Calgary Gooseneck specializes exclusively in the ground transportation of helicopters, small planes and their parts, and is one of the busiest providers of these services in the United States and Canada. Previously, Scott used an uncovered trailer to transport aircraft, which were frequently protected by shrink-wrap. The sight gave other motorists plenty to look at, but such attention wasn’t always desired by Calgary Gooseneck’s customers.
The new, covered trailer is no less eye-catching, but now it’s not the cargo attracting attention: it’s a design based on the bestselling 2010 Vertical Magazine North America’s Civil Helicopter Fleet Poster. Prominently displayed on both sides of the trailer along with the Vertical and Vertical 911 logos, the design features illustrations based on actual helicopters in the North American civil helicopter fleet.
“Calgary Gooseneck is one of the premier helicopter transport companies in North America, and considering all of the helicopters that Scott moves, it only made sense to partner with him,” said Reyno. “Not only is it a great way to market the Vertical brand to the helicopter industry, it’s a great way to promote the helicopter industry to the general public.”
For his part, Scott welcomed the opportunity to team up with Vertical. He said, “Out of all of the magazines out there, when I go into a hangar, Vertical is the one I see.”
Created by Aero-Kit Industries out of Burlington, Ont., not only does the cover conceal the cargo within, it protects it, saving Calgary Gooseneck’s customers around six hours of loading and shrink-wrapping time. Optimized for the transport of helicopters, the Calgary Gooseneck trailer also features special compartments for the storage of rotor blades and other parts, and a lightweight air-ride suspension that maximizes the smoothness of the ride for the relatively light loads that the trailer carries.
The trailer can haul helicopters as large as a Sikorsky S-76 or a Bell medium model (its first transport using the new cover was a Bell CH-146 Griffon for Bell Helicopter and the Canadian Department of National Defence). It can also carry combinations of smaller helicopters, such as two Eurocopter EC-130s. The new cover can be rolled off to accommodate particularly wide loads.
In addition to the covered trailer, Calgary Gooseneck recently invested in a new, 2010 Kenworth truck that meets or exceeds stringent new emission requirements, including the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay standards. The truck is one of the most fuel-efficient models on the market, and fuel efficiency is further improved by “Airtabs” on the rear of the trailer that are designed to reduce aerodynamic drag.
Calgary Gooseneck has been in business since 1979; Scott has owned the company for the past two-and-a-half years. Its customers are drawn to the convenience and cost-savings of transporting aircraft by ground, particularly when weather or long distances make ferry flights impractical, expensive or both.
Doug Scott: 403.651.1851 or doug@calgarygooseneck.com
