AerialFire Magazine July/August 2020

JULY / AUGUST 2020

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF LEADING THE WAY ON MULTI AGENCY FIRE TRAINING

ITAGRO BEGINS AERIAL FIREFIGHTING IN BRAZIL THE EVOLUTION OF FIREFIGHTING MISSION EQUIPMENT

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All aircrafts involved are viewed on the Moving Map Display in real time with great accuracy. The FireNav lets you record all the data and navigation information for post-analysis. The data can be used for training personnel; therefore preventing mistakes that have or could happen while in a mission.

With accurate GPS data, FireNav is an active tracking and guidance system for each aircraft involved in firefighting. Each pilot is able to constantly monitor the positions of all other aircraft involved in the operation (ATC).

The user-friendly FireNav software allows the bird dog to mark a target line, which is able to be seen on all other aircraft within the modem range. The software and hardware combination allows for other safety features, some examples being aircraft proximity within a predetermined distance, warning for aircraft proximity, and view of other aircraft in real-time.

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Air & Ground Solutions / Flow Control / Ag-Software Solution / Lightbar Guidance aerialfiremag.com | AF 3

In This Issue of AERIALFIRE...

Volume 18 Number 4 | July / August 2020 12 Hillsborough County Sheriff

Leading The Way On Multi Agency Fire Training

P.O. Box 850 • Perry, GA 31069 USA 475 Myrtle Field Rd. • Perry, GA 31069 USA PHONE: 478-987-2250 FAX: 478-352-0025 info@aerialfiremag.com • aerialfiremag.com AerialFire is published by

20 The Evolution of Firefighting Mission Equipment 24 Helinet Enters Utility Market with New Aerial Firefighting Contracts

MANAGING EDITOR: Graham Lavender - graham@aerialfiremag.com

26 Aerial Firefighting 2020 Highlights from Sacramento

EDITOR: Ryan Mason - ryan@aerialfiremag.com

30 NY Army National Guard Helicopter Crews Conduct

Water Bucket Training Over Lake Ontario

ACCOUNTING/ADMINISTRATION: Casey Armstrong - casey@aerialfiremag.com

32 Helitak Australia Secures Exclusive Use Contract for FT4500

Tank with U.S. Forest Service 34 TracPlus Announces Movac Invests $5m Funding

Expansion and Acquisition 36 Ag Operator in South of Brazil Adds Aerial Firefighting

to His Operation 40 Coulson Aviation Awarded First Aerial Firefighting Contract in Asia 42 Columbian National Police Use AT-802s to Fight Wildfires 44 Commissioner Franz Visits JBLM Fire Training,

Uplifts DNR-Guard Partnership 45 Babcock Italy are First in the World to Install

ADS-B Out Technology on Canadair 46 First AT-802F FRDS GEN III Firegates Installed 0n

U.S. Air Tankers

DISPLAY ADVERTISING: Ernie Eggler - ernie@aerialfiremag.com Melanie Woodley - melanie@aerialfiremag.com PRODUCTION: Deborah Freeman - deb@aerialfiremag.com CIRCULATION: Mary Jane Virden - maryjane@aerialfiremag.com

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Unsolicited editorial manuscripts and photos are welcomed and encouraged. We cannot be responsible for return unless submissions are accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Advertising deadline is 12 noon, on the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication.

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In Every Issue of AERIALFIRE...

Monthly Columns and Sections 06 The Drop | Ryan Mason 08 Aerial Fire Pics

Air Tractor Inc....................................... 48 Aviation Specialties Unlimited................ 31 CD Aviation Services............................. 33 Columbia Helicopters............................ 39 Coulson Aviation................................... 41 Fire Boss................................................ 2 Flightcell.............................................. 31 Frost Flying Inc. ..................................... 5 Isolair.................................................. 39 Kawak Aviation Technologies.................. 37 Lane Aviation Inc.................................. 35 Neal Aircraft........................................... 7 Southewest Airmotive............................ 33 Trotter Controls..................................... 23 Turbine Conversions LTD........................ 25 Turbine Training Center.......................... 43

Cover image: A Hillsborough County Sheriff H125 dips from a water source during a training exercise. Image by Ryan Mason

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THE DROP

Ryan Mason ryan@aerialfire.com

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Connect In this business, if you make it through your career without losing someone you know, consider yourself very fortunate.

It is even worse when the people you lose are close friends or even relatives.

A few weeks ago, I received news of the worst kind. A friend in California called that afternoon to tell me that one of my friends didn’t make it home. My buddy Roscoe died in a fatal crash. The loss made that much harder as it took the lives of two linemen in addition to him that he had been carrying as human external cargo.

The loss of Roscoe hit me like a brick, as he was one of the genuinely amazing friends I had that woke up every day excited to be alive and even more excited to fly a helicopter.

A passion that recently secured his ultimate career goal after he secured a pilot position with PJ Helicopters. This job was not only his end goal, as it would lead to an aerial firefighting role but put him closer to family in Northern California.

The unfortunate side of being one of the first to know about the loss of a friend in the age of social media is racing the clock to let other friends in your group know what happened before the news hits Facebook. Such is the love/ hate relationship I have with the social media juggernaut and people’s eagerness to talk about a crash.

Just a few short hours later, randomly scrolling Facebook and trying to comprehend Roscoe’s loss, I see a post from someone in Alabama praying for the well-being of the officer shot in Moody, Alabama. My heart immediately sank as one of my close friends serves as a sergeant in that department.

I immediately text his number and sent a screenshot of the post just asking him to check in when he could to let me know he was ok. I knew something was up in my gut as he was usually lighting fast to respond to texts. Still, given the circumstances of a shooting, I knew that things could be chaotic based on my own law enforcement experience. I

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waited another hour before I started texting other friends in our group, worried it could be him.

It would only be another 30 minutes before my worst fears were realized. Confirmation came that Stephen was indeed the officer killed after responding to a domestic call at a Super 8 motel where the offender opened fire with a rifle through the wall, giving him no chance to react.

With all the hate directed towards law enforcement lately, you would think that all cops are bad. Stephen, however, was to law enforcement what Roscoe was to helicopters. He was a ‘cops cop.’ He was the guy you could come to with all your problems, and he would help you solve them. He was the kindest guy you could ever meet in or out of a uniform.

His kindness for those he served as a police officer, only surpassed by his love for his new wife Michelle and his grown boys. One in the Coast Guard Academy, the other recently graduated, now headed to his first duty station.

I took solace in the fact that although it was a crushing blow to lose two amazing friends in one day, that a week prior I had dinner with Stephen and Michelle and the last thing we said to each other was “Love you, man” as we hugged it out before we went our separate ways.

I missed that chance with Roscoe, our last conversation on Snapchat being the universal hilarity of mocking one of our other friends via meme form.

