{"id":17641,"date":"2017-06-28T16:59:08","date_gmt":"2017-06-28T20:59:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/?p=17641"},"modified":"2017-07-05T16:24:34","modified_gmt":"2017-07-05T20:24:34","slug":"historic-adventure-marks-canadas-anniversary-supports-charities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/historic-adventure-marks-canadas-anniversary-supports-charities\/","title":{"rendered":"Historic adventure marks Canada\u2019s anniversary, supports charities"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Mark Pavilons<\/strong><\/p>\n

A King pilot has combined his love of flying and adventure, into a very special goodwill trek part-way around the world.
\nKingscross resident Steven Dengler and his father Bob, of Aurora, have created the C150 GlobalOdyssey (C150GO). It will be the world\u2019s first Canadian around-the-world helicopter flight, and the first-ever father-son global circumnavigation by aircraft.
\nIn celebration of Canada\u2019s 150th anniversary, the Canadian crew \u2013 comprised of Bob, Steven, and helicopter ace Rob \u201cDugal\u201d MacDuff \u2013 will fly a Canadian-made Bell 429 Global Ranger helicopter over 37,000 kilometres in just over one month.
\nStarting in Ottawa on July 1 and zigzagging the globe, the crew will visit more than 100 airports in 14 countries. Along the way, they will be joined by notable Canadians such as astronaut Dave Williams and hockey legend Guy Lafleur.
\nDengler said the journey has been years in the making, involving some \u201cunreal\u201d\u2008preparations. What started as a \u201ccrazy idea\u201d\u2008became less crazy as they sorted out the details.
\nThis is a real chance for the trio to do something historic, but Dengler said his main motivation was the father-and-son connection.
\nThe experienced fixed-wing and helicopter pilot said they chose the Global Ranger for the \u201cfun factor\u201d\u2008and the mystique surrounding choppers.
\nC150GO is a registered Canadian not-for-profit organization supporting both the Southlake Regional Health Centre Foundation and True Patriot Love Foundation.
\n\u201cThis historic milestone in Canadian aviation has been years in the making,\u201d said Dengler. \u201cBut for this journey to make a real impact on the lives of Canadians, we want to give back by raising funds for Southlake and True Patriot Love. We are humbled by the work of these charities and are proud to have them as partners.\u201d
\nSouthlake Foundation supports its world-class hospital and the community it serves. Southlake Regional Health Centre is a full-service hospital with a regional, clinically advanced focus, serving more than one million people who reside in the surrounding regions.
\nTrue Patriot Love Foundation (TPL) is a national charity that funds unique programs and innovative research in the areas of Veteran family health and support. It honours the sacrifices of members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans and their families by bridging the gap between military and civilian communities.
\nThe project has attracted some welcome corporate sponsors. Citizens can donate as well, and if you visit their website, you\u2019ll be directed to Southlake or TPL to contribute.
\nAlong the way, C150GO will stop at several Canadian military bases while also visiting several national and international Canadian landmarks, including:
\nConfederation Bridge (Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island): One of Canada\u2019s most important engineering achievements, the Confederation Bridge opened in 1997 to connect Prince Edward Island to the mainland. Almost 13 kilometres in length, it is the world\u2019s longest bridge crossing ice-covered water.
\nAlexander Graham Bell National Historic Site (Baddeck, Nova Scotia): In February 1909, Alexander Graham Bell made his mark on Canadian aeronautical history when he financed and organized Canada\u2019s first powered flight at his estate in Baddeck. John McCurdy flew the AEA Silver Dart over Baddeck Bay and with it, ushered in the age of Canadian aviation.
\nSignal Hill National Historic Site (St. John’s, Newfoundland): In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi received the first-ever transatlantic radio signal on historical Signal Hill. The transmission was sent from his station in Poldhu, England, where the G150GO crew will also visit in their travels.
\nMarconi Centre (Poldhu, England): The signal received in Newfoundland in 1901 was sent from this location in Cornwall, England. Built in 2001, the Marconi Centre Poldhu commemorates the first transatlantic transmission\u2019s 100th anniversary.
\nDengler said their visit to the Canadian National Vimy Memorial (Vimy, France) is particularly poignant. This year marks the 100th anniversary of The Battle of Vimy Ridge, a defining moment in Canadian history. They hope to bring a wreath or perhaps an artifact with them.
