This Ayres S2R-600 Thrush, C-GYXL-X, was one of the first agricultural aircraft mounted on floats for aerial firefighting. The system was designed by inventor Paul Hajduk of Terr-Mar Aviation in Vancouver, BC in the 1983-1985 period when the aircraft was registered to Meridian Grain and Golden West Aviation and later carried "Seathrush Air Tanker' markings. Hajduk then converted a S2R-T34 Turbo Thrush, N40101, of Custom Farm Service into an air tanker on amphibious floats in 1987, and a S-2R-T660 Turbo Thrush in 2000. (The first rival AT-802AF Fire Boss amphibian entered service in BC in 2003)

This photo is copyright © Kenneth I. Swartz, and may not be used or published in any way without permission.

It was added on 11 December 2022, and has since been viewed 707 times.