CC-115 Buffalo SAR

The de Havilland CC-115 Buffalo has been in service for over 50 years, operating as the RCAF’s fixed-wing search and rescue (SAR) aircraft since 1967. It can take-off and land on the most rugged terrains and in areas as short as a soccer field. Flying with these SAR crews for a couple weeks was a real privilege, and an opportunity to tell a story about a legendary aircraft. The pilots and crews we filmed with loved the Buffalo, an old school stick and rudder aircraft that gives you that hands-on feeling and you can fly the heck out of it. This aircraft really shows what it’s made of when the pilots would perform ‘valley shoots’, taking steep descents below the mountain ranges at low altitudes to look for rescues. The new C295Ws will replace the Buffalo in 2021, finally retiring this workhorse from the skies.

Tech Specs

Length: 78.7 ft
Wingspan: 96 ft
Height: 28 ft
Empty Weight: 27,500 lbs
Max Gross weight: 43,120 lbs
Maximum Speed: 260 mph
Range: 1,390 miles
Primary Role: Search and Rescue