Belleville firm going after 'chute contract
Posted: Jan. 5, 2012
By Jerome Lessard
A Belleville manufacturer has held the safety of Canadian armed forces paratroopers in its hands for the past decade.
Though the Canadian Forces' venerable CT-1 parachutes were exclusively manufactured at Airborne Systems Canada's Fort Erie, Ont. plant until 2001 — and built at its sister company in California since then — Belleville is now home to providing parachutes for various applications to the forces.
Guy Plamondon, operations manager at Canada's only remaining parachute manufacturer, believes the Wilson Avenue plant and its 40 employees helped a humble piece of parachute silk make history last month.
For more than 50 years, riggers at the Canadian Forces Land Advanced Warfare Centre at 8 Wing/CFB Trenton (CFLAWC) have entrusted their lives to the parachute — a copy of the U.S. Army's T-10 canopy. Last month, the paratroopers marked the retirement of the CT-1 by packing the last one to go into service.
"Up until Irvin Aerospace (a brand of Airborne Systems) moved to the Belleville area in 2001 there have been additional manufacturers of CT-1 parachutes," said Plamondon during a tour of the Belleville facility.
"Some of the CT-1 manufacturing went to competitors and some was awarded to us. However, for efficiency reasons we opted to have our Californian company manufacture the systems. But once the canopies are built, they are shipped here in Belleville for inspection. We haven't been building the CT-1s here in Belleville, but we built other canopies for the CF and civilians, as well as search and rescue equipment."
The CF has now 2,000 CT-1s — traditional static-line deployed round parachutes — left for use.
"In six months we will have about 1,700 left," said rigger Master Warrant Officer Martin "Diezel" Lodder, who has logged more than 1,500 jumps over his 30-year career in the CF. "In 12 years, which is the canopy life of a CT-1, we will have only 300 left."
The CT-1, which stands for Canadian Troop 1, was the first Canadian-designed, manufactured and utilized CF parachute. Neither Plamondon or Lodder know yet what will replace the CT-1.
"It's believed it will cost up to $35 million to the CF to replace all its parachutes from 2013 to 2019," said Lodder. "Lots of work has to be done and put forward over the next year in order to determine what parachute will replace the CT-1. We are hoping to know by next summer."
Airborne Systems — which is transitioning to rename itself HDT Airborne, further strengthening the HDT Global brand — is the world's largest supplier of parachutes. Plamondon and his staff at the Belleville plant have a tight relationship with the Canadian Forces — manufacturing parachute systems, cargo aerial delivery systems, search and rescue equipment, and emergency escape systems.
"Though the CF retires the CT-1, we will keep designing and building the canopy for other clients, outside of the armed forces," said Plamondon. "With the last CT-1 going into service, the CF are following the Americans ' footsteps, who have been qualifying a new parachute."
Plamondon said it is still too early to say if the Belleville plant will be awarded parts of the manufacturing process for the new Canadian parachute.
"All I know for now is that Airborne Systems Canada will be bidding on the contract," said the Sorel, Que. native and former rigger at CFLAWC.
Source: The Intelligencer
