Ontario. 02 June, 2016. Flying Colours Corp., the North American MRO, completions, and refurbishment company recently welcomed executives from CAE to its Peterborough, Ontario headquarters, to commemorate the start of a new business relationship between the two Canadian companies.
In honor of the 75th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force 419 “City of Kamloops” Squadron, CAE agreed to facilitate the re-paint of one of the Hawk aircraft serving the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) programme. During the visit Flying Colours officially unveiled the CT-155 Hawk aircraft, registration number 155217, that they have painted in World War II commemorative livery.
“Flying Colours was identified by CAE as a high quality, good value provider of aircraft support services in Canada,” said Mike Greenley, Vice President and General Manager, CAE Canada. “We are proud to add the business to our pan-Canadian team of partners and sub-contractors who we work with across the country. As a native of Peterborough myself I am particularly pleased to begin a new business relationship with them.”
“Every business seeks new customers, and we are very pleased to be able to start a potentially long-term business relationship with CAE, one of Canada’s most globally respected aerospace companies,” said John Gillespie, President of Flying Colours.
The paint scheme was designed by artist Jim Belliveau, and depicts some of the WWII history of this highly decorated unit. The camouflage paint scheme is a stylized application of the classic WWII Bomber Command topside green and brown, combined with an all-black under surface which masked the aircraft from below against the night sky when most wartime bombing operations took place.
The call letters VR-W, and the dedication of the aircraft on the nose with a yellow ‘W’, are rooted with the Wellington Bomber flown by Wing Commander John “Moose” Fulton, the first Commanding Officer of 419 Squadron. The Moose insignia on the nose and registration KB799 belong to the Lancaster-era of 419 Squadron, and the oldest known “Moose” nose art for the Unit. The roundels on the wings are a stylized combination of old-style RCAF wartime markings with the addition of a Maple Leaf in the center to link the wartime era markings to that of today. The fin flash and side roundels are wartime-era RCAF markings.
The newly painted Hawk aircraft comes from Cold Lake, Alberta, home of the RCAF’s 419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron. The 419 Squadron was originally formed in 1941 and throughout its history squadron personnel have been affectionately called the “Moosemen”.
CAE has teamed with Draken International to bid a fleet of A4 Skyhawk’s to provide adversary and aggressor air training to the RCAF as part of the Contracted Airborne Training Services (CATS) program. If CAE is successful in its bid for the CATS program, Flying Colours will be used to provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul services to CAE.
In Canada, CAE is the prime contractor responsible for the NFTC program, which is designed and operated in partnership with the Government of Canada to provide basic, advanced, and lead-in fighter training. The NFTC program operates out of 15 Wing Moose Jaw and 4 Wing Cold Lake, and utilizes the CT-156 Harvard (Beechcraft T-6) and the CT-155 Hawk (BAE Systems Hawk) to deliver live flying training to the Royal Canadian Air Force and other international customers. CAE is an international training systems integrator that offers training centers, services and simulation products to defense and security forces globally.
“Flying Colours was identified by CAE as a high quality, good value provider of aircraft support services in Canada,” said Mike Greenley, Vice President and General Manager, CAE Canada. “We are proud to add the business to our pan-Canadian team of partners and sub-contractors who we work with across the country. As a native of Peterborough myself I am particularly pleased to begin a new business relationship with them.”
The paint scheme was designed by artist Jim Belliveau, and depicts some of the WWII history of this highly decorated unit. The camouflage paint scheme is a stylized application of the classic WWII Bomber Command topside green and brown, combined with an all-black under surface which masked the aircraft from below against the night sky when most wartime bombing operations took place.
