Welcome to our September edition of MaxNews. Now that the dust has settled from this year’s EAA AirVenture, we begin the transition from peak flying season into the beautiful colours of fall. We have numerous new products to announce, a dive into operating in the extreme North, along with a few interesting projects we’ve been working on in our hangar. While the days are getting shorter, there’s still plenty of good flying weather ahead to enjoy the cooler fall air. You’ll want to keep reading this issue where we announce the biggest growth news since Maxcraft opened its doors in 1989.

Big Growth News Coming From Maxcraft

We are excited to announce Maxcraft has entered into a new growth period. Earlier this year Maxcraft was acquired by Maverick Aviation Group. Under the Maverick umbrella, Maxcraft joins Bristow Instruments, and Vision Inspection Services Canada. This partnership gives us the ability to take Maxcraft to the next level by adding resources, expanding our capabilities, and ultimately delivering more value to our customers.

This strategic acquisition strengthens Maverick’s presence in Western Canada and positions the combined group as one of the most capable independent avionics and instrument service providers in North America and globally. For Maxcraft’s customers, the transition ensures continuity in service, leadership, and technical excellence—with added benefits from Maverick’s coast-to-coast service network.

Read more here.

“We’re committed to preserving everything customers value about Maxcraft—while bringing the added strength of a national platform and long-term investment in people, tools, and infrastructure.”

Trevor Rehberg-Besler

President

Maverick Aviation Group

Featured Products:

Maxcraft Prepares Conair Birddog for Fire Season

As part of a fleet modernization upgrade, Maxcraft teamed up with Conair to transform their fleet of Twin Commanders into a modern workhorse. Used as an aerial command and control station over active wildfires, these aircraft serve a vital role directing both air and ground fire fighting crews. Coming to us with a traditional six pack instrument panel, they left with Garmin’s G600 TXi touchscreen glass primary flight display system, and a highly advanced audio management system allowing the pilot to coordinate with air traffic control, while the Air Attack Officer communicates with fire crews.

Read more here.

“Their work on the install upgrades to our Turbo Commander birddog aircraft puts better tools in the hands of our birddog pilots”

UPDATE: Cost Effective IFR Glass Install – Cessna 206

Returning to the hangar floor once again for another round of upgrades is this Cessna Turbo 206 on amphibs owned by our very own Director of Business Development, Steve. Already being a very capable IFR machine, we added the finishing touches by installing Garmin’s GFC 500 Digital Autopilot System, Garmin’s GI 275 Engine Information System, and to top it all off, we designed and fabricated and new instrument panel to bring the aesthetics to the next level.

Read more here.

“David and his team of technicians treated me professionally and kept me updated weekly on the progress.“

Far North Operations: Precision in Navigation

Magnetic unreliability in northern operations is a significant concern due to the high variability of the Earth’s magnetic field, particularly near the magnetic poles. This variability can lead to unreliable and unusable magnetic compasses, which are essential for navigation. In the early days a very expensive, high precision mechanical gyro was used to minimize drift, or what is known as precession. The pilot would set their HSI to a known magnetic heading on the ground and hope the heading indicator didn’t drift to much so they could navigate to their destination airport. Thankfully technology has not only advanced but also become much more affordable so that Northern Operators can utilize some of this new technology. Here are two systems that we recently certified into some airframes to address those needs.

Digital Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS)

Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS), although not new, have revolutionized how we navigate and control aircraft and other objects in three-dimensional space. By combining advanced inertial sensors with sophisticated data-processing algorithms, AHRS provides real-time information about orientation—pitch, roll, yaw—and heading direction.

How AHRS Works

An AHRS integrates several key sensors, each playing a distinct role:

• Accelerometers act as “gravity detectives,” measuring acceleration in three axes to determine tilt relative to Earth’s gravity.

• Gyroscopes serve as “rotation trackers,” using angular momentum principles to measure angular velocity and capture dynamic changes in orientation.

• Magnetometers operate as “geomagnetic compasses,” sensing Earth’s magnetic field to provide heading information.

These sensors continuously feed data into a central processor. Through complex sensor fusion algorithms, the system filters errors, reconciles discrepancies, and delivers accurate, stable attitude and heading outputs.

Why High-Precision AHRS Matters

The real strength of high-precision AHRS technology is its ability to operate independently of external signals such as GPS or conventional magnetic compasses. The high-precision portion of this ensures it has minimal drift over the duration of the flight. This makes it invaluable in environments where satellite reception is unreliable or magnetic references are distorted. Non precisions AHRS typically limit operations to approximately less than 65° north, while High Precision AHRS allow operations up to 84° north.

Garmin GRS 7800 – Maxcraft certified in the DHC-Dash 7

Garmin’s GRS 7800 AHRS provides a free-gyro mode, expanding the authorized area of operation in a variety of airframes . This enables safe and reliable navigation at latitudes up to 84° north—opening new possibilities for operators who fly in Canada’s Arctic and other high-latitude regions.

