SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE -Starting last November, Buffalo Airways has been sending airplanes and employees to Turkey to train pilots and mechanics - a move that has helped shield Buffalo from the recession.

"This past fall when everything slowed down so much, I was faced with layoffs and cutbacks," said Joe McBryan, president of Buffalo Airways.

"I was looking at very long-term, loyal employees."

McBryan said mining exploration, a huge part of the company's business, has disappeared since the economy started its descent.

"We had no exploration at all. Zero," said McBryan.

Then Buffalo got an offer from the Turkish Aeronautical Association to train its mechanics and pilots on water bombing and forest fire fighting operations using CL-215 aircraft, starting in November.

McBryan said this "filled the gap" the exploration industry had left.

"Early in the new year we were quite busy at it," said McBryan. "We started sending the airplanes, the pilots and the mechanics over there. So we've been able to keep everybody employed and everybody busy doing that."

CL-215s were the first aircraft designed specifically for water-bombing, according to the Buffalo website. The aircraft can scoop water from nearby lakes used to combat the fire, and this technique is being taught to the Turkish pilots.

Justin Simle, a pilot on the crew that flew the first CL-125 over, said to get there was quite a journey - 50 flying hours in total, with many stops.

The aircraft and crew started the journey in Red Deer, Alta., stopping in Winnipeg and then St. John's. From there, they flew across the ocean with a system of gas bladders to keep the aircraft fuelled.

The plane stopped on Santa Maria Island in the Azores and proceeded to Cascais, Portugal, then flew down the coast to Murcia, Spain. Taking off from there it crossed the Mediterranean Sea and the north coast of Africa, landing on Malta, an island on the Mediterranean.

From there it went on to Sicily, Italy, then flew over Greece and landed finally in Ankara, Turkey.

"It was an interesting way to see the world," said Simle.

The plane was flying at 10,000 feet, going 242 km/h, as compared to a commercial jet airliner that flies at 30,000 or 40,000 feet and flies at a speed nearer to 800 km/h.

Once in Turkey, the crew and aircraft began the contract.

"We took the Buffalo School of Aviation with us, which is a mechanics training program, to supervise and train the mechanics in Turkey," said McBryan.

"We're also their supplier of parts, and we're also their broker in Canada for parts and equipment on the aviation side."

"This job in Turkey will take us three to five years," said McBryan.

He said Buffalo has been contacted by the same people to do more work in other aspects of aviation, and he said the company is willing to keep working with the Turkish Aeronautical Association.

"Turkey is a very independent country and a very beautiful country," said McBryan.

"We work with some pretty neat people over there. So far all our people who have been there and back have really enjoyed it."

This job, as well as the filming of a reality TV show centred on the company, has kept Buffalo busy - but the busiest part of the year is just starting.

"Now we've gotten into our fire season here, so we just put 32 people to work here. So (the Turkey job) supplements it," said McBryan.