British Columbia-based Coldstream Helicopters of Canada is to take delivery of three more Super Pumas from CHC that will be converted into Firecats and put to work this season. This delivery puts its Firecat fleet at four, and the additions will be NVG equipped and armed with the new Tsunami tank, delivering 4000 litres of water, gel or retardant with a 40 sec fill time with no restrictions on VNE 167 knots. “This makes the Coldstream Firecat a lethal helitanker when it comes to hunting and fighting wildfire,” says a company spokesperson.

The company has also purchased six R332-E Tsunami wildland fire suppression tank systems for the AS332 series C/C1/L/ L1/L2, as well as EC215 and EC225 series, from Recoil Suppression, a division of Recoil Aerospace. The company operates globally the largest utility fleet of Pumas in Canada, and its fleet of medium helicopters support heli-ski in the winter months and wildfire suppression in the summer. It has now been appointed exclusive distributor to promote, market and sell the systems.

Recoil Aerospace managing director Joseph Rice says: “Coldstream Helicopters Is a natural fit for us with its wealth of experience and global resources. We have full confidence In president Robert Gallagher and his team to expand our market base and we look forward to this new, developing partnership.”