A visitor to Red Deer Industrial Airport, Alberta, Canada, during the spring might think they have gone back in time. Deployed on the ramp are 16 bright yellow Invaders of differing designations and modifications. This is the Invader fire fighting fleet of Air Spray Limited - the last outfit still deploying the Invader in attacking man's oldest enemy - fire.

Although Air Spray suffered a devastating loss last year when their huge vintage WWII hangar burned down destroying several Invaders, a large cache of spare parts and records, the company recovered and is still using the Invader in what is almost an attack role.

In the United States, about 20 Invaders were used by a variety of companies over the years as fire fighters with the last being retired in 1990. Some of these aircraft migrated to Air Spray but the company has also been very active in finding and converting airframes for the bombing mission - even some executive aircraft have been so modified.

The retardant tank carries 760 Imperial gallons (3450 litres) which weighs about 8700 pounds. The tank's two doors are independent and leak-proof and each side of the tank is divided into compartments so that the retardant can't start sloshing around in flight which would cause trouble. When the tank's doors are opened by the pilot, vents atop the fuselage pop open to scoop air into the system to force the slurry out in just 1.5 seconds which lets the retardant hit the fire in a concentrated force.

The Invaders are sent out in groups during fire season to ten Forest Service Air Tanker Bases in Alberta - some of which are quite remote. The area formerly occupied by the turrets is now used to house spare parts, tools, luggage, etc., so that each aircraft is self-sufficient.

It is interesting to note that most fires in this part of the world are caused by lightning strikes that take place between 2 and 4 pm so the tanker crew usually starts their day at 11 am and stand-down is between 7 and 9 pm depending on time of year.

Attacking a fire is a bit of a science. The retardant is not dropped directly into the fire. Ideally, an Invader drops a salvo load (both doors open) at the head of the fire to impeded its forward progress while successive trail drops are made on the flanks - the pilot opens the doors in sequence, allowing a long continuous line of retardant to settle down on the flanks. For maximum effectiveness, the pilots drop at 100 feet above ground or canopy (trees) level. Ideal drop speed is about 122 knots.

Currently, Air Spray has no plans to stand down the Invader fleet and recently even bought another Invader in the US as a replacement for one of the lost aircraft.

The North American airborne fire suppression industry came of age in the mid-1950s when suitable aircraft became obtainable. Former military transports and bombers, such as the Consolidated Catalina/Canso, Douglas Skymaster, and Grumman Avenger were modified with tanks to hold water or fire retardant. The second generation of air tankers included 1950s vintage piston aircraft such as the Lockheed Neptune, Grumman Tracker, Douglas DC-6s and DC-7s. In later years, turbine aircraft became active with the availability of Lockheed C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orions.

Canadian companies such as The Flying Fireman of Sidney, B.C., Avalon Aviation of Red Deer, Alta., Canspec Air Transport of Calgary, Alta., and North Canada Air of Prince Albert, Sask., have long since ceased to exist. Today, five provincial governments and a handful of private operators continue to use fixed-wing aircraft to fight an enemy that perennially regroups – wildfire.

One of these companies is Air Spray (1967) Ltd. of Edmonton, Alta. Having been around for more than four decades, it is a survivor in an industry that has seen many a player burn out. Can it withstand the heat of competition and soldier on? To answer that we must first review how it got to where it is today.

That was then…
In February 1954, 27-year-old David Harrington created Airspray Ltd. in Wetaskiwin, Alta. The company provided crop dusting services with light aircraft including a Champion 7GCA Sky-Trac and a Piper PA-18A Super Cub. In July 1961, Airspray was awarded its first fire suppression contract from the Province of Alberta. Its expanded fleet now included a trio of Grumman TBM Avengers and a pair of Boeing Stearman biplanes. In 1967 Harrington renamed the company Mercury Flights Ltd., but later that year it became Air Spray (1967) Ltd.

In 1969, Dave Harrington acquired a 1945 Douglas B-26 Invader located in Richmond, B.C. After having it converted into a water bomber at Prescott, Ariz., it was ready for service in the spring of 1970. In need of working capital, Harrington approached Edmonton businessman Donald T. Hamilton. Given that Air Spray had a contract with the Alberta Forest Service, Hamilton agreed to purchase a 50 per cent interest in the B-26 for $5,000. A few years later Hamilton became the company’s sole owner and continued to grow the enterprise. Later in 1970, Air Spray was awarded a three-year contract from Alberta to operate a pair of Invaders. In 1973 it began working for the Yukon Territory’s government with another pair of B-26s. The following year, Air Spray moved its operations base from the Edmonton Industrial Airport to the Red Deer Regional Airport in Penhold, Alta., where it had room to expand.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Air Spray provided aerial firefighting services to the governments of Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. The speedy B-26 was the company’s weapon of choice. Air Spray acquired an average of one Invader per year and owned 17 of them by the summer of 1988. In 1990, after Air Spray had served the Yukon for 17 years, that contract was awarded to Conair Aviation of Abbotsford, B.C.

During the 1990s, the fleet of large piston-powered air tankers in the United States began to be supplemented by turbine-driven machines. The Lockheed P-3 Orion, a four-engine turboprop, caught the eye of Don Hamilton. Aero Union of Chico, Calif., had converted a number of former U.S. Navy P-3s into air tankers and they were demonstrating attractive operational characteristics. The P-3’s civilian sibling was the Lockheed L-188 Electra, a 66-88 seat airliner. Like the P-3, the L-188 can carry 3,000 US gallons of retardant, cruise en route to its target at 380 miles per hour and perform with the required agility at the drop zone. Air Spray initiated Electra ops for the Province of B.C. in 1994 and did so for Alberta a year later. As the larger turbine aircraft met its performance expectations, the customers expressed their preference. The result was the retirement of the B-26 fleet at the end of the fire season in 2004.

