Conair Avro RJ85 air tanker C-GFVK/Tanker 391 (msn E2268) returned to Australia to help fight forest fires during the southern summer. She departed Abbotsford on 29 November, routing via Oakland, Honolulu, the Marshal Islands, and Honiara, arriving at Avalon airport outside Melbourne on 4 December. This is Tanker 391’s second tour of duty […]
Conair ferried Avro RJ85 air tanker C-GFVT/Tanker 466 (msn E2253) to Marseilles. She departed Abbotsford on 25 June, and routed via Thompson, Iqaluit, Reykjavik, and Edinburgh, arriving in Marseilles in mid-afternoon of 26 June. Marseilles is the base for France’s Sécurité Civile, which operates the French air tanker fleet. Recent […]
As in previous years, Conair has ferried an Avro RJ85 air tanker to Australia to operate there during the southern summer fire season. RJ85AT C-GVFK/Tanker 391 (msn E2268) left Abbotsford on 29 November. After a stop in Oakland, she started her crossing of the Pacific Ocean, stopping in Honolulu on 30 November. On […]
Aero-Flite recently placed its Avro RJ85 Air Tankers into service. Both N839AC/Tanker 160 (msn E2270) and N354AC/Tanker 161 (msn E2256) were ferried to Redding on 25 July, Tanker 160 from Missoula, where her crew had been training, and Tanker 161 from Abbotsford, via Portland. Both then moved on to Moses Lake in […]
Conair Avro RJ85 air tanker N839AC/Tanker 160 (msn E2270) began retardant drop tests on 11 December. The tests, which measure the volume and consistency of drop patterns, are being conducted at Fox Field in southern California. Passing these tests is a critical step in obtaining Interagency AirTanker Board certification. Tanker […]
Conair‘s first RJ85 air tanker conversion, N839AC (msn E2270), made her first flight on 21 August. Unlike Tronos’ air tankers, Conair’s conversion uses an external tank. The 3,000 US gallon tank is attached to the bottom and the sides of the fuselage, a configuration that Conair had already used on […]
The second former Lufthansa Avro RJ85 was delivered to Canada’s Conair Group in January, for air tanker conversion. RJ85 N354AC (msn E2256) was ferried from Kemble to Abbotsford, British Columbia, arriving on 11 January. On 21 January, she was then ferried to Spokane, via Boeing Field, for interior stripping. Sistership […]
Canada’s Conair Group has begun flight-testing its air tanker conversion of the Avro RJ85. Former Lufthansa RJ85 N839AC (msn E2270 ex D-AVRI) was modified at Conair’s Abbotsford base. She has been painted in the colors of Conair’s US subsidiary, Aero-Flite. In June, AeroFlite had received a contract from the US […]
Just two weeks after giving Neptune Aviation a contract for its first BAe 146-200 air tanker, the US Forest Service (USFS) has issued contracts covering several more BAe 146 and Avro RJ tankers. Neptune Aviation received contracts for an additional two 146 tankers, while Minden Air received a contract for […]
Canada’s Conair Group is partnering with Falko to develop an air tanker with a 3,000 US gallon capacity based on the Avro RJ85. Conair, based at Abbotsford, in British Columbia, has developed air tanker conversions of numerous aircraft types, and operates almost fifty of them. Rick Pedersen, Senior Vice President […]
