http://www.canada.com/national/story.html?id=c2fadb76-e47b-4ae3-a0a8-e78fb50f7f04Aircraft-short military forced to rent from U.S.
Chris Wattie
CanWest News Service
Saturday, July 03, 2004
TORONTO -- Maj. David Berry, the deputy commander of the Canadian Parachute Centre at CFB Trenton, Ont., said a shortage of working CC-130 Hercules planes has forced him to begin renting American aircraft to fly training missions for Canadian Forces airborne soldiers, military spokesmen told the National Post.
"We still try to use the Hercs when we can, but the planes just aren't available any more," Berry said.
"The Herc crews, the pilots and loadmasters, try their best. But between our low priority and the Herc's serviceability problems, it's just not possible to get all the flights we need."
He said the parachute centre needs a minimum of 328 flying hours from the military to complete its basic paratrooper courses, but last year the Hercules were only available for a total of eight hours.
"What's happening is that my students can't finish their courses," said Berry. "I have to bring them back, later in the year, to get their last couple of jumps. That was costing me $100,000 a year."
So, last July, Berry began renting civilian aircraft to put his paratroopers through their basic jump courses. Ironically, the rental planes are usually Canadian-built twin-engine Otters or CASA 212s from a company in North Carolina.
"In order to do business, I need to rent planes," he said.
He said the military paid $320,000 last year for such rentals, money that had to be scrimped and saved from other parts of the Canadian Forces' shrinking budget.
The parachute centre runs courses for paratroopers, military free-fall parachutists, parachute instructors and pathfinders, the first paratroopers to land during mass airborne drops. The Skyhawks, the Canadian Forces parachute demonstration team, also operates out of the eastern Ontario centre.
Berry said parachute training has been in high demand over the past two years, as army commanders sought to bolster the parachute companies attached to each of the Canadian Forces' light infantry battalions.
"We're mandated to run six basic parachute courses a year. Last year we ran 12 courses," he said.
"We put 500 students through the school. Our training has increased dramatically since 9/11."
Air force officials have said that the Hercules fleet -- which includes aircraft which are more than 40 years old -- is showing its age and the wear and tear of spending more hours in the air, flying more and longer missions.
A report to senior generals and defence officials last summer said the Hercules were in "critical" condition.
The briefing, obtained by the National Post, said growing maintenance problems have at times grounded almost two-thirds of the air force's 32 Hercules.