CL-515 Archives - Fire Aviation

France to order 16 Canadair tankers

Bill Gabbert1. November 2022Fixed wingCL-515, De Havilland Aircraft, DHC-515, France1 Comment

Air Tanker 247 scooping water at Castaic Lake December 6, 2017 . Photo by Robert Schwemmer.

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, announced that by the end of his term in 2027 the country will have replaced their existing fleet of 12 Canadair scooping air tankers and increased the number to 16.

Mr. Macron referred to this as an “emergency air rearmament” after an extremely busy wildfire season this year. He said there would be an investment of 250 million euros for an “unprecedented order” from Canadair. They also plan to acquire two heavy helicopters.

The Head of State warned that this “exceptional summer” “may not be so so” in the future due to climate change, during a tribute ceremony in the village hall of the ‘Élysée, to those involved in the fight against fire.

“For many of you, this summer was a season in hell”, “hell of flames, fatigue, desolation”, he said.

De Havilland Aircraft has purchased the rights to Canadairs, which have not been built for years, although some older aircraft have been upgraded to CL-415T and CL-415 EAF. The company announced in September they would be building a large manufacturing facility east of Calgary, Alberta. They expect to employ 1,500 workers to produce at least three lines of aircraft — DHC-515 (a modernized and upgraded CL-415), DHC-6 Twin Otter, and Dash 8-400 (Q400).

The DHC-515, first teased in 2018, will be assembled in Calgary with deliveries beginning by the middle of the decade.

On September 21 Gérald Moussa Darmanin, French Minister of the Interior, said, “We want to increase the number of Canadair [water scooping air tankers] in our own fleet from twelve to sixteen. But the problem is not to buy them, it is to produce them. Today there are no longer any factories that do so.”

Mr. Darmanin did not mention at that time they intended to replace the existing 12 water scoopers.

France is also in the process of replacing their S-2 air tankers with six Dash 8-400 (Q400) air tankers.

CL-415 scooping air tanker supports a firing operation on the Calf Canyon & Hermits Peak Fire, New Mexico. May, 2022. IMT photo.

European countries intend to purchase 22 twin-engine scooping air tankers

Bill Gabbert19. July 202219. July 2022Fixed wingCanada, CL-515, De Havilland Aircraft, DHC-515, Portugal, Viking Air5 Comments

As drought and unprecedented heat waves result in a surge of wildfires in Western Europe, attention is drawn to the resources available to assist firefighters, especially fixed wing aircraft.

The European Union budgeted about 900 million euros in 2021 for civil protection, preventing and responding to crises, and expects that amount to increase.

Currently the EU coordinates and funds the deployment of 12 fixed wing firefighting airplanes and one helicopter pooled by EU countries. Reuters reports that as assistance is expected to rise due to climate change and more frequent wildfires, the EU plans to purchase crisis-response aircraft, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said.

From Reuters:

“These planes will be technically bought by the member states but they will be 100% financed by the European Union,” said Lenarcic.

Lenarcic declined to name the companies involved as contracts have not yet been signed, but said plans are to relaunch production of amphibious planes that scoop up water to douse fires.

In a March 31, 2022 press release, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada announced a new twin-engine water scooping aircraft, the DHC-515, formerly known as CL-515. The CL-515 was first teased in December 2018, but the actual production has been delayed.

De Havilland wrote that they “launched the De Havilland DHC-515 Firefighter program, which will involve negotiating contracts with our European customers and ramping up for production,” said Brian Chafe, Chief Executive Officer of De Havilland Canada.

“European customers have signed letters of intent to purchase the first 22 aircraft pending the positive outcome of government-to-government negotiations through the Government of Canada’s contracting agency, the Canadian Commercial Corporation,” the announcement read. “De Havilland Canada expects first deliveries of the DHC-515 by the middle of the decade, with deliveries of additional aircraft to begin at the end of the decade, providing other customers the opportunity to renew existing fleets or proceed with new acquisition opportunities at that time.

“The final assembly of the aircraft will take place in Calgary, Alberta where work on the CL-215 and CL- 415 aircraft currently takes place. It is anticipated that more than 500 people will need to be recruited over the coming years to successfully deliver this program.”

Meanwhile there may be disagreement in Portugal about which type of firefighting airplane to purchase. The Portugal Resident reports that the Council of Ministers approved a resolution to purchase 12 helicopters and two “heavy duty” amphibian airplanes. The report is that the country intends to spend a total of €60 million to buy two CL-415s which are no longer in production. They are most likely looking at the soon to be manufactured DCH-515.

