Question, is there no room for FPW or AAO's on the AT802? Was surprised to hear only one occupant. The AT-802 does offer a two-seat model, and Conair does have at least one example (on wheels) for training/checkriding purposes. But unless I'm mistaken, the amphib aircraft are all single-seat. All A...

The TSB revelation is not surprising, given how the wing was located separately from the main wreckage, yet there were, according to the North Shore Rescue spotters, no telltale swaths through the trees, nor even broken tree tops. That led me to believe a couple days ago that the wing became detache...

I_Drive_Planes wrote: The pilot must have been in really, really rough shape. There aren't many illnesses I can think of that would warrant a precautionary landing that close to the destination.

Vertigo. Kudos to the pilot for the correct decision to land.

Is First Air selling the civil Hercs to the Coulson Group, or are they purchasing from Lynden Air Cargo, does anybody know?

You could PURCHASE that many but I think the operating costs would put you over. The CL series is still the leader for people who actually want to extinguish a fire(project killers, that's why they hide them when ontario goes to bc). I think you might be surprised at the cost of maintenance require...

You'd think any pencil pusher doing a risk/safety assessment would place some value in a twin engine aircraft, would they not? I like remaining in the air after an engine failure, especially if the ground itself is burning, but that's just me that I speak for. The "pencil pushers" at the companies ...

c'mon now, the 415 is supreme leader of waterbombing, the 802 is a porpoisey piece of garbage better left in the prairies for cropdusting. If you leave costs aside, the 415 is hard to beat. But, as pointed out above, you could buy and operate 11 brand new FireBoss aircraft with the 1600hp engine fo...

I seem to recall one of them was sold into the US... Both Mars aircraft remain in Port Alberni. For now. The Philippine Mars hasn't flown on fires since Coulson bought the operation in 2007. It has been reverted to its wartime US Navy markings and restored to flying condition. She looks stunning. I...

To be fair, some of the critiques come from insiders very much connected to the industry. Very true, and I count myself as one of them. Solution-based criticism is welcomed, whereas spouting incorrect statements as facts, accompanied by pettiness and what appears to be a deep-seated grudge is less ...

Actually he sounds like a knowledgable professional armed with current facts minus any kind of chip on his shoulder. It's ok Cat, he's no threat to your legacy because he has no interest in being one. Thank you Rockie - you're bang on. My intent was to bring some inside knowledge to the discussion ...

How many fires have you personally bombed threepoint? What is the threshold number that will ensure my credibility? More importantly, why does the number of fires matter? With who am I competing? Can you accept that I'm familiar with this topic? I'll say this: I'm not an air tanker captain. I have ...

Thanks, but after spending fifteen years flying them as Captain in both North and South America I think I was exposed to enough tactics to understand how it goes, and for sure I have seen enough policies to last for several life times. I can't speak to the policies - flawed or otherwise - that you ...

What was the difference in gallons scooped between the CL215 and the PBY, that made the PBY pee into the wind compared to the load a 215 carried? It was not the difference in capacity, it was performance of the platform. Both types were inadequate to do the job required in British Columbia, hence w...

BCFS (this acronym itself is outdated) Wow, that must mean Ifly is really ignorant if he is not aware of such a earth shattering bit of information as that. The BCFS sure had some deep thinkers back in the seventies when they banned water scoopers in BC because water does not extinguish fires. Ther...

I wonder if satellites will replace humans in aerial observation in a variety of areas, if not sooner - then later, on a larger scale- than will drones. I believe this is a far more likely scenario. Cost-effective drones are simply too small, fly too low and have insufficient endurance & range to c...

Conjecture is stuff that can either be true or false because there is no evidence. You still havent offered up any accident reports, and those names mean nothing to me. I also asked for a source for the subjects of this thread, but still nothing. Notice that I said you were 'par with everyone' incl...

You're on par with everyone but Donuthole for conjecture, here. Ha - unlikely, PieBoy. Did you know David or Jan from Nelson? How about Cyril or Larry from Salmon Arm? I bet Geoff from Hope was before your time. All these gentlemen died in BC while conducting fire patrol flights. I can provide you ...

OK, to add some actual knowledge to the discussion. There have been plenty of fire patrol aircraft that have crashed in BC over the years. Some have been twins, some have been inline twins, and some have been single-engine aircraft. Not everybody survived. Victims included the pilot, sometimes a tra...

Anywayyyyyyy... Construction material and pilot bribery aside, the answer to the OP is that no L-188 Electras have been grounded in Canada and all are actively employed in aerial firefighting this summer in two provinces and two territories. The airworthiness issue is an ongoing political football, ...

Caracrane wrote:What about an engine fail ?

Well then one falls out of the formation and makes a forced approach. The others fly on.