Leased and Contractor Aircraft
The Canadian Forces have leased aircraft from vendors to help transport troops and equipment from Canada and other locations in the past decade. Transport aircraft have been leased as required.
- Beechcraft B200 Super King Air
- Two aircraft leased from Aero Support Canada Inc. Part of the Multi-Engine Utility Flight(MEUF) based at CFB Trenton. Flown by RCAF pilots, they are used for light transport of personnel and equipment within North America.
- Dornier Alpha Jet Type A
- Twelve civil aircraft are operated by Top Aces Consulting for CATS (Contracted Airborne Training Services) and are based at CFB Bagotville; ex-Luftwaffe trainers
- Hawker Hunter F.58
- Twelve civil aircraft are operated by Lortie Aviation, formerly Northern Lights International Airlines Ltd.. Based out of CFB Cold Lake; ex-Swiss Air Force jets
- Mil Mi-17
- Medium-lift helicopters are leased from Skylink Aviation for transporting equipment and troops in the Balkans and Afghanistan.
- Mil Mi-8
- Medium lift transport helicopters leased from SkyLink Aviation for use in Afghanistan.
- IAI Heron
- Five Heron unmanned aerial reconnaissance aircraft were leased for use in Afghanistan from Israel Aerospace Industries; the lease terminated with the end of the Canadian combat mission in 2011.
Read more about this topic: Royal Canadian Air Force