Aviation — Heating, Ground Power & Hangar Equipment

Authorized and sole Arcotherm distributor for North America since 1993 · Cantherm started in aviation

Aviation operations have been the reason Cantherm exists since the company was founded.

Cantherm was founded in 1993 specifically to heat the hangars of an aviation parts business in Winnipeg. Thirty years later, we still supply the heaters, the ground power, the protective covers, and the tow equipment aviation operations depend on. From a regional airfield to a military airbase, the gear is built for the conditions aviation actually faces.

Get a Quote · Call Toll-Free: 1-800-661-9276

How Cantherm Started in Aviation

In 1988, Alvin Gregorash, a Winnipeg aircraft parts broker, took over Standard Aero’s piston-engine servicing business and founded Aero Recip (Canada). Within a few years he noticed something practical: the hangars of his aviation clients needed heat in Winnipeg winters, and the direct-fired heaters available at the time — which exhaust combustion products into the heated air — weren’t acceptable around aircraft. The avionics didn’t tolerate the contamination; the engines didn’t tolerate the moisture.

Around the same time, an Italian manufacturer named Biemmedue had developed a new design: indirect-fired heaters that separated combustion exhaust from the heated air output. Clean, breathable hot air, safe to introduce around aircraft. Gregorash partnered with two associates who knew the heating side, and in 1993 they started Canadian Thermal Dynamics — later renamed Cantherm Distributors — to import Biemmedue’s heaters to North America.

The first customers were aviation hangars in Manitoba. The aviation DNA is built into the company.

What Aviation Operations Actually Need From Heating Equipment

Aviation runs into three distinct heating contexts:

Hangar heating. Tall, high-volume, often poorly-insulated structures with large doors that open repeatedly. High BTU demand, sealed combustion (no by-products near aircraft or technicians), extended-run reliability in winter. Indirect-fired diesel is the workhorse category — and the reason Cantherm exists.

Pre-flight ground heating. Aircraft sitting overnight on a winter ramp need heated air introduced into engines, cabins, and avionics bays before start-up. The heater needs to be portable, clean-air-output, controllable, and able to run on jet fuel that’s already staged on the ramp.

Airbase and military deployments. Forward operating environments where the equipment has to work the first time in cold conditions far from a service van. Reliability and parts availability — not just initial performance — are the criteria.

All three share the same non-negotiable: the combustion has to be sealed. Direct-fired heaters are not appropriate around aircraft.

Cantherm’s Aviation Equipment Lineup

Arcotherm EC Series — the aviation workhorse

Indirect-fired diesel portable heaters. Sealed combustion chamber, ducted clean air output, CSA approved. Runs on diesel #2, kerosene K1, or jet fuel A1 — useful when jet fuel is already staged on the ramp. Three sizes cover most aviation applications:

  • EC 100 — 112,000 BTU input, 1,020 CFM. Small hangars, pre-flight ramp use, helicopter operations.
  • EC 200 — 205,000 BTU input, 1,530 CFM. Mid-size hangar work, the most-deployed size in our aviation customer base.
  • EC 300 — 294,000 BTU input, 2,530 CFM. Larger hangars, multi-aircraft operations.

All three: 120V wall outlet power, AISI 430 stainless steel combustion chamber, automatic post-ventilation cool-down, overheating thermostat, four-pass heat exchanger technology on 200 and 300.

Arcotherm PHOEN 400 HC — the larger-hangar option

Heavy-duty indirect-fired diesel with two-stage burner. 412,000 BTU on high stage. 57-gallon tank — runs 29 hours on low. For the largest hangar operations.

Arcotherm EK Series — for indoor avionics work

Electric portable heaters. No combustion, no flame, no carbon monoxide. UL approved. Useful for indoor maintenance bays, avionics work, or any aviation space where combustion isn’t appropriate — even when ventilation isn’t restricted, electric removes the operator-error risk of fuel handling.

Aircraft Ground Power Units (START PAC)

Portable 24V and 28V aircraft GPUs. Clean, ripple-free power for aircraft maintenance and engine starts. Cantherm has supplied START PAC GPUs to North American aviation operations alongside the heaters for years.

