First Brand New PZL-104 MA Wilga 2000 Tow Plane Delivered to the Air Cadet League of Canada Gliding Program
Warszawa, 04 January 2006
The Air Cadet League of Canada, British Columbia Provincial Committee turned over the first ever brand new tow aircraft to Regional Cadet Air Operations in Comox BC on 15th of December 2005.
Manufactured in Poland, by EADS – PZL “Warszawa- Okęcie” S.A., the PZL-104 MA Wilga 2000 aircraft joined five venerable Cessna 305 or L-19 “Bird dogs” used to take gliders aloft in the air cadet gliding program. The new aircraft was rolled out at the Regional Cadet Operations Hangar in Comox in the presence of Mr. G. L. Johnston, President of the BC Provincial Committee of the Air Cadet League of Canada; Mr. J. E. Henwood, Secretary-Treasurer of the BC Provincial Committee of the Air Cadet League of Canada; Colonel J.K. Ambler, Wing Commander, 19 Wing Comox; Commander R. Mountford, Commanding Officer of Regional Cadet Support Unit (Pacific) and Lieutenant-Colonel V.V. Kippel, Regional Cadet Air Operations Officer.
During the ceremony Bill Alder, President of Sealand Aviation Ltd. of Campbell River, the Canadian Distributor of EADS PZL, turned the keys to the new aircraft over to Mr. Geoffrey Johnston, who presented them to the Commander Rick Mountford and Lieutenant-Colonel “Kip” Kippel.
The representatives of EADS PZL “Warszawa-Okęcie”: Władysław Skorski, Operational Director and Zbigniew Wasiucionek , Sales and Marketing Director took also part in the ceremony.
The Wilga was said to be a safe, strudy, versatile aircraft that promises to serve the cadets well into the future specially when the army began to retire the 60 year old L-19 tow planes. “The modifications made to the stock Wilga cause this aircraft to be specially designed and built for the Air Cadet Gliding Program”, declared Lieutenant Colonel Kippel.
| Zbigniew Wasiucionek | EADS PZL |
Tel.: (48-22) 5772 242 Fax: (48-22) 5772 244 |
