With Canadairs in insufficient numbers, aging and frequently breaking down, the summer season promises to be perilous for pilots. At the beginning of June, they exercised their right of withdrawal while staff from the company Sabena Technics, responsible for maintaining the devices, were on strike.
The fire is therefore smoldering within Civil Security on the Nîmes-Garons base, as evidenced by Benoît Quennepoix, general secretary of the national union of civil aviation flight crew: “Of the twelve Canadairs, six should have been available at the beginning of June. We had between 0 and two. The fire season began on June 17. In theory, we must have at least seven devices at our disposal at this time, whereas we painfully have five in the morning. Sometimes it’s even three or four.”
Three Canadairs available for the Vidauban fire
Consequence: on the Vidauban fire on June 11, three Canadairs were sent to the area. “They were the only ones available. It would have taken four to six.”, Benoît Quennepoix is alarmed. The age of the twelve valiant Canadairs is in question. A majority date from 1995.”We should have changed them at the age of twenty-five.”
They regularly break down, to the point of sometimes forcing pilots to turn around. However, this is not the only reason. Their retirement is impossible to this day, because their successors have not yet been born. The problem is global, but aggravated in France due to a situation linked to the maintenance company for these planes, Sabena Technics in Nîmes-Garons.
So much so that some of the employees, on strike at the beginning of June, denounced the lack of human and material resources as well as management problems. Working conditions which led to a hemorrhage of technicians and caused delays in the maintenance of devices. Especially since they are also in charge of Dash 8s and Beech 200s, the latter being used for investigation missions using on-board or coordination cameras. “Concerning the Dash 8s, we have five planes out of eight and for the Beech 200s, we have on average one plane out of three. On days when the risk of fire is severe, at least two are needed.explains Benoît Quennepoix, himself a Dash 8 pilot.
“Not enough planes to train captains”
Benoît Quennepoix hopes that the industrialist will make up for the delays, especially for the Canadairs which are the main problem. “We don’t even have enough planes to train the captains. We had to suspend the training of two of them. I’m in my 19th season within Civil Security, and that’s the first time we exercise our right of withdrawal for 24 hours Sabena Technics owes us the twelve Canadair in the parking lot as of July 1st.
Will they be there? “Even if they were, we wonder about the days of big fires, which also mean major maintenance in the evening on the devices. How will the technicians do it, with the lack of staff?”
In any case, if Benoît Quennepoix has one piece of advice, it is to clear the brush around your home.It is essential, but it must not become a measure to compensate for the lack of resources.”he insists.
Archive photo Var-matin.
Still no prototype for the Canadair replacement
Many countries are awaiting the arrival of the descendants of the Canadair CL-415.
For the moment, the only known element is that this future amphibious water bomber, the project of which is carried out by the company De Havilland Canada, will be called DHC-515. There is not the slightest small prototype, and therefore no firm order. The production line cannot be restarted for around ten years. So that everything goes well, in a context of worsening climate change, “we should go from twelve to fourteen, then sixteen Canadair”, believes Benoît Quennepoix. So they keep it going with these good old big yellow and red cuckoo clocks.
What future for the Beauvau of Civil Security?
In April, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, launched the Beauvau Civil Security. Since June 4, an online survey has surveyed the population and all those involved in the field using 44 questions. The stated goal is to take stock of the situation and adapt services to the challenges of the 21st century. It remains to be seen what the future of this Beauvau of Civil Security will be after the legislative elections.
