The Coulsons heading the Coulson Aircrane Ltd. firm, from left: Foster, Wayne and Britton
PORT ALBERNI – Coulson Aviation has been awarded a three-year firefighting contract with Corporation Nacional Forestal (CONAF) of Chile for a C-130H Hercules Large AirTanker and a Citation 550 air attack lead plane with its partner BRYSA.
Coulson Aviation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Coulson Aircrane Ltd., a privately-owned family company that has over 160,000 safe flight hours and has been in the aviation business for over 36 years, operating a diverse fleet of both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. The company’s operations have included helicopter logging, forest fire suppression, power-line construction, airliner passenger, transport and many other industrial heavy lift operations.
“We are honoured to continue supporting Chile with our aircraft,” said Britton Coulson, President and COO, Coulson Aviation. “We have been successfully fighting fires in Chile for the past three years with our Boeing CH-47D’s and Lockheed C-130H’s with great success. This new contract solidifies Coulson’s presence with the largest airtanker in the country. It also recognizes the value our C-130 and Citation 550 working together to provide an efficient and productive aerial firefighting response.”
The Citation 550 air attack lead plane allows Coulson’s highly trained air attacks to coordinate the aerial assets on a fire from above for safety and efficiency. The fast, maneuverable jet maintains an altitude above all firefighting helicopters and airplanes, allowing the crew to direct aircraft, provide safe separation, and increase efficiency of overall operations, which significantly increases productivity. Coulson Aviation is the only aerial firefighting company operating Large Airtankers with Air Attack Lead Aircraft internationally.
The Coulson Aviation C-130H Hercules that will help fight fires in Chile
The C-130H is equipped with Coulson’s 4,000-gallon Retardant Aerial Delivery System (RADS-XXL), the most widely used, highest-volume tanking system for LATs worldwide. At half the cost and one-sixth the weight of competing systems, Coulson’s RADS-XXL requires no additional crew or equipment, provides real-time flow rate and superior drop zone coverage, and reduces overall pilot workload.
Built by Lockheed Martin, the C-130H Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It has a capacity of 4,000 gallons (15,000 liters) and is considered one of the world’s most powerful aerial firefighting aircraft due to its range, versatility, and suppression ability per drop.
Business Examiner Staff
