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Canadair: A history of many, sometimes violent, turbulence
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Environment & Climate

Canadair: A history of many, sometimes violent, turbulence

From Le Temps · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • Canadair, the iconic yellow and red water-bombing aircraft, has become synonymous with fighting forest fires in Europe, particularly in France.
  • The aircraft's history is tied to a Canadian aerospace company, originally founded during World War II and later acquired by Bombardier.
  • The industrial and corporate history of Canadair contributes to the current difficulty in purchasing these specialized firefighting planes.

The sight of a Canadair aircraft, a large yellow and red plane, is a familiar one across European skies during wildfire season. These planes are crucial for dropping thousands of liters of water onto blazes, often becoming a symbol of hope as they dive towards lakes to scoop water before heading back to the flames.

In France, the term "canadair" has become so ingrained that it is often used as a general term for any water-bombing aircraft. However, the history behind this name is complex and marked by significant industrial turbulence.

Canadair originated as a Canadian aerospace company, established in Montreal during World War II. It grew to become a prominent manufacturer of both military and civilian aircraft before its acquisition by Bombardier in 1986. This corporate lineage plays a role in understanding why acquiring these specialized firefighting planes is challenging today.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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