While mankind continues to search the corners of the earth for adventure or resources, there will always be a need for safe, cost effective transportation. Dave Mathieson, president and chief pilot of Summit Air, tells Rob Harris about the innovative approach that has underpinned the company’s growth.
Exploration is part of human nature. For some it is the pursuit of wealth, while for others it is the quest for knowledge and enlightenment, and for a few it is the journey itself that brings excitement and fulfillment. While the unknown corners of the Earth become smaller every day, these dwindling wilderness areas are the new frontier of the modern era. One such area is Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT), where the abundant natural resources and beauty are a magnet for explorers. In these inaccessible locations, transportation can be especially challenging due to weather, lack of roads, and distance.
Summit Air, a charter air service operating out of two locations in Canada, exists to take its clients to these remote places. The company’s main operation is headquartered in Yellowknife, NWT, and it has a second operational base in the city of Iqaluit on the southern coast of Baffin Island in Nunavut. The company started out with small float planes in British Columbia and then later moved to its current location in Yellowknife.
After moving, the company upgraded its aircraft to the Dornier 228 and the Shorts Skyvan. Chief pilot and president of Summit Air Dave Mathieson describes when he started with the company. “I was the ninth employee when I started in 2005. I could see the business potential was there, and they had two perfect aircraft types that filled a niche that’s unmatched.”
The Dornier 228 cruises at 200 knots, which is 50 knots faster than any comparable aircraft in its class. With fuel burned at the rate of 600 lbs/hour, the increased speed of the Dornier reduces the client’s fuel bill by nearly 25 percent and clients get to their destination faster, safer, and in greater comfort. “Our low turnover rate reduces training costs and keeps experience levels high which then allows us to operate the aircraft at a lower cost per mile. So for the client it’s really a no-brainer,” Mathieson continues. “They’re getting an aircraft that carries more, goes faster, and costs a lot less on a price per pound basis. The aircraft really sells itself.”
The other aircraft in Summit Air’s fleet is the Shorts Skyvan, which can carry nine passengers and up to 4500 pounds of cargo. The plane is equipped with a massive rear door that opens up wide enough to allow it to accommodate a mid-sized truck.
Today the company has five Dornier 228s, with two more to be delivered this winter, and three Skyvans. It has also grown from nine employees to its current level of fifty. So what lies behind this remarkable growth? “The reason is our people,” says Mathieson. “We hand pick them, we treat them with respect, and we pay them above the industry standard, so we have a real positive team feeling at this company. It’s a real family feel.”
The company services the entire northern part of Canada from coast to coast, as Mathieson explains. “Our larger clients are the Department of National Defence, and the mining industry. We go as far north as Alert and Eureka, which is the very top of Canada.” In the future, he says, “we plan to continue to grow the company, adding more experts to our team, more aircraft, new types of aircraft and continuing to open new bases across Canada.”
Any successful business is always developing new goods and services, and Summit Air is no exception. Mathieson explains two new services that the company is offering. “We do Polar re-supply parachute drops now, for people that are hiking to the North Pole. We fly over and parachute gear in for them. This is something we started last year, and it has worked out to be amazing because with the aircraft’s range, we can service five different groups at a time all over the North Pole and still make it back safely. By using the Dornier we can do this more cost effectively than any other aircraft.
“We also do what is called ACMI leases, where we provide an aircraft anywhere the client needs it,” he continues. “It comes with a crew, engineer, and a full spares package and that’s a total mobile unit. So you could send an aircraft anywhere in the world. We’ve just started a survey contract in South America for a large research company; we’re surveying the jungles of South America. They are quite happy with this aircraft because of reliability, range and the length of time the aircraft can remain in the air without the need to re-fuel.”
Another unique concept that Summit Air has brought to the charter air business is the way the company compensates its pilots. Traditionally in the charter air market, pilots are paid a base salary with the majority of their pay depending on how many miles they fly. The negative aspect of this model is that you can have pilots making critical decisions based on personal financial concerns. The difference in Summit Air’s policy is that it pays all of its pilots a salary.
This new system was ridiculed by the competition when it was first started, but the change has led to great results. Summit Air’s pilots make decisions based on safety first at all times, and give the company 100 percent effort all the time. Mathieson explains why this works. “The key to our success is our people. I think a lot of businesses miss that; they see their payroll as an expense rather than an investment. To me that is the most valuable investment you can make in any company.”
The mystery of the unknown and the lure of riches has always compelled explorers to reach for the uncharted regions of the world. Mathieson describes what it’s like to operate in the NWT. “It’s one of the most extreme places you could be flying on the planet. You might as well be flying on the moon when you’re operating up here. You are unsupported, you’re thousands of miles away from anyone or any help, and you’ve got to depend on your training and your ability to keep the passengers and crew safe.”
