They came to Iqaluit for cold weather testing on the NH90, a military-class helicopter, and brought with them a million dollar project. If all goes well, these results will be used to get the aircraft certified.

"We knew statistically we were guaranteed the cold temperatures here. A cold spell in Europe happens but it may only last a week," said Denis Hamel, a flight test engineer and the team leader.

Hamel said it took a long time to find the right location. In order for the tests to be successful, the crew needed an average temperature of -31 C. Inuvik and Goose Bay, Labrador, were also considered for the testing.

Along with cold temperatures, they needed a location with a runway long enough for one of the world's biggest planes, the Antonov AN-124, to land safely. The Antonov carried the 20-passenger helicopter to Iqaluit from Germany.

"We came across Iqaluit in December. We found the temperature and the runway we needed. The last thing that was left was finding a facility," explained Hamel.

They quickly found the Forward Operating Location (FOL) hangars on the far side of the runway and signed a one-month lease. The lease is managed by the Canadian Armed Forces and city's public works department. Hamel said the presence of the project in Iqaluit will benefit the community.

"The rent goes to the military but a lot of money goes back into Iqaluit in terms of the electricity, water and so on. We've tried to use as many local resources as we could like food, lodging and transportation," explained Hamel.

Although Nunavummiut should not expect to see the NH90 flying overhead on a regular basis, the helicopter may soon be used in Canada. NH Industries has put in a bid for the Maritime Helicopter Project, which is being spearheaded by the Canadian Navy. They need 28 new helicopters to replace their aging fleet in Halifax. The helicopters will be based on destroyers and will assist in search-and-rescue efforts on the ocean, submarine warfare and scouting. The contract is worth $2 billion and has been in the works for over 15 years.

"Canada has a need for this type of helicopter and the NH90 was built for that exact requirement," said the area sales director for NH Industries, Oliver Francou.

The team in Iqaluit said testing on this helicopter is almost complete. A warm weather campaign will begin in the summer in southern Italy. The crew will be looking for temperatures of 40 C to 50 C.

"They definitely won't do this testing in Iqaluit. I prefer the cold testing. It's easy to warm up but it's hard to cool off. We're very impressed with the geography and the land. And if you need something, people are very forthcoming," said Hamel.

The aircraft will return to Germany on Feb. 20 before which the crew hopes to get out on some snowmobiles and enjoy their surroundings.