Ontario Government Invests Nearly $450,000 For Training Towards Creating Jobs In Trade Sector

The Ontario Government has invested $435,210 to train 75 workers for in-demand careers in aviation and construction, announced at Flying Colours on Monday morning.

The investment brings Ontario's total in skills development training through SDF to nearly $1.1 billion. Since its launch in 2021, Ontario's Skills Development Fund has helped connect more than half a million jobseekers with the skills and training they need to find well-paying and fulfilling careers close to home. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“Our government is proud to invest in programs that support training and upskilling,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “This project will give people the necessary skills needed to land in-demand and well-paying jobs in their communities and contribute to our province.”

The training is provided through the Skills Development Training Stream, which is in partnership with Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) in the Build & Soar program.

It matches students from the Construction and Aerospace & Aviation Specialist High Skills Majors programs at Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board and the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board with local employers in the construction, aerospace and aviation industry according to a press release.

The program also contains an eight-week placement with a local employer. It will also allow students to learn about flight training through flight simulators for students pursuing a career in the military or commercial pilot pathways.

“Ontario's trades are vital to the growth of the economy and our government's 'Plan to Build’ offering careers that lead to secure jobs and a good quality life,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “Which is why having programs like the Build & Soar will set them on the path to success.”

The Skills Development Fund Training Stream is open to applicants such as employers, industry associations, labour unions, municipalities, hospitals and more.

“Introducing youth to local employment opportunities is crucial, as it not only equips them with real-life work experience but also strengthens the community's economic fabric,” said Rhonda Keenan, PKED president and CEO . “Local companies play a pivotal role in this process, offering invaluable mentorship and skill-building opportunities while simultaneously tapping into and nurturing the future workforce. By investing in young talent, these businesses contribute to a cycle of growth and innovation that benefits both the students and the broader community.”

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Flying Colours Corporation Completes 240 Month Heavy Inspection for Bombardier Global Aircraft

Flying Colours Corporation has completed another 240-month heavy inspection for a Bombardier Global aircraft announced Tuesday.

Flying Colours Corp. regularly conducts heavy inspections on Bombardier Global and Challenger airframes at its Canada and US bases. Photo courtesy of Flying Colours Corp.

The maintenance team regularly conducts heavy inspections for Global and Challenger types and used this extensive experience to complete a rigorous inspection of the Global Express jet at the Flying Colours Corp. Peterborough Ont., headquarters.

In addition, a landing gear overhaul along with a number of anticipated restoration tasks was also undertaken.

Running parallel with the maintenance tasks was a Collins Venue Cabin Management System installation which was blended with Alto Aviation switches. The controls are specifically designed to fit into previous switch panel location holes resulting in a solution that maximizes client budget and reduces installation time significantly.

To support the existing Ka-band connectivity upgraded routers were repositioned to support cabin and flight deck connectivity.

To optimize rest, relaxation and productivity the AIMSKYLAB soundproofing system was integrated, considerably reducing noise in the cabin. Externally the aircraft fuselage was stripped and repainted to deliver an as new look to the airframe.

“Our experience installing the blended Venue and Alto Switch offering and our capacity to fulfill maintenance, interior, paint and avionics tasks makes Flying Colours Corp. an attractive choice for aircraft owners. Undertaking all the work at a single venue reduces downtime and maximizes the budget which is also very appealing. For this customer the result was an improved ownership experience with improved connectivity, reduced noise levels and a new-look fuselage,” said Eric Gillespie, Executive VP, Flying Colours Corp.

The 240-month inspection involves completely stripping the aircraft down to the frame, enabling an in-depth look at the aircraft fuselage to check for signs of everything from stress fractures to corrosion, as well as other issues that may have affected the structural integrity of the aircraft.

The cabin was also laid bare, with panels, carpets, insulating surfaces floorboards, monuments, fairings, and side ledges removed for assessments and overhauls.

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Flying Colours Joins Leading International Association IADA

Flying Colours Corporation, the international maintenance, repair and overhaul business has become a verified Products and Services member of IADA, the International Aircraft Dealers Association.

Photo courtesy of Flying Colours Corp.

Joining the prestigious association bolsters the Canada-headquartered business strategy of supporting aircraft owners, operators and brokers throughout the transaction and ownership process.

“The ability to strengthen existing relationships, forge new ones with like-minded professionals, and meet new customers informed our decision to take up membership,” said Kevin Kliethermes, Director of Sales for Flying Colours Corp. “We have already begun to work with a number of new companies as a result. We are also looking forward to participating in the great events that IADA plans, contributing educational materials to the website and of course maximizing the full range of opportunities presented by IADA membership.”

The company also supports a growing number of aircraft transactions by sourcing aircraft, conducting pre-buy inspections, and subsequently completing technical modifications and refurbishment work as needed.

The streamlined acquisition process increases efficiencies and reduces aircraft downtime enabling owners to begin optimizing the new asset as soon as possible.

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Flying Colours Corporation Completes their First Custom Cabin Configuration In Its Asian Facility

The Flying Colours Corp. Asia facility, based in Singapore, has completed its first custom cabin configuration change in a Bombardier Global.

Rendering of type of modification made by Flying Colours Corp. Singapore for the first time. Photo Courtesy of Flying Colours Corp.

The project was completed at the Flying Colours Corp. PTE facility in Singapore at the Seletar Airport.

The customer requested that the mid-cabin credenza be replaced by a three-place divan and divan end cabinet. This project also marked the first collaboration of this type between Singapore and its sister location in St. Louis, Mo.

