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Pilot killed in Alberta helicopter crash identified

Bill Gabbert6. July 20216. July 2021HelicoptersAlberta, Canada, LODD

Heath Coleman of Prince George, BC

The pilot killed in the June 28 helicopter crash near Evansburg, Alberta has been identified as Heath Coleman, 48, of Prince George, BC. As the Chief Pilot for Yellowhead Helicopters, he spent about half of each year flying skiers for Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing and the other half suppressing wildfires.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the crash occurred while Mr. Coleman was flying “crew runs” transporting firefighters, but he was the only person on board at the time. An investigation determined that the crash was caused by a defective part that led to detachment of the main rotor blade and the main rotor head.

The tribute below was posted on the Facebook page of Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing and is used here with permission.

It is with profound sadness that we share with you the tragic loss of one of our beloved long standing colleagues at Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing.

Heath Coleman, a helicopter pilot with Yellowhead Helicopters and our Blue River base manager at MWHS, died earlier this week in a crash while battling a wildfire west of Edmonton, Alberta. Heath was 48 years old.

Known to us and many of our guests as ‘Heater’, he had been a member of our Wiegele family for more than 20 years. Although his home was Prince George BC, his second home, where he spent half his time from October to May each year, was Wiegele World in Blue River.

Heath loved to fly and was one of the most experienced pilots in the industry. While at Wiegele’s, Heath welcomed the opportunity to socialize with guests and was fondly embraced by those who returned year after year. He was a respected, trusted and highly valued member of our team and we are filled with sadness as we mourn the loss of someone we have known so well for so long and hold very dear to our hearts.

Heath leaves behind his wife Jennifer and their two young adult sons Danton and Ethen Coleman who we were privileged to host at Wiegele numerous times over the past two decades. We express our deepest sympathies to Jennifer, Danton and Ethen and Heath’s extended family and community of colleagues and friends.

As a first responder in fighting wildfires, Heath lost his life in the line of duty while protecting people and property. We honour his service to others as the highest calling.

Since sharing the news of Heath’s passing, many guests have expressed the desire to support his family. Should you wish to contribute please visit the Go Fund Me page.

Crash of firefighting helicopter in Alberta kills pilot

Bill Gabbert29. June 20216. July 2021HelicoptersAlberta, Canada, crash, LODD2 Comments

The pilot was the only person on board

The pilot of a helicopter that crashed while fighting a fire in Alberta, Canada was killed when the Bell 212 went down Monday evening, June 28. It occurred on a fire near the community of Evansburg. The body of the pilot, the only person on board, was recovered Monday.

The pilot’s family has been notified.

From CBC news:

Emergency crews were called to the scene around 6:30 p.m. after RCMP received a 911 call reporting the crash. Evansburg RCMP, EMS, firefighters and Alberta Wildfire responded to the site in a remote area west of Highway 22 and north of Highway 16 in Yellowhead County.
The location is not accessible by road and police were brought to the scene by aircraft.
Logan said the terrain of the remote crash site was “difficult” but witness accounts helped first responders narrow their search for the wreckage.
“It wasn’t an exhaustive search because many eyewitnesses saw the helicopter go down,” Fraser said.
RCMP are cooperating with Transportation Safety Board (TSB) investigators who are taking charge of the investigation, Logan said.

Our sincere condolences go out to the pilot’s family, friends, and co-workers.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Matthew.

Conair tests converted air tanker, still wearing Flybe livery

Bill Gabbert25. May 2021Fixed wingCanada, Conair, Q4003 Comments

It will later be painted in Conair colors, and is one of eleven Q400’s being converted into air tankers

Conair-Flybe air tanker — One of the Q400’s recently purchased by Conair was photographed being tested with its new retardant delivery system, while still wearing Flybe livery. C-FFQG is the new registration. Photo by Kyle Clarkson.

