About Us

Coulson Aircrane Ltd. is a privately-owned family company based in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada. The company has over 160,000 safe flight hours and has been in the aviation business for over 36 years, operating a diverse fleet of both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft.

The company's operations have included helicopter logging, forest fire suppression, power-line construction, airliner passenger, transport and many other industrial heavy lift operations.

The fleet is geared for mobility and supported by mobile fuel tankers and aircraft maintenance service vehicles staffed with qualified technicians. These helicopter aviation services are provided to clients on a turnkey basis.

Coulson Aviation (USA) Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Coulson Aircrane Ltd., and from 1990 to 1993 we provided the personnel for extensive heli-logging operations in Alaska. In the succeeding years, Coulson Aviation purchased its first C-I30 Hercules aircraft, which is currently contracted in the United States and Australia. The C-130 has proven to be such an efficient firefighter that Coulson acquired a second C-130 to accommodate the growing need for large air tankers. In 2019, we further expanded our fleet by purchasing five C-130s from the Norwegian Defense Material Agency (NDMA).

Coulson Aviation (Australia) PTY Ltd. was created in 2010 to support Coulson Aircrane's long-term operations and commitment to its Australian customers. It was set up as a wholly owned subsidiary of Coulson Aircrane Ltd. to provide aircraft personnel for Coulson’s rotary and fixed wing aircraft operating under contract in Australia for firefighting, flood relief, and offshore oil applications.

Coulson Aircrane Ltd. (Port Alberni, BC) operates a Business and Quality Management System certified to ISO 9001:2015 + AS9100D for the manufacture of parts and assemblies, including post-delivery support.

Leadership

Wayne Coulson:

Wayne Coulson is the youngest son of Cliff Coulson who founded Coulson Forest Products Ltd. in 1960. Wayne began his career in 1978 in the Forestry and Wood Products business, before taking over the administrative side of the family business in late 1984. 

Under Wayne’s leadership as President and CEO, the Coulson Group has evolved into a provider of a wide range of management, support and technical services through eight operational companies. Over the last 55 years, the Coulson Group has consistently provided clients and customers with quality services and products, highly qualified technical staff and innovative support solutions.

The Coulson Group of companies is led and managed by Wayne Coulson and his son Britt. Since 2007, Wayne has been working alongside his son Britton Coulson, developing proprietary technology making Coulson a leading company in the global fight against wildfires. He has been actively involved with research and development, as well as quality control, operation, and inspections of the company’s state-of-the-art equipment, ensuring optimal functionality so and that it meets and exceeds all contractual requirements. His hands-on approach, along, with Britton, has proven to be a winning strategy accelerating Coulson Aviation to the forefront in the aerial firefighting industry.

Britton Coulson:

Britton Coulson began his career in the aviation division of the company in 2004. He started working as a shipper/receiver in the stores department of Coulson Aircrane where he learned the foundation of the aircraft parts business. Through his innovation and dedication to always creating a better way, Britt quickly became an integral part of the aviation division, pioneering various successful products - all encompassed with the idea of generating more value for customers.

In 2019, Britt transitioned to Co-President of the Coulson Group. He spearheaded the NexGen Firefighting project through in-house innovation, proprietary technology, and the integration of new advanced intelligence systems to create a truly all-in-one ability to combat wildfires with maximum efficiency.

Britton’s dedication and continuous focus on innovation, along with his profound understanding of both aviation technology, and the concept of aerial firefighting, ensures that Coulson Group will remain at the forefront of this industry.

His dedication to advancement can be seen daily through his direct involvement in technology development, quality control inspections, as well as fire mapping/intelligence system operation and development. The NVG program allowing for the ability to fight wildfires 24/7 is just one of his many innovative ideas that is now a functional reality.