CAN FORCE ONE grounded in hangar accident

[FJAG]

PM's CF-150 Polaris Airbus out of operation until August
Murray Brewster · CBC News · Posted: Dec 02, 2019 3:45 PM ET

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be hitching rides on a variety of air force planes for the foreseeable future.

The CF-150 Polaris Airbus that usually shuttles the prime minister to world events is out of commission following a hangar accident last month.

The nearly 30-year-old passenger aircraft, which is specially outfitted with a private cabin, was being towed "by contracted maintenance personnel" at the military's largest airbase in Trenton, Ont., when it "suffered significant structural damage to the nose and right engine cowling," said air force spokesman Lt.-Col Steve Neta.

The aircraft rolled into the back wall of a hangar.

"The incident remains under investigation to determine causes and identify preventive measures," Neta added.

Engineering teams from Airbus, the aircraft's original maker, conducted an assessment and concluded the aircraft will not return to service until August of next year.

Neta said an air safety investigation is underway.

"We do not have sufficient detail about potential costs, or the attribution of those costs, to provide any detail at this time," he said.

Trudeau is attending the NATO summit in London this week; he flew to the U.K. on one of the air force's other C-150s. Neta said the military is confident it can fill the gap in VIP transportation during the interim.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/prime-minister-airbus-grounded-trudeau-1.5381367

The sad story of why we have a CAN FORCE ONE

Use as VIP transport
The decision to outfit one of the five CC-150s as a VIP transport intended for use by the Prime Minister of Canada, made while Brian Mulroney held office, was politically controversial. The $56 million in upgrades were criticized as a needless extravagance during a time of government budgetary challenges by then-Leader of the Opposition Jean Chrétien, who labelled the aircraft a "flying Taj Mahal". Chrétien became Prime Minister soon thereafter and tried and failed to sell the aircraft; he would refuse to make use of the CC-150 during his ensuing 11 years in office. The aircraft was parked at Canadian Forces Base Uplands on standby, two aircraft were used in its place primarily the CC-144 Challenger.[6] and a second CC-150 when a larger aircraft was required.

Subsequent refits to and from use as a troop transport would result in much of the VIP amenities being downgraded. The CC-150 would return to use as official transport for the prime minister under Paul Martin in 2004.[6]


CC-150 Polaris No. 01 in 2014
In 2011 it emerged that since early 2009 the office of Prime Minister Stephen Harper had repeatedly requested that the CC-150 configured for VIP use be repainted from the gun-metal military paint scheme it shared with the other CC-150s to a specialized paint scheme. The Department of National Defence, including Minister Peter MacKay, had resisted this request, noting that it was contrary to its multi-role nature and would compromise the aircraft's potential to safely transport personnel into a combat zone. The decision was ultimately made to repaint the craft during its next scheduled heavy maintenance.[7]

In 2013, the VIP-configured CC-150, aircraft #01, was repainted during scheduled heavy maintenance at a cost of $50,000. The new scheme, predominantly white with significant quantities of blue and smaller amounts of red, was criticized heavily by opposition politicians, who alleged the repainting was intended to give prominence to the then-governing Conservative Party of Canada's traditional blue colour although the RCAF Roundel consists of the colours blue, white, and red.[8] Its call sign is known officially as CAN Force One.[9]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_CC-150_Polaris

:brickwall:

 

[Quirky]

Pics of damage in link: http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/en/flight-safety/article-template-flight-safety.page?doc=cc15001-airbus-from-the-investigator/k35u6unt&fbclid=IwAR3tqCk3lsx8SDfdrbeJ9NU06KYL6XM_kmTdxtZJ_C_36S1FIWq8wwgPOow&utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

Current fleet in RCAF that needs/should be replaced within a decade - CF-18s, Tutors, Tanker/Troop transport, Auroras(?). Intere$ting times.

 

[suffolkowner]

Much like the PM's residence it's going to be hard to justify buying a new plane when the government can't/won't get on with replacing the RCAF's non VIP fleet.

But we're at that point where they should be looking at what needs to be done, I'm guessing this will stress the Challenger fleet at least.

 

[garb811]

Much like the PM's residence it's going to be hard to justify buying a new plane when the government can't/won't get on with replacing the RCAF's non VIP fleet.

But we're at that point where they should be looking at what needs to be done, I'm guessing this will stress the Challenger fleet at least.

And for those who may have missed the discussion, the the Challenger fleet is already in trouble, not that the Challenger is fully interchangeable with Polaris in any case...

Challenger - needed to comply with the new ADS-B system

 

[suffolkowner]

It's going to be hard to convince NATO that were on top of our Defence spending when we can't even outfit our PM with a VIP aircraft but again so many platforms need replacing how do you justify it? Much like a city council that runs a couple terms with no tax increases and then "all of a sudden" all the roads need paving.

