Island city
Published 5:04 pm Wednesday, August 19, 2026
By Susie Quinn
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A Coulson Aviation C-130 converted aerial firefighting tanker taxis to the runway at the Abbotsford Airshow on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026 in preparation for takeoff. (Susie Quinn/ Alberni Valley News)
News that the federal government sold 10 retired military aircraft to Coulson Aviation to convert into aerial firefighting tankers means the company’s operation at the Alberni Valley Regional Airport is about to get busier.
The announcement was made at Cascade Aerospace on the ground at Abbotsford’s airport prior to the start of the Abbotsford Airshow on Aug. 7.
The 10 CC-130H Hercules aircraft are among a fleet of 12 that were retired by the Royal Canadian Air Force in January 2026. The other two will be put on display at museums.
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“We’re extremely honoured to be chosen the awardee of these airplanes,” said Wayne Coulson, adding that the CC-130H Hercules, once converted, will be put to use fighting wildfires in Canada and around the world.
“These aircraft, they’ve served the Canadian government for decades,” Coulson said. “We are blessed to have the opportunity to repurpose these aircraft and put them into a mission profile that’s going to serve the people of Canada again in a special way.”
The sale is conditional pending completion of contractual arrangements and Transport Canada regulatory approvals.
Coulson Aviation has already converted several American Hercules into tankers. The company brought one of them, Tanker 131, to the Abbotsford Airshow where it performed a retardant drop as part of the flying performances on Friday, Aug. 7. The Herc was on the static line briefly Saturday morning before taking off prior to Saturday’s show.
Ashley Keen and Jacob Spencer, both Port Alberni students in Coulson Aviation’s Aircraft Maintenance Engineer–Structures program, were at the Abbotsford Airshow on Saturday, Aug. 8. They were excited to hear the expansion news, especially since they have two months left in their course and three-year contracts upon successful completion.
“It’s something we very well could work on,” said Keen. “I very much hope so.”
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Keen and Spencer could end up working at Coulson’s Port Alberni location at the Alberni Valley Regional Airport. This is where crews will spend thousands of hours converting the Hercules into aerial firefighting tankers.
Keen is a second-generation Coulson Aviation employee: her father once worked for Coulson and her brother graduated from the same program she’s in.
“My Dad always said it was his dream job,” she said.
Spencer said he’s always been mechanically inclined (he also volunteers with the Western Vancouver Island Industrial Heritage Society at the Alberni Pacific Railway). Having recently graduated from college he’s been looking for work, and successfully signed up for the schooling opportunity at Coulson Aviation.
“I’d never even seen a plane in real life before. I joined (Coulson) and now I see them every day.”
