Random Ramblings: Aerial Wildland Firefighting

I have blogged about aerial wildland firefighting since 2009. I am not a firefighter and am not a pilot, just an interested bystander who wants to learn more and share what I learn here. Join me here as I blog on the aircraft and the pilots who fight wildland fires from the air in support of crews on the ground. I also blog on concerns affecting fire crews on the ground as well as other aviation and meteorology issues. Learn what it takes to do jobs that are staffed by the best of the best.

Friday, September 27, 2024

Friday Fun: Conair Dash 8 Q400 and Avro RJ85

While catching up on my reading yesterday I read in the May- June 2024 edition of Aerial Fire that the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) is in the process of upgrading their fleet. This year they will be getting delivery of two Dash 8-Q400AT and two Dash 8-Q400MRE aircraft, for more information see this April 23, 2024 News release from the SPSA. The Q400AT is configured for wildland firefighting while the Q400MRE is designed for multiple roles such as air evacuations, hauling cargo and being configured for wildland firefighting. I believe that both aircraft are from Conair Aerial Firefighting who supplies air tankers to Canada and other countries. Conair's specification page for the Q400AT may be found here. Conair has a specifcation page for the Q400MRE. The maximum tank capacity for the Q400MRE is 9,274 litres or 2,450 US gallons. The Q400AT has a slightly larger maximum tank capacity of 10,000 litres or 2,640 US gallons.

I wanted to find a video to share with you of the Dash 8-Q400 series and was in luck when I found a video of water bomber training in the spring of 2024 at Bendigo Airport (Victoria?). You will see a Dash 8-Q400 and an Avro RJ85. The video is about nine minutes long. Enjoy.