Getting up close to local water bombers

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/09/2021 (622 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cycling to work offered a special treat this year. For days I stared with unabashed awe at the water bomber on a nearby tarmac, until I finally mustered the courage to get a closer look.

I contacted the company that operates the fire-suppressing aircraft and was granted a tour. Giddy is not too strong a word to describe my excitement as I walked through the huge hangar and into the presence of these iconic machines.

The familiar red-and-yellow aircraft are now operated by Babcock Canada, and are housed at the main hangar in Winnipeg, as well as at remote bases in Gimli, Thompson and The Pas during the fire season. The planes are equipped to be deployed anywhere within two hours, to support neighbouring provinces and states.

Along with other rescue aircraft, Babcock maintains and operates four CL-415 water bombers, which can scoop and drop a massive 6,140 litres of water per load; three smaller CL-215 water bombers that deliver 5,455 litres; and three 690 Turbo Commanders or Bird Dog planes.

These machines were all built circa 1980, so proper maintenance is crucial.

The Bird Dogs manage the airspace for the water bombers and pinpoint water drop locations. If there are any safety issues, such as boaters on the lake or drones in the sky, they will decide whether or not to proceed with the mission. Safety is paramount.

Part of my tour included a visit to the cockpit, and I can see the attraction of learning to fly with all of this hardware at your fingertips. Routinely, just the pilot and co-pilot attend water drop missions, but there is also seating in the back for the flight engineers when moving to a new base or on a maintenance flight.

Babcock Canada provides air ambulance services in Manitoba and its parent company, Babcock International Group, supports search-and-rescue efforts around the globe. They also work with the Canadian government to support and maintain Canada’s fleet of submarines, as well as provide engineering services within the nuclear energy sector.

Many thanks to the company and its staff for the educational tour.

Wanda Prychitko is a community correspondent for St. James-Assiniboia. Contact wprychitko@yahoo.ca