Province donates retired air ambulance to college

Rick Woodford, Minister of Works, Services and Transportation, and Sandra C. Kelly, MHA-Gander, announced today that an agreement has been reached to sell engines from the retired King Air 100 air ambulance to a private company and donate other engines and the remainder of the aircraft to the Gander campus of the College of the North Atlantic.

A tender was awarded to Standard Aero of Winnipeg who will purchase the King Air 100 engines from the province for approximately $118,000. Standard Aero will also give the province two engines which are still considered operational but are not certified for flying. The province plans to donate these engines and the body of the plane to the college for aircraft maintenance training. The transfer of engines will take place within the next several weeks.

"The King Air 100 has served the province�s air ambulance needs very well for over 20 years and has played an instrumental part in saving many lives," said Minister Woodford. "Through this arrangement, the King Air 100 will still be useful for training after it is removed from active medivac duty."

Government purchased the King Air 100 in 1973 and the plane was used for multiple purposes until 1982, when it was dedicated solely to air ambulance service. In July of this year, the province replaced the King Air 100 with a King Air 350, which is faster and can fly greater distances without having to refuel, decreasing travel time for patients.

"We have worked very hard to reach an arrangement for the transfer of these engines to the College of the North Atlantic in Gander," said Minister Kelly. "I am extremely pleased that we were able to provide the college with more up-to-date equipment, which will no doubt be a significant addition to the current aircraft maintenance training facilities here in Gander."

"The College of the North Atlantic is delighted to accept the donation of the King Air 100 from the province," said Mac Moss, associate district administrator at the Gander campus of the College of the North Atlantic. "Although the aircraft is reaching the end of its useful life for commercial service, it will provide an extremely valuable training aid for the students enrolled in our Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Technology Program. The engines, airframe and avionics will add considerably to our training capabilities now and well into the future."

Media contact:

Lynn Evans, Works, Services and Transportation, (709) 729-3015
Jackie Simon, Industry, Trade and Technology, (709) 729-0050.

2000 11 16 3:30 p.m.