Latest news with #CC-295Kingfisher
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New RCAF plane completes 1st operational parachute rescue deep in B.C. mountains
Members of the Royal Canadian Air Force are celebrating the successful rescue of a pilot who crashed deep in the mountains north of Prince George, B.C. The mission involved Canada's newest fixed-wing search-and-rescue aircraft. The CC-295 Kingfisher carried out its first operational parachute jump on Wednesday after only three weeks on the job. The air force says the Kingfisher, which is based out of Canadian Forces Base Comox on Vancouver Island, is specifically designed for search-and-rescue operations, and comes equipped with sensors that allow crews to locate people or objects from more than 40 kilometres away, even in low-light conditions. "The modernization on this plane is night and day compared to what we used to fly previously," said Capt. Greg Harris, who piloted the Kingfisher during the mission. The aircraft officially went into operation on May 1, Harris said, and completed its first operational jump Wednesday to help save a civilian pilot who had crashed near Mount Kinney. Harris said the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria notified them at around 1:30 p.m. of a spot beacon being activated by a single-passenger airplane, indicating a crash. An RCMP helicopter reached the crash site, approximately 130 kilometres northeast of Prince George, and recovered the injured pilot. Search-and-rescue technicians then parachuted out of the Kingfisher, approximately 10 kilometres south of where the plane crashed, and established a temporary care site. RCMP then took the injured pilot to the SAR technicians. They stabilized the patient, who was then picked up by a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter and flown to Prince George for treatment. 'Ended up being pretty challenging' Harris credited his colleagues for handling challenging terrain and bad weather. "You never know what you're going to get, and it's never simple," he said. "There's always variables that come up that you weren't thinking were going to come up. So it ended up being pretty challenging." Master Cpl. Alain Goguen was among the SAR technicians who parachuted out of the plane carrying medical equipment and other gear. Goguen said the technology on the Kingfisher helped them assess where they were going to land, saving them precious minutes in a mission where time was of the essence. Harris said with stormy weather looming, they were minutes away from not being able to have the SAR technicians jump, and the injured pilot would have had to wait "a substantial time." He said he and his colleagues were thrilled to play a role in getting the pilot to safety, working closely with RCMP and the crew of the CH-149 Cormorant. He added that the mission allowed them to test their new aircraft in a real-life situation. "A lot of time these situations where airplanes crashed, the outcome is often not a good one, so the fact that the first operational jump of the Kingfisher was so successful and the outcome was so positive, it led to a pretty jubilant base here," Harris said. Goguen described the rescue in more straightforward terms. "That's what we trained for, so that's what we did. And things worked out."
The Province
02-05-2025
- General
- The Province
Kingfisher: A new plane is ready to come to the rescue in B.C.
The medium-range plane is equipped with sensors capable of spotting people and objects from more than 40 kilometres away and has already been used to look for missing boaters A CC-295 Kingfisher search and rescue plane at 19 Wing Comox. DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE The first of the Canadian military's long-awaited new search-and-rescue aircraft is now on-call in B.C. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The fixed-wing CC-295 Kingfisher officially took to the skies on Thursday. But the medium-range plane — which is equipped with sensors capable of spotting people and objects from about 40 kilometres away — has already been used to search for missing boaters in Finlayson Arm two weeks ago and near Port Alberni in March. The first Kingfisher, based at 19 Wing Comox, has reached 'SAR alert' status, which means the air force will have the plane with trained crew ready to respond to emergencies on the west coast and across B.C. and the Yukon. The planes will receive 'tasking orders' from the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria. Ordered nearly a decade ago, the twin-propeller planes replace Canada's aging fleet of Buffalo search-and-rescue aircraft. 'Canadians should feel assured that as of [Thursday], a fully capable and crewed CC-295 Kingfisher will be available 24/7, 365 days a year throughout Canada's western territories and waters to support SAR activities,' said a statement from the Department of National Defence. