NATO Flying Training in Canada Passes 350,000 Live Flying Hours – The NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program recently surpassed the milestone of more than 350,000 hours of live flying training since it began more than 15 years ago.

Since the first flight of the CT-156 Harvard (Beechcraft T-6) in the spring of 2000 and first flight of the CT-155 Hawk (BAE Systems Hawk) in summer of 2000, more than 350,000 hours of live flying training have been delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force and other international customers who have sent more than 1,000 pilots through the NFTC program. NATO Flying Training in Canada is operated by CAE out of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and Cold Lake, Alberta.

The CT-155 Hawk fighter lead-in trainer fleet has accumulated almost 110,000 flying hours representing more than 95,000 flights, while the CT-156 Harvard fleet has amassed more than 240,000 flying hours representing more than 200,000 flights. The live flying training program and full maintenance and operation of the aircraft are managed by CAE as the prime contractor on the NFTC program and overseen under the governance of Canada’s Department of National Defence airworthiness program.

CAE operates the NFTC program out of 15 Wing Moose Jaw and 4 Wing Cold Lake, and the program is designed and operated in partnership with the Government of Canada. The NFTC program combines basic, advanced, and lead-in fighter training as part of the comprehensive pilot training program. As the prime contractor, CAE operates the NFTC base facilities, delivers the ground-school classroom and simulator training, and supports the live flying training that comprises the comprehensive pilot training program.

Source: Halldale Defence News