Coulson Aviation is an aviation company headquartered in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada. The company's fleet specialises in air tankers used for aerial firefighting.[1] It operates in Canada, the United States, Australia and Chile.[2]
The company operates both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. The company's operations included helicopter logging, forest fire suppression, power-line construction, airliner passenger, transport, and other industrial heavy lift operations. Coulson Aviation (USA) Inc. is a subsidiary of Coulson Aircrane Ltd. Coulson Aviation contract rotary and fixed-wing aircraft to Australia and the US from Canada.[3]
History
In 1960, Cliff Coulson founded Coulson Forest Products Ltd. in Port Alberni, British Columbia.[4]
In the mid-1980s, was introduced into aviation by acquiring a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter.[4]
In 1987, Coulson acquired their first heavy-lift helicopter, a Sikorsky S-61 and began heavy logging.[4]
By the late 1980s, Coulson transitioned to firefighting operations in the summer, due to logging operations being prohibited.[4]
By the late 1980s/early 2000s, Coulson had sold off all their timberlands and sawmills to focus exclusively on firefighting.[4]
In 2007, Coulson purchased two Martin Mars, their first large fixed-wing air tankers.[4]
In 2013, Coulson became the first company to incorporate night vision technology into aerial firefighting.[5]
In 2018, Coulson began converting C-130s and Boeing 737-300 into air tankers.[4]
In 2019, Coulson, along with Unical Aviation began converting retired U.S. Army CH-47 Chinhooks into air tankers.[6]
In May 2024, Coulson Aviation announced a next-generation Fireliner program, acquiring their first Boeing 737-700 aircraft. Coulson plans to have a fleet of up to ten Boeing 737-700s[7]
In December 2025, Coulson began their Boeing 767 Very Large Air Tanker program.[8]
The Coulson FireLiner is a series of Boeing 737 airliners which have been modified by Coulson Aviation into specialized air tankers.[9] The FireLiner can drop up to 4,000 gallons of fire retardant[10], while being able to carry up to 72 passengers without reconfiguration.[9]
Boeing 767 Very Large Air Tanker program
On December 22, 2025, Coulson Aviation announced the start of its Boeing 767 Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT) program. The 767 VLAT program is meant to serve as a replacement for legacy MD-11 and DC-10 VLATs. The 767 VLAT will feature Coulson's Retardant Aerial Delivery System, while being able to carry up to 160 passengers.[8]
Retardant Aerial Delivery Systems (RADS)
Coulson Aviation's Retardant Aerial Delivery System (RADS) is an advanced tanking system for aerial firefighting aircraft. RADS can be installed on three aircraft, the CH-47 Chinhook, C-130 Hercules, and Coulson Aviation-Boeing 737 FireLiner. RADS' control system allows operators to adjust the flow rate, allowing for more accurate drops. Depending on the variant, RADS can carry up to 4,000 U.S. gallons of fire retardant. RADS has three variants:[10]
In 2020, a Coulson Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft crashed while aerial firefighting for the New South Wales Rural Fire Service during Australia's black summer bushfires, resulting in the deaths of three American firefighters.[15] The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) determined the cause of the collision was likely due to the dangerous weather conditions, low-level wind shear and an increased tailwind, leading to the aircraft stalling while releasing fire retardant foam at a low height and airspeed and colliding with terrain.
In 2023, a Boeing 737-300 aircraft known as Tanker 139 and operated by Coulson Aviation crashed in the Fitzgerald River National Park in the Great Southern Region of Western Australia while fighting multiple fires.[16] The cause of the crash was the pilots dumping fire retardant below the minimum altitude. The final report was published by the ATSB on 6th of November 2024.
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