This loss has taught me that you should never miss an opportunity to connect with those who make your life better, be it through shared life experiences, humor, or caring, those people can be gone in the blink of an eye. Don’t skip that call, text, or email. It could be your last.

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aerialfiremag.com | AF 7

A Coulson C-130 tanker drops retardant in California, shot by Mark Lassman

Shot from the cockpit of a FireBoss in formation

by Axel Hoppe AF 8 | aerialfiremag.com

A Helicopter Transport Services S-64 Skycrane on fires in California shot by Cole Euken

AERIALFIRE PICS

Global Super Tanker 944 shot in August 2019 by Mattias Heisig

aerialfiremag.com | AF 9

10 Tanker Air Carrier’s DC-10 dropping retardant in California in 2019 by Jeremy Ulloa AF 10 | aerialfiremag.com

AERIALFIRE PICS

Calfire’s Tanker 903, one of the agencies new Sikorsky S-70i Firehawks by Michael Piper

aerialfiremag.com | AF 11

Story and Images by Ryan Mason

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF LEADING THE WAY ON MULTI AGENCY FIRE TRAINING AF 12 | aerialfiremag.com

Right Top: Hillsbourough County Sheriff Chief Pilot Jason Doyle conducts a safety beifing with attendees on day one of the training exercise.

Left: A Hillsborough County Sheriff H125 conducts a pickup from the water source during the firefighting exercise.

Not having a plan when it comes to aerial firefighting operations can create critical issues; this has been demonstrated in many after-action reports of major fires where topics such as communications have hampered the ability to fight a fire effectively.

After a particularly challenging fire season in Hillsborough County in 2017, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office decided the agency was going to act on gaps identified in operational logistics observed during that fire season and institute training that would make a concerted effort to rectify the issues.

That training has now morphed over the years into an annual inter-agency training event that sees multiple agencies engage in both ground and aerial firefighting training that puts their skills to the test in real-world scenarios.

Identifying a Problem “Three years ago, we had several bad fires in both Hillsborough County and Pasco County.

A guy towing a trailer had a loose chain that was dragging on the road and causing sparks.

Due to the hot and dry conditions, this guy was essentially driving down the road sparking

multiple fires that then morphed into 20 separate fires. During the same period, a large wildfire was burning in Pasco County. With the two fires burning simultaneously, there was logistical confusion caused by limited communications and the lack of interagency training.” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chief Pilot Jason Doyle, the organizer of the event.

With that in mind, soon after, Doyle approached surrounding agencies that had a stake in firefighting efforts to train together. The first of three training events hosted in 2018, the 2019 event, was canceled after an aircraft incident, and the 2020 event was held on January 9th, 2020.

Putting Training into Action Aircraft involved in the event from the National Guard aircraft included a UH-60L and CH-47 from several National Guard bases throughout Florida, a Bell UH-1H Huey and Beechcraft Bonanza from the Florida Forest Service, A Bell 407 and 206 from Tampa Police and several AS-350’s from both the Hillsborough County and Citrus County Sheriff’s Offices.

Ground units were also on hand from Hillsborough County Fire, Tampa Fire, Florida

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A CH-47 and UH-60 Black Hawk were involved in the training exercises, coming from several different locations around Florida.

Forestry, and Hillsborough County Land Management. Each having a role in setting up a controlled burn, and extinguishing the fires on the ground set as part of the exercise, or playing a part in the coordination of aerial assets from above.

There was even a dive team on hand to deal with the unlikely event of an aircraft ditching in the water source used to fill Bambi Buckets for water drops. This team’s job complicated further by an alligator that had positioned itself at the banks of the water source – a spot he coveted for the entirety of the two-day event.

Day one of the training event started with an all-team briefing covering the operational areas of the training event, contingency plans, and safety briefings. Shortly after, each team headed for their respective field of the response for the event.

The aerial portion of the training required the most coordination, with at least one, and

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sometimes two and three aircraft in the air at one time fighting the fire front started in government land a mile from the dip site where helicopters would fill their Bambi Buckets.

Right Top: A National Guard UH-60 dips in a water source while a large alligator looks on

The helicopter movements and separation were managed with the assistance of the Florida Forest Service fixed-wing asset flying in an air attack role. This aircraft provided overwatch capability and aerial direction for drops, in addition to maintaining separation and providing additional visibility for air assets throughout the event.

from the bank.

Right Middle: Supervisors of the exercise conduct briefings with all agencies that attended the training event to

“One of the best things about training like this is giving pilots and ground crew the ability to work in a simulated real-world environment. It allows everyone involved to test their equipment, processes, and procedures to see what works and what doesn’t. One of the main things we had issues with a few years ago during the fire was communications and coordination. Since the last time we have done this, we have already seen improvements have happened, which is the whole idea of this training,” said Doyle.

give a wide ranging overview of the event and to discuss safety precautions.

Right: A Hillsborugh County H125 drops water from a Bambi Bucket during the training exercise.

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Left: A Tampa Police Bell 407 dips in the fill location before dropping its payload on the training fire set nearby.

Right: Florida Forestry’s UH-1H is one of several located around Florida ready to fight fires during fire season..

Just like any training or real-world event, this one did not go without its issues. The National Guard, who brought both a UH-60 and a CH-47 to participate in the event, were unfortunately limited to using just the UH-60. After a small part failure on the CH-47 left it grounded for several hours while parts were flown in from Jacksonville for repairs.

Hillsborough County had planned for the eventuality that they might be called for service during the training event, bringing a second aircraft in the event it was needed for operational responsibilities in the County during the event, which was several times over the two-day event.

The training event was based at the Hillsborough County’s Sheriff’s Walter C. Heinrich Practical Training Facility. This sprawling complex caters not only to county law enforcement but has been expanded over the years to accommodate a multitude of specialized training areas. These are now used by state, local, and federal law enforcement for training.

The training facility also boasts a mock bank branch used by federal agents for training at the time of our event. The training facility is also the only location that met the criteria for such a significant event. Providing staging for the multitude of vehicles assembling from multiple agencies, a half dozen aircraft, and proximity

close enough to both a water source and the land used for the burn off set by ground firefighters for the aircraft to put out.

This type of regional training requires strong support from all the involved agencies leadership.

Florida Forestry had both regional and state leadership from Tallahassee in attendance.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and Tampa Fire provided vital agency stakeholders to the training and strong support from Hillsborough County Sheriff, Chad Chronister.

From Training to Real-World Training gives pilots the chance to drop water on fires in a controlled environment where many aspects of the fire are controlled to give pilots the best possible scenarios to apply their knowledge in a practical setting.

