The Saskatchewan NDP alleges a new Conair Dash 8-Q400AT airtanker, delivered May 30, was grounded due to a lack of qualified pilots, nearly being lost to flames at La Ronge airport on June 2. NDP MLA Nicole Sarauer criticized the Sask. Party for leaving the bomber unused during a wildfire state of emergency. Minister Tim McLeod stated pilots were reallocated to active duty, and while simulator training was complete, Transport Canada regulations require in-aircraft training. SPSA Vice President Steve Rogers confirmed specialized pilots are all active and training will resume in July, aiming for the bomber's use in the 2025 wildfire season.
Sask. NDP say new water bomber grounded due to lack of pilots, province says training to resume in July
Regina
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️The Saskatchewan NDP alleges a new Conair Dash 8-Q400AT airtanker, delivered May 30, was grounded due to a lack of qualified pilots, nearly being lost to flames at La Ronge airport on June 2. NDP MLA Nicole Sarauer criticized the Sask. Party for leaving the bomber unused during a wildfire state of emergency. Minister Tim McLeod stated pilots were reallocated to active duty, and while simulator training was complete, Transport Canada regulations require in-aircraft training. SPSA Vice President Steve Rogers confirmed specialized pilots are all active and training will resume in July, aiming for the bomber's use in the 2025 wildfire season.
Trending- 1 May 30: Conair Dash 8-Q400AT airtanker delivered to La Ronge.
- 2 June 2: Plane nearly lost to flames at La Ronge airport.
- 3 Monday morning: NDP MLA Nicole Sarauer made accusations.
- 4 Monday: Minister Tim McLeod responded.
- 5 July: SPSA training program expected to continue.
- New water bomber unused during wildfire state of emergency
- Political criticism from NDP
- Delay in full operational deployment of the new aircraft
What: A new water bomber in Saskatchewan was grounded due to a lack of trained pilots, despite ongoing wildfires, leading to criticism from the NDP.
When: Delivered May 30, nearly lost June 2, NDP accusations Monday morning, training to resume in July.
Where: La Ronge airport, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Why: The province reallocated pilots already training on the new aircraft to active firefighting duties during a state of emergency, and Transport Canada regulations require in-aircraft training before deployment.
How: The new airtanker was delivered but not put into service because pilots needed further in-aircraft training, which was postponed to prioritize active firefighting.