Cascade Aerospace Inc. began as an aircraft repair station, founded by Barry Marsden, who received his pilot's license at age 17. Marsden's enthusiasm for aviation led him to co-found the Conair Group, a specialty aviation services firm, in 1969.
Conair's initial focus was aerial forest fire control. The experience acquired in developing specialty aviation products and operating and maintaining a fleet of 90 aircraft gave Conair the expertise required to offer third-party maintenance and modifications. That expertise inspired a more expansive vision. By 1993, Marsden–forward thinking about aviation–envisioned a new enterprise dedicated to providing third-party maintenance. That became a reality when Conair moved into a new, state-of-the-art, 21 000 m2 facility in December 2000. In spring 2001, the third-party maintenance division became a separate company with a new name, Cascade Aerospace.
Cascade's leadership team continued to diversify the company, entering into the military realm in 2005 when the company received its first contract with Canada's Department of National Defence for the total fleet management of Canada's fleet of Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical airlift aircraft. Cascade currently offers its services and products to aircraft operators worldwide, and is partnered with other global aerospace OEMs.
In 2010, Cascade received the contract for in-service support contract for the Royal Canadian Air Force's new CC-130J Super Hercules. In 2013, Cascade received a contract worth up to CA$225 million for long-term maintenance services on the planes. The contract is for work on Canada's CC-130H Hercules fleet's avionics system This newest contract bundles several smaller ones under a broader framework, making Cascade the prime service provider for various elements of the aircraft's avionics systems. These elements include program management as well as engineering, maintenance, materiel and technical information support.