The Council of Ministers’ resolution that approved the purchase of the two scoopers, according to the Portugal Resident, “chose to finance the operation with PRR money coming from Brussels, and from money available through the European Mechanism for Civil Protection.”

The Portugal Resident wrote that João Marques, president of the association of Portuguese Volunteer Firefighters, recommends that they spend the money instead on Fire Boss single engine scooping air tankers that he said cost about €3 million each.

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

Viking Air delays rollout of CL-515 water-scooping air tanker

Bill Gabbert29. December 202029. December 2020Fixed wingCL-515, Viking Air19 Comments

Effects of the pandemic are blamed

Viking Air has delaying manufacturing its water scooping CL-515 air tanker which was scheduled to become available earlier in 2020.

“Unfortunately, due to the effect of Covid-19 on Viking’s operations and the pandemic’s impact on governments, their citizens and budgets globally, we have elected to slide the formal launch of the CL-515 until we see a stabilization in the global economic situation and a return to normal daily activities,” Viking executive vice-president of sales and marketing Robert Mauracher told FlightGlobal.

The British Columbia company designed the CL-515 to incorporate new technology and materials that expand the operating envelope compared to the CL-415 water scooper. Enhancements include increasing the water tank from 1,600 to 1,850 gallons, higher landing weights, and the ability to refill in 14 seconds. A modernized flight deck addresses current and future regulatory requirements and will include dual GPS, TCAS II, TAWS, ADS-B out, Synthetic Vision Technology, FMS, and Flight Director.

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

News from the Aerial Firefighting Conference in Sacramento

Bill Gabbert6. March 2020Fixed wing, HelicoptersCalifornia, CL-515, conference, Viking Air1 Comment

aerial firefighting Conference Keynotes MCC — Keynote addresses. Tangent Link photo.

The two-day Aerial Firefighting North America conference just wrapped up at Sacramento McClellan Airport in Sacramento. It began Tuesday with a series of keynote and welcoming addresses delivered by Chief Thom Porter, Director of CAL FIRE, Brian S. Marshal, State Fire and Rescue Chief and Director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, followed by Jeffrey Rupert, Director of the Office of Wildland Fire in the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Conair confirmed at the conference that they expect to open the world’s first Aerial Firefighting Training and Tactics Centre early this spring. It will have five fully Networked Flight Training Devices that are reconfigurable to simulate the cockpit and flight dynamics for eight aircraft platforms performing different roles during an aerial firefighting mission.

Viking Air Limited introduced the Canadair CL-515 First Responder, a new production multi-mission scooping amphibian and purpose-built aerial firefighting aircraft.

Coulson Aviation announced they have installed a large capacity internal helicopter tank in a CH47 Chinook. It will be able to carry up to 3,000 gallons.

Columbia Helicopters introduced a Type 1 multi-mission Standard Transport Category helicopter – the Columbia Model 234 LR Chinook. It can be configured to carry up to 19 passengers, a 2,800 gallon internal tank, a 2,600 gallon bucket, or internal and external cargo.

Trotter Controls recorded a video tour of some of the exhibits at the conference.

A proposal for countries to share air tankers resurfaces

Bill Gabbert16. January 202017. January 2020Fixed wingAustralia, Canada, CL-415, CL-51513 Comments

Water scooping air tankers would travel between hemispheres on a repurposed or custom designed ship

An artist’s rendering of the proposed Canadian Australian Strategic Firefighting Initiative vessel. (Davie Shipyard)

A concept for sharing firefighting air tankers between the northern and southern hemispheres proposed in 2016 has resurfaced. The wildfire seasons in opposite times of the year could provide windows for the same aircraft to travel back and forth annually between North America and Australia or South America.

In 2016 Quebec-based Davie Shipyard suggested that the water scooping air tankers in Canada could be transported on a custom designed or converted ship and delivered to Australia at the end of the northern hemisphere fire season. Then the aircraft could be shipped back north before the Canadian fire season began.

For decades Canada has had success with CL-215/415 water-scooping air tankers first made by Bombardier. British Columbia based Viking Air Ltd presently owns the rights to Bombardier’s CL-415 air tanker. The company is now taking orders and deposits for its new-production CL-515 “First Responder” air tanker.

