A CL-145 Super Scooper lifting off a New Mexico lake with almost no room to spare is one of the most nail biting aviation moments ever
Published on Apr 15, 2026 at 12:17 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Apr 15, 2026 at 7:47 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
This Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper was spotted lifting off in New Mexico just inches away from the lake beach after scooping water on board until the last second.
The maneuver was spectacular and effective.
Clearly, the pilot is an ace, but it tells us more about the aircraft as well.
Because in terms of market share, the CL-415 is unrivaled – and not just in aviation.
These planes are so iconic that they’re in a class of their own
If you ask people in European countries what they call a ‘firefighting aircraft’, they’ll probably tell you they call it a ‘canader’, which is basically Canadair, but misspelled and turned into a common noun.
Like Q-Tip or Xerox, or even when people say they’re ‘going to Google something’ or do the Hoovering. Those brand names have become synonymous with their products.
And where firefighting aircraft are concerned, and kudos to them, most amphibious scoopers in the world are built by Canadair.
Specifically, they’re usually talking about the Canadair CL-415, which is what this is.
Numbers don’t lie.
There are around 150-180 Canadair-type amphibious scoopers in service in the world, and the vast majority of those are the CL-415 or its predecessor, the CL-215.
For reference, Canadair built 95 CL-415s and 125 CL-215s.
The expression ‘market dominance’ doesn’t even begin to cut it.
Built in the 1990s, the CL-415 – known as ‘Super Scooper’ to its friends – is a water bomber which, as you can see from the video below, is phenomenally agile.
Not bad for a plane that weighs around 12 tons when empty, and up to 20 tons with water in it.
This Super Scooper was so close to the beach you could almost touch it
When the CL-415 is scooping water, it doesn’t actually stop.
It skims the surface at about 70 knots – 130km/h – and the force of the water being ‘rammed’ into the scoops is so high that it fills the 6,000-liter reservoir in about 12 seconds.
What’s truly impressive about the video shared to Reddit by ParaMike46 is how the plane stays on the water until the very last second, just inches away from the sand of this beach – probably a reservoir – in New Mexico.
Clearly, the pilot knew what they were doing because the fire was later successfully extinguished.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
