The design of our Aircraft, the de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo, makes it possible to engage in missions that would otherwise be impossible with other aircraft or means of transport.
Below are examples of missions that the de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo is capable of.
Vehicle Transport By Air
The de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo aircraft is capable of carrying vehicles up to a total payload of 8,164 kg.
Fuel Transport
Our de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo aircraft can also be a fuel transport aircraft to deliver fuel by air to remote locations / mission bases, using our Bulk Aviation Transport Tank (BATT).
Animal Relocation Services (Wildlife Relocation)
Moving wild animals from one game reserve, for example, to another.
Low-Velocity Airdrop
Low-Velocity Airdrop is the delivery of a load involving parachutes that are designed to slow down the load as much as possible to ensure it impacts the ground with minimal force. This type of airdrop is used for delicate equipment and larger items such as vehicles.
High-Velocity Airdrop
High-Velocity Airdrop is the delivery of a load involving a parachute meant to stabilise its fall. The parachute will slow the load to some degree but not to the extent of a Low-Velocity airdrop as High-Velocity airdrops are used for durable items like MREs. LAPES (Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System) is a variation of an HV drop where the aircraft almost completes a touch-and-go type pattern (without actually touching the ground) and the load is ejected at an extremely low altitude. This is shown in the photo of the C-130 airdropping a tank.
Free Fall Airdrop
Free Fall Airdrop is an airdrop with no parachute at all. A common example of this type of airdrop is the delivery of leaflets .
Gravity Airdrops
Gravity airdrops use gravity in the sense that the attitude of the aircraft at the time of the drop causes the load to roll out of the plane like a sled down a hill. The most common use of a gravity airdrop is for the Container Delivery System (CDS) bundle.
Humanitarian Aid Missions
The features described above makes our de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo aircraft suitable for various types of humanitarian aid missions.