In the case of the January training event held in Hillsborough County, Florida, some in attendance on the second day of training were given a chance not only to train to fight fires but to put that training into action in a real-world fire that started just a few miles from the training ground.

While airborne on a training drop, ground units from Hillsborough County Fire requested aerial assistance with a fire that had started near the rear of Durant High School to the north of the training ground.

aerialfiremag.com | AF 17

Left Top:A Hillsborough County H125 drops water on the active fire that started near the training ground at Durant High School near Tampa, Florida.

Left Bottom: A Tampa Police Bell 206L refuels on the football field as TPD Chief Pilot Todd Curraba, HCSO’s Brian Parsons and Maintenance Technician James Watterson discuss the firefighting effort.

Right Top: Overwatch duties during the entire exercise were conducted by aircraft supplied by Florida Forestry.

Right Bottom: Citrus County conducts a drop over the training ground to extinguish a controlled burn set up by ground firefighters.

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Firefighters on the ground were having difficulty fighting the fire as it grew in grassland to the rear of the high school, engulfing several beehives in the area, further complicating the response, making an aerial approach the most straightforward approach to extinguishing the blaze that threatened the school grounds.

A Bell 407 from Tampa Police and an AS-350 from Hillsborough County quickly arrived on scene and began dropping water on the fire, using a nearby water source to dip from. The two aircraft made short work of the small blaze, extinguishing it before it posed a direct threat to school buildings, conducting 15 drops to put out the flames.

Applying the skills crews were practicing during training also meant that other resources needed to relocate to support the aerial firefighting effort.

Teams that had already been conducting training drops were now getting low on fuel after fighting the fire.

Hillsborough County’s support crews arrived on the football field of Durant high school as the ground was quickly turned into an aerial refueling station for both aircraft. This capping off a day of training that unexpectedly ended in a successful practical application of interagency cooperation – just like it was practiced.

Photos supplied by John “Max” Jaques.

aerialfiremag.com | AF 19

The Evolution of Firefighting Mission Equipment

by Aerial Fire Staff

Nowadays, aircraft operators and fire-fighting authorities take for granted capabilities that up until a few years ago didn’t exist. In this article, we look at how aircraft capability has evolved from the early simple mechanical “pull the lever” designs, to today’s computer-controlled “drop by wire” firegate systems equipped with advanced telemetry and data gathering capability.

The SEAT revolution began with Leland Snow, the legendary developer of the Air Tractor series of aircraft.

In the early 1990s, he had the vision to create a low-cost 800-gallon fire-bomber based on his hugely successful AT502 crop-duster.

He and the design team at Air Tractor began work on the much larger airframe and powerplant design that would become the equally successful AT-802. Leland was an engineer’s engineer. His tools were pencil, slide rule, protractor and paper. But like all geniuses, he knew the limits of his capability and was wise enough to ask a local company, Spectra Technologies, to computerize the fire gate.

A team led by Professor Robert L Woods took on the task, and a young Victor Trotter was selected to develop the controls and hydraulics designs. A fundamental objective was to improve the efficiency of the material’s delivery from the hopper, and thus the constant flow FRDS GEN I system was born.

By 2006, more than 150 AT-802F firebombers had been delivered with the first generation Air Tractor gate and were in service worldwide. It was time to move on, and AF 20 | aerialfiremag.com

Leland asked a new company, Trotter Controls, to apply state of the art and newly available micro-processors to the fire-fighting challenge.

A lateral thinking Victor Trotter patented a new hydraulic valve control method, which allowed the new FRDS GEN II system to utilize multiple redundant cost-effective and rugged directional valves in place of a single fault-prone servo valve. Additionally, adding advanced self-diagnostic features to the system as well as enhanced flow control capability.

Since then, more than 200 FRDS GEN II systems have shipped worldwide, many being upgraded from the original GEN I systems. Interestingly, more than 30 years after their inception, several GEN I systems are still in service and are finally at the end of their operating life (support for GEN I systems was discontinued as of Q1, 2020).

Trotter Controls has provided worldwide service and support for the Air Tractor fleet since the inception of the GEN I system. Several employees involved with the first GEN I system at Spectra Technologies are still building and supporting systems worldwide.

For many years, Australia’s National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) has been a pioneer of fire-fighting performance analysis, continuing its hunger for additional data.

In 2014, recognizing that this would become a worldwide trend, Trotter Controls began developing a firegate

telemetry system that could be used on a variety of fixedwing and rotary aircraft. By 2016, the DataVault product was ready for deployment. Four aircraft successfully demonstrated its capability to collect and deliver data from Air Tractor GEN I/GEN II systems as well as other gates.

Conceived as the telemetry and control equivalent of a “Swiss Army Knife,” DataVault can read sensors, control valves, interact with the pilot and send satellite messages. Since the controller can communicate with peripherals via virtually any standard protocol, DataVault is easily expanded and can deploy in a myriad of aviation applications.

Trotter Controls worked with the 10Tanker engineering team to produce a state-of-the-art constant flow system using a variant of the FRDS GEN II controller hardware to control the flow rate from each firegate. A Master Controller, together with a network of DataVaults, determines the gate configuration needed to achieve the commanded coverage level and split.

The retardant can be delivered using each gate in sequence, or all three gates together. The system is so accurate that it can provide a 10,000-gallon payload in 8 equal drops of 1,250 gallons each.

Since its inception, more than 100 DataVault telemetry systems have been installed worldwide in a variety of roles on fixed-wing and rotary aircraft of all sizes.

The upgrade has been very well received by 10 Tankers’ customers and has dramatically enhanced the aircraft’s performance during operations in the USA, Chile, and Australia.

The most significant example of innovation is 10Tankers’ DC10 fleet. The highly capable DC-10 airframe has three independent tanks with a total volume above 10,000 gallons. Still, by 2015, its aging control system was no longer able to meet the extremely stringent IAB specifications for VLAT aircraft.

At the smaller end of the scale, the Trotter team, in collaboration with Air Tractor, set about re-designing the successful FRDS GEN II system from the ground up. Victor Trotter saw that the power available from today’s ultra-efficient electric motors, customarily used for vehicle propulsion, would be more than capable of

controlling the flow of fluid from the AT-802 tank.

This meant the weighty hydraulic power unit, valve manifold, and accumulator. All associated plumbing could be removed from the legacy FRDS and be replaced by a 15lb motor, gearbox, and a DataVault based control system.

In another example of innovation, a single torque tube opens and closes the bomb bay style doors.

Thus reducing obstruction of the flow path through the gate considerably over the dual torque tube design common throughout the industry and reduces component count and weight.

Taking electric motor and DataVault control technology to new limits, Trotter Controls worked with Airborne Suppression Technologies to create a ground-breaking constant-flow, carbon fiber tank for CH-47 aircraft. Working with Bart Brainerd, Trotter Controls also created an all-electric, DataVault controlled firegate for Brainerd’s fleet of UH-60 Firehawks. These systems both received STC’s and will be operating over fires in the US this season.

