A large firefighting helicopter that’s housed in Victoria by the VIH Aviation Group has left the island on a massive heavy-transport aircraft to help firefighters in Chile.
The Kamov Ka-32A11BC helicopter is specially designed to help combat fires, and was ordered by the Chilean government to help manage forest fires in the country.
“It’s going to be used to move firefighters and to move water,” a VIH spokesperson told Victoria Buzz.
The Ukrainian-built 20,000 pound helicopter can scoop up to 5,000 litres of water at once, and transport firefighters at the same time.
The helicopter is travelling from Canada to Santiago, Chile, in a 46.6-metre long aircraft built in the former Soviet Union, which some Victorians saw taking flight on Thursday.
The firefighting vehicle is expected to be in Santiago for almost 3 months before returning to the island.
VIH Aviation Group is Canada’s oldest privately owned helicopter company, and has been in operation since 1965. The company manages a wide variety of services, including the rental of helicopters, jets, and aerospace machinery.
“Since 1999, when we started our overseas operation, we’ve worked with China, Taiwan, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Chile, Guyana, Pakistan, and West Africa,” said the spokesperson.
In January 2017, Chile suffered from massive forest fires that displaced thousands and claimed the lives of 11 people.