Conair is moving swiftly in their efforts to convert the 11 Q400 aircraft recently purchased from Flybe Airlines. One of the ships was recently photographed by Kyle Clarkson as it made a test water drop with the retardant delivery system added to the belly of the aircraft. Notably, it was still sporting Flybe livery, resulting in a very unusual sight.

The first Flybe Q400 was delivered at Conair facilities in Abbotsford, British Columbia, February 21, 2021. After being converted to air tankers, called A400ATs (Air Tanker), they will eventually replace the L-188’s and CV-580’s currently operated by Conair.

The repurposed aircraft are being converted at Conair’s facilities in Abbotsford and will be capable of holding up to 2,640 gallons of retardant.

In 2017 the Conair Group secured a deal to sell six Q400MR (Multi-Role) air tankers to France’s Securite Civile (Department of Civil Defense and Emergency Preparedness). These were new aircraft that Conair purchased from Bombardier which can be reconfigured in a few hours to carry passengers, hence the Multi-Role designation. The new aircraft are replacing France’s old S-2 air tankers.

Before purchasing the 11 Q400’s from Flybe, Conair had two A400ATs operational within their fleet that will be used this year for the first time in the North American fire season. They had one under contract in Australia during the 2020-2021 bushfire season.

Here is ex Flybe G-KKEV now C-FFQG after it’s water bomber conversion. The aircraft still wears the majority of its Flybe livery! An awesome sight
📷- Kyle Clarkson https://t.co/AtGMLUQTQV pic.twitter.com/R7rkaIxUrp
— PlaneMadNews (@PlaneMad_News) May 21, 2021

Dustin Littler, Aircraft Conversion Manager at Conair, said, “It takes a solid eight weeks to install the tank, fairings, and perform avionics modifications, plus another two weeks to reassemble the cockpit, and perform operational tests, ground runs, and test flights.”

It is impressive how quickly companies like Conair and Coulson can convert a C-130 or Q400 into an air tanker. Meanwhile, the Air Force has been dragging their feet for almost eight years after being ordered by Congress to convert seven HC-130H aircraft into air tankers. The last we heard, none of the seven, which will be operated by CAL FIRE, are complete. The aircraft were originally going to the U.S. Forest Service, but the agency lost interest.

The first Flybe Q400 arrives at Conair facilities in Abbotsford, British Columbia, February 21, 2021. It will replace one of the L-188 or CV-580 air tankers in the background. Conair photo.

converting Q400 into air tanker firefighting — Converting a Flybe airliner into an air tanker. Conair photo by Vaughn Leflar and Jeff Bough.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Rick.

Air tanker makes wheels-up landing in Ontario, Canada

Bill Gabbert3. May 20213. May 2021Fixed wingCanada, CL-215, Ontario18 Comments

There were no reported injuries

Water bomber air tanker 274 wheels-up landing — Water bomber 274 after a wheels-up landing at Sault Ste. Marie Airport in Ontario, Canada May 2, 2021. Photo by Dan Gray for Sault Online.

Dan Gray of Sault Online reports that an air tanker made a wheels-up landing at Sault Ste. Marie Airport in Ontario, Canada at about 12:30 p.m. on May 2.

Water bomber 274, a Canadair water scooper, is pictured on the ground with the wheels up, leaning over onto the right side float.

From Mr. Gray’s article:

After reviewing audio on LiveATC.net someone on board the water bomber stated “There was a failure on the landing gear, we are going to need assistance to move the aircraft off the runway.”

A spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) called it a “hard landing” after a test flight. There were no reported injuries.

The aircraft, C-GOGH manufactured in 1998, is listed as a CL-215-6B11 (Series CL-415) registered to the Province Of Ontario, MNRF.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Eric.

Conair receives the first of eleven Q400s previously operated by Flybe

Bill Gabbert23. February 202123. February 2021Fixed wingCanada, Conair, Q4003 Comments

They will be converted into 2,640-gallon air tankers

The first of 11 De Havilland Canada DHC-8 Q400 aircraft purchased by Conair has arrived on Canadian soil after being ferried across the Atlantic from Europe.

