Conair Firebombers

The two Conair Aviation CV-580 firebombers that stopped over at HNL this past December, are making its way back to their base in Abbotsford, BC, Canada (YXX/CYXX). They spent the Southern Hemisphere summer doing duty in Australia, and arrived Monday at HNL. C-FKFA and C-GYXC made a stop here during their ferry flight Down Under.

***Update 4/12/11***
Both CV-580s are seen above departing from Runway 8L this morning, from photos courtesy team member Aeros.

Conair Aviation Firebombers

Two firebombers from Conair Aviation (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada) are in town on HNL's south ramp. They are reportedly headed for Australia for their summer season, to stand by to help fight brush and forest fires. Note that the two Convair-liners are parked in tandem on one hardstand stall.

C-FKFA (msn 100), a Convair CV-580 (upgraded from a CV-340).

C-GYXC (msn 507), a CV-580 (upgraded from a CV-440). This CV-580 was here in August 2009, as it was making its way to Canada from Australia for conversion from a passenger carrier to a firebomber.

Anyone remember when Hawaiian Airlines had Convair-liners in their fleet?

Pionair Convair 580

This Convair 580 of Pionair arrived on 8/1/09 around 130 and left on 8/3/09. This aircraft has a long and interesting history. It started its life as a 440 but eventually converted to 580 status in 1960. It served General Motors Corporation from 1959-1995 as N5124 then registered as N8124. It was then sold to Cypress Jetprop Charter in 1995 and entered the Canadian registry as C-GTTE. A year later it was sold to Kelowona Flightcraft Aircharter and leased to Air Chathams in New Zealand. It was once again registered as ZK-KSA. It was leased out and flew for King Soloman and Reef Air-Peau Vava'u Airways. In 2006 it was registered as VH-PDV and flew for Pionair.

It is seen here presumably on its way to the mainland U.S. fate unknown. Sorry for the poor quality as it was taken with my phone.