A Convair air tanker.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Bernie Hudyma
September 01, 2022 - 7:00 PM
The Convair 580 air tankers stationed in Penticton that have reliably served in the never-ending battles against wildfires are getting ready to retire.
Remaining technologically relevant and improving the agility of the planes are other factors behind the decision to replace the aging Convairs.
“The Convair is from the age before computers were designed. It’s extremely rugged and overbuilt for safety,” pilot Anthony Ussher said in a blog post by the City.
“If the Air Tractor is like a Swiss Army knife – can do anything – the Convair is like a sledgehammer. Anytime you have a plane with more power than you need, the pilot is happy.”
READ MORE: Aircraft experienced engine failure during operations near Cranbrook
The aircraft have become iconic after performing their duties for 65 years, and they continue to offer quality service by offering excellent visibility with steep descent capabilities.
“It’s familiar because every summer, when the smell of acrid smoke wafts in the air signalling a forest fire, Penticton residents look to the skies and take comfort in seeing the Convair air tankers taking off to battle the blaze,” the blog says.
Grahame Wilson is a pilot who spent much of his career flying Convair 580s, and he’s feeling sentimental about saying goodbye to this model.
“I know a lot people are fans of the Convair,” Wilson said in the post.
“These planes are robust, it’s the reason they’re still here. They were originally built to carry passengers, which compared to what they’re doing now is relatively easy work for them.”
Cockpit of the Convair air tanker.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/City of Penticton
But expectations are higher than they used to be. Work has become more hazardous as aircraft are required to sweep lower to drop retardant.
The Convairs are being replaced by Dash 8 Q400s – the same craft used by airlines for commercial travel between Penticton and Vancouver or Calgary.
“Airplanes nowadays are quite automated, which just didn’t exist in the 1950s,” says Wilson.
The Dash 8 Q400s will be equipped with hydraulic steering and autopilot, compared to the Convair planes which are manual, requiring the pilot to keep two hands on the wheel the whole time.
“It’s like driving without power steering,” Wilson said.
And although the Convairs are becoming obsolete, the public may not have seen the last of them – the Kelowna Flight Centre Museum and another at the B.C. Aviation Museum in Victoria are both interested in adopting one plane each.
The final flight plan for Convairs in Penticton is Sept. 6, 2022, unless B.C. Wildfire Service needs to extend the contract.
Inside of the Convair air tanker.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/City of Penticton
To contact a reporter for this story, email Dan Walton or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2022