Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 04/02) - As flames rage through Australian brushlands, phones have been ringing at Buffalo Airways' office in Yellowknife.

Buffalo Airways chief pilot Jim Smith will be one of the first to fly across the Pacific if the Australian government asks for help in firefighting. - Nathan VanderKlippe/NNSL photo

It turns out that one of Buffalo's DC-4s was purchased from Qantas, an Australian airline.

As such, it arrived with extra fuel tanks to make it across the Pacific to Australia, and the Australian government wanted to locate the aircraft, which can be used for aerial firefighting.

So they called Joe McBryan, owner of Buffalo.

"They gave us a heads-up about where that airplane is, because it has the capability of going Oakland, Calif., to Australia via Hawaii. And we also have a fleet of Canso waterbombers that have ocean-going capability," said McBryan.

"We've already called up the crews and told them, 'Make sure your passports are clear and you've got your waterwings on, because it's 4,000 kilometres from Oakland to Hawaii,' " he said. "Those are the only airplanes in Canada of the water-bomber capacity that can make the first leg."

"We are prepared to go if they confirm they want us."

Buffalo aircraft have been used in distant locations before. Last year, Buffalo planes fought fires in Quebec City and Montana.