Spanish scoopers: a major defense against European wildfire

An article by Spanish journalist Miguel Hernández Fernández

First published by A21 — the first two images
were approved for Miguel’s final project
in his university communications degree.

50 años luchando contra el fuego

The 43rd Air Force Group in Spain is one of the main weapons in the fight against forest fires there, and the Canadian-built amphibious aircraft are one of the main reasons.

It has been over 50 years since the incorporation of the first two seaplanes, a major force in the fight from the air against forest fires in Spain and the region. The 43rd Air Force Group has accumulated a brilliant history and is one of the most successful and admired units of the Spanish Armed Forces.

Its history in Spain begins in 1969 when, after the results achieved in France, Canadair, the designer and builder of the seaplane (today Viking), deployed an aircraft in Galicia at the request of the Spanish government. The results were so impressive that the Ministry of Agriculture decided to purchase two aircraft to be operated and maintained by the Air Force. The government assigned them to the 803 Squadron of the Getafe Air Base, and personnel were trained in Canada late in 1970.

Crew training and aircraft delivery were overseen by the Canadian company and delivery flights made by the Spanish crews, who accepted the planes in  February of 1971. The scoopers arrived at their base after crossing the Atlantic with stopovers in Newfoundland and the Azores. The aircraft carried out their first detachment at the Santiago de Compostela Aerodrome that same summer.

Because of the increase in forest fires and the achievements of the aircraft in the first two campaigns, in 1973 the purchase of eight more seaplanes was decided. The 404 Squadron was created, a unit dedicated exclusively to fighting forest fires and based in Torrejón de Ardoz. In 1974, the new planes arrived with some improvements – such as exploration and meteorological radar and bubble windows, which equipped the aircraft for their secondary task of search and rescue.

The C-215 were seaplanes with Pratt and Whitney piston engines with a power of 2,100 hp each, as well as water tanks with a capacity of 5,400 liters. Its crew consisted of a pilot, co-pilot, and maintenance specialist who also assists the crew when necessary.

In 1978 the 404 Squadron reached 10,000 flight hours and received several decorations and recognitions for its already impressive career. In 1980, the 404 became the 43rd Air Force Group, which it maintains to this day – as well as its summer deployments in Torrejón de Ardoz, Albacete, Palma de Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela, and Zaragoza.

In 1989, flight hours reached 55,000 and some aircraft were modified to the CL-215T version. This variant, developed by Canadair, was enhanced when the company was purchased by Bombardier. Among other improvements, the conversion replaces the piston engines with turboprop, resulting in greater performance and power (2,380 hp), four-blade propellers, larger capacity in the water tanks, and structural reforms such as winglets at the ends of the wings and improvements in controls and flight systems.

Not all the planes were converted, but ten seaplanes of the new version were purchased, and the unconverted primitive engines were sold or operated by civil companies, which have kept some in flight to this day.

The maintenance of the fleet has been carried out, since 1971, at the Albacete Air Master and the approvals are also conducted in Spain, a sign of the capacity of our aeronautical industry and the competence of the personnel.

In 1995, the 43 Group began operating with only the new CL-215T, reaching 100,000 flight hours in 1999 and counting thousands of hours during each season from June to September. With the passage of time and the acquisition of aircraft, the detachments have expanded: in addition to Torrejón de Ardoz, Albacete, Palma de Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela, and Zaragoza, they now also include Málaga and Badajoz, with full capacity to deploy in the Canary Islands.

In 2002, in response to the Prestige oil tanker disaster on the Galician coast, the 43rd Group collaborated with other units of the Air Force in the detection and monitoring of spills. The flights were intense and long in the harsh Atlantic winter, demonstrating the preparation and commitment of the crews and maintenance teams to help mitigate the disaster. Between December 25, 2002 and January 9, 2003, nine sorties were carried out, with some missions during that crisis lasting more than six hours with aircraft flying from sunrise to sunset.

A CL-215T carries around a 300 lb. lower payload than the CL-415 and does not have an electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) flight deck. The major visual difference is CL-215T’s two-door bomb bay; the CL-415 has a four-door bomb bay, and which aircraft is better is continuously debated by the worldwide operator base.

In 2006 the first of the four new CL-415s – an improved CL-215T – was received, and in 2012 the 43 Group reached 150,000 flight hours.

The Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME) is a branch of the Spanish Armed Forces providing disaster relief throughout Spain, and abroad if required, and it relies on the 43 Group – with more than 150 people and 18 seaplanes (fourteen CL-215T and four CL-415, with fuselage numbers 43-31, 32, 33 and 34) that, year after year, fight forest fires not only in Spain but also other countries including Israel, Portugal, France, and Morocco. All these over the years have counted on Group 43 to fight fires in their territories.

The responsibility of the 43 Group is subject to the intensity of challenging launches, over very hot areas, landing on water surfaces that are not always clear of obstacles, along with other factors that could easily trigger disaster. Fifteen crew members over the years have lost their lives fighting wildfire. Their memory and sacrifice have a permanent tribute at the Group Headquarters, as a testimony to the enormous difficulty of the job that demands the maximum from its members.

The official motto of the 43 Group contains both the greatness and the humility with which its members fulfill their duty:  Apaga … y vamanos.  Literally translated, that is “Turn off and let’s go.” What it means is “Put this fire out and let’s go home” — or it’s all in a day’s work, not heroic, just part of the job.

In memoriam
08-09-1976
Alférez D. José Luis Herráez Soria
Brigada D. José Cachofeiro Ramón
Sargento 1º D. José Pérez Belmonte
12-10-1980
Comandante D. Óscar Sáez de Santamaría Alegría
Sargento 1º D. Luis Vélez Tarano
02-03-1981
Teniente D. Fernando Esteban Baturone
Teniente D. Aurelio Gil Laso
Alférez D. Eduardo Javier Moreno Jiménez
Sargento 1º D. Santiago García García
09-09-1988
Capitán D. Pedro Álvarez de Sotomayor Seoane
Capitán D. Jesús Cembranos Díaz
Teniente D. Carlos Ramírez de Esparza Figuerola-Ferreti
Sargento D. Juan Carlos Muyo Romero
25-03-2003
Sargento D. Manuel Fábrega Salas
Sargento D. Manuel Fernández Carrascosa