Considerable advancements in flow compensation have been made during the evolutionary development process since tank flow rates are now compensated for aircraft speed, maneuvering G’s, as well as the level of fluid in the tank to maintain constant coverage of retardant on the ground.

Lefit Top: The GENIII all electric firegate installed on the AT-802F.

By way of comparison, a system without G’s compensation would flow 41% too much liquid during a one G maneuver, thus wasting retardants and reducing the covered ground line.

Left: The Trotter Controls Data Vault.

Left Bottom: FRDS

The technology’s driving goal has always focused on maximizing the ground line (length of the pattern on the ground) that can be protected using the least amount of retardant possible.

In addition to the all-electric applications, Trotter is currently developing hydraulically controlled firegates using the DataVault controls platform for various other airframes.

The advances in performance, weight, and data gathering capability are serving to increase the effectiveness of the aircraft and improve the ability to coordinate authorities to manage fire operations.

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GENII Pilot Interface.

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Helinet Enters Utility Market with New Aerial Firefighting Contracts Helinet Aviation Services announced June 10th, 2020 that the company would add a UH60 Blackhawk helicopter to California’s aerial firefighting fleet. The former U.S. Army helicopter is on standby at Van Nuys Airport to assist with firefighting missions under call-when-needed contracts with the U.S. Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection CAL FIRE. The aircraft is the first of several UH-60 Blackhawks that Helinet intends on operating in the aerial firefighting market over the next few years. The addition of this specialty equipped firefighting Blackhawk augments Helinet’s existing UH-60 MovieHawk®, which

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has worked for the past four years in the motion picture and television industry.

Manufactured by The Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., the UH-60 Blackhawk cruises at 160 knots and is capable of lifting up to 8,000 pounds of external cargo. When using its Bambi PowerFill buckets it can drop up to 900 gallons of water and can be refilled in less than a minute. Through Helinet’s partnership with the Blackhawk’s two private owners – Brown Helicopter, Inc. and Anduze Helicopter – the aircraft is supported by a team of pilots, a fuel truck, back-up equipment and maintenance technicians.

As estimated in 2019, California experienced 7,860 wildfires that burned nearly 260,000 acres of land, damaged or destroyed 732 structures and took three lives. Helicopters are a versatile fire management tool used to rapidly douse flames on steep canyons, mountains and rugged terrains that are difficult for ground crews to reach. The UH-60 Blackhawk has the versatility to reach the low altitudes required for effective water delivery and hold flames in check during the early stages of a fire.

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Helinet’s call-when-needed contracts cover Type 1 helicopters, which are the largest used on fires and must be uniquely equipped to meet federal specifications.

Helinet’s call-when-needed contracts cover Type 1 helicopters, which are the largest used on fires and must be uniquely equipped to meet federal specifications. While the pilot-incommand is required to hold a minimum of 1,500 flight hours, Helinet’s Chief Blackhawk Pilot has logged over 5,000 flight hours in type.

“At Helinet, helping save lives is our most important mission – from transporting critically ill children and transplant organs to local hospitals to providing turnkey mission solutions for airborne law enforcement and firefighting operations,” said company CEO Kathryn Purwin. “Every member of our team is committed to upholding the highest levels of safety while providing critical services to the community.”

In addition to aerial firefighting services, Helinet’s 14 CFR Part 133 and 137 certifications allow the company to perform a wide range of utility operations including aerial seeding, powerline/pipeline inspection and construction, aerial mapping and on-demand external load air service. Its large fleet of aircraft includes single and twin-engine helicopters capable of performing a diverse set of missions.

“We are pleased to expand our helicopter services even further by providing a broad range of utility services while continuing to grow the Helinet brand,” said Helinet’s President and COO Sean M. Cross. “The launch of this new division reflects our ongoing commitment of providing our clients with the most diverse, robust and reliable aviation solutions on the market.”

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Aerial Firefighting 2020

Highlights from Sacramento

Since 2008, Tangent Link has hosted the two-day Aerial Firefighting North America conference and expo that continues to grow in popularity and attendance. Held this year at the McClellan conference center at the former McClellan Airforce base in Sacramento. Beginning with an opening keynote address from Thom Porter, Director of CAL FIRE, the opening address laid the groundwork for what would be two days of learning and education from some of the most experienced people in the aerial firefighting industry.

Day two started with a heartfelt tribute from Wayne Coulson and the Coulson Aviation team, paying tribute to their lost team members from the Tanker 134 crash in Australia just a month prior to the show.

Some of the other show highlights included confirmation from Conair that the company expects to open the world’s first Aerial Firefighting and Tactics center early in the spring of 2020 that will contain multiple fully Networked Flight Training Devices configured to simulate the cockpit and flight dynamics for eight aircraft platforms performing different roles during an aerial firefighting mission.Viking Air Limited introduced

during their session the Canadair CL-515 First Responder, a new production multi-mission scooping amphibian and purpose-built aerial firefighting aircraft. Among other major announcements, Coulson Aviation showed off their largest in class 3000 gallon RADS tank fitted to their CH-47.

Columbia Helicopters also introduced a Type 1 multimission Standard Transport Category helicopter – the Columbia Model 234 LR Chinook, which can be configured to carry up to 19 passengers, a 2,800-gallon internal tank, a 2,600-gallon bucket, or internal and external cargo.

The show concluded at the Aerospace Museum of California where this year’s Walt Darren International Aerial Firefighting Awards were held. The Aerial Firefighting Safety Award going to Bill Moody, a career firefighter and respected industry professional. The Industry Innovation and Advancement Award was posthumously awarded to Larry Vandersall, received by his family for his pioneering work in the firefighting chemical industry.

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Photos from the North America conference floor, Sacramento 2020

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NY Army National Guard Helicopter Crews Conduct Water Bucket Training Over Lake Ontario ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- A New York Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter and 24 crew members conducted water bucket training along the eastern shoreline of Lake Ontario at Hamlin Beach State Park, May 5 and 6 to prepare crews to assist with fighting wildfires.

The helicopter crews, based at the Patriot Way Flight Facility in Rochester, N.Y., used a specially designed aircraft bucket, known by the trademarked name Bambi Bucket, to scoop water from the lake and practice dropping it on designated sites.

The training allows aircrews to practice the techniques used to extinguish wildfires.

The Chinook crew is from Detachment 1, Company B, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment. They operate the CH-47F, the Army’s largest helicopter. It can lift more than 30 Soldiers, carry 24,000 pounds of cargo, and climb to 20,000 feet.

Montayne, a CH-47 flight engineer. “If we’re fighting fires...we would let them know when they’re at their release point and they let us know to open the bucket. We open the bucket and do it all over again.”

With its greater capability, the Chinook could be called to help fight fires in places that prove challenging for smaller helicopters.

“We might use it up in the Adirondacks with their wildfires during the summer,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Scott, the unit’s CH-47 pilot instructor.

While most aerial firefighting is conducted by New York State Police helicopters, the New York Army National Guard employs helicopter firefighting equipment when requested by state officials.

“We’ve got a full unit up and ready to go,” Barnes said.

Each year as summer begins, the crew members and their maintenance personnel retrain on how to attach the bucket and then pick up and dump water. The training is necessary because a full bucket weighs eight tons and pilots need to practice flying with the additional weight hanging under the aircraft in order to fly safely in an emergency.

That kind of maneuvering requires precise communication with the crew. “The Chinook is big enough where the pilots up front can’t see the back of the aircraft and we can’t see what’s going on underneath, either,” Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jarred Barnes, one of the CH-47 pilots, explained.

At a vacant lot in the state park, the crew lifted off and flew out over deep water. Three crew members looked out the sides and rear of the aircraft, while another laid face-down on the floor, watching the bucket through a hatch. The crew flew a linear flight path parallel to the shoreline and used small white buoys for target practice.

“We’ll operate the bucket, call them down to dunk it into the water, call them as they fill it up, let them know when its full, let them know they’re clear to come up,” said Sgt. Jesse AF 30 | aerialfiremag.com

aerialfiremag.com | AF 31

Helitak Australia Secures Exclusive Use Contract for FT4500 Tank with U.S. Forest Service Helitak Fire Fighting Equipment announced June 2nd, 2020 that the FT4500 Black Hawk fire tank has successfully received an Exclusive Use contract from the U.S. Forest Service for the upcoming 2020 North American fire season. Taking a lead on other tank manufacturers, and showcasing the Australian designed and manufactured tanks working on a global scale.

Following purchase by High Performance Helicopters in Redlands, California, and fitted to the company’s UH60A helicopter, the combination of both will see the tank working wildfires in California. HP Helicopters was certified by the US Federal Government in 2017 to produce FAA certified civilian versions of Sikorsky’s UH60A helicopters under its own Type Certificate. The company performs upgrades and modifications AF 32 | aerialfiremag.com

as shown by the company’s Helicopter 286 (N8286) the white and black flagship helicopter that has undergone a full demilitarization and revitalization program.

Now fitted with an FT4500 tank which is the brainchild of aerial firefighting pilot and engineer, Jason Schellaars, who started Helitak in 2006 and heads up the team from their Noosa based facility in Queensland, Australia.

After years of research and development, Helitak first offered the Black Hawk fire tank to the US National Guard (NG) some 10-years ago but was unable to secure a contract at that time.

“The original concept was pioneered from the natural progression from the previous Helitak

fire tanks operating on helicopters in both the USA and Australia since 2006. The team went about designing a tank that required no aircraft modifications, could be fitted or removed to all the Guard’s UH60 Black Hawk aircraft in under 25 minutes and offered a maximum water capacity of 800 gallons” (3028 litres) said Schellaars.

The original National Guard designed tank was along similar lines to the Helitak AS350, Bell Medium and Sikorsky S-58 and S-61 tanks that were already flying fires and were well tried and tested. The Helitak expandable tank design was designed

by Schellaars to provide head pressure or mechanical force for water exiting the tank to provide maximum impact but could also be dialed back to whatever drop pattern was deemed acceptable for the type of fire being attacked.

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The Helitak Patented mounting system has a capacity of 1100 gallons The new FT4500 Black Hawk tank design came about with the release of surplus military UH-60 aircraft into the civilian market for heavy lift and aerial firefighting operations. Using the Helitak Patented mounting system the tank has a capacity of 1100 gallons and can still be installed or removed in the same amount of time. The Helitak HP6000 Hover Pump fills the tank in around 46 seconds.

Operating the tank is done so through the Helitak Programmable Logic Controller. This offers the operator touchscreen control choice of available drop patterns, water collection, discharge telemetry, and tank maintenance reporting. The door design means that in any event of loss of power, the doors automatically emergency release the load in around 4 seconds and the tank will retract to its normal empty profile of only 300mm (12 inches).

Following on from the successful release of the FT3500 Bell 214ST fire tank for McDermott Aviation in December, the FT4500 Black Hawk received approval back in January just before the HAI Heli-Exp and was able to fly in with the fire tank installed to display the finished product on the Helitak stand at Anaheim Convention Center.

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TracPlus Announces Movac Invests $5m Funding Expansion and Acquisition TracPlus has successfully closed a significant funding round with New Zealand’s most experienced technology investment firm, Movac, investing $5m.

v2track Limited provides TracPlus not only with tracking devices and a rich pipeline, it additionally furthers the footprint globally with a strong distributor network with market presence in Africa and Europe.

TracPlus offers real-time tracking, communication and integrated solutions for those in the critical services sectors, including First Responders, Firefighting, Utilities, Military and Aviation sectors.

Founded in 2007 and based in Dunedin, TracPlus’ global client base includes the likes of CalFire, San Diego Gas & Electric, National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC Australia), Ministry of Agriculture (CONAF, Chile) Erikson, and Christchurch Helicopters.

Movac Partner Mark Vivian comments “We’re delighted to be investing in a kiwi tech company that helps their clients take care of their people and assets. Earlier in the year, I was fortunate to spend some time in the US with some TracPlus customers, and it was compelling to see their faith and reliance on the TracPlus and its products in their daily activities. Over the years TracPlus has built a team, products and client base that they can be very proud of. It’s also worth acknowledging the support and commitment of the company’s early-stage investors to get the business this far, and I’m excited as to what the future looks like for TracPlus.”

TracPlus CEO Trevor McIntyre comments “TracPlus has built a world-class reputation, and we’re really proud of the exceptional customer base that we’ve built over the past decade. We’re very focused on what we want to do with our business and sought an investor who understood that. We had a number of funding options, and we chose Movac due to their investment style and ‘hands-on’ experience in growing successful tech companies. It was also

AF 34 | aerialfiremag.com

really important to us that there was a strong personality fit between the two teams. We have big future plans, and we’re thrilled to have Movac’s investment and support for the next stage of our journey.”

“We are also very excited for Mr Vivian to join the TracPlus board.”

The new investment round will enable TracPlus to grow technical and sales capability and further capitalize on its position as the disruptive global leader, providing the most cost-effective, comprehensive, flexible and agile platform solutions on the market today.

