HELI-EXPO 2024 ISSUE JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2024
40
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AMERICAN HEROES 30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
THE KAMOV KA-32 IN CYPRUS
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Fighting the devastating effects of fire requires a special kind of person – and a special kind of company. You have to know that the people you’re working with care – and always have your back. At Perimeter Solutions, we’re committed every way and every day to earning your trust.
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40 Years of Family Tradition
BILLINGS FLYING SERVICE
AERIALFIRE IS PUBLISHED BY
PUBLISHER: Graham Lavender - graham@marsaylmedia.com
EDITOR IN CHIEF: Ryan Mason - ryan@marsaylmedia.com
ACCOUNTING/ADMINISTRATION: Casey Armstrong - casey@marsaylmedia.com
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on the cover
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CIRCULATION:
Billings Flying Service is one of the oldest and largest operators of the CH-47 in aerial firefighting. AerialFire takes a look at what makes the large family-run operation a success. Story by Meg Rude, images by Ryan Mason.
in this issue
News & Features
12 UAFA - Annual Meeting a Success 20 RTX’s Pratt & Whitney Canada Marks 60 Years of the Purpose Driven PT6 Engine Family 44 Saab Continues to Provide Aerial Firefighting Capability for Sweden 48 Erickson Aero Tanker MD-87 Lands in Chile For Fire Season
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Mary Jane Virden - maryjane@marsaylmedia.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Robert Craymer - robertc@covingtonaircraft.com Igor Bozinovski - bozinovski.igor@gmail.com Dan Reese - dan@intwcg.com Paul Seidenman - avwriter@sbcglobal.net Dave Soderstrom - davesoda727@hotmail.com
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Aaron Maurer
Jeff Serpa
Dave Soderstrom
Marty Wolin
Igor Bozinovski
Kane Arlow
Marissa Fortney
© Copyright 2024 AerialFire retains all rights for reproduction of any material submitted, to include but not limited to articles, photographs, emails and bulletin board posts. All material remain the copyright of AerialFire. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or whole, without the written consent of the publisher. Editorial published do not necessary reflect the views of the publisher. Content within AerialFire is believed to be true and accurate and the publisher does not assume responsibility for any errors or omissions. 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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AerialFire Published bi-monthly by Blue Sky Investments, Inc., 475 Myrtle Field Road, Perry, GA 31069
66 Big Or Small, Law Enforcement Agencies Play an Important Role In Wildfire Suppression 74 American Heroes in California - The Nations Premier Aerial Firefighting and Public Safety Show Returns for its 30th Year 78 The Kamov Ka-32 in Cyprus
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The Drop...............................................6 AerialFire Pics........................................8 Craymer’s Counsel................................18
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aerialfiremag.com | AF 5
THE DROP
Ryan Mason ryan@aerialfiremag.com
Chance Encounters Forming a Lifelong Passion During my first solo in a helicopter, upon landing successfully for the first time with no assistance, the feeling I had was somewhat euphoric. Having spent many hours studying and learning to fly - and making many mistakes along the way, as I felt the skids touch the ground on that icy runway in Warsaw, Indiana, I was giddy with the excitement of the realization that “I can do this!” During the drive home after that flight, after making several calls to those who had helped me along the way and sharing the news of my first solo, my mind turned to the past. Back to my first experiences in aviation. As a child, I grew up just a stone’s throw from Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne, Australia, so seeing air traffic in the pattern was a regular occurrence both at home and the many days I spent looking out the window at school that happened to look out across a gully, where in the distance, most of the school had a view of aircraft coming in to land or taking off from the airport.
The flight attendants would place me at the front of the plane, right by the cockpit, so they could watch me and other kids flying unaccompanied. Before the onset of locked cockpits post 9/11, one of the perks back then was always a visit to the cockpit mid-flight to talk to the pilots. On one such occasion, the pilot, sensing my higherthan-normal level of interest and knowledge of aircraft, explained what a sterile cockpit was. He asked if I knew how to be completely quiet for extended periods, which I stated I did. I was then invited to sit in the jump seat of the plane for landing. For an aviation nut 8-year-old, this was nirvana, and thanks to my tenacious nature, I asked for the chance every flight I had the opportunity in the future, which happened several more times until I stopped making regular flights to New Zealand in my teenage years.
That may have started my passion for aviation; however, I would be amiss without mentioning every summer when my grandmother would save her pennies for my annual summer visit to take me to do fun things. One of those things that cost nothing was to take me to the airport boundary fence at the local international airport and lay me on the hood of her car to watch planes fly in directly overhead, where I would lay for hours.
My dreams of flight were replaced with the ambition to be a police officer in my teenage years. My aviation dream was put on the back burner for decades while I forged a career, until working as a police officer one day at a festival where a helicopter arrived to do joy flights. At the time, my police chief approached me, having seen me pause for the helicopter landing, and asked if I had seen a ghost as I was mesmerized by the helicopter landing in the field. I stated that I was fine, but it reminded me of my childhood exposure to aviation a lot.
