FWSAR (CC130H, Buffalo, C27J, V22): Status & Possibilities

[ytz]

Interesting article on Kingfisher in the latest edition of Skies magazine. The sensor suite seems quite impressive.

Skies Magazine

issues.skiesmag.com

My first ever project management job as a young Captain was to help write specs for the FWSAR sensor suite! Happy to have played a small part. Even though I wish it was on a different airframe.

At this point, I just wish we'd get a few more aircraft and open a Fixed Wing SAR base in Gander. And maybe even one in Yellowknife. The current fleet is the absolute bare minimum. We can and should expand it.

 

[ytz]

Spain has joined Canada in fielding a SAR version of the C295. I wonder how much of their design leaned on lessons learned from the Kingfisher development?

Spain’s first C295 SAR plane begins testing in Seville

Airbus Defence and Space has successfully carried out the first flight of Spain’s new C295 Search and Rescue (SAR) aircraft, marking a major step in the country’s fleet modernization effort. According to Airbus Defence, the aircraft took off from Seville,

defence-blog.com

They use the 295 for everything. Including Maritime Patrol. Domestically built airplane.

 

[YZT580]

My first ever project management job as a young Captain was to help write specs for the FWSAR sensor suite! Happy to have played a small part. Even though I wish it was on a different airframe.

At this point, I just wish we'd get a few more aircraft and open a Fixed Wing SAR base in Gander. And maybe even especially one in Yellowknife. The current fleet is the absolute bare minimum. We can and should expand it.

That is better. The idea of having SAR having to transit thousands of miles to reach an area where the services will definitely be needed far more than Southern Ontario is just plain dumb. Gander is a good choice too although St; John would work almost as well.

 

[ytz]

The sensor suite has always been what is trotted out as the reason the aircraft can have less range and on STA time because they can locate the missing pers that much quicker. I was doubtful of this until I spoke to someone who was on a recent SAREX and saw the capabilities first hand. They found the primary and secondary targets well before any other of the airframes competing, if they found them at all, and a third target that was meant to be a surprise for the SAR techs on the ground and thought to be unseen from the sky.

To a point. When planning this, we basically spec'd the radar to be able to pick up a medium sized boat capsized at 100 NM out in a certain sea state. The idea was that they can pick up the target en route and get the SAR Techs ready, then simply transition to 1-2 passes for wind check before letting them jump. Heck, if the precision drop system panned out, they would have theoretically not even needed the wind check, could release the SAR tech through cloud. Kinda like Herc JPADS.

Zero search time if it could be helped. I don't know if it happened, but we even looked at software that could scan the water with the EO/IR for specific colour, like the International Orange of a life jacket (with a lot less range). That was a stretch goal in my time. But with AI today....

The problem, however, cool as the sensors are, is that at the edge of our AOR, this airplane is still tight for endurance. Would be nice to simply make these airplanes AAR capable. And add two more FWSAR detachments in Gander and Yellowknife to substantially improve endurance at the edges of our AOR.

 

[ytz]

That is better. The idea of having SAR having to transit thousands of miles to reach an area where the services will definitely be needed far more than Southern Ontario is just plain dumb. Gander is a good choice too although St; John would work almost as well.

We had decades of data on SAR calls. It was analyzed by DRDC CORA. Highest demand was actually the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, East Coast and Pacific. Last two because of maritime industries like fishing. First two because people sometimes get drunk and go fishing after work. Our squadrons are based accordingly. The only gap was really Gander. And somewhat Yellowknife. The Twotter does do some stuff up there.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

One of the things we learned in the CCG, is that if you spend time in a area, you will get more calls than you expected. If the locals know there are no federal resources in the area, they won't bother to call the RCC, but instead go and take care of it themselves, therefore not being entered as a stat.