Flight Test Centre of Excellence (3C) Establishes Industry Advisory Board to Help Guide Strategic Growth and Innovation in Aerospace and Defence

MONTRÉAL, Sept. 17, 2025 /CNW/ – Flight Test Centre of Excellence (3C), Canada’s leading independent flight test and certification company, is proud to announce the establishment of its Industry Advisory Board, composed of distinguished leaders from across the Canadian aerospace and defence sector. This move marks a key milestone in 3C’s strategic vision to advance innovation, operational excellence, and long-term global competitiveness in both civilian and defence aerospace markets.

Formed as part of 3C’s growth strategy and following extensive consultations with industry stakeholders, the 3C Advisory Board will provide high-level strategic guidance, expert industry insight, and independent advice to 3C’s executive team. Their mandate is to help refine and drive forward 3C’s medium- and long-term plans to meet the evolving demands of Canada’s aerospace and defence sector and a rapidly shifting global industry landscape.

Each Advisory Board member brings a legacy of excellence, leadership, and technical achievement in aerospace:

Iain Christie. With almost 40 years of experience in the space business, Iain spent 25 years at Neptec Design Group, a successful space start-up company, where he was president and CEO for seven years, securing the company as a prime contractor to both NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. For six years, Iain was the Executive Vice President of a national trade association representing the Aerospace industry in Canada, responsible for policy and business operations. Iain has vast experience in space and aerospace having worked in mission planning, and operations, R&D, business development and both project and company management. In addition to all this, Iain runs his own consulting company which specialises in providing advisory, and executive coaching services to entrepreneurial companies. He currently teaches at the Telfer School of Management in the Complex Project Leadership program, and is a mentor in the space stream of the Creative Destruction Lab.  He is also the host of podcast called Terranauts about people who “work in space… without ever leaving the planet”.

Alain Pelletier. LIEUTENANT-GENERAL (RET’D) ALAIN PELLETIER, CMM, MSC, MSM, CD, LoM.  ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE. Lieutenant-General (ret’d) Pelletier joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1983. Graduate of the Royal Military College of Kingston (BSc. Mechanical Engineering), he was selected to fly the CF-18 fighter aircraft.  Four tours of operational flying and instructional training on the CF-18, two tours of duty in the Balkans theatre, including Operation Allied Force, where he took part in combat missions.  He also deployed in support of U.S. Air Force Central (AFCENT) Command as the Combined Air Operations Center Director responsible for air tasking in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria. Lieutenant-General (ret’d) Pelletier had multiple assignments at the strategic level: section head for air requirements for fighters and trainers, Director of Air Requirements, and Chief Fighter Capability Program in National Defence Headquarters.  He also held several command positions: Commander 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron, Commander 3 Wing Bagotville, Québec, Commander Canadian Air Component to NATO’s Operation Unified Protector over Libya. He was appointed Commander 1 Canadian Air Division/Canadian NORAD Region in 2019 and then assumed the role of Deputy Commander NORAD in 2020. Lieutenant-General (ret’d) Pelletier is a distinguished graduate of the United States Air Force Air War College (M.Sc. Strategic Studies). He is also a graduate of the Canadian Fighter Weapons Instructor Course (FWIC) and has over 3,000 hours of flying time, of which over 2,500 hours are in the CF-18. He retired from the CAF in 2023 and is now contributing as a volunteer and a grandfather.

John Saabas. John Saabas spent 35 years at Pratt and Whitney Canada in various functions and was President from 2009 to 2019. From 2019 to 2021, he was responsible for engineering at Bombardier Transport. In 2022 he was named the chairman of MagniX, a position he held until the end of 2024. Over the past 10 years he has served on the board of Governors of the University of Waterloo as well as the Faculty Advisory Board for the Department of Engineering at McGill University. Mr. Saabas also served on the executive committee of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC) from 2010 to 2018 and was appointed chairman of the board during 2011 – 2012. Mr. Saabas earned a PhD in Aerodynamics from McGill University in 1991, along with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Waterloo in 1983 and 1984, respectively.

Marc Saint-Hilaire. A distinguished technology executive with an impressive 40-year career in the aerospace and defense industries. Marc graduated from École Polytechnique de Montréal in 1985 (aerospace engineering), followed by a master’s degree (aerospace) from Cranfield University (UK) in 1986, and an MBA from HEC Montréal in 1990. Marc held several senior management positions at Bombardier, where he led aircraft development programs and managed global functional engineering groups. In 2006, Marc joined CAE, the global leader in aviation training, as Global Engineering Vice President. By 2013, he was appointed CAE’s Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Technology & Innovation. In this role, he spearheaded the development of CAE’s global technology vision and strategy, collaborating with all divisions to bring the latest advancements to market. Even after his retirement in 2024, Marc remains actively engaged in the global aerospace industry as a strategic consultant for technologies, investments, and products. Marc’s contributions to the Canadian aerospace community are widely recognized. He served on the CRIAQ Board of Directors for 20 years, including six years as Chairman. In recognition of his dedication, he was named CRIAQ Honorary Board Member for life. Acknowledging the early rise of artificial intelligence, Marc actively supported the creation of the Montreal AI cluster IVADO, representing CAE and serving continuously on the Board of Directors since 2017. In 2014, Marc was honored as Innovation Man of the Year by the Alumni Association of École Polytechnique.

“The caliber of our Advisory Board speaks volumes about the importance of 3C’s mission,” said John Maris, President of 3C. “This is a critical time for the aerospace industry, and 3C is uniquely positioned to be at the forefront of innovation and certification excellence.  3C’s vision to deliver an independent, expertly staffed and equipped flight test and certification capability for Canada is more relevant now than ever. I’m honoured to welcome our Advisory Board to help contribute to the growth of our vital national resource.”

About the Flight Test Centre of Excellence (3C)

Flight Test Centre of Excellence (3C), established by Marinvent Corporation, is Canada’s only Transport Canada Approved Independent Flight Test and Certification Design Approval Organization (DAO). Serving both civilian and defence aerospace markets, 3C specializes in flight test, certification, R&D, and emerging aerospace technology innovation. With unmatched capabilities, assets, and access to intellectual property via its sister companies, 3C supports end-to-end flight testing and certification solutions to meet Canada’s growing defence and civil aerospace needs.

Pour le communiqué de presse français, or to learn more about 3C and its mission, visit: www.certcentercanada.com 

SOURCE Cert Center Canada