NATTC - Naval Air Technical Training Center

While most Firecats were former Royal Canadian Navy trackers licensed built by De Havilland Canada, there were also a half dozen ex-US Navy S2Fs converted. This Firecat was originally 136600 with the US Navy retired to MASDC in 1980. Acquired by Conair in 1984, the firebomber conversion was completed by 1986. The aircraft was retired in 2012, but remained stored at Abbotsford. The last Conair operated Firecats were scrapped in the summer of 2020.

A group of three Conair Firecats, engines running, were launched on another wildfire action from the Forest Service Air Tanker Base in Kamloops. Left to right are C-GHPJ C-FOPY and C-FEFK

After decades of service with firefighting, Tanker 71 and all the other Firecats of Conair are now retired.

They were launched on another fire moments after this photo was taken. The smoke and rumbling sound of those round engines as they come to life is awesome.

Retired and likely scrapped by now. The pilots loved flying the Firecats.