FlightGlobal
• David Kaminski-Morrow
Spanish investigators are examining an airprox involving an Airbus A320neo and aircraft supporting a wildfire response near Malaga. The airliner aborted its approach after encountering firefighting traffic; two aircraft involved in the Cadiz wildfire operation were reportedly heading to a heliport to refill.
Aerial Firefighting
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Spanish investigators are examining an airprox involving an Airbus A320neo and aircraft supporting a wildfire response near Malaga. The airliner aborted its approach after encountering firefighting traffic; two aircraft involved in the Cadiz wildfire operation were reportedly heading to a heliport to refill.
France conducted its first nighttime waterbombing drops from Aug. 17 to 18, 2026, using an Australian CH-47D Chinook stationed at Mont-de-Marsan since early August. The borrowed helicopter provides a capability unavailable from any aircraft in France’s current inventory, extending wildfire response beyond daylight operations.
Cockpit video from the July 12 crash of a K-Max firefighting helicopter in Colorado is supporting the NTSB’s investigation, whose preliminary findings indicate that pilot control inputs will be considered as a possible factor. The incident highlights the operational and safety risks of aerial firefighting missions.
Spain’s Airworks has received a restricted-category UH-60L for wildfire response after an 18-month collaboration with Timberline Helicopters, while Pegasus Aero Group signed a long-term, multi-aircraft lease agreement with SkyConnect Leasing. The developments point to growing European operating and support capacity for the heavy helicopter type.
Coulson is expanding its aerial firefighting fleet with 10 C-130s formerly operated by the Canadian air force, as severe wildfires in British Columbia underscore the need for additional airtanker capacity. The acquisition strengthens the company’s ability to support wildfire response with large transport-derived firefighting aircraft.
Coulson Aviation Canada has conditionally agreed to acquire 10 of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s retired C-130H Hercules transports for conversion into aerial firefighting aircraft. The sale, announced at the Abbotsford International Airshow, follows the RCAF’s retirement of its 12-aircraft fleet; two airframes will be preserved.
A heavy-lift helicopter crashed while supporting firefighting operations near Richfield, Utah, but dangerous wildfire conditions prevented emergency responders from safely reaching the remote site. The incident came as rapidly spreading flames in Oregon killed a bulldozer operator, underscoring the hazards facing wildfire crews on multiple fronts.
A firefighting helicopter crashed near the Widemouth 2 wildfire in Utah, killing two people aboard. The aircraft was responding to a blaze that has burned more than 100,000 acres since it started last month, underscoring the operational risks facing aerial firefighting crews.
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