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Canada’s Premier Airlift Base Uses Solar Runway Lights

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Oct 21, 2015

With a history dating back to the 1930’s, 8 Wing, Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton, located on Lake Ontario, is the hub of Royal Canadian Air Force air transport operations and is involved in virtually every Canadian Force operation. The base’s fleet of tactical and strategic transport, and Search and Rescue (SAR) aircraft are dispatched regularly to every part of the world, and are responsible for providing coverage for a million square kilometers in central Canada. CFB Trenton is undergoing considerable physical transformation including the construction of new buildings, hangars and a control tower; part of this change included a shift to more innovative lighting solutions.

The base had a unique airfield lighting challenge that required a unique solution. It needed to be a temporary lighting solution that provided all of the tactical Night Vision requirements for training, and would be robust enough to function all year in even the harshest of Canadian winters.

The Carmanah solution included the A704 series runway edge light, L-854 radio control equipment to support aircrew ARCAL operation, and a handheld wireless controller for ground operation. In addition to high intensity visible light, the A704 series provides IR capability for use with the C-17 aircrew’s night vision goggles.

A representative of CP Lights, the distributor involved in the project, stated “We established a very strong relationship with the base over several years and it was their drive for innovation that allowed this project to happen.”

The lighting system was temporarily installed on the main runway for training purposes just a few weeks before the first C-17’s arrived. The training cycle that ensued paved the way for the first ever tactical NVG approach into Afghanistan done by Canadians. After the conclusion of training, the lights were moved to Canadian Forces airfield Mountainview, where they continued to support tactical flight training for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

About Carmanah Aviation

Carmanah Aviation is the source for cost-efficient, scalable, and flexible solar airfield lighting solutions. Our durable airfield systems install within hours for maintenance-free operations without grid power, buried cable or airfield electrical vaults. With rugged, wire-free designs and sophisticated solar energy management systems, Carmanah products are ideally suited for use at locations around the globe.

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