The St. Louis team built the cabinets and then sent the product to Singapore to be varnished and installed.

“This project is a substantial step forward for Singapore’s service capability,” said Paul Dunford, Flying Colours Corp. PTE Managing Director. “The combination of Bombardier engineering and FCC’s manufacturing expertise will now allow full cabin reconfigurations to be offered to their in-region customers.”

To prepare itself to offer these expanded services and in conjunction with the Bombardier facility expansion, Flying Colours Corp. is growing both its facility and its workforce to better support expected growth in demand for interior repairs, reconfigurations and refurbishments.

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Peterborough Continues To Put Itself On Aviation Map As Flying Colours Completes Trio Of Corporate Shuttles

Peterborough’s Flying Colours Corp. has redelivered a third modified Bombardier Challenger 850 to an undisclosed Fortune 500 company. The aircraft was originally completed from green by Flying Colours in an executive VIP layout and returned to Flying Colours for reconfiguration as a 19-passenger corporate shuttle this spring. 

The latest aircraft in the trio of corporate shuttles perfectly showcases the depth and breadth of Flying Colours Corp.’ spectrum of services. Sourcing of the aircraft originated at its Peterborough headquarters as three aircraft from around the globe were identified as potential candidates for the customer. Technicians were dispatched to evaluate the merits of each model, and on final selection Flying Colours worked as a liaison between the relevant parties—resulting in a successful pre-purchase inspection and sale.  

The vibrant paint work completed at the new Flying Colours Corp. paint shop in Peterborough (Photo courtesy Flying Colours)

The technical project including extensive maintenance work, avionics upgrades, and complete interior reconfiguration took place at Flying Colours’ St. Louis, Missouri facility, while the external paint application was completed at the recently opened state-of-the-art paint shop at Peterborough Aiport.

The seamless liaison between the two Flying Colours sites highlights the complementary natures of its North American facilities.

The interior now features corporate shuffle configuration for up to 19 passengers. (Photo courtesy Flying Colours.)

“Having completed the original green VIP completion back in 2011, it was interesting for our team to modify our own work to convert the aircraft into a hard-working corporate shuttle,” says Sean Gillespie, Executive VP of Flying Colours.

“The project provided a great showcase for our end-to-end service as there are not many organizations which can provide such an integrated offering,” he adds. “This is the third Challenger 850 conversion that we’ve made for this customer and it speaks volumes about our ability to innovate to meet the demanding expectations of our customers.”

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Flying Colours Corp. Breaks Ground For New 100,000 Square Foot Hangar At Peterborough Airport

Global Aviation Services company Flying Colours Corp has broken ground as work starts on building its largest hangar to date at Peterborough Aiport. Industrial construction company Vicano Construction Ltd braved the cool weather to formally begin the fourth phase of expansion plans at the Peterborough, Canada-headquartered company this month. 

On completion in mid-2019, the new building will house a climate controlled, dedicated paint-shop, a spacious hangar large enough to hold up to A220-size aircraft, as well as offices, customer meeting rooms, interiors workshops and a board room. The investment of approximately $25 million will add a further 100,000 square feet to the Peterborough footprint.  

A rendering of the new hangar due to open in mid-2019

More than 100 team members are currently being recruited to bolster the increased demand as the search for maintenance, interiors and paint expertise leads the recruitment drive.

“Our business has grown significantly over the last twelve months and we were running out of space to accommodate all our clients’ requests,” says John Gillespie about the expansion. “Once the building is complete, we will be using it to provide additional capacity for completions, refurbishment and heavy maintenance work scopes on large jet airframes.”

To learn more about Flying Colours, click here.

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Fying Colours To Get $4.87 Million Expansion At Peterborough Airport

On Friday (April 15th), the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of Democratic Institutions and Member of Parliament for Peterborough–Kawartha, announced an investment of up to $4.87 million for an expansion at Flying Colours Corp.

A global aviation services company, Flying Colours Corp. retrofits a range of aircrafts and provides fully customized aircraft interiors, outfitted with the latest technologies and state-of-the-art electronic equipment. This repayable contribution, through FedDev Ontario’s Investing in Business Growth and Productivity initiative, is for the construction of a 100,000-square foot hangar at the Peterborough Airport.

MP Maryam Monsef makes the announcement

The new facility will enable Flying Colours Corp. to take on work for larger airplanes and will help the company address the increasing global demand for customized aircraft retrofitting.

“The Government of Canada’s investment in Flying Colours Corp. shows that we are committed to strengthening the manufacturing and aerospace sectors by helping companies, like Flying Colours, become more innovative, competitive and successful," says MP Monsef. "Today’s announcement is supporting a stronger, more competitive economy in this region.”

This investment in the Peterborough area is expected to have spillover benefits for more than 200 Ontario-based suppliers within the Flying Colour Corp. supply chain.

Quick Facts

-> With a total project cost of $20.15 million, this project will leverage a $1.2-million investment from the Government of Ontario and more than $14 million from private sector investment. The project is also expected to create up to 50 skilled manufacturing, engineering, management and technical field full-time equivalent jobs.  

-> Established in 1994, Flying Colours Corp. previously received a repayable contribution of up to $900,000 from FedDev Ontario to expand its facilities and acquire new equipment. The successful completion of this project resulted in 37 new jobs and has positively benefited the surrounding community

[Related: 5 Things You Should Know About Peterborough's Booming Aerospace Sector]

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