Canada to lease Russian-made helicopters: MacKay

[GAP]

I wonder if they will continue to use the 17's and bring ours home in July.....

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Other than the military, you won’t be able to fly them here without a significant investment in airworthiness certification. Frankly the Russians would be smart to get them certified for Canadian flight ops, might be the kick in the nuts our helicopter builders in North America need. Several Russian models are already certified for flight here. Mil-26 and various kamov models.

 

[larry Strong]

This picture will have model makers in a tizzy. They use the Ka 32 in the logging industry in BC that I know of.

 

[PMedMoe]

Off topic, was there a need to start a new topic when you posted the same thing (links and all) here:  http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/95184/post-994318.html#msg994318  ???

 

[dogger1936]

I actually got to play around in one at the fob one day. Kinda cool.

 

[dogger1936]

I find it weird that they are saying "russian helocopters" are the russian helo's or a russian designed helo.
I had thought it was the Poles that were flying them.

 

[cudmore]

i think that makes three different iterations of MI-17s in use by/for/with the CF in Kandahar:  the chartered Skylink birds, flown by their pilots on milk/mail runs, the Polish air force-owned helos, flown by Poles (these last two were announced in 2008) and the leased choppers flown by CF pilots, painted in our colours (never announced).

 

[SeaKingTacco]

James,

I'm curious as to what your point is- that the CF sometimes does stuff, when fighting a war, that it doesn't run by the CBC first?

Do you suppose that there is a reason for this?

I'm not intending to be hostile, honest.  I'm just saying... 

 

[Jarnhamar]

Flying around in Hind's would be badass.

yeaaaa I know a bunch were shot down.

That's becaue they weren't painted like this

 

[cudmore]

seakingtacco: 
I don't have a point.  nor, contrary to some opinons here of my employer, an agenda.
I'm just betting people here would think the fact Canadian Forces pilots are flying Canadian liveried MI-17's in Afghanistan is interesting. 
It's military current affairs and news, isn't it?

 

[SeaKingTacco]

I don't actually believe the "evil CBC conspiracy agenda" line.  I accept that you write the stories as you see them.

I was just curious to see if you were interested in a particular reaction/angle from the readership here at Army.ca, that's all.

Cheers.

 

[cudmore]

More readers, listners and viewers!
Actually, after lurking here for years and seeing some of my stuff, and other people's stuff, pop up in these forums, I thought I'd just start being more proactive about it.
I'm here as a participant, not a quote grabber.
It's good to hear/see reaction to the work we do.  And you folks here are often the key stakeholders in a lot of the stories I've written.
Seeing people's reaction is helpful.
This story. For instance was neat, cause there was the awesome "wacko CBC comment," some thoughts on what procurements ought to be public, and some responses that indicated folks were interested in what we'd reported.
Long story short:  this seems to be the place to discuss military news, and that's what I often cover.
And, really, what's reporting about if its not about starting a conversation?

 

[SeaKingTacco]

James,

Fair enough.  Welcome to army.ca! 

Cheers,

SeaKingTacco