After the fire in La Palma was declared a level 2 emergency on Saturday, two FOCA seaplanes were deployed from Malaga to the Canary Islands and have been instrumental in battling the blaze from the air.
Many of us have seen and heard them flying over head, and witnessed them filling up with water just off the coast, but have you seen them do it from inside the cockpit?
The planes have to fill with water at sea as there are no reservoirs or lakes big enough in the Canary Islands, which is always more tricky due to waves, so the pilots have to pick specific calm areas to touchdown on the water and fill their tanks.
The models of plane used are Canadair CL-215T and Bombardier 415’s which have a capacity of 5,500 and 6,000 litres of water, and will carry out hundreds of passes during the battle against the fire.
One of them, from the 43rd group of the Air Force, has recorded this delicate operation the pilots view while it was carried out in waters of La Palma, so please fasten your seatbelt:
