One reason last week’s collision between a firefighting plane and a drone caused such a stir was because Los Angeles doesn’t have many spare “Super Scoopers” to take the aircraft’s place.

The Los Angeles Fire Department typically leases two each year, but authorities have requested more to combat the wildfires that continue to burn throughout the metro area . There are only about 160 in operation around the world, each one constructed by a single Canadian company based on a design that has barely changed in 55 years.

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“It is a rugged, reliable and very tough aircraft,” said Neil Sweeney, vice president of corporate affairs at De Havilland Aircraft, the planes’ manufacturer, which is based in Calgary.

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