Air Spray

Air Spray Ltd.

IATA ICAO Callsign N/A ASB AIR SPRAY
Founded	1967
Hubs	Red Deer Regional Airport
Secondary hubs	Chico Municipal Airport
Fleet size	36[1]+6[2]
Parent company	Hamilton Investments Inc.
Headquarters	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Key people	Lynn Hamilton (President & CEO)
Website	http://www.airspray.com/

Lockheed L-188C Electra, Tanker #84

Air Spray (1967) Ltd. of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and Air Spray USA Inc of Chico, California is a private company specializing in aerial wildfire suppression using air tanker or water bomber aircraft. Air Spray was owned and operated by Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame^[3] inductee, Donald T. Hamilton until his passing in 2011. The company continues to be owned by the Hamilton family of Edmonton, Alberta.^[4]

History

Air Spray Ltd. was founded in 1967, and began its aerial wildfire suppression operation with one 1945 Douglas B-26 Invader converted to an air tanker. Air Spray's first contract was with the Province of Alberta. Next the company put out fires for the Yukon government with two more B-26s. In 1973 Air Spray's maintenance facilities were relocated from Edmonton, Alberta to the Red Deer Regional Airport at Springbrook, Alberta^[5] due to the availability of an aircraft hangar and to allow space for expansion. During the next few years, the company expanded, carrying out several seasonal contracts with various provincial governments. The fleet grew an average of one tanker per year, eventually including 22 B-26 air tankers (now retired) and 8 Cessna 310 bird dog aircraft operating under contract.

Air Spray is an Approved Maintenance Organization with Transport Canada^[6] and a Repair Station with the FAA^[7] and therefore during the summer months, when most firefighting aircraft are on location around the country, the Air Spray staff perform general aircraft maintenance and repairs.^[8] In Canada, Air Spray also carries out maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of general aviation customer aircraft under the trade name of Springbrook Aeropace.^[6]

Air Spray has focused on expansion outside of Canada. In 2012 Air Spray expanded its operation into the United States with the establishment of Air Spray USA Inc including an air tanker maintenance facility in Chico, California.^[9] As well, Air Spray has operated several aircraft in Coahuila^[10] Mexico to combat wildfires.

More recently, the company has purchased the BAe 146^[11] passenger jet aircraft for conversion to an air tanker.^[12] Air Spray also added Air Tractor AT-802 "Fire Boss" Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) to its fleet in 2013.^[13]

Air Spray has been involved in fighting many large wildfires including the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park fire, the 2011 Slave Lake, Alberta wildfire and in 2016, the company was involved in fighting the Fort McMurray, Alberta wildfire.^[14]

Aircraft

The WW2 era B-26 aircraft were converted to air tankers by fitting the old bomb bay with a 900 US gal (3,400 l; 750 imp gal) US gallon aluminium tank to hold the retardant or slurry, a mixture of clay, water and dye which is released over a fire.^[15] The B-26 flew over 30 seasons with Air Spray throughout Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Flying at a speed of 210 knots (390 km/h; 240 mph) knots, the B 26 was the work horse of Air Spray's air tanker fleet.

Turbo Commander 690

In 1986 Air Spray was awarded a contract by the Alberta Government for the operation and maintenance of four Canadair CL-215 air tankers. Air Spray operated and maintained the four aircraft for 17 years. In 1998, Air Spray purchased two CL215 aircraft, and was the first private owner and operator of this type of aircraft in the world. A third CL215 aircraft expanded the range of operation to include forest fire suppression missions in the Yukon, Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. In early 2009 the Air Spray CL215 aircraft were sold to Turkish Aeronautical Association.