Over the years Air Spray owned 22 Invaders. Despite three being destroyed in a hangar fire at Red Deer on Oct. 16, 2000, and five being written off in action, the aircraft served the company well for 35 years. In the meantime, from 1988 until 2001, Air Spray operated four Canadair CL-215 amphibians owned by the Alberta government. As well, from 1999 until 2008, the company operated a trio of its own CL-215s for Alberta. Conair was awarded the management contract for the four 215s in 2001 and Air Spray sold its three Canadairs early this past summer. 
  
In addition to its fleet of air tankers, Air Spray has operated numerous bird dog aircraft in support of its water bombing activities. During the past 40 years the company’s bird dogs have been primarily Cessna 310s, Ted Smith Aerostars and Rockwell 690 Turbo Commanders. It has also used a Cessna 500 Citation in the bird dog role during the past 10 years. Earlier this decade, Air Spray operated a former military fighter to pursue revenues in a totally unrelated market – aerial target towing. The jet, a 1958 Canadair F-86E Mk.6 Sabre, sported the company’s bright yellow livery and served the Canadian Forces at Cold Lake, Alta. It was exported to the U.S. in February 2007 after Top Aces of Pointe-Claire, Que., was awarded the contract.

This is now…
During the first several years of this decade, Air Spray had a fleet that totalled 35 aircraft composed of air tankers, bird dogs and the Sabre. With the retirement of the Invaders and the sale of the CL-215s and the F-86, the operational fleet is down to 20 aircraft. It now includes seven Electras, eight Turbo Commanders, three Cessna 310s and two Aerostars.

In addition to the latter two types, the company has six remaining B-26s for sale. Aerial firefighting is truly a specialized craft. The mission is to contain, if not extinguish, wildfires that have been created either by lightning or human activity. Two types of aircraft are involved – the lead aircraft (bird dog) and the air tanker (water bomber). The lead aircraft locates the fire then determines the optimal flight path and profile that would best allow the tanker to deliver the water or fire retardant (typically a slurry of phosphates, clay, water and red dye). After the bird dog demonstrates the attack routing a couple of times, the tanker proceeds with a series of runs on the target before returning to its base to reload. As the bomber performs its passes, the bird dog flies in formation behind the tanker at the seven o’clock position to monitor the effectiveness of the attack.

The crew aboard the bird dog includes a pilot and one or two air attack officers. The AAOs are responsible for determining the co-ordinates of the fire, planning the attack route and profile, recommending effective retardant dispersal patterns and advising the tanker of any obstructions on the way in and out of the target area. The goal of the air tanker is to create a barrier that will contain the blaze for the team on the ground. It does so by dropping a line of retardant along the periphery of the fire.
 
Besides the five provincial governments (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador) that operate their own fixed-wing tankers and bird dogs, there are only a few private aerial firefighting companies in Canada. Other than Air Spray, the largest firms include Conair Group of Abbotsford, B.C, Coulson Flying Tankers of Port Alberni, B.C., Buffalo Airways of Yellowknife, N.W.T., and Forest Protection of Lincoln, N.B.

Air Spray is the world’s only operator of the Lockheed Electra outfitted as an air tanker. It has 10 of the classic airliners that have an average age of 50 years. Three are flying in British Columbia, two are operating in Alberta, two are available on standby and three are component donors. Parts for their Allison 501-D13 engines are readily available as the same model powers Convair 580s and Lockheed Herculeses.

The Electras are equipped with the Aero Union Retardant Aerial Delivery System (RADS) tank system. The computerized system allows the crew to select the volume of retardant required, as well as the length and width of the line. It enables 3,000 US gallons/11,365 litres of retardant to be delivered in one massive drop that takes only three seconds. Alternatively, the load can be released over a long line. Reflecting this capability, Air Spray refers to its Electras as Long Liners.

Sadly, two crew members were lost when one of the Electras crashed on a sortie near Cranbrook, B.C., on July 16, 2003. The Transportation Safety Board’s report concluded that the pilots likely miscalculated the aircraft’s proximity and rate of closure to the mountainous terrain. In spite of this mishap, the L-188 has been a reliable performer for more than a decade.

Air Spray’s team of 80 non-unionized employees consists of approximately 25 pilots and 45 maintenance personnel. The balance work in administrative, marketing and information technology roles. Don Hamilton notes that the company has not had any difficulty attracting people and that many of the pilots and AMEs have been with the organization for 20 years.

In order to achieve a better understanding of any business model and therefore appreciate how a company may perform in the future, it is useful to perform a S.W.O.T. analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats). Doing so with Air Spray provides the following insights:

1967 marked the year Air Spray was incorporated as a forest fire suppression company. Operating out of the Municipal Airport in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the company started its business with one air tanker, one bird dog aircraft and a contract for one season with the Alberta Provincial Government to fight forest fires from the air.

Air Spray's founder, Don Hamilton had been an aviator since 1943. After leaving the the Royal Canadian Air Force, Don purchased his first aircraft and began flying as a bush pilot in Northern Alberta.  Having experience flying numerous aircraft in various roles, he saw the opportunity to use an old A 26 aircraft to fight forest fires in Alberta. The aircraft was converted to the air tanker role after the installation of a tank to hold the fire retardant in the old bomb bay. Paired with a Cessna 310 as a Bird Dog aircraft, this marked the beginning of Air Spray and an exciting era of fire suppression in Western Canada.

The A 26 flew over 30 seasons with Air Spray throughout Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon and Northwest Territories.  At its peak, Air Spray owned and operated 18 of the aircraft.  Able to haul 900 US gallons of fire retardant and flying at a speed of 210 knots the A 26 was the work horse of Air Spray's air tanker fleet.