As part of the transaction, TracPlus will acquire Cambridge-based technology business v2track Limited. v2track Limited provides TracPlus not only with tracking devices and a rich pipeline, it additionally furthers the footprint globally with a strong distributor network with market presence in Africa and Europe.

TracPlus CEO Trevor McIntyre comments, “The acquisition of v2track Limited, is aligned with our goal to be the market leader in tracking and communication globally.” v2 Track Founders, Kylan and Bevan Diprose are also pleased to be joining forces with TracPlus.

“The v2track team is excited to be starting this new chapter with TracPlus. Over the years we have seen our mutual vision for aviation safety, communication, and technology become more and more aligned.

We believe that by joining forces will we will have more impact together as we bring together our

complementary strengths,” says Kylan Diprose.

“We are looking forward to bringing what people love about v2track to a wider audience. Both new and existing customers will benefit from the greater range of products, services and resources available through the combined entity,” says Bevan Diprose.

TracPlus offers real-time tracking, communication and integrated solutions for those in the critical services sectors, including First Responders, Firefighting, Utilities, Military and Aviation sectors.

Phil McCaw, Movac Managing Partner commented, “TracPlus is yet another example of a kiwi tech company who’s built a strong international worldwide, and wants to accelerate its growth. The years ahead for TracPlus are exciting, and we look forward to playing our part. At Movac, we continue to work with Kiwi entrepreneurs who have the ability and aspiration to build great technology companies, using our capital, expertise and networks.

As I’ve said publicly in recent weeks, there’s plenty of uncertainty in markets currently, but we are a long term investor and continue to work with Kiwi companies who are looking for an investment partner with strategic experience, operational ability, meaningful capital and access to global networks.”

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Ag Operator in South of Brazil Adds Aerial Firefighting to His Operation

by Ernesto Franzen

(L-R) André Cappellari, Luís Augusto Damiani and Marcos Antônio Camargo keep COVID-19 distancing, each standing in front of

The southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, has a long history in Brazilian ag aviation – the first aerial application in Brazil was flown there in 1947 – but little aerial firefighter activity so far. The state normally has a regular rain regime that keeps vegetation from turning dry and combustible. But summers recently started to alternate between very rainy and very dry. And the summer of 2020 (in the southern hemisphere) has been anything but normal. It has been unusually dry, with only 20 to 50% the normal rainfall and up to over 40 days without any rain.

the aircraft respectively flown at the Guasso-Boi fire.

Inset: (L-R) Cappellari, Damiani and Camargo next to Itagro’s AT402B.

The same drought that is adversely affecting farmers and ag-aviation operations made conditions favorable for wildfires. In the city of Alegrete, ag-aviation company Itagro - Itapororó Aviação Agrícola Ltda., a very progressive ag operation featured twice in the Brazilian edition of AgAir Update, has suddenly seen calls for aerial firefighting operations.

Itagro had fought fires three times before, including once on a commercial eucalyptus plantation. With the first such call this year, firefighting ops went large scale on April 20,

AF 36 | aerialfiremag.com

after owner/operator Marcos Antônio Camargo received a call the night before from a farmer, saying there was a fire out of control on a field in a place called Guasso-Boi. Camargo promptly started to plan the operation, in order to waste no time as the day dawned.

Camargo’s training for firefighting started when he completed a simulator course for the AT-502 in the US, which included firefighting operations. Itagro’s fleet of Ipanemas and one AT-402B were made available to use in these firefighting operations in Guasso-Boi. As there was no fire retardant available in Rio Grande do Sul, Itagro’s aircraft had to drop plain water on the fires. The AT-402B has a capacity of 400-gallons, while the 210-gallon Ipanema is limited to about 165-gallons for firefighting salvos.

Despite this, Camargo planned an operation that proved to be extremely effective, proving that when used smartly even smaller ag-planes can be useful in a fire emergency. Before daylight, he located the nearest satellite strip to the fires that could accommodate an AT-402B and had water available. He then had a ground

crew drive a support truck to set up an operational base there.

This turned out to be nine miles away. Many existing strips closer to the fire were out of water due to the drought. As dawn broke, he had ag pilot Luis Augusto Damiani take off in the AT-402B from his home base in Alegrete, loaded with 400 gallons of water and fly straight to the location.

A veteran of eight seasons, three of those flying both the Air Tractor AT-402B and an Ipanema, Damiani is both an ANAC flight examiner and a Flight Safety Manager. He has an

aeronautical sciences degree, during which he attended classes about firefighting.

Camargo also took off in his Van RV-10 airplane and flew to the fire location to act as an aerial coordinator and direct drops. Camargo knew that airplanes alone could not extinguish the fires. That would also need the work of ground firemen.

The Alegrete fire department was too busy with other calls and couldn’t assist. Camargo texted by WhatsApp a group of neighboring farmers asking for people to help put out the fire

aerialfiremag.com | AF 37

on the ground. Although some responded, they had difficulty reaching the fire location.

Left: This picture gives an idea of the size of the burnt area. Photo: Marcos Camargo Right: Itagro’s AT-402B and RV-10 at the fire base at São Manoel Farm. Ground team wears face masks to avoid COVID-19 propagation. Despite being improvised, this fire base worked very well, loading 400 gallons of water in the

As the afternoon progressed, the wind increased, fanning and spreading the wildland fire. The AT-402B alone wasn’t enough to suppress the fire despite Damiani flying it non-stop, having had just a quick lunch while the ground crew fueled the airplane. The tension grew even more as the fire approached some farm houses, when Damiani demanded “110% performance” from the AT-402B. This prompted Camargo to summon one of his Ipanemas to join the operation, flown by André Capellari. Also a veteran ag pilot, with nine seasons under his belt, he was able to fly the smaller Ipanema from another satellite strip, which was closer, only four miles to the fire. Capellari made 17 drops guided by Camargo, through visibility-reducing smoke, heavy turbulence and dust-devils caused by the fire. Wind direction and intensity changed often, requiring attention from all involved.

AT-402B in less than a minute.

Both ag planes dropped 21,400 gallons of water in 62 loads during the day – 17 of those drops were made by the Ipanema. The fire was only fully extinguished by nighttime, after an estimated 1,500 acres were burned.

The drought goes on, however, and Itagro received another call three days later, using again the AT402B and an Ipanema to drop 1,800 gallons on a 74-acre fire four miles from the satellite strip they were operating from; three loads launched by each plane. As this article was being written, Itagro received a fourth call for a firefighting job.

It is likely more calls will come before the drought is over.

AF 38 | aerialfiremag.com

Itagro also has suffered the impact of COVID-19.

At first, the municipality of Alegrete ordered the closing of all businesses, regardless of activity.

Camargo quickly explained to the mayor that ag-aviation was essential to avoid even higher losses both to state and city economies, as the crop season is still on. He was quickly authorized to restart activities. Itagro adopted all the recommended measures to avoid COVID-19 contagion – face masks, hand and workplace sanitizing, social distancing, etc.