As we reported January 14, the Conair Group plans to retire all of their legacy L-188 and CV-580 air tankers and over the next two to three years replace them with Q400s. The repurposed aircraft will be converted at Conair’s facilities in Abbotsford, British Columbia to air tankers capable of holding up to 2,640 gallons of retardant.

When Flybe, the airline based in Exeter, England, closed its doors March 5, 2020 they were operating 54 Q400 and 9 Embraer 175 airliners. At the time Conair was looking to upgrade their fleet so they signed a deal to purchase 11 of the Q400 aircraft formerly operated by Flybe. They were purchased from HEH Hamburger EmissionsHaus, through Skyworld Aviation.

Conair Q400AT dropping. Photo by Alexandre Dubath — Conair Q400AT dropping retardant. Photo by Alexandre Dubath.

“The first step in the conversion process is an interior de-mod, or stripping down the cabin to the bare frame in order to reduce the aircraft’s weight.” says Dustin Littler, Aircraft Conversion Manager at Conair. “The cockpit is then opened up to allow for access to install specialized avionics.” The flight deck is equipped with a Conair developed and Transport Canada certified Flight Envelope Awareness System, which provide pilots with enhanced safety awareness information such as instantaneous G-Loading, slow speed awareness, and angle of attack information.

Fabricating a retardant tank Conair Q400AT — Fabricating a retardant tank for a Conair Q400AT. Photo by Jeff Bough.

The airtanker will be outfitted with an external tank, enabling the interior of the fuselage to remain pressurized and climate controlled, creating a safer environment for pilots by reducing fatigue, Mr. Littler explained. “It takes a solid 8 weeks to install the tank, fairings, and perform avionics modifications, plus another 2 weeks to reassemble the cockpit, and perform operational tests, ground runs and test flights.” he said. “The tank is manufactured, tested and calibrated prior to the install on the Dash 8.” The Q400AT is painted in Conair’s signature white, red and black colors to complete the process.

In 2017 the Conair Group secured a deal to sell six Q400MR (Multi-Role) air tankers to France’s Securite Civile (Department of Civil Defence and Emergency Preparedness). These were new aircraft that Conair purchased from Bombardier which can be reconfigured in a few hours to carry passengers, hence the Multi-Role designation. The new aircraft are replacing France’s old S-2 air tankers.

Conair calls the stripped-down version a Q400AT (air tanker) and it does not have passenger seats, a rest room, or galley. Mr. Berry said February 23 that if another organization wanted to purchase a Q400MR, they would retain the rest room and galley for the comfort of the passengers on long flights. It would be able to hold up to 2,450 gallons.

The company presently has two A400ATs operational within their fleet that will be used this year for the first time in the North American fire season. They had one under contract in Australia during the 2020-2021 bushfire season.

File photo. Carefully maneuvering a Conair Q400 through a customized hangar door. Photo by Jeff Bough.

Conair to replace all of their L-188 and CV-580 air tankers with Q400s

Bill Gabbert14. January 202116. January 2021Fixed wingCanada, Conair, CV-580, L-188, Q40010 Comments

The company has purchased 11 De Havilland Dash 8 Q400 aircraft which will be converted to air tankers

The Conair Group plans to retire all of their legacy L-188 and CV-580 air tankers and over the next two to three years replace them with De Havilland Canada DHC-8 Q400s.

In a statement, the company gave their rationale for making the change:

“Planes used to fight wildfires as airtankers are often older models and are flown into demanding environments, inevitably resulting in metal fatigue over time. In addition, aircraft designed to obsolete standards leads to increased risk of incidents, costly repairs, limited replacement parts, and ultimately time grounded from fighting fires. Conair’s strategic move towards a long-term vision includes replacing the company’s fleet of heavy legacy airtankers with the new Q400ATs.

