Globemaster and Cyclone fleets collaborate to complete fourth cross-country aircraft transfer

October 26, 2026 – Defence Stories

Estimated read time: 1:51

This past February, 12 Wing technicians from 423 Maritime Helicopter (MH) Squadron, 12 Air Maintenance Squadron, and 443 MH Squadron joined forces with 8 Wing Trenton’s 429 Transport Squadron to load a CH148 Cyclone helicopter into a C17 Globemaster, which flew from Patricia Bay, British Columbia to Greenwood, Nova Scotia. This was accomplished through a process called ATK (Aircraft Transfer Kit), and this is only the fourth time such a feat has been accomplished.

“ATKs are a great opportunity to work with other trades and units in the Maritime Helicopter community, and crew on other aircraft like the C17. It’s also a continual learning experience for everyone involved as there have been so few carried out so far,” said Sgt Simon Bennetts, the 12 Wing technician team lead for this iteration of the ATK.

Given that the Cyclone helicopter cannot fit inside the Globemaster fully assembled, the biggest challenge when loading is ensuring the top of the Cyclone does not collide with the Globemaster’s inner ceiling. To avoid this, the 12 Wing technician team removes several parts from the Cyclone, the most important being the rotor blades responsible for creating lift on takeoff. Once these have been removed, a winch in the Globemaster is used to pull the aircraft up its rear ramp, and the helicopter is then chained in place. Given the complexity of this task, constant communication between 12 Wing technicians and loadmasters on the C17 is a must. 

This most recent ATK was completed with Cyclone 804, an aircraft slated for its 1,200-flight hour inspection. This inspection is an exhaustive maintenance process that involves removing and inspecting critical components such as engines, rotor blades, and landing gear. While these components are being removed, interior panels are also unbolted so technicians can inspect the internal wiring and electrical systems within the aircraft. Once these phases are complete, the aircraft is then re-assembled, flight-tested, and returned to service. With multiple aircraft set to enter the 1,200-hour inspection queue by the end of 2026, the ability to send aircraft between coasts with Globemaster support will only become more vital to the Cyclone fleet’s ability to meet deployments on the back of Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) ships. This aircraft’s ATK completion marks another step in the evolution of not only the capability itself but in the Cyclone fleet.

Having undergone its first deployment in January 2019 on-board His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ville-de-Quebec, the Cyclone helicopter remains one of Canada’s newest military aircraft. The completion of aircraft 804s ATK serves as another step forward in the constant improvement that both the Cyclone fleet and Canada’s military strive for.