These temporary setbacks did not change Camargo’s plans for the future of Itagro. Changing climate is making wildfires more common in Rio Grande do Sul, at the same time that public awareness about them has increased. A smart operator like Camargo sees this as an opportunity; he intends to invest in increasing Itagro’s firefighting capacities, including bigger airplanes.

He also believes there will be a demand for aerial mosquito control as soon as it is approved in Brazil. With such progressive management, it is sure to soon have Itagro on AgAir Update’s pages again!

Luís Augusto Damiano taking off in Itagro’s AT-402B from its home base at dawn headed toward the fire.

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Coulson Aviation Awarded First Aerial Firefighting Contract in Asia Coulson’s Next Generation Large Airtankers, Tanker 132 (THOR) was utilized in Indonesia and was the first time a large airtanker conducted operations in country.

Coulson Aviation has been awarded a 150-day contract with the BNPB (Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management) for the 2020 fire season. This is Coulson Aviation’s first aerial firefighting contract in Asia Pacific.

BNPB.” said Britt Coulson, Co-President of Coulson Group. “The ability to provide both large fixed and rotary wing aircraft ensures the agency is supported in the safest, most efficient and effective way possible.”

One of Coulson’s S-61 Helicopters will depart from their facility in Bankstown, NSW, Australia to support Indonesia as needed.

About Coulson Aviation: Coulson Aviation is a family owned business with global operations in Australia, Canada, Chile, and the United States with its diverse fleet of heavy Fixed and Rotary wing aircraft. In addition to its aerial firefighting, emergency response, and oil spill dispersant operations Coulson is also a world leader in technology and engineering with the largest aerospace design team in Western Canada focusing primary on special mission modifications.

Coulson’s latest design, the RADS-L for the Boeing CH-47D helitanker is the largest capacity, lightest weight, highest flow rate helicopter tank in the world.

“We are really excited to be expanding into the Asia pacific markets with our fleet. This market has been a long time focus for our company and we are committed to growing our presence in Indonesia and the surrounding countries in the years to come.” - Foster Coulson, Co-President Coulson Group In 2015 one of Coulson’s Next Generation Large Airtankers, Tanker 132 (THOR) was utilized in Indonesia and was the first time a large airtanker conducted operations in country. “Having one of our C-130’s fight fire in Borneo and Sumatra afforded us a great opportunity to get to meet

AF 40 | aerialfiremag.com

aerialfiremag.com | AF 41

Columbian National Police Use AT-802s to Fight Wildfires Since Thursday, April 24, 2020, two AT-802 aircraft from the Colombian National Police have been fighting forest fires in the rural area of Valledupar. ​​ The UNGRD managed aircraft have dropped more than 12,700 gallons of water and retardant.

Multiple other agencies, including Fire, Civil Defense, and the Municipal Risk Management Council, worked to bring the fire under control over the last week.

Authorities in the area are now reporting that the fire is 90% controlled, according to the National Fire Department.

The National Unit selected the Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft for Disaster Risk Management (SNGRD), and the National Police use due to its multiple different mission capabilities.

Months of drought in the region, together with the strong winds, have contributed to the start of forest fires. Several of which have been in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta area, which due to the sloping topography, caused difficulty in controlling the fire without aerial support. The local Cesar Police Department requested assistance from the National Police air service as a result.

Two AT-802 tankers, under the command of Columbia's Anti-Narcotics Directorate Air Service, configured for aerial firefighting, were dispatched to the area. Both aircraft operated out of the Alfonso López de Valledupar airport for the duration of the fire attack, said General Oscar Atehortúa, Director General of the National Police.

From the time the aircraft arrived on-site, coordinated fire attacks were directed by Valledupar's Fire and Government Risk Management personnel. The firefight taking only 48 hours to extinguish the blaze that threatened indigenous communities, as well as flora and fauna native to the region.

"Two aircraft will continue working to attack the most difficult points of the fires in the mountains, with which we seek to save flora and fauna and protect the communities that live there," said

AF 42 | aerialfiremag.com

Colonel Jesús Manuel de Los Reyes Valencia, Commander of the Cesar Police Department.

Regarding other active fires, the Municipal and Departmental Risk Management Councils will continue to coordinate response in the area. The National Unit for Risk Management will conduct follow-up and monitoring of the area should flareups occur.

Since January 1, over one-thousand vegetation fires have been reported in Columbia over 431 municipalities, of which 1071 were extinguished, eight remain active, while one is marked as controlled.

Much of Columbia, as warmer weather continues, remains on high alert for dangerous fire conditions.

According to Columbia's IDEAM, who stated that the regions of Atlántico, Bolívar, Cesar, Córdoba, La Guajira, Magdalena, and Sucre remain in red alert status for fires in the Caribbean region.

The National Unit selected the Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft for Disaster Risk Management (SNGRD), and the National Police use due to its multiple different mission capabilities. Specifically, as it relates to aerial firefighting, choosing the aircraft based on its 800-gallon capacity, ability to carry both water and retardant, and the ability to unload quickly through the aircraft's fire gate.

This system, by the Colombian Aeronautical Industry Corporation (CIAC,) was installed at its headquarters in Bogotá. The system is capable of spreading water or retardant over an area of ​​ 150 meters above fires, making them versatile for extinguishing forest fires.

The aircraft modifications were made in compliance with the manufacturer's FAA and STC requirements. In addition, CIAC carried out operational tests of the system, complying with customer requirements and the international airplane standard.

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Commissioner Franz Visits JBLM Fire Training, Uplifts DNR-Guard Partnership

Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz speaks with Washington National Guard’s Gen.

Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, who leads the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and its wildland firefighting force, met with Washington National Guard’s Gen. Dan Dent to commemorate the long, fruitful partnership between the agency and the Guard during her Saturday morning visit to Joint Base LewisMcChord (JBLM) for a DNR-led wildfire training exercise designed to prepare Guard troops to assist DNR and other agencies in the event of a largescale wildfire.

Dan Dent

“Our partnership with the National Guard has been key,” Commissioner Franz said. “Every single year we are challenged as we see increasing severe fires, longer seasons, and we still have limited amounts of firefighting resources in the state of Washington. But for our partnership with the National Guard and with our federal and local firefighters, we would not be able to do the work we do.”

Saturday’s field exercise at JBLM’s Training Area 13 marked the successful culmination of DNR’s first major virtual fire academy – a shift away from the more traditional classroom setting from AF 44 | aerialfiremag.com

academies of years past, necessitated by the agency’s COVID-19 exposure mitigation strategy.