\nBell Helicopter Plant (Montreal, Quebec): Founded in 1935, Bell Helicopter stands at the forefront of aviation technology. Its Mirabel plant, opened in 1983, manufactures some of the world\u2019s most advanced helicopters, including the Bell 429 flown on the C150 Global Odyssey.
\nDengler said it\u2019s an international celebration of Canadian accomplishments and culture.
\nCanada\u2019s 150th is a time to recognize Canadian achievements, and give ourselves a well-deserved pat on the back. This will be one of the most far-reaching Canada 150 projects and the crew is very excited about it.
\nDengler said they will meet many foreign dignitaries and they hope to connect with Canadians abroad.
\nThe team lifts off from Bolton\u2019s National Helicopters on July 1, heading to Ottawa for Canada Day celebrations that day.
\nFrom there, they head up the coast to Baffin Island, then off to Greenland and Iceland. The route goes from west to east to take advantage of the prevailing winds and Dengler pointed out a tail wind is always an advantage. The Bell 429 can comfortably travel 400 nautical miles at a time, and two legs of the journey push the envelope.
\nTwo of the longest stretches run from Baffin Island to Greenland (392 NM) and Greenland to Iceland (400 NM). The luxurious, spacious cabin of the Global Ranger will be altered to accommodate extra fuel.
\nThey will be travelling in the summer months, so they don\u2019t expect much in the way of bad weather. But, they are cautious and their journey all depends on conditions.
\nThey have the benefit of the extremely reliable twin-engine Global Ranger, used as a search and rescue helicopter. They also rely on the most modern tracking technology.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s going to be an adventure,\u201d\u2008Dengler said.
\nWhile trips over water are problematic, they will be flying over some very remote parts of Russia. The crew will fly through Russia from July 14-21.
\nMost of the journey\u2019s challenges are operational and organizational in nature and involve clearances and permission from various authorities around the world.
\nDengler is quite excited about meeting people on the ground as they make their way around the globe. In some instances, they may be sleeping on someone\u2019s couch in Chelyabinsk and Dengler said \u201cthat\u2019s quite something.\u201d
\n\u201c2017 is Canada\u2019s year. On this the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation, we will travel across the country and the world with a message of pride, goodwill, friendship,\u201d said Dengler. \u201cC150GO is truly a global endeavor, and it would not be possible without the generous support from our partners.\u201d
\nThe C150GO team will post live updates online throughout their journey on their website at www.c150go.ca, and on social media using the \u201cC150go\u201d handle.
\nC150GO is actively seeking sponsorship partners. A chance to make a mark on Canada’s history, sponsors will benefit from increased recognition during a year of global gratitude, spikes in tourism and nation-wide celebration. Three sponsorship tiers are currently available, providing benefits that range from a sponsored leg of the tour to an official C150GO helicopter visit.
\nTo learn more about the C150 Global Odyssey, to become a sponsor or to view the complete C150GO itinerary, please visit www.c150go.ca
\nFounder of Dynatec Mining in 1980, Aurora\u2019s Bob Dengler is a recognized pioneer of modern Canadian mining, growing the company over 25 years into an industry leader employing over 1,500 people. Bob has a true adventurous spirit; in 2014 he summited Kilimanjaro and in 2015, flew his Bell 429 from Toronto to the top of Baffin Island, a 4,400-nautical-mile journey.
\nKing\u2019s Steven Dengler is a Canadian entrepreneur with over 20 years of leadership in the tech space. In 1993 he co-founded XE, the world\u2019s trusted currency authority. A renowned financial technology innovator, Canadian investor, and startup mentor, Steven is a proficient pilot of both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters.
\nA retired test pilot for the Bell 429 Global Ranger, Rob \u201cDugal\u201d MacDuff is a distinguished helicopter professional with over 12,000 hours of flight experience. Rob has helped other notable Canadians pursue their love for flying, including hockey legend Guy LaFleur.<\/p>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Mark Pavilons A King pilot has combined his love of flying and adventure, into a very special goodwill trek part-way around the world. Kingscross resident Steven Dengler and his father Bob, of Aurora, have created the C150 GlobalOdyssey (C150GO). It will be the world\u2019s first Canadian around-the-world helicopter flight, and the first-ever father-son global […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":17647,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general_news","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/2017-06-29-06.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3D2k4-4Ax","publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-17 10:41:03","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17641"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17641\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}