News Story Details

July 21, 2010
New Brunswick inspects aerospace advances in UAVs at Farnborough

July 21, 2010, London - New Brunswick companies examined the latest trends in international defence and aerospace at the Farnborough Airshow, hoping to capitalize on design and technology developments in unmanned aerial vehicles.

“UAV’s are a big one,” said Mike Tilley chief executive officer of N.B.-based CANLink Aviation Inc., which trades aviation products and trains pilots. “There are going to be opportunities in training around this, so it is interesting when you walk around and see UAVs all around Farnborough.”

CANLink does most of its work in China, so Tilley said the air show also lets him see what’s happening in other markets and meet his Chinese contacts on neutral ground.

Farnborough is the largest air show in the world, bringing together experts and executives from over 40 countries and 1,400 exhibitors. This year, a delegation of 17 companies and representatives from Atlantic Canada attended.

“You can Skype or videoconference, but there is nothing like looking another human being in the eye,” said Paul Kearney, director of sales, for ING Engineering Inc, a robotics aviation company with 50 employees.

ING is a one of Canada's leading UAV service companies, but Kearney wouldn’t say what contracts he’s been negotiating at Farnborough -- other than that the opportunities this year are “extremely positive.”

Kearney is pitching potential customers with ING’s unique strengths – almost 20,000 combat flight hours in Afghanistan and offices on Fredericton’s University of New Brunswick campus, which he says has a “world-class” engineering faculty and research and development facilities.

Executives at APEX Industries Inc., based in Moncton, NB, said Farnborough is an important venue for the company to meet existing and new clients. The company has moved from involved in parts to becoming a small-to-medium-sized integrator, involved in programs for joint strike fighters, search and rescue, Chinooks, C17s and A380s.

“APEX is moving up that stream very quickly. We’re in a growth pattern,” said Keith Donaldson, director of sales and business, during a stand-up interview as he ran between meetings at the air show.

APEX’s aerospace division has 65 employees out of a total of 220, and Donaldson expects that to grow to as many as 150 in three to five years.

Did you know?:

• ING Engineering (Oromocto) has almost 20,000 combat flight hours in Afghanistan with Boeing Scan Eagle.


• Canlink Aviation (Rothesay) has the largest quota ever offered by the Chinese government to train 360 Chinese pilots in one year.


• APEX Industries Inc's (Moncton) aerospace division says that starting in 2010 every Boeing-made Chinook helicopter will include components made in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Source:  http://mediaroom.acoa-apeca.gc.ca/mediaroom/farnborough2010/blog.shtml

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