Vanguard Magazine

8 JUNE/JULY 2021 www.vanguardcanada.com S SIT REP ATC Solutions, a business unit of Harris Canada Systems Inc., was ac- quired by Frequentis AG. The purchase agreement was signed in Febru- ary 2021 and closing took place on May 28. Frequentis expands its air traffic management solutions with acquisition of ATC Solutions With this purchase, Frequentis expands its technical offering and adds an even broader range of solutions to its extensive ATM portfolio. It also strengthens Frequentis as a global supplier of ATM communication solu- tions, especially for large IT-based systems and its position in the com- munications solutions in the air traffic management market especially in North America and the UK. Headquartered in Gatineau, Quebec, this wholly owned subsidiary of Frequentis AG, will operate independently as Frequentis Canada ATM Ltd with around 60 employees. Michael Lang, managing director of Frequen- tis' present operations in Canada, will take on the role of managing direc- tor of Frequentis Canada ATM Ltd. "I am delighted that this transaction has been closed so quickly and convinced that Frequentis Canada ATM will make an important contribu- tion to our ATM communication solutions business in the future," says Frequentis' CEO Norbert Haslacher. "Our joint competencies make us stronger, especially in the key US, Canadian, and UK markets." RCAF Air Demonstration teams launch 2021 season The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) air demonstration teams' 2021 season officially began on May 28, after formal certification by the Com- manders of 1 Canadian Air Division and 2 Canadian Air Division following an acceptance show at 15 Wing Moose Jaw. "The 2021 airshow season is at our door and we're ecstatic to be back. The team has worked hard on our show and I'm really satisfied with the result, not just for the pilots, but also the technicians and other support personnel. We are proud to continue Op INSPIRATION and hopefully put some smiles on the faces of Canadians during the next few months," said Major Jean-Francois Dupont, Canadian Forces Snowbirds Team Lead. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be joined by the CF-18 Demonstra- tion team this summer flying under Operation INSPIRATION. They will at- tend airshows and conduct flybys across Canada and the United States. This year, the CF Snowbirds will celebrate their 50th anniversary in en- tertaining audiences and inspiring future aviators across North America, which began in 1971. Flying under Operation INSPIRATION will also provide an opportunity to carry on the legacy of Captain Jenn Casey. Captain Casey was the Snow- birds Public Affairs Officer who lost her life during the first iteration of Operation INSPIRATION in May 2020 and whose dedication was instru- mental to connecting the CAF with Canadians during her time with the air demonstration teams. "Our air demonstration teams are an important face of our Air Force and their role in connecting us to Canadians was clear last year through the success of Operation INSPIRATION. This year we couldn't think of a better way to continue that momentum than through formally recogniz- ing Operation INSPIRATION as an enduring mission that will be carried for- ward by these two teams," said Major-General Eric Kenny, Commander 1 Canadian Air Division. The schedules for the teams can be found on their websites and so- cial media pages and are subject to change as provincial restrictions are updated. Image: Frequentis AG The Canadian Forces Snowbirds (431 Air Demonstration Squadron) perform over 19 Wing Comox, British Columbia on April 11, 2017. Photo: Sgt Halina Folfas, 19 Wing Imaging Services.

• Cover