Page 11 - June2019

Manufactured specifically for firefighting,
Viking Aerial Firefighting aircraft are capable of
employing a range of firefighting techniques as
determined by mission requirements. These
include scooping large volumes of water from
nearby sources such as lakes, and the ability to
combine retrieved water with a foam
suppressant.
The CL-415 and CL-415EAF can minimize loss
due to forest fires by making repeat and
frequent drops without having to reload or
return to base.

Water Scooping
Water scooping is a highly effective firefighting technique that requires an aircraft to scoop a large
volume of water from a source, such as a river or lake, and dropping a mix of water and fire
suppressant over the fire. The CL-415EAF can scoop water from a site that is as small as two
metres (6.5 feet) deep and 90 metres (300 feet) wide. If the designated water site doesn’t have
the capacity for a full water load, a partial load will be used and the CL-415EAF aircraft will make
multiple trips, returning to the fire.

This highly-maneuverable aircraft allows pilots to navigate around obstacles such as river bends,
still in flying mode, while scooping water.

To scoop up a 5,447-litre (1,439-US gallon) load of water, it takes the CL-415EAF aircraft only 12
seconds, travelling at 130 km/h (70 knots) and covering 410 metres (1,350 feet).