“We evaluated 29 aircraft before selecting the Q400 for modification into an aerial firefighting tool. The unanimous opinion of our flight operations experts was that the Q400 exceeds all the Next Generation performance criteria within a maneuverable and stable platform.” says Jeff Berry, Director of Business Development at Conair. “The Q400AT is fast, fuel efficient, and tactically flexible, operating both initial attack as well as sustained support actions. The Q400 is still in production and has strong Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) support from De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (De Havilland Canada), guaranteeing availability of parts and servicing for years.”

The eleven Q400s, formerly owned by Flybe and now in Europe, will be delivered to Conair beginning this month.

In 2017 the Conair Group secured a deal to sell six Q400 Multi-Role aircraft converted to air tankers to France’s Securite Civile (Department of Civil Defence and Emergency Preparedness). These were new aircraft that Conair purchased from Bombardier which can be reconfigured in a few hours to carry passengers, hence the Multi-Role (MR) designation. The new aircraft are replacing France’s old S-2 air tankers.

One of Conair’s Q400s, a Q400AT not configured to carry passengers, was on contract in Queensland, Australia during the 2020/2021 summer bushfire season through December. This was the first time the state has had regular access to a large air tanker, rather than borrowing from New South Wales or Victoria. Tanker 141/Bomber 141 (C-FFQE) arrived in Bundaberg in August after departing from Abbotsford British Columbia and making fuel stops at Oakland, Honolulu, Majuro (Marshall Islands), Honiara (Solomon Islands), and Brisbane where it cleared customs.

Air Tanker 141, C-FFQEQ, Q400 — T-141 (C-FFQEQ) Q400AT – Refueling at Majuro, Marshall Islands in August , 2020 while en route to Bundaberg, Queensland for the 2020-2021 bushfire season in Australia. Photo Credit Brendon Sutton.

In September, 2020, Jeff Berry, Manager of Business Development at Conair, said, “[The Q400AT] is a pure air tanker STC [supplemental type certificate], so we don’t have any of the residual plumbing, wiring, attachment points inside, or heavy duty flooring that you need for an MR, so it’s stripped down to be a pure tanker. And it gives us the maximum fuel load and the maximum retardant tank capacity. You get the full 10,000 liters [2,642 gallons]. The Q400AT is truly a ‘Green’ airtanker — it is incredibly fuel efficient burning only 58 percent of the fuel per hour while carrying 85 percent of the load of a typical type 1 airtanker.”

According to Wikipedia the Q400’s maximum cruise speed is 345 to 414 mph. It seems likely that the bolted-on external retardant tank would have a negative effect on the air speed and range. Out of the factory it is rated to haul up to 90 passengers.

conair tanker 42 — File photo of Conair Air Tanker 42, a Convair 580, taxiing for takeoff at Whitehorse International Airport at Yukon, Canada. The aircraft was built in 1958. Photo by D. Cote, Yukon Fire Management.

Conair has been fighting fires for 51 years. In addition to the CV-580, Q400, and L-188, their fleet currently is comprised of air attack and bird dog aircraft (Cessna Caravan C208B and Turbo Commander TC-690A), amphibious scooping air tankers (CL215T and Air Tractor AT802A), and land-based air tankers (Avro RJ85 and Air Tractor AT 802).

The manufacture date of the Convair 580 in the photo was corrected to show it was 1958, not 1981.

Conair acquires Level 5 flight training device for AT-802 air tankers

Bill Gabbert16. November 202016. November 2020Fixed wingAT-802, Canada, Conair, flight training device, SEAT, training20 Comments

It has been installed at their Training & Tactics Center in Abbotsford, British Columbia

Conair AT-802 Flight Training Device. Conair photo.

The Conair Group has installed a Level 5 Flight Training Device (FTD) for AT-802 air tankers at their Training & Tactics Center in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The FTD is convertible, designed to mimic the performance of both the amphibious Fire Boss and wheeled Air Tractor AT-802 single engine air tankers. It can provide pilots with a virtual training platform that offers true-to-life flight scenarios, including firefighting missions.

