Page 13 - Volume 13 Number 1

In total, there are 45 maintenance staff, from parts procurement specialists and quality assurance staff to maintenance planners and line staff. The team is accustomed to dealing with high volume and life-critical deadlines, as well as the effects of the environment.
“Temperature and environment are totally against us at all times up there,” Kendall said.
Frequent landing on gravel shale airstrips require daily attention to the fleet’s props and landing gear. In the summer, there is constant wind as well as flies and mosquitoes to deal with. In the winter, little things that take 20 minutes can take two hours due to the cold.
“Changing a tire – which seems so easy down south – can be quite a chore,” he said. “You basically get one chance to jack up the aircraft because the cold temperatures affect the hydraulics of the jack.
If you don’t get it on the first try, you’ll have to wait until you either warm up the jack you are using or get another jack, which could be another 4 to 6 hours, or even longer.
“And we’ve had guys get frostbite on all their fingers just by changing a set of wheels, and that is even with wearing fully insulated gloves.”
The King Air makes the ideal partner in Keewatin Air’s air ambulance operations because it can operate safely in this harsh environment while handling the distances between communities.
“The King Air has been the backbone of our company for over 20 years now and we look forward to providing our customers a continued reliable service,” Kendall said. “We continue to look at improvements and advancements in systems and equipment to ensure that the standard does not diminish.” KA
JANUARY 2019
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 11