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

[Old Sweat]

I remember watching SAR Techs jump out of these at CFB Summerside when I was in Grade 1;  that would have been 1975-76 - a testament to how long the Buffalo served Canada and Canadians for. 

457 is the aircraft featured on the RCAF website as well.  http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/aircraft-current/cc-115.page

I learned aircraft drills for the Buffalo on my Basic Para serial in 1968. At that time there was a Buffalo squadron in a tactical transport role in 10 TAG in FMC.

 

[armrdsoul77]

CC-115 Buffalo Retirement Roundup - Comox Air Force Museum

 

[suffolkowner]

Are they actually retiring all the Buffalo's? I see that we have accepted 8 aircraft in Spain but how many have made it to Canada? 3?

Fixed-wing search and rescue procurement project - Canada.ca

The Government of Canada is acquiring 16 CC-295s to take over the search and rescue duties undertaken by legacy fleets, CC-115 Buffalo aircraft and CC-130H Hercules aircraft.

www.canada.ca

 

[kev994]

Are they actually retiring all the Buffalo's? I see that we have accepted 8 aircraft in Spain but how many have made it to Canada? 3?

Fixed-wing search and rescue procurement project - Canada.ca

The Government of Canada is acquiring 16 CC-295s to take over the search and rescue duties undertaken by legacy fleets, CC-115 Buffalo aircraft and CC-130H Hercules aircraft.

www.canada.ca

Yeah, the C130 is supposed to cover the AOR; based out of Winnipeg for the slow season and Comox ~May 24 to Labour Day.

 

[suffolkowner]

Yeah, the C130 is supposed to cover the AOR; based out of Winnipeg for the slow season and Comox ~May 24 to Labour Day.

You would think they could get the planes up and running by May 24th. How can it be that hard to fly 5 or 6 planes over? What is the holdup, some kind of covid bs?

 

[dapaterson]

Acceptance of the initial aircraft and testing against requirements, including identification of any discrepancies. Acceptance of each aircraft. Training crew and maintainers. All while maintaining ongoing operations.

It's not like the RCAF can declare "Ok, SAR is closed for nine months while we retrain, retool, and test new aircraft."

 

[kev994]

They still need to figure out how to drop stuff from the airplane, train the school, then train 442, my guess is we’re still years away.

 

[suffolkowner]

I was more thinking that it shouldn't be that hard to fly the planes from Spain to Comox.

In that case then it really seems premature to retire the Buffalos. Of the 3 planes(?) here does that include the one that is just for maintenance training?

 

[kev994]

I was more thinking that it shouldn't be that hard to fly the planes from Spain to Comox.

In that case then it really seems premature to retire the Buffalos. Of the 3 planes(?) here does that include the one that is just for maintenance training?

The Buffs were extended a few times but from what I understand the airframes are toast and maintenance did a great job to keep them running as long as they did.

 

[suffolkowner]

The Buffs were extended a few times but from what I understand the airframes are toast and maintenance did a great job to keep them running as long as they did.

so the Kingfishers are coming in just in time or a day late in the tradition of the CAF depending how you look at it. One of these days our procurement issues are going to really cost us. It's like the so called premature retirement of Preserver/Protecteur and the Tribals that should have been replaced long before

 

[Zoomie]

so the Kingfishers are coming in just in time or a day late in the tradition of the CAF depending how you look at it.

Just one or two days late…

 

[OceanBonfire]

Retired from operational flight:

Final operational flight of the CC-115 Buffalo aircraft - Canada.ca

The final operational flight for the CC-115 Buffalo aircraft was flown today by 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron, based out of 19 Wing Comox, British Columbia.

www.canada.ca

https://twitter.com/x/status/1482518458109767680

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Going to miss them flying overhead, grew up with the Martin Mars, Argus and Buffs thundering past our house.

 

[dimsum]

One of these days our procurement issues are going to really cost us

They have already. It's a freaking miracle that some of our equipment works as well as it does, thanks to the maintainers.

 

[daftandbarmy]

IIRC that Viking Air will start pumping them out now:

DHC-5 Buffalo​

With nearly twice the payload as the DHC-4 Caribou and improved STOL capabilities, the DHC-5 Buffalo was designed to be a tactical transport aircraft for militaries worldwide. Many Buffalo would also later be used for search-and-rescue operations by the Canadian Air Force.
Viking owns the Type Certificate for the DHC-5 Buffalo and provides parts and support services to the fleet worldwide. If you would like more information on Viking's support for this aircraft, please visit our Customer Support page for details.

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited

Since 1928, De Havilland Canada has been building utility-built aircraft for customers here at home, and around the world.

www.vikingair.com

 

[armrdsoul77]

The Buffs were extended a few times but from what I understand the airframes are toast and maintenance did a great job to keep them running as long as they did.

I thought it was the engines became to difficult to support due to a lack of spare parts.

IIRC that Viking Air will start pumping them out now:

Viking Air is going to start producing new Buffalo?

A company in the U.S. is putting turbo props on Caribou.
HOME | penturbo

 

[daftandbarmy]

I thought it was the engines became to difficult to support due to a lack of spare parts.

Viking Air is going to start producing new Buffalo?

A company in the U.S. is putting turbo props on Caribou.
HOME | penturbo

View attachment 68170

I have no information to suggest that Viking is actually going to build the Buff... but I wouldn't be surprised!

 

[kev994]

I have no information to suggest that Viking is actually going to build the Buff... but I wouldn't be surprised

They tried to sell it as the FWSAR replacement but as far as I know nobody has bought any. It can’t be pressurized due to the fuselage being square so there was this brainiac idea to build a capsule in the flight deck…. But not everyone sits there…

 

[WestIsle]

My memory was that at the time the proposal was fully thought out and more them raising their hand in class kinda thing.

 

[YZT580]

I thought it was the engines became to difficult to support due to a lack of spare parts.

Viking Air is going to start producing new Buffalo?

A company in the U.S. is putting turbo props on Caribou.
HOME | penturbo

View attachment 68170

I didn't realize that there were any caribous left flying but that was obviously a mistake. Was the buf ever certified as a civilian a/c