“Our No. 1 priority is always to make sure our firefighters and our communities are safe,” Franz said. “This is a historic moment – we’ve never had to deal with the issue of trying to keep them safe from all the challenges that wildfire presents coupled with a deadly pandemic, and it has not been an easy task figuring out how we do that.”

Roughly 80 trainees rotated through four stations, including water handling from portable storage tanks and fire line construction. Between the exercise at JBLM and another training opportunity in Spokane this coming weekend, the Guard will have 250 troops trained by DNR and certified for fire season.

“The soldiers and airmen of the Washington National Guard are proud to do our part to support the Department of Natural Resources and the communities across the state as we prepare and train for fire season,” Gen. Dent said. “This is what the Guard does, and we’re proud to do it.”

Babcock Italy are First in the World to Install ADS-B Out Technology on Canadair Aviation’s Design and Completions (D&C) team in Rome is the first in the world to install Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast (ADS-B) technology on a Viking Air CL-415, also known as a Canadair. The system transmits the aircraft’s precise location, speed and direction to control towers and other enabled aircraft, allowing for safer operations and a more efficient flow of air traffic.

This important milestone was made official with the Supplemental Type Certificate being awarded by the European Aviation Safety Agency. The technology will become mandatory from 7 June 2020.

Babcock provides a national firefighting service in Italy using a fleet of 19 Canadair and over 100 experienced pilots to battle wildfires across Italy. The installation of the ADS-B technology on the largest fleet of Canadair in the world is a vital step to continuing this important service.

“We are proud that our team was the first to obtain this

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First AT-802F FRDS GEN III Firegates Installed 0n U.S. Air Tankers

The FRDS Gen III firegate is the only computerized, constant-flow firegate for AT802F aircraft with an FAA STC and FAA approved repair parts availability.

Olney, TX — Air Tractor, Inc. supplier Trotter Controls, with Air Tractor support, has received a Federal Aviation Administration Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for its new all-electric, constant-flow Gen III Fire Response Dispersal System (FRDS) firegate for Air Tractor AT-802F and AT-802AF single engine airtankers. The Gen III firegate is a state-of-the-art, all-electric, lightweight next generation of firegate technology based on Air Tractor’s 25-year track record of success with over 350 firegate systems shipped worldwide.

Minnesota-based aerial firefighting company Dauntless Air recently received the first U.S. installation of the Gen III firegate on its AT-802F Fire Boss®, airframe N8522Q, during the course of the STC certification process. The company provided the airplane to Air Tractor as the test aircraft for certification activity.

Air Tractor President Jim Hirsch says he is pleased to have an aerial firefighting leader such as Dauntless Air as the owner of the first U.S.installed Gen III firegate. “This is one of several aircraft component improvements available during our 2020 production cycle. We are thrilled to see it go into service in the U.S. market.”

Minnesota-based Fire Boss, LLC and New Mexicobased Aero Tech, Inc. have also installed FRDS Gen III systems in preparation for the 2020 fire season.

The FRDS Gen III firegate is the only computerized, constant-flow firegate for AT-802F aircraft with an FAA STC and FAA approved repair parts availability. The FRDS firegate will become part of the AT-802F Type Certificate later this year. Hirsch reports that new Air Tractor AT-802F

AF 46 | aerialfiremag.com

aircraft will be equipped with the Gen III firegate beginning in early 2020.

Hirsch reports that new Air Tractor AT-802F aircraft are currently being delivered from the factory with FRDS Gen III systems installed as standard equipment.

On April 7, the U.S. Forest Service Interagency Airtanker Board (IAB) issued interim approval for Air Tractor AT-802F and Fire Boss operators to use the Gen III FRDS on their aircraft during the upcoming fire season, and through the end of September 2021. The IAB is working with Trotter and Air Tractor to complete the permanent approval.

The Gen III firegate can be retrofitted to AT-802F airplanes equipped with Gen I and Gen II firegates, Hirsch added. “Fairings, vent doors, brackets, E-dump handle, and other items from earlier FRDS systems can be re-used. This commonality of parts is yet another example of Air Tractor’s long-standing customer support of our firegate systems.”

Four AT-802F airtankers equipped with Air Tractor’s new Gen III FRDS fire gate worked the recent bushfires in Australia, collectively amassing more than 500 flight hours of in-service use. Pilots from Fred Fahey Aerial Services, Kennedy Aviation, and Field Air report they are very pleased with the Gen III FRDS firegate performance. The firegate control unit is integrated with the DataVault telemetry and data acquisition system. It sends near real-time location and operational data telemetry to emergency operations managers via the Iridium satellite constellation. The DataVault meets or exceeds all NAFC and US Forest Service “proof of delivery” requirements.

According to Trotter Controls, the chief engineering partner for the Gen III FRDS firegate, aerial firefighting operators and government firefighting agencies report that the precise constant flow operation, the very high flow rate, and the lighter weight of the system provide significant advantages over other firegate systems.

controls platform for the all-electric motor/gearbox that is used to position the fire doors during delivery operations.

Additionally, the all-electric system streamlines troubleshooting and reduces maintenance as compared to hydraulics-based firegate systems.

The extensive update to the FRDS system includes more than 270 lbs. (122 kg.) of weight reduction, all-electric operation, 25 percent more flow than the Gen II firegate, integrated foam injection control, optional integrated AFF tracking and ATU telemetry, and much simpler operation than previous systems.

A new modular pilot interface fits in the same space as the previous Gen II FRDS pilot interface unit and provides flexibility to mount switches wherever the operator prefers.

The Pilot Interface display mounts in a standard 3-inch instrument gauge cutout and has a color OLED screen covered by anti-reflective glass and a back-lit silicone button overlay.

The display provides excellent clarity and visibility in all lighting conditions.

The technical staff at Trotter Controls, Inc. developed the state-of-the-art gate box using 3D CAD modeling and many iterations of stress analysis to refine the lightweight design. The weight reduction was achieved by using aerospace materials, aerospace construction techniques, and by eliminating about 30% of the parts used in the Gen II FRDS design.

The DataVault-based firegate controller can be purchased with or without built-in Automated Flight Following (AFF) tracking and Additional Telemetry Unit (ATU) data feed reporting.

AFF- ATU tracking and telemetry reporting meets or exceeds Australia’s National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) requirements.

The controls and software team at Trotter Controls designed a system that meets Interagency Airtanker Board (IAB) tank performance specifications for Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) aircraft as well as Very Large Air Tankers (VLAT). The new controller and field proven DataVault are a simple and capable

Air Tractor produces a full line of rugged, versatile aircraft that are used not only for aerial firefighting, but also aerial application for agriculture, fuel hauling, oil spill dispersal, security and narcotic crop eradication. Air Tractor airplanes are supported by a global dealer network. aerialfiremag.com | AF 47

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