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2w ago

RCAF Kingfisher Executes First Nighttime Search and Rescue Flight

The Air Force unveiled thermal footage that highlights the new plane’s advanced sensors ahead of its deployment to other bases across Canada.

A search-and-rescue technician parachutes to rescue an injured hunter in northeastern B.C.
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Overview

  • The July 15 mission marked the Kingfisher’s first operational night sortie, deploying parachute-equipped SAR technicians into darkness to reach an injured horseback rider 185 km east of Fort Nelson.
  • Technicians performed a nighttime parachute jump without flares to prevent wildfire risks, hiked through rugged terrain and administered emergency medical aid before coordinating a helicopter lift.
  • After treating the patient on-site, crews worked with a CH-149 Cormorant to airlift the rider to Fort Nelson and then transferred him onto the Kingfisher for a flight to Prince George.
  • Equipped with sensors capable of detecting objects over 40 kilometres away, the CC-295 is the first of 16 Kingfishers set to replace the decades-old Buffalo fleet.
  • The RCAF described the rescue as “textbook” when it released the mission’s thermal imagery and announced plans to station additional Kingfishers at Greenwood, Winnipeg and Trenton.