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VISION 

At DART Aerospace, we strive to become the leader in aerospace mission-critical equipment, related services and replacement parts and tools. We define the future of safety-enhancing and cost-effective equipment in an evolving aerospace industry.

MISSION

We are a passionate team of professionals who design, certify, manufacture and service aerospace mission-critical equipment of the highest value for aircraft OEMs and operators.

We deliver on operational excellence by offering superior customer experience while partnering with OEMs, operators and maintenance providers.

We offer solutions that increase safety and help operators stay mission ready.

Core Values

Passion

We love what we do, we are ambitious and we go the extra mile to make things happen.

Accountability

We are 100% accountable to meet our internal & external customer commitments.

Adaptability

We adapt to our ever-changing business environment. 

Integrity

We express honor and transparency in everything we do. 

Teamwork

We work together with combined expertise to achieve common goals. 

History
& Timeline

History & Timeline

Our
Capabilities

Design & Manufacturing

Designing and manufacturing parts and systems for helicopters and commercial airliners is part of DART's DNA

Our Global Centers of Excellence have been designing, manufacturing, installing, testing, inspecting, repairing, and certifying products for over 40 years.

Throughout the years, DART has become the world’s largest rotorcraft accessories provider, offering the most comprehensive and diversified product portfolio in the industry.

Our facilities are located in:

- Calgary, Alberta (Engineering)

- Hawkesbury, Ontario (Manufacturing + Engineering + Servicing)
All products with the exception of floats

- Broussard, Louisiana (Servicing and Repair & Overhaul Services)

- Fort Collins, Colorado (Manufacturing & Servicing)

- Portland, Oregon (Manufacturing, Design, Engineering, and Servicing)

- San Diego, California (Engineering)

- Amsterdam, Netherlands (Repair and Overhaul Services)

- Chihuahua, MX (Manufacturing)

Best In-Class Aftermarket Support

Our qualified workforce of over 200 employees are committed to providing the industry with quality service while maintaining great turn-around times.

We provide our customers with repair and overhaul capabilities for Emergency Float Equipment and External Load Equipment. We even exceed FAA and EASA requirements.

DART's dedicated customer support team is specialized to respond to any technical inquiries and offer AOG Support 24/7. Local support can also be provided.

Contact Us

Industry-leading Certification Expertise

DART knows the optimal path to achieve certification.

DART has received over 1,500 Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) since 1975 and issues on average 50 new STCs annually. With vast experience through a wide range of products, DART certifies primary structures as well as interior & exterior, minor & major modifications.

Successfully collaborating with over 10 local and foreign authorities such as TCCA, FAA and EASA, DART has an extensive certification portfolio to meet your aircraft needs.

With 3 full-time delegated engineers (DE), DART performs in-house capabilities such as:
- Building certification & testing plans, qualification & stress reports, finite elements & computational fluid dynamics analysis
- Certification and technical documentation
- Testing capabilities including flight tests, drop tests, flammability & structural testing, bird strike & functional testing.

Certification
& Expertise

CERTIFICATION DEMYSTIFICATION

Let us help you demystify the different certification DART can offer.

TC: A Type Certificate (TC) is a design approval by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), aka FAA, when an applicant demonstrates that a product—airframe, engine, propeller—complies with applicable regulations. The TC normally includes type design, operating limitations, a Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS), relative regulations and other CAA conditions or limitations, and is the basis for other approvals, including production and airworthiness approvals*.

STC: A Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) is issued by the FAA approving a product modification. The STC defines product design change, how the modification affects an existing type design, and lists serial number effectivity. It also identifies the certification basis listing specific regulatory compliance for the design change.*

*http://www.aerofiles.com/STC-Group2.html

PMA & PDA :

In the FAA system, PMA has two meanings:
a. A Parts Manufacturing Approval
b. An approval for a Replacement Part

Interesting Facts

  • A PDA (Parts Design Approval) is a TCCA (Transport Canada) approval for a replacement part. Under the TCCA system, there is no difference in the certification work required to obtain a PDA vs an STC. However, at the end of the process, the final documentation one receives is different for a PDA than for an STC.
  • A PDA can only be issued for a non-critical replacement part. Therefore, while we can obtain a PDA for a wearplate (landing gear sub-component), TCCA will not issue a PDA for a crosstube or a skidtube (primary/structural components).
  • Once DART obtains a TCCA PDA, it is automatically accepted by the FAA and EASA without validation through the respective bilateral agreements. However, some operators are still uncomfortable with the PDA concept since the vehicle to certify a replacement part within their region is an STC, not a PDA or a PMA. To accommodate this matter, DART has started to obtain STC’s for some of its PDA parts.
OEM PARTNERSHIPS

Partnering with customers to develop new solutions is at the heart of the DART Aerospace philosophy.