It's going to be a hard sell to replace the tanker fleet before the fighter is chosen as I am guessing they do not want to be seen to prejudice the outcome with regard to probe or boom refuelling unless we choose both(?)

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Pics of damage in link: http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/en/flight-safety/article-template-flight-safety.page?doc=cc15001-airbus-from-the-investigator/k35u6unt&fbclid=IwAR3tqCk3lsx8SDfdrbeJ9NU06KYL6XM_kmTdxtZJ_C_36S1FIWq8wwgPOow&utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

Current fleet in RCAF that needs/should be replaced within a decade - CF-18s, Tutors, Tanker/Troop transport, Auroras(?). Intere$ting times.

Army= Private take this gun tape and fix that....

 

[FJAG]

Aren't the interior of these things modular? And couldn't you just have a VIP module(s) to switch into a standard CC150 when needed?

:cheers:

 

[The Bread Guy]

Army= Private take this gun tape and fix that....

It's only 100 mph tape, though ...

 

[SeaKingTacco]

This is going to be pedantic but:

That particular CC-150 (the article inaccurately labels it as a CF-150, which would make it a fighter) is not CANFORCE 01. No particular CAF aircraft is.

Rather, which ever aircraft happens to be carrying the PM gets that callsign. The aircaft could be a CC-150. Equally, it could be a C-17, Hercules, Aurora, Cyclone or even a CF-18.

 

[edlabonte]

Aren't the interior of these things modular? And couldn't you just have a VIP module(s) to switch into a standard CC150 when needed?

:cheers:

Why yes it is, This is in fact the silliest thread ever. They will, and probably have just moved on to tail #2 and filled it up with the VIP layout.  It probably took them the rest of the day to configure the plane.  Yippie do da

 

[Quirky]

Why yes it is, This is in fact the silliest thread ever. They will, and probably have just moved on to tail #2 and filled it up with the VIP layout.  It probably took them the rest of the day to configure the plane.  Yippie do da

What about the exterior paint job? Can’t have the PM fly around in peasant dark grey colours.

 

[suffolkowner]

This is going to be pedantic but:

That particular CC-150 (the article inaccurately labels it as a CF-150, which would make it a fighter) is not CANFORCE 01. No particular CAF aircraft is.

Rather, which ever aircraft happens to be carrying the PM gets that callsign. The aircaft could be a CC-150. Equally, it could be a C-17, Hercules, Aurora, Cyclone or even a CF-18.

I'm guessing they're going off the 01 on the aircraft in the picture and the paint job.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

Why yes it is, This is in fact the silliest thread ever. They will, and probably have just moved on to tail #2 and filled it up with the VIP layout.  It probably took them the rest of the day to configure the plane.  Yippie do da

Huh.  I would not have guessed that.  I have been on that AC a few times, and it did not give the impression of being modular.  Even if is is, I believe that it has been installed in tail 001 for quite a while so I wonder if that might not take a bit longer than one day - and of course it would be very surprising if the RCAF can afford to have a spare Airbus VIP kit laying around.

 

[Cloud Cover]

Clever plan by Bombardier to seize the initiative and hire a contractor to smash some old planes into a wall when nobody is looking.

As for call signs? How about “Hairforce One”. 

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Well I think some of these will be available shortly, hey good enough for our servicemen, good enough for the PM

I could also point out that aircraft associated with the PM, seem to have a habit of getting bent, either the planes or the crews want a break from his "extraordinaryness" 

 

[Good2Golf]

This is going to be pedantic but:

That particular CC-150 (the article inaccurately labels it as a CF-150, which would make it a fighter) is not CANFORCE 01. No particular CAF aircraft is.

Rather, which ever aircraft happens to be carrying the PM gets that callsign. The aircaft could be a CC-150. Equally, it could be a C-17, Hercules, Aurora, Cyclone or even a CF-18.

You mean even the two Bombardier 604 Challengers that PM Chretien directed to be purchased on the last day of the fiscal year 2001/2002 for 1/10 of one billion dollars (or 79% more than Mulroney spent on upgrading the Taj) could operate as CANFORCE 1?



Regards
G2G

 

[PPCLI Guy]

Configured differently from the 2 x 601, creating qualification issues?  Those ones?

 

[Good2Golf]

Configured differently from the 2 x 601, creating qualification issues?  Those ones?

The very same. 

 

[dapaterson]

They're different a/c; it's not merely a configuration issue.


Sort of like the hodgepodge of CC130s that were bought piecemeal over time, with lots of variations in configuration, only worse...  (At least now, we're retiring them and moving to a CC130J fleet).

 

[dimsum]

As for call signs? How about “Hairforce One”.

The base barber in 17 Wing Winnipeg would like to have a word.