Firefighting seaplanes return for training flights in the Canary Islands
Residents and visitors in Tenerife and Gran Canaria may have noticed an unusually loud aircraft flying along the coast of the two islands this morning. The noise is not linked to an emergency but to training exercises by firefighting seaplanes preparing for the upcoming forest fire season.
Two Canadair CL-215T amphibious aircraft, operated by the 43rd Group of the Spanish Air Force, have arrived at Gando Air Base in Gran Canaria to begin a series of training flights around the archipelago.
The aircraft, commonly nicknamed “botijos” by their crews, are conducting an intensive training programme to practise water landings and rapid water-scooping manoeuvres, essential techniques used to fight forest fires in the Canary Islands.
The seaplanes are expected to complete around 40 hours of flight training between now and Thursday, with most of the manoeuvres taking place around the ports of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz in Tenerife, where pilots will rehearse landing on the water and refilling their tanks quickly.
These exercises allow crews to train in real coastal conditions, ensuring they are fully prepared before the peak wildfire risk period during the summer months.
Public Demonstration Planned
The deployment also includes a commemorative event. On Tuesday (17th March), one of the aircraft is scheduled to perform a demonstration water landing near El Muelle Shopping Centre in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
The event will mark the 100th anniversary of the historic “Plus Ultra” flight, offering the public a rare opportunity to see the aircraft up close.
A Familiar Sight During Wildfires
Firefighting seaplanes have played a crucial role during major forest fires in the Canary Islands in recent years, including the large fires in Gran Canaria in 2019 and the devastating Tenerife wildfire in August 2023.
The current exercises are designed to ensure crews can respond quickly and effectively should another wildfire break out in the islands’ mountainous areas.
So, if you hear the powerful roar of engines overhead this week, it is likely one of these aircraft practising, a reminder of the preparations underway to protect the islands during the fire season.
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