Protective Covers for Aircraft and Military Vehicles

Precision-engineered environmental protection — sand, salt, UV, moisture. Used by aviation operations and military airbases protecting parked aircraft.

Helicopter Tow Carts and Moving Solutions

Light and heavy duty tow carts for helicopter operations — moving aircraft on the ramp, in the hangar, between maintenance bays. See also our dedicated Helicopter MRO industry hub.

Equipment Recommendations by Aviation Use Case

  • Small hangar (< 5,000 sq ft): EC 100 or EC 200 indirect-fired diesel
  • Mid-size hangar (5,000–20,000 sq ft): EC 200 or EC 300
  • Large hangar (20,000+ sq ft): EC 300 + PHOEN 400 HC combination
  • Pre-flight ramp heating: EC 100 / 200 with portable ducting kit; jet fuel A1 compatible
  • Indoor avionics / maintenance bay: EK Series electric — no combustion concerns
  • Aircraft engine starts / ground power: START PAC GPU (24V / 28V)
  • Parked aircraft protection: Aviation protective covers
  • Helicopter ramp / hangar moving: Helicopter tow carts
  • Airbase / forward operating: EC line + START PAC + covers — full kit

Why Aviation Operations Choose Cantherm

The founding DNA. Cantherm was started by an aircraft parts broker for aviation customers. Three decades of working with aviation buyers — regional carriers, military operations, helicopter services, FBO operators — informs how we scope equipment, what we stock, and how we support customers in the field.

Jet fuel A1 compatible. The EC and PHOEN indirect-fired lines run on jet A1 with a 15-minute burner adjustment, documented and supported. If your operation has jet fuel on the ramp, you don’t need to bring diesel just for the heaters.

Parts in Winnipeg, supported into the 2030s. High-turn replacement parts stocked at the Winnipeg warehouse for every current Arcotherm model. Arcotherm maintains parts availability for ten years past a model’s retirement.

Tech support that knows aviation specifically. Phone support is part of the buying conversation, not a separate paid tier. The same people who scoped your hangar’s heater can troubleshoot it in the field.

UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 certified Italian engineering. Biemmedue manufactures bespoke at the 25,000 m² Cherasco factory. Heaters arrive engineered for the operating envelope rather than configured down from a generic SKU.

Aviation-Buyer FAQ

Can Arcotherm heaters run on jet fuel A1?

Yes. The Arcotherm EC and PHOEN indirect-fired lines run on jet A1 with a 15-minute burner adjustment documented in the operator manual. Cantherm technicians walk through the adjustment over the phone if needed.

Is the heated air output safe to introduce into engine intakes or avionics bays?

Yes — the EC and PHOEN lines are indirect-fired. The combustion chamber is sealed; the heated air output is fully separated from combustion exhaust. Designed exactly for sensitive-equipment applications. Direct-fired heaters are NOT safe around aircraft and we do not recommend them for aviation use.

How do you size BTU output for an aviation hangar?

A typical insulated hangar at -20°C ambient needs about 30–50 BTU/h per square foot of floor area. A poorly-insulated structure or one with large doors that open frequently can need 75–100 BTU/h per sq ft. Contact a Cantherm aviation specialist for a sizing scope.

What is parts availability look like once a specific Arcotherm model retires?

Arcotherm maintains parts for ten years past production. Cantherm sources from Italy as needed. The equipment your aviation operation buys today is supported into the 2030s.

Can Cantherm handle a forward-operating-base deployment to a remote airfield?

Yes. Freight options range from standard LTL to expedited air cargo. Cross-border paperwork and customs handled on our side. Tell us the airfield location, the timeline, and the equipment scope — we work backwards from there.

Heating an Aviation Operation? Let’s Scope It.

Tell us the application (hangar / pre-flight / airbase / helicopter / indoor maintenance), the space dimensions, the fuel available on site, the certifications your procurement process requires, and the timeline. A Cantherm aviation specialist will narrow the equipment to one or two specific models and quote freight from Winnipeg.

Get a Quote via our Contact Us page · Call 204-688-9245 · Toll-Free 1-800-661-WARM