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From Newswire. Cascade Aerospace Inc. announced today that it has conducted the first test flight of a foreign military aircraft from its base in Abbotsford, British Columbia. This begins the completion phase of the Mexican Air Force C-130K Maintenance and Modernization program which began in 2014 and marks a significant milestone for the BC Aerospace Industry.
Cover photo: F.A.M. C130K moments after take off at Abbotsford International Airport. (CNW Group/Cascade Aerospace Inc.)
Over the past year, engineering teams at Cascade Aerospace have designed and installed a complete upgrade to the cockpit avionic system including the integration of the advanced digital Rockwell Collins Flight 2 avionics suite to meet twenty-first century navigation and communication requirements, as well as digital fuel quantity indication and engine instrument display systems.
This aircraft, one of two currently in Cascade’s hangar, has also had a new Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) installed and a Wing Availability and Sustainment Program conducted on it.
Operational and technical training for Mexican Air Force personnel was conducted at the company’s facility inAbbotsford, British Columbia using the onsite Rockwell Collins Flight2 procedural training simulator.
“I am extremely proud of the hard working engineers and mechanics here at Cascade Aerospace”; said Ben Boehm, Cascade’s Executive Vice President and COO; “This test flight represents the culmination of a year of detailed design effort followed by countless hours of skilled craftsmanship to present the Mexican Air Force pilots with an airworthy plane. This test flight will lead to the delivery of a modernized and updated aircraft to the Mexican Government at a fraction of the cost of a new aircraft.”
![F.A.M. C130K taxi's out to runway at Abbotsford International Airport (CNW Group/Cascade Aerospace Inc.)](http://archive.abbotsfordtoday.ca/wp-content/plugins/lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif)
F.A.M. C130K taxi’s out to runway at Abbotsford International Airport (CNW Group/Cascade Aerospace Inc.)
About Cascade Aerospace
Cascade Aerospace, an operating unit of IMP Aerospace & Defence, is a leading Canadian specialty aerospace contractor that provides long-term integrated aircraft fleet support and program management, aircraft maintenance, modification, engineering & integrated logistics support to domestic and international military, government, and commercial customers.
SOURCE Cascade Aerospace Inc.