In 1994, Air Spray added to its fleet the L-188 Electra, a fast, manoeuvrable turboprop plane which was converted to carry large loads of fire retardant (3,000 US gal (11,000 l; 2,500 imp gal)). The more powerful vehicle contributed to a better margin of safety for pilots. Air Spray used the Electra in British Columbia firefighting operations in 1994 and did so for Alberta a year later. The larger turbine aircraft eventually took over the work of the B-26 fleet which was retired at the end of the fire season in 2004.^[16] In 2013, Air Spray had the largest fleet of L-188 air tankers in the world.^[17]

Air Spray approached the former Aero Union in California to manufacture a tank for the L-188 Electra that would surpass the existing 12 door tank used by the industry on some air tanker aircraft at the time. After certification by Air Spray, the Retardant Aerial Delivery System (RADS) was installed on the L-188 Electra. This improved design consisted of two doors operated by an on-board computer to control the amount of the opening releasing the retardant at any one time, from a long straight line to a full drop of 3,000 US gal (11,000 l; 2,500 imp gal) of retardant, better meeting the individual demands of each fire situation. Air Spray is the current owner of the supplemental type certificate (STC) for the RADS tank for the Electra L-188 air tanker.

In addition to its fleet of air tankers, Air Spray has operated a number of "bird dog" aircraft in support of its air tanker activities.^[18] The crew aboard the bird dog includes a pilot and one or two air attack officers (AAO), who locate the fire, determine the optimal flight path for the following tanker, and recommend effective retardant dispersal patterns.

Fleet

Douglas A-26 Invader

As of February 2016, Transport Canada lists 36 Aircraft registered to Air Spray.^[1] The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration lists 6 AT802A Air Tractors to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest NA Trustee. (N349AS, N358AS, N376AS, N379AS, N397AS, N398AS)^[2]

Accidents and incidents

• June 30, 2000: An Air Spray Douglas B26C Invader (C-FEZX) air tanker was extensively damaged in a forced landing near the Grande Prairie Airport in Alberta. As the pilot made his approach to runway 25, he advised the air traffic controller that he had lost power in one of his engines. Moments later, he lost power in the second engine. After realizing he wasn't going to make the runway, he initiated a crash landing. The Invader came down in a field near the airport, bounced back into the air again, and then hit the ground and slid about 400 ft (120 m) before colliding with a road bank which spun the aircraft around and tore off the left engine. The pilot suffered minor injuries. It was later determined that the airplane had run out of fuel.^[20]
• May 25, 2001: An Air Spray Cessna T310Q (C-FGZR) was operating as a bird dog aircraft to support aerial firefighting on a forest fire northeast of Red Earth Creek, Alberta. During a turning manoeuvre at low altitude, the aircraft descended into the trees and crashed. The pilot and the fire control officer were fatally injured, and the aircraft was destroyed by subsequent fire.^[21]
• July 16, 2003: An Air Spray Lockheed L-188 Electra (Tanker #86 C-GFQA) crashed and was destroyed at Cranbrook British Columbia shortly after delivering the retardant load. Tanker 86 was seen to turn right initially, then entered a turn to the left. At 1123 local time (or 1923 Zulu), the Electra struck the terrain on the side of a steep ridge at about 3,900 ft (1,200 m) above sea level. The aircraft exploded on impact and the two pilots were fatally injured. An intense post-crash fire consumed much of the wreckage and started a forest fire at the crash site and the surrounding area.^[22]
• August 12, 2004: An Air Spray Douglas B26C Invader (C-FCBK) was on departure from High Level Airport, Alberta, to Rainbow Lake, Alberta, when the pilot rejected the takeoff run at approximately 90 knots (170 km/h; 100 mph) due to a power loss on one of the engines. The pilot released the load of fire retardant on the runway, however the aircraft was unable to stop in the remaining distance and came to rest in a drainage ditch approximately 1,200 ft (370 m) beyond the threshold of the runway, spilling a significant amount of fuel. The aircraft was substantially damaged, however there was no post impact fire. The pilot, who was the sole occupant sustained serious injuries.^[23]

Flight Simulator

Air Spray has developed a Transport Canada certified flight simulator for training pilots on the L-188 Electra and TC 690 aircraft.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Air Spray.

• Air Spray Ltd. company web site