As an unaccompanied minor on many international flights between Australia and New Zealand back in the 80s, flight attendants would place you in “the bubble” of the 747, which was for those that have never flown on one, usually the first class and business class section.
Shortly after that exchange, I was asked to get into the helicopter to give the pilot the “lay of the land so he could familiarize himself with the area. When the helicopter took off, I was fascinated by everything happening inside the cockpit. By the end of the day,
AF 6 | aerialfiremag.com
I had made up my mind that I was going to stop making excuses and follow my passion that had been ignited as a small child by a pilot who took enough interest in me to fuel interest in aviation by spending a little time to give a kid a chance to experience something that few had. I sat in the same helicopter the following week, taking my first flight lesson. The long-winded explanation here leads me to my point. Many of us in the industry are regularly exposed to the public at trade shows or air shows where you may have been asked to do a static display, perform an aerial firefighting demonstration, or even at the fence line of an airport you are operating from. Kids, teenagers, and families are never far away from our industry. If you have the opportunity, be that person for anyone interested. Use that patch or sticker you give to a kid or that cockpit tour you give a teenager by taking that little bit of extra time to explain what you do or ask what they want to do in the future. It might be that pivotal moment like sitting in the jump seat for the first time or sitting on the hood of a car to watch a jumbo fly over for them. Be the person who ignites a passion that burns like the fire of a thousand suns to steer them into a rewarding career in our industry. Much like policing (but with differing causal factors), aviation struggles to fill the vacancies within the wider industry. As fuel prices rise, so does the cost of obtaining a license, which, without a burning passion to succeed, will make it harder to find enough pilots with the skillset and hour requirements needed for the aerial firefighting industry in the future. Without the next generation of pilots who share a passion for aviation and protecting lives and property through what we do in this industry, we won’t be able to continue as an industry. So feed that passion any chance, and be that person for someone. You never know; you might just run into someone in the future that you gave their first step in a career.
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aerialfiremag.com | AF 7
10 Tanker drops retardant on a fire in California. Photo by John Massaro.
A Helicopters Express 212 Eagle Single assigned to Angeles helitack on a night proficiency flight. Photo by Gavin Douglas. AF 8 | aerialfiremag.com
A Siller Helicopters S-64 comes off the dip in California. Photo by Mike Murawski.
AERIALFIRE AERIAL FIRE PICS
A Greek CL-215 drops on a fire during the recent Greek fire season. Photo by John Pitsakis.
aerialfiremag.com | AF 9
Reflections on an MD-87 from Erickson Aero Tanker. Photo by Aaron Maurer.
An Orange County Coulson CH-47 dips in a PHOS-CHEK mobile retardant filling station during recent California fires Photo by Jeff Serpa. AF 10 | aerialfiremag.com
A Siller Helicopters Sky Crane at work during fire operations in California. Photo by Zack Smith.
AERIALFIRE AERIAL FIRE PICS
Neptune Aviation’s Tanker 02 drops retardant on the Elm Fire in California Photo by Marty Wolin.
aerialfiremag.com | AF 11
UAFA’s Annual Meeting a Success The United Aerial Firefighters Association (UAFA), recently hosted its first annual members meeting in Boise, Idaho, which was a resounding success! With nearly 100 attendees from industry and government, the meeting provided valuable opportunities for networking, learning, and collaboration. The event even drew in non-members, leading to standing-room-only sessions for some presentations. The two-day event provided a safe space for attendees to provide each other feedback and an overwhelming reassurance that the challenges everyone faces in the suppression mission are not that different. David Hoyt from Dynamic Aviation, expressing his appreciation for the invitation, stated, “I have attended many wildland fire meetings and conferences during my tenure with Dynamic Aviation, and the UAFA meeting last week was, by far, the best. The meeting was well organized, the content exceptionally relevant, and many appropriate stakeholders engaged and involved.”
Fire Season After-Action Review A highlight of the meeting was the after-action review with the US Forest Service (USFS), the Department of the Interior (DOI)’s Office of Aircraft Services, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This was a valuable opportunity for members to learn more about the agencies’ thoughts on the 2023 season and plan for 2024. Representatives from all the aircraft type branches, Airworthiness, Safety, Fire Chemicals, and Contracting, listened to member concerns and answered questions in breakout sessions. They also provided feedback on how the UAFA can better support their work. Topics ranged from challenges with helicopter selfcertifications and inspections to insights about the agencies’ future use of technology and unmanned aircraft.
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Several government attendees mentioned how beneficial it was for the industry to come together. They were appreciative of the new opportunities for UAFA to advocate for the agencies, as well as the industry. A member who attended, commenting about the generosity of the federal staff with their time and information, said, “I thought the meetings were 1000% better than I could have ever imagined.”
Industry Experts In addition to the after-action review, there was a presentation from Wildfire Mitigation and Management Commission (WFMMