

The contract is set to begin in April. The support work is expected to create or maintain 1,130 jobs and will primarily be completed in provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

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The $2.49 billion purchase of the fighter jet-sized drones will increase Canadian force interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces while also helping the country fulfill its North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) responsibilities, Canada’s Department of National Defense said. The aircraft will also be tasked with monitoring the country’s remote territories as part of civilian air operations during responses to wildfires and floods.

“At a time when defense and security needs are changing faster than ever, we must ensure Canada has a modern, adaptable military that is prepared to respond to evolving and emerging security challenges,” said Defense Minister Bill Blair. “Canada must meet the growing demand for domestic assistance while preserving our ability to defend Canada, protect North America, and support our allies.”

MQ-9B SkyGuardian

The MQ-9B boasts a 79-foot wingspan with a maximum external payload capacity of 4,750 pounds. It offers intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities with the ability to fly over the horizon via satellite for up to 40 hours, according to GA-ASI. The aircraft features Lynx multimode radar, advanced electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, and the ability to take off and land automatically.

“Canada’s vast territory and complex terrains, including in the Arctic, require a cost-effective multimission RPAS [remotely piloted aircraft system] solution that can endure long periods on station, fly in harsh weather environments, and safely operate in all airspaces,” said Linden Blue, CEO of GA-ASI.

This past year, the Royal Air Force in the U.K. became the first military to operate the MQ-9B under its own designation, Protector RG Mk1.

• READ MORE: RAF Protector RG Mk1 Takes First Flight

CAF Upgrades

The investment is part of numerous military modernization initiatives that will have “tremendous impacts” on the country supporting its national defense interests, said Kody Blois, Member of Parliament for Kings-Hants. “Investing in [RPAS] is but one of many planned upgrades for our Royal Canadian Air Force—in addition to the F-35 for fighter missions, the CC-295 for search and rescue missions, new and upgraded Cormorant helicopters, and the P8-A Poseidon multi-mission aircraft,”

• READ MORE: Canada Set to Buy 88 F-35 Fighters

In addition to the 11 remotely piloted aircraft systems, the CAF contract also includes six ground control stations, new ground control center in Ottawa, two aircraft hangars, weapons, sustainment services, and training support. The first deliveries are expected in 2028, with full operational capability projected by 2033.

The aircraft will be based at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, and CFB Comox in British Columbia, and will also be operated from northern territories.

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