Solid State Inertial Reference System (IRS)

Inertial Navigation is a form of “Dead-Reckoning” that relies on an Inertial Reference System (IRS) that uses gyroscopes and accelerometers to provide precise attitude, velocity, and navigation information for aircraft. It continuously calculates the position and orientation of a moving object without relying on external references. The IRS is crucial for providing safety-critical data to aircraft flight controls and navigation systems, ensuring accurate positioning even when GPS signals are unavailable. This type of system is capable of navigation right up to the North Pole

Litef LCR-110 – Maxcraft certification in the King Air 350

Developed by Northrop Grumman LITEF in Germany, the LCR-110 is a compact GNSS-aided inertial reference system (IRS). It integrates MEMS accelerometers with fiber-optic gyroscopes (FOG) to deliver precise orientation and navigation data. Designed for both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, it supports high-integrity navigation applications such as Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) and RNP-AR approaches. Its design also ensures reliable performance in polar regions, where magnetic heading becomes unreliable.

The Bottom Line

If you operate in areas where GPS and magnetic references are unreliable, investing in a high-precision AHRS or IRS can significantly expand your operational capability. At Maxcraft, we understand both the benefits and the limitations of these systems and have experience integrating them into certification packages. Don’t hesitate to reach out for advice on the right solution for your mission.

Litef began in 1961 supporting the inertial navigation system found in the F-104 G Starfighter. Based the beautiful Black Forest metropolis of South West Germany, Litef today is a leader in the really cool world of inertial technology for the Defence, aviation, industrial, and marine industries. After merging with Northrop Grumman in 2001, Litef has continued to innovate by developing cutting edge technology you can rely on.

Litef’s high-tech products can be found operating on aircraft around the world on a daily basis. As proven experts with decades of experience designing and developing systems for use in the harshest, most demanding environments, Litef is proud to be producing safety. Safety means that their products and solutions have a proven track record of reliable service.

Litef’s Headquarters in Germany

Texas Aerospace Technologies is a distributor for Litef in the North American market, and our partner enabling us to work with the advanced technology Litef is known for producing.

Texas Aerospace Technologies was founded in 2021 in Abilene, TX. When they launched, their goal was simple yet ambitious – to create a company that was more than just a parts distributor. They set out to build a business model based on partnership, service, and innovation. Today Texas Aerospace Technologies delivers NextGen aviation products that enhance the safety of flight through distribution and certification.

Since founding, they’ve had the privilege of collaborating with OEMs, MROs, and fleet operators worldwide. Together, bringing practical solutions to the market that make a real difference for operators. From designing, manufacturing, and certifying the TXA201 Tri-Axial Accelerometer, to providing industry leading low-cost 25-hour CVR & Flight Data Recorder solutions that help operators meet global mandates, their focus has always been on delivering value.

Today, their international presence enables them to meet customers face-to-face across key markets, saving OEMs time and resources while fostering the trusted relationships this industry relies on. As they celebrate their 4th year in business, they’re reminded that aerospace is, at its core, a relationship-driven business. they’re honored to serve their colleagues, customers, and community—and they’re excited to continue building solutions and partnerships for years to come.

Christian has been an Avionics Technician with Maxcraft since February of 2024. Joining Maxcraft straight out of school, Christian’s journey began initially with attending the University of Alberta’s pharmacy program. After one semester of that, he decided to transfer to the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer – Electronics program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. This 18 month program taught him the base level knowledge, and prepared him for our apprenticeship program which will lead to him obtaining his Aircraft Maintenance Engineer License from Transport Canada. Christian was attracted to this field because of his interest in engineering, anything mechanical, and technology in general. Avionics combines all of these, challenging him to understand how complex systems work.

Like many others in this industry, Christian enjoys knowing that every day brings a different challenge. At Maxcraft, our technicians can be found working on a never before completed installation on a large transport category aircraft one day, followed by troubleshooting a half-century old avionics system on an ultralight aircraft the next. His favorite project at Maxcraft so far has been the first Dash 7 Glass Flight Deck.

In Christian’s younger years, he completed first grade in Lebanon, and second grade in Germany, before returning to Canada in third grade where he attended a French immersion school until graduation. Christian can speak three languages, English, French, and Arabic, and used to speak German as a child.

Outside of work, Christian has a passion for basketball, which he played on his high school team. He also thoroughly enjoys listening to all types of music. Christian isn’t the only aviator in the family, his older brother is a pilot, and Christian has always aspired to follow in those footsteps, hoping to eventually get his private pilot license one day.

CWC – Canadian Wildfire Conference

Oct. 1-2 2025

Kelowna, BC

TBMOPA TBM Owners & Pilots Association

Oct 30 – Nov 2

Savannah, GA

Vertical MRO Conference

Oct 7 – 9, 2025

Kelowna, BC

HAC Helicopter Association of Canada

Nov 4-6

Abbotsford, BC

NBAA National Business Aviation Association

Oct. 14 – 16

Las Vegas, NV

Verticon HAI – Aerial Work Safety Conference

Dec 7-9

Boise, ID