FWSAR (CC130H, Buffalo, C27J, V22): Status & Possibilities

[Colin Parkinson]

6 Buffs are located in Comox - they manage to barely maintain one line of tasking (FWSAR standby).

Winnipeg, Trenton and Greenwood have the other FWSAR assets - namely CC-130H Hercules.  Each squadron will have roughly 2-3 Hercs each.  Winnipeg has CC-130H that are plumbed for AAR - they maintain this role along with a SAR role (ie two separate machines holding each task).

What's the main bottleneck for the buffs being serviceable?

 

[dapaterson]

I would guess parts availability.  But eqpt readiness info is classified so no one who knows should be posting details.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Opsec for SAR assets bespeaks of covering up the embarrassing failures of those who command and lead at the top, for combat resources I can see OPSEC.

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Article from Frontline Defence magazine on FWSAR bids (and its appears the Embraer KC-390 is a player):

http://defence.frontline.online/article/2016/1/4086-%22Bids-In%22-for-FWSAR%21%21

 

[SupersonicMax]

Finally, we may see this project come to term... Only 13 years later!

 

[dimsum]

Finally, we may see this project come to term... Only 13 years later!

13 years?  Pffft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Sea_King_replacement

>

 

[CougarKing]

C27J pitched:

Air Recognition

Leonardo promotes its C-27J for Canada's Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue Program

Leonardo and the Team Spartan, offering the C-27J for the Canadian Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue Program, are promoting its Canadian-led and Canadian-supported industry partners during Canada’s global defence and security trade show, CANSEC, May 25-26, 2016 in both the DRS Technologies Canada stand and the General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada stand.

(...SNIPPED)

 

[The Bread Guy]

Airbus C295W road show!

After the successful C295W tour through Latin America last year, Airbus Defence and Space has now taken C295W on tour through North America, in collaboration with the Mexican Air Force. From 18-29 June it will expose the C295W to the region´s diverse weather conditions to demonstrate again its robustness, reliability and its versatility ...

Stopping in Thunder Bay this week!

... The C295W and invited passengers and delegates will fly to Pickle Lake and Kasabonika where the aircraft will demonstrate its short takeoff and landing capabilities.

Attached is Airbus Info-machine photo of the 295 in Resolute.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

I love this part of the Thunder Bay news report:

"The tour will expose the C295W to Canada’s diverse and extreme weather conditions and terrain. With stops in cities such as Saskatoon, Yellowknife, Winnipeg, and Thunder Bay, and landing in more remote communities like Resolute Bay, Churchill, Pickle Lake, and Kasabonika, the tour will demonstrate the robustness, reliability and versatility of the C295W which make it perfectly suited for operations in Canada’s challenging environments."

How about you come back to those communities in mid-February, as an exposure test to our "extreme weather conditions"? Mid-June just doesn't cut it for me, sorry!

 

[YZT580]

They are demonstrating its capabilities in high, hot conditions as per the Airbus publicity clip.  I guess that is why they are going to Churchill.  High latitude, high altitude, same thing.

 

[Journeyman]

Post deleted because, as mentioned below, it was right over my head -- must have been the altitude at this latitude.  :facepalm:

 

[Loachman]

Your sarcasm-detector's circuit breaker seems to have popped and needs a reset.

 

[kev994]

Pickle Lake is almost 5000 feet, that's not short at all. Kasabonika is 3520, pretty short but nothing to write home about, I've used a 3500 foot runway with a CC130H, though it limits the weight.

 

[YZT580]

was it British airways who landed a B707 in Cartierville with only 4000 available?  If I remember correctly the captain had to pay for his own flight home

 

[Good2Golf]

It was an Air Canada DC-9.  They had to strip the seats and interior out, and fly min fuel the additional five miles to Dorval that the pilot should have flown the first time.  Although, in fairness, for those who have flown around the Island back in the day, Cartierville certainly looked a lot like Dorval and it was almost perfectly lined up with a similar runway configuration.  In fact, if you had the LOC-only ILS dialed in for YUL RWY 24, the needle would be well within the on-course indication if you were back East of Laval...

 

[captloadie]

For those who are in the Trenton area and want to get a close up glimpse, the aircraft will be at the Quinte International Airshow all weekend as a static aircraft put on by the Mexican Air Force (and apparently not a as a sales pitch).

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

To his discharge, however, it is important to note that he was probably not familiar with that approach.

The 10-28 runway at Dorval (Cartierville's sole runway was also a 10-28) is the shortest of three runways and goes across the other two (06-24 left and Right), so it is seldom used except for smaller planes when the weather prevents use of the two main ones or after hours at night for small prop planes authorized to land to go to the private operators terminals on the south east corner of the airport.

So the pilot may not have been familiar with that approach and found an airport in his path about where he expected it (though a little earlier than expected) with a runway that lined up exactly with the expected lay of the land.  :nod:

Of course, no possible confusion nowadays: Nobody would attempt to land on condos rooftops  ;D.

One of the main reasons for Canadair/Bombardier moving the CL-215/415 production and testing to Mirabel was actually that it was getting very hard to coordinate test flights with Dorval. The Cartierville 28 glide path interfered with the two main glide path to Dorval when (almost all the time) using the two 24 runways.

 

[Good2Golf]

OGBD, precisely.  I meant to say 28 in my last post, vice 24.  You're right, with modern day avionics/flight management systems, you like wouldn't have it ever happen.  Having done approaches to Cartierville myself, I can absolutely see how it could happen back in the day, and it wouldn't even have to be poor weather to make that mistake. :nod:

Might be worthe a visit to Quinte to see the show overall, and the 295W specifically.  Quinte is always a good Airshow.

G2G

 

[Journeyman]

Apparently pilots aviators have landed at the wrong place before.... "you mean this isn't  my carrier?"  ;D

Quinte is always a good Airshow.

  :nod:
Currently herding cats, trying to agree an RV, departure time, which parking lot.....

Of course, QIAS is also going to have a F-22 Raptor; expect a spike in "that's  what we should get for our new fighter;  I know because I've seen one now."


/tangent   

 

[Harrigan]

I love this part of the Thunder Bay news report:

"The tour will expose the C295W to Canada’s diverse and extreme weather conditions and terrain. With stops in cities such as Saskatoon, Yellowknife, Winnipeg, and Thunder Bay, and landing in more remote communities like Resolute Bay, Churchill, Pickle Lake, and Kasabonika, the tour will demonstrate the robustness, reliability and versatility of the C295W which make it perfectly suited for operations in Canada’s challenging environments."

How about you come back to those communities in mid-February, as an exposure test to our "extreme weather conditions"? Mid-June just doesn't cut it for me, sorry!

Kasabonika is an interesting choice, clearly done to demonstrate its suitability to access the "standard" remote community airstrip in the north (and yes, Kasabonika may not be far north in latitude, but it is north in remoteness). 

Airbus normally does cold-weather testing in Iqaluit. Anyone know if the C295 was tested there when it was in the development stage?

Harrigan