Water-bombing aircraft · Civil Protection
Canadair CL-415: everything you need to know about the amphibious ‘Pelican’
Code Pelican, based in Nîmes-Garons, capable of bailing out 6,137 litres in 12 seconds At the water’s edge. History, design, the ‘Noria’ doctrine, the 2026 fleet and succession: a comprehensive look at the icon of French air combat.
Key points
- 12 Canadair CL-415s as part of the fleet, all based at Nîmes-Garons, call sign ‘Pélican’.
- The only production aircraft in the world designed from the outset for the fight against forest fires.
- Ecopage of 6,137 litres in 12 seconds spanning 410 metres of water — a full rotation in 8 minutes around a coastal beacon.
- French legal doctrine: the a carousel with 4 units, more than 25,000 litres delivered every 10 minutes.
- Expected successor: the DHC-515, 2 units ordered via RescEU, with delivery expected in 2028.
The story of a Quebec legend
It all began in the 1960s in Quebec, where fires in the boreal forest ravaged millions of hectares every summer. The Canadian manufacturer Canadair Imagine a completely new type of aircraft: an amphibious seaplane capable of refuelling in flight by scooping water from the country’s countless lakes. The CL-215, the world’s first mass-produced water bomber, took to the skies in 1967; France, a customer since 1969, has remained part of the family ever since.
The CL-415, a modernised version fitted with turboprop engines and digital avionics, made its maiden flight in 1993 and entered service with the French Civil Protection in 1995. Thirty years on, it remains the mainstay of the national air fleet — and its replacement has become a matter of parliamentary concern.
Maiden flight of the CL-215, its direct predecessor, designed by Canadair Ltd in Montreal.
France has taken delivery of its first CL-215s for the Civil Protection service, based at Marignane.
Maiden flight of the CL-415, a modernised turboprop version.
The first CL-415s, nicknamed ‘Pélican’, entered service in France.
Bombardier halts production; the programme is sold to Viking Air.
The fleet is leaving Marignane for the Nîmes-Garons naval air base.
De Havilland Canada launches the DHC-515 Firefighter, its direct successor.
High-tension summers: the 12 Pelicans carry out a series of shuttle flights, supported for the first time by the A400M in Gironde.
Delivery is expected of the first two DHC-515s ordered by France via RescEU.
Anatomy of a combat amphibian
A hull, not a fuselage
The Canadair does not have a cylindrical fuselage, but rather a boat hull reinforced, capable of landing on water. It incorporates four bilge tanks, which act as a hydrodynamic keel during landing on water.
Two Pratt & Whitney turboprop engines
Mounted on the upper wing, far from the spray, the two PW123AF, 2,380 ch are fitted with four-bladed propellers. The raised position also protects the blades from water spray at the stern.
Retractable belly scoops
Beneath the hull, two hydraulic hatches open when the skimmer is in use: at 130 km/h just skimming the surface, water rushes in through Venturi effect into the tanks in 12 seconds.
Stabilising floats
At the tips of the wings, two floats keep the aircraft upright during the water-based phase — without them, the aeroplane would capsize at the first contact with a wave.
The fuel-saving challenge: 12 seconds to fill up 6,137 litres
This is the Pelican’s signature feat. The pilot approaches the water at a speed of approximately 130 km/h, avoid power lines, sailing boats and sandbanks, gently lower the hull and open the hatches : 12 seconds and 410 metres further on, the plane takes off again, fully loaded.
The exercise requires specific conditions:
- A body of water at least 250 metres long and 1.80 metres deep ;
- No aerial obstacles in the line of sight ;
- Sea state 4 at most (waves under 1.5 m).
Pilots know their designated bailing points off by heart: the Étang de Berre, Cassis Bay, Lake Sainte-Croix, Ajaccio Bay… On a coastal run, the full cycle — bailing, transit, dumping — takes less than 8 minutes : No other aircraft in the world can deliver as much water for as long near a coastline.
The French system: the ‘four-man rotation’
As soon as a fire is detected, the area operations centre can initiate the a rotation of four Canadair aircraft : four aircraft, spaced 90 seconds apart, take turns flying over the fire — whilst one drops water, one scoops it up, one passes through, and one takes up position. Rate achieved : more than 25,000 litres every ten minutes in the same area, enough to smother a fire in its early stages before it gains momentum.
The ballet is directed from above by a Beechcraft King Air (call signs Bengale or Icare), head of the air mission, liaising with the commander of ground rescue operations.
Detailed technical specifications
| Manufacturer | Bombardier Aerospace (Canada) — programme taken over by De Havilland Canada |
|---|---|
| First flight | 1993 |
| Commissioning in France | 1995 |
| Crew | 2 drivers |
| Length | 19.82 m |
| Wingspan | 28.63 m |
| Maximum take-off weight | 21.4 tonnes |
| Engine | 2 × Pratt & Whitney PW123AF turboprop engines (2,380 ch each) |
| Cruising speed | 290 km/h |
| Maximum speed | 359 km/h |
| Range | ≈ 2,400 km (without a drop) |
| Water capacity | 6,137 litres, divided between 4 tanks |
| Scooping speed | ≈ 130 km/h |
| Distance between scoops | ≈ 410 m on calm water |
| Minimum water area | 250 m long × 1.80 m deep |
The 2026 Fleet: twelve Pelicans under pressure
The Civil Protection Service operates twelve CL-415s, all based at Nîmes-Garons, the Civil Protection’s sole airbase. The fleet numbered as many as 15 aircraft in the 2000s; the decline is due to three factors:
- The suspension of production in 2015, which prohibits the replacement of lost or worn-out cells ;
- Ageing : the oldest are over 30 years old, and 2 to 3 aircraft are permanently grounded for major maintenance ;
- Operating losses, rare but memorable (Pélican 36 in Corsica in 2019, crew unharmed).
At the height of the summer season, actual availability fluctuates between 8 and 10 devices. During periods of extreme summer heat, France invokes the mechanism RescEU — and is now trialling brand-new reinforcements such as theA400M water bomber, to be introduced for the first time in Gironde in July 2026.
Canadair or Dash 8? Two complementary philosophies
Canadair CL-415 ‘Pélican’
- Amphibious: skims across the water, non-stop
- Capacity: 6,137 litres per drop
- Walking time: 8 minutes along the seafront
- Speed: 290 km/h
- Ideal for : coastal and emerging fires
Dash 8 Q400MR ‘Milan’
- On the ground: recharges via Pelicandrome
- Capacity: 10,000 litres per drop
- Rotation: 25 minutes minimum
- Speed: 667 km/h
- Ideal for : fires far from the coast, delaying
And what about tomorrow? The DHC-515, expected to be launched in 2028
The successor is called DHC-515 Firefighter, manufactured by De Havilland Canada following the programme’s takeover. Retaining its amphibious design, featuring digital avionics, more fuel-efficient PW127XT engines and a capacity increased to around 7,000 litres: France has ordered two firm copies through the European programme RescEU.
But the timetable is a cause for concern: originally scheduled for 2026 and then postponed to 2028, the first deliveries mean that the current fleet will remain on the front line for several more seasons. MPs and senators regularly warn of the risk of capacity shortfall — one of the engines powering the A400M test programme.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Canadair
Follow these updates live.
Aircraft and helicopters in flight, active fires, today’s alerts: the real-time maps on the Forest Fires website link each page in this section to the situation on the ground. And if you witness a fire breaking out, call 112 first and foremost.