DART has extensive experience partnering with helicopter OEMs to design, develop and supply mission critical components. Major helicopters OEMs such as Airbus, Bell, Leonardo and Sikorsky, have trusted DART to collaborate on systems such as flotation, life rafts, landing gear and cable cutters. In many cases, the OEM requests DART to support schedule-sensitive helicopter deliveries where product certification is not just required by FAA or EASA, but where a foreign validation is also mandatory and DART’s certification expertise is the critical enabler to meet the deadline.

In partnership with the OEM, DART has worked both Type Certificate (TC) solutions and Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) solutions. In certain cases, an OEM may elect to engage DART on an STC project baseline because the certification path is much shorter than developing as a TC project, which would require OEM resources which may not be readily available.

To date, DART has designed and developed approximately 20 systems in collaboration with helicopter OEMs. We are always ready to consider both new OEM project ideas and structure win-win OEM partnerships so please do not hesitate to contact us.

Our extensive experience is backed up by more than 30 years, delivering high-quality, performing solutions for all your needs.

Meet DART's team of talented & experienced people.

Senior Leadership Team

Alain Madore President

Alain Madore

President & CEO

Awarded “Top 20 under 40” by the Aerospace Helicopters & Wings Magazine in 2017, Alain started at DART in 2012 and was appointed President & CEO in late 2016. Prior to joining DART, he worked for 9 years at Bombardier Aerospace in various engineering, program and business development positions, and actively participated in the development and launch of new aircraft programs.

Ryan Williamson Vice President Sales and Marketing

Ryan Williamson

Vice President Sales and Marketing

In this executive role, Mr. Williamson is responsible for developing sales strategies, maintaining customer relationships, and implementing marketing plans. Reporting to Mr. Williamson are the Commercial Sales Team and Marketing team.

David Shepherd Vice President of Certification, Safety and Customer Support

David Shepherd

Vice President of Certification

A graduate of the Mechanical Engineering Program at the University of Victoria, David oversees all Certification Activity at DART. David has over 20 years of experience designing, testing, and certifying modifications and replacement parts for the rotorcraft industry.

Fernando Ribeiro Vice President of Engineering

Fernando Ribeiro

Vice President of Engineering

Fernando brings over 35 years of aerospace experience in providing engineering leadership on numerous clean sheet aircraft development programs, from requirement definition to certification and entry into service. He has led a wide number of disciplines and expertise in Product Development and Service Engineering, and composite-built aero-structure components. He also brings extensive knowledge from his career in the military with the Portuguese Air Force. His proven loyalty, innovation, and collaboration, while successfully developing top performing teams, will bring a bold vision to DART’s growth and engineering capabilities.

Konrad Sauvé Vice President of Operations

Konrad Sauvé

Vice President of Operations

Konrad successfully brought our Hawkesbury facility to a higher level by delivering best-in-class customer service, OTD and productivity. and engineering capabilities.

Josée Theroux Vice President of Finance

Josée Theroux

Vice President of Finance

Over the last 3 years with DART, Josée has led multiple high-profile initiatives in her Financial Planning & Analyst role. Most recently, she was a key leader in the successful acquisition process of DART by TransDigm.

Worldwide Coverage

Our Global Centers of Excellence have been designing, manufacturing, installing, testing, inspecting, repairing, and certifying products for over 40 years.

DART offers a worldwide support network for all your needs. Trust DART as an important partner, wherever you are. We ensure you get the correct support you need. With best-in-class aftermarket support, AOG assistance and various service centers.

AOG 24/7 EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

For AOG support ONLY, outside normal business hours.
Please note that AOG fees will apply.
1 613 676-1720

Technical Support 24/7
Emergency Flotation Equipment

Tools, Hooks & Long Lines

All Other Products
Tel: 1 613 676 0992
Email: support@dartaero.com

Map

 

Current Job Openings

Mechanical Designer
Montreal, QC
Engineering Manager
Montreal, QC
Mechanical Designer
Hawkesbury, ON
Assembly Worker
Hawkesbury, ON
Machinist
Hawkesbury, ON
Accountable Quality Manager
Nieuw-Vennep, Netherlands
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