Below are excerpts from a January 14 article at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation:

“I think when we initially proposed the idea, it was too soon,” said Spencer Fraser, chief executive officer of Federal Fleet Service, the Davie Shipyard’s sister company. “There were still people within Canada and society that were denying extreme weather events and climate change. What’s important today is — look, it’s real. So let’s do something about it.”
No one from the Liberal government was willing to comment Monday — but there was word last week that officials in two federal departments had dusted off the proposal and had asked questions of Viking Air Ltd., the B.C. company which now owns the rights to Bombardier’s CL-415 water bomber.
Greg Mullins, the former fire commissioner of the state of New South Wales, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Jan. 3 that the country should tap into Canadian expertise and assets.
“Our prime minister should be on the phone with Justin Trudeau from Canada, right now, saying, ‘Justin, we need 20 or more of your water-scooping, purpose-built water bombers that are in mothballs during your winter,'” he said.
Fraser said the companies originally involved in the pitch in 2016 studied the logistics of flying water bombers between Canada and Australia and concluded it would be complicated, even perilous, to refuel the aircraft along the way in less-than-friendly nations.

In November, 2019 a group of 23 former fire and emergency services leaders and other former fire chiefs said they were concerned that with longer fire seasons now being experienced the current air tanker fleet in Australia is not adequate for keeping up with the increasing bushfire activity.

The acquisition and contracting of large air tankers in Australia is coordinated by the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC). They recently purchased a Boeing 737 air tanker, but like the federal government in the United States, the country depends on contractors to supply most of their large air tankers.

NAFC had planned on having five large air tankers available during the 2019/2020 bushfire season (including the government-owned 737), but as wildfire activity grew exponentially the agency kept adding more. By the end of next week they will have 10 large air tankers on contract plus the government-owned 737.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Tom. Typos or errors, report them HERE.

Viking teases development of CL-515

Bill Gabbert29. December 201829. December 2020Fixed wingCL-515, Q400, Viking Air23 Comments

A video released last week touts a new model of an amphibious scooping air tanker

On December 20, Viking Air released a video that describes in detail a new model of the scooping air tanker that could succeed the CL-415. The new CL-515, if it is ever built, is supposed to have a 15 percent larger tank holding up to 1,850 gallons (7,000 liters), and the ability to be outfitted with agriculture spraying equipment or carry up to 12 passengers or three stretchers. Other optional equipment could include a larger cargo door, video cameras, and search radar.

We asked a spokesperson for Viking if the description of the CL-515 in the video meant it would be produced, and if so when, we were told, “No official announcement made yet. The 515 video is a promotional tool for the time being to generate interest in the potential production aircraft.” The spokesperson declined to give us a date.

In March, 2018 at the Aerial Firefighting Conference at McClellan Sacramento Airport, Viking’s director of Special Projects, Sales, and Marketing, Christian Bergeron, told us the company was currently gathering information from potential customers about what they would like to see on a new version of the CL-415. Mr. Bergeron said they expected to decide by the third quarter of 2018 if they would proceed with the project, which would be named CL-515.

Executive vice-president of sales and marketing for Viking, Robert Mauracher, told Flight Global in October, “We expect board approval for go or no-go [about building the CL-515] by the end of the first quarter next year”.

Bombardier stopped production of the CL-415 in 2015. The next year Viking acquired the worldwide amphibious aircraft program from Bombardier including the Type Certificates (manufacturing rights) for all variants of Bombardier’s amphibious aircraft, and assumed responsibility for product support, parts and service for the fleet of 170 water bombers in service with 21 operators in 11 countries around the world.

In a similar transaction in 2006 Viking acquired from de Havilland Canada the rights for the Twin Otter and re-launched production in 2007 after a 22 year hiatus, delivering over 140 aircraft in 30 countries. Viking also produces the DHC-7 Dash 7, the DHC-3 Otter, DHC-5 Buffalo, and the DHC-2 Beaver.

And, in November, 2018 Longview Aviation Capital Corp., parent company to Viking, agreed to acquire, through an affiliate, the entire Dash 8 program including the 100, 200 and 300 series and the in-production Q400 program from Bombardier Inc. Also included as part of the transaction are rights to the de Havilland name and trademark. Once completed, Longview will become North America’s largest commercial turbo-prop aircraft manufacturer.

Earlier in 2018 the Conair Group purchased six Q400 MR aircraft from Bombardier which it will convert into multirole air tankers for France’s Securite Civile (Department of Civil Defence and Emergency Preparedness).

Longview Aviation Asset Management (LAAM) of Calgary, Alberta, in cooperation with Viking launched in May, 2018 the Viking CL-415EAF (“Enhanced Aerial Firefighter”) Conversion Program to include upgrades of many components. LAAM intended to hire up to 150 technical and support staff members at its Calgary facilities, where eleven specially selected CL-215 aerial firefighting aircraft owned by LAAM would undergo the modification process utilizing Viking-supplied conversion kits.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Isaac. Typos or errors, report them HERE.