It has been certified approved by Transport Canada, which specifies that a Level 5 FTD represents a specific cockpit. In the United States an FTC certified by the FAA at Level 5 may represent a family of aircraft rather than only one specific model.

Equipped with real avionics, a KAWAK throttle quadrant, and Retardant Delivery System, the simulator has displays identical to the cockpit of the actual aircraft. Flight control feedback and all instrumentation react to changing environments, with wind speed, visibility, temperature, clouds, and turbulence being controlled on the master Instructor Operating Station. The training device allows the pilot to practice tactics within a variety of situations, while managing the added pressure of simulated radio communications from multiple aircraft on the same mission.

The FTD also features a 180-degree high-definition visual display, vibration system, and programable firefighting scenarios which enables pilots to practice a range of fire suppression techniques within immersive and dynamic circumstances. A key advantage of the FTD includes the pilot’s ability to practice drops and scoops in complex, and often unpredictable conditions. In addition, pilots have the opportunity to exercise emergency procedures within a safe setting that significantly reduces the risk to both the pilot and the aircraft. The FTC does not have three-axis motion but does have an Entrol limited motion base plus the ability to produce vibration.

The AT-802 FTD at Conair’s training facility is available to qualifying Air Tractor operators. Conair acquired an FTD for the Avro RJ85 in 2017.

Conair acquire five flight training devices — Conair to acquire five flight training devices from Quantu

In December, 2019 the company awarded a contract to install five fully networked FTDs with reconfigurable cockpits to simulate flight dynamics for eight aircraft platforms performing different roles during aerial firefighting missions. Each of these reconfigurable three-axis motion platforms will be able to perform individual or joint training encompassing different aircraft platforms and scenarios. The goal is to not only simulate the ground fire and effects of the aerial retardant being applied by the trainees but will also simulate the dynamic and dangerous environmental changes created by the fire that pilots may encounter. Shannon De Wit told Fire Aviation, “The project is underway but has been delayed due to COVID and the inability of development teams located around the world to travel to Canada to install the units.”

In addition to Air Tractor 802 SEATs, Conair operates other firefighting aircraft including, air attack aircraft, CL-215T, RJ85, Q400MR, and Convair CV580.

First flight of a CL-415EAF

Bill Gabbert11. March 202018. April 2020Fixed wingBridger Aerospace, Canada, CL-215, CL-415EAF1 Comment

CL-215s are being upgraded to the CL-415EAF “Enhanced Aerial Firefighter” configuration

CL-415EAF First Flight — First flight of a CL-415EAF March 10, 2020. Photo by Longview Aviation.

A Viking CL-415EAF took its inaugural flight in Abbotsford, British Columbia March 9. It is the first Canadair CL-215 to undergo the major modification to CL-415EAF “Enhanced Aerial Firefighter” configuration by Longview Aviation Services in collaboration with Cascade Aerospace. Cascade was awarded a contract to assist with the CL-415EAF modification program in 2018 that included carrying out the first aircraft modification using Viking-supplied conversion kits.

This initial CL-415EAF is the first of six amphibious air tankers ordered by launch customer Bridger Aerospace of Bozeman, Montana and is scheduled for delivery in April in advance of the start of the 2020 North American wildfire season.

The CL-415EAF modification program was announced in 2018 as a collaboration between the two subsidiaries of Longview Aviation Capital. In the program CL-215 airframes are converted to turbines using Viking-supplied conversion kits and all obsolete components are replaced. It features a new Collins Pro Line Fusion® integrated digital avionics suite, Pratt & Whitney PW123AF turbine engines, increased water tank capacity, and improvements to numerous aircraft systems.

The CL-415EAF utilizes a higher delivery 2-door water drop system combined with a zero-timed maintenance program and a “new aircraft” factory-supported warranty program.