“Engineer, build, fly.” That’s the slogan for Icarus Aero — and it couldn’t be more fitting.
Based in Gravenhurst, Ontario, the company is celebrating its 10th anniversary and recently tripled the size of its facility to 13,000 square feet (1,200 square meters).
Icarus has extensive experience working with a range of helicopter models from Leonardo, Sikorsky, Bell, Airbus, and more, as well as a multitude of fixed-wing platforms, including DC-3s, King Air 200, 300, 350, 360, DHC-8-100 / 200 / 300 / 400, DHC-6-100 / 200 / 300 / 400, Beech 1900, and PC12, among others.
The company provides a wide range of products and services supporting several missions, such as integrated surveillance and reconnaissance, firefighting, evacuation and medical transport, search-and-rescue, exploration and survey, law enforcement, military, and passenger transportation.
Icarus provides custom solutions for unique installation requirements, specializing in the design, manufacturing, testing, and certification of quality parts for rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft as a full turnkey service. The company is recognized and approved by Transport Canada for the design and certification approvals for all types of repairs, modifications and part replacements across several platforms.
Principal services range from full modification and repair designs to modification kits or installations, computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D solid modeling, structural analysis and certification, and installation and integration of kits onto the aircraft.
“We recently completed several medical helicopter cabin conversions,” said Ryan Hader, president of Icarus. “Our most recent includes iPad installations within heavy helicopters, infusion pumps mounted within helicopters for medevac assistance, and a complete medical operator cabinet/console for assisting medics during rescue flights. Additionally, we have recently designed and completed several infant isolette installations allowing for neonatal care, which was not previously supported in Ontario.”
To continue such notable projects, the facility expansion allows Icarus to bring all its services under one roof. As well, it facilitates additional computer numerical control (CNC) machines to enable more cutting-edge technologies such as 3D printing.
“This year, we will gain our AMO [approved maintenance organization] approval under CAR [Canadian Aviation Regulation] 573 to augment our design and manufacturing approvals,” Hader said. “This means we will then be able to undertake modifications to aircraft in our own hangar.”
It’s a significant advantage for Icarus, which is one of only 25 small- to medium-sized privately-owned companies in Canada authorized by Transport Canada as a design authority. And growth won’t be stopping with the AMO approval.
“Future growth sees us becoming a systems integrator for special mission equipment, being able to offer full design, manufacturing, modification and certification services all under one roof,” Hader said.
