When wildfires erupted across Madrid and Ávila this summer, Captain Francisco Javier Gimeno Benito-Sendín and his team from the 43 Grupo were among the first in the air. Flying Canadair water bombers, they faced flames of what Gimeno described as “enormous magnitude,” without automated targeting systems.
Unlike modern aircraft equipped with digital aiming, the Canadair relies on the skill and judgment of its crew. Each water drop, up to 6,000 liters at a time, is calculated in real time. Pilots read the wind and assess the slope of the terrain, then anticipate how the fire will move. “We don’t have any aiming system,” Gimeno explains. “Everything depends on experience, the wind, the slope, and the guidance from the ground.”
Precision Without Automation
As the aircraft approaches the fire, the crew constantly adjusts its trajectory. They track how smoke shifts and flames advance across the contours of the land. The final decision, when to release the water, comes down to a split-second judgment, often coordinated by radio with ground teams. An aerial coordinator manages the flow of helicopters and fixed-wing planes in tight airspace, much like an airport, but above a field that is constantly changing.
The goal is to weaken the fire’s front and give ground brigades and forest firefighters a chance to intervene. Careful timing also lets multiple aircraft operate in sequence without overlapping, maximizing the impact of each sortie. The water’s effect depends on where and how it lands: accurate placement can support crews on the ground, while a poorly timed drop risks wasting a load or disrupting coordinated operations.
Meticulous Mission Planning
Preparation begins long before takeoff. Pilots and flight engineers study the fire zone and map routes to reservoirs for water collection. They review NOTAMs, aviation notices that flag hazards or restrictions along the planned path. Aircraft are kept ready from early morning, allowing crews to launch as soon as they are activated. This planning is impressive: if a reservoir becomes unsafe, the team must have alternatives ready.
Local weather becomes even more critical as the plane nears the fire or a water source. Shifting winds and glare from the sun can force last-minute changes, as can bird activity. Over the fire, visibility drops and turbulence increases. The Canadair is built for these conditions, but the crew must constantly weigh risk and maintain a safety margin. Their work is closely integrated with Spain’s broader wildfire prevention and ground response efforts.
The Canadair’s amphibious design is basic to that planning. Unlike an aircraft adapted to carry water, the CL-215/CL-415 family is purpose-built to land on a water surface and scoop a fresh load during a pass, with capacity reported at more than 6,000 liters. That can allow repeated trips without returning to an airport, provided crews can reach a suitable, safe water source close to the fire. De Havilland executive Sean Sweeney has described the Canadair turboprops as the only amphibious firefighting aircraft currently in production designed from the outset for that role.
High-Risk Water Collection
One of the most dangerous moments comes during water collection. The Canadair, with a wingspan of about 30 meters, skims across a reservoir to fill its tanks. Before each maneuver, the crew checks water conditions and watches for wind, obstacles or birdlife. Depending on the model, the aircraft can carry between 5,500 and 6,000 liters, released in a single drop or in stages. The 43 Grupo operates 14 such planes, staffed by 145 military personnel on year-round alert.
After loading, the aircraft returns to the fire and re-enters the coordinated attack sequence. During the Madrid and Ávila operations, Spanish crews worked alongside four CL-415 planes from Italy and Greece, deployed through the European Civil Protection Mechanism. Nearby reservoirs such as San Juan and El Burguillo allowed for rapid rotations and frequent drops.
The Canadair’s rapid water-scooping cycle differs from the approach tested for the Airbus A400M. In 2022, Airbus and Spain’s 43 Grupo tested a removable firefighting system carrying up to 20,000 liters, released by gravity through rear outlets. The A400M cannot scoop water from a lake or reservoir, so it must return to an airfield to refill. Its larger potential load and the Canadair’s ability to refill on the water serve different operational needs.
Relentless Operations and Hidden Effort
Information from the latest figures, the 43 Grupo operated for 37 consecutive days between June 22 and July 28. In that period, they carried out 269 aerial missions, made over 3,000 drops and released more than 18 million liters of water. On the busiest day, they completed 215 drops, more than 1.2 million liters in a single shift. Ground crews make this pace possible: mechanics and specialists inspect and repair each aircraft, while support staff prepare it for the next sortie.
The national workload continued to climb across the 2026 season. Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge figures reported through September 21 recorded 10,067.19 aerial firefighting flight hours, 2,659 sorties, 50,259 water drops and 498 fires attended. Compared with the same period a year earlier, the totals were up 27% in flight hours, 30% in sorties, 12% in drops and 31% in fires attended. The ministry also cited maintenance problems and fleet obsolescence as constraints on the number of aircraft available, showing how operational capacity depends on pilots’ judgment as well as aircraft readiness.
Gimeno notes that while pilots are visible, the ground teams are the backbone of the operation. The emotional toll is real: witnessing vast stretches of burned land while defending homes and farmland, as well as natural reserves, leaves a mark on everyone involved.
The full interview and official mission statistics are available through the Spanish Air and Space Force.
