Published: Wednesday, 21st October, 2009 4:28pm

Loch Doon Testing For Fire Fight Plane

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Special trails to be held in the skies over Loch Doon could help in fighting forest fires in the USA and Australia.

Prestwick based BAE systems are to conduct low level flight trials of the BAe jetliner which could be adopted to help battle the blazes that have threatened homes and lives in recent years.

The BAe 146 has the performance and aerodynamic characteristics to carry out the role and, if trials are successful, it is possible that - following conversion for this task - the BAe 146 could play a significant role in helping to fight the damaging and life threatening wild fires of the type recently seen devastating large areas of countryside outside Los Angeles.

The low level flight trials are scheduled to take place on Thursday October 22 and Tuesday October 27.

However if there is bad weather on either of those two days they will take place on Friday October 23 and Wednesday October 28.