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A $2.4-billion contract for 16 new Kingfisher aircraft was awarded to Airbus in late 2016 with costs covering 11 years. The Kingfisher has a wingspan of 26.7 metres and is 24.45 metres long with a maximum speed of 468 km/h. DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE The first six years were for acquisition, transition and set-up, and the following five years were for in-service support, with an option to extend the contract by another 15 years up to 2042. The first planes were expected to be operational in 2020, but delays because of the pandemic pushed back the rollout and hiked the cost to $2.9 billion. The initial deal with Airbus included a new training facility, plus $2.3 billion to maintain the planes for 15 years. Five of the planes are now at 19 Wing Comox, where a simulator-equipped training facility for 418 Squadron was built to prepare pilots, crew, technicians and maintenance personnel, said a public affairs spokesperson. Each of the Kingfisher planes is crewed by six personnel with several on the ground for support. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Once the planes are given the green light in Comox, the other Kingfishers are expected to be rolled out at 14 Wing Greenwood in Nova Scotia, 17 Wing Winnipeg and 8 Wing in Trenton, Ontario. Five are expected to be operational this year and in 2026. The Kingfisher fleet's full operating capability, however, isn't likely to be achieved until 2029 or 2030, when the planes, personnel and maintenance facilities are in place at various bases, according to the military. Lieut.-Gen. Steve Boivin, commander for Canadian Joint Operations Command, said having the first Kingfisher ready for callouts at 19 Wing Comox marks the beginning of a new era for SAR operations in Canada. 'The addition to our SAR capability will significantly enhance our ability to respond to Canadians in need and save lives,' he said Thursday. The Kingfisher is equipped with advanced navigation, communication, data management and sensor technologies. Using integrated sensors and infrared cameras, crews will be able to locate persons or objects — such as downed aircraft — from about 40 kilometres away, even in low-light conditions. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. That's expected to increase the overall effectiveness of searches, DND said. It's anticipated that on-scene search time will be reduced with the use of the enhanced sensors and the aircraft will be more reliable and available more often than current fleets. The Kingfisher will also use communications systems that will allow search-and-rescue personnel to share real-time information with partners on the ground. The planes have a wingspan of 26.7 metres, or about 88 feet, and a length of 24.45 metres (80 feet), with a maximum speed of 468 km/h and a range of 4,500 kilometres. Read More Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks BC Lions Vancouver Whitecaps News
Vancouver Sun
02-05-2025
- General
- Vancouver Sun
Kingfisher: A new plane is ready to come to the rescue in B.C.
The first of the Canadian military's long-awaited new search-and-rescue aircraft is now on-call in B.C. Article content Article content The fixed-wing CC-295 Kingfisher officially took to the skies on Thursday. Article content But the medium-range plane — which is equipped with sensors capable of spotting people and objects from about 40 kilometres away — has already been used to search for missing boaters in Finlayson Arm two weeks ago and near Port Alberni in March. Article content Article content The first Kingfisher, based at 19 Wing Comox, has reached 'SAR alert' status, which means the air force will have the plane with trained crew ready to respond to emergencies on the west coast and across B.C. and the Yukon. Article content Ordered nearly a decade ago, the twin-propeller planes replace Canada's aging fleet of Buffalo search-and-rescue aircraft. Article content 'Canadians should feel assured that as of [Thursday], a fully capable and crewed CC-295 Kingfisher will be available 24/7, 365 days a year throughout Canada's western territories and waters to support SAR activities,' said a statement from the Department of National Defence. Article content A $2.4-billion contract for 16 new Kingfisher aircraft was awarded to Airbus in late 2016 with costs covering 11 years. Article content Article content The first six years were for acquisition, transition and set-up, and the following five years were for in-service support, with an option to extend the contract by another 15 years up to 2042. Article content Article content The first planes were expected to be operational in 2020, but delays because of the pandemic pushed back the rollout and hiked the cost to $2.9 billion. Article content Article content The initial deal with Airbus included a new training facility, plus $2.3 billion to maintain the planes for 15 years. Article content Five of the planes are now at 19 Wing Comox, where a simulator-equipped training facility for 418 Squadron was built to prepare pilots, crew, technicians and maintenance personnel, said a public affairs spokesperson. Each of the Kingfisher planes is crewed by six personnel with several on the ground for support. Article content Once the planes are given the green light in Comox, the other Kingfishers are expected to be rolled out at 14 Wing Greenwood in Nova Scotia, 17 Wing Winnipeg and 8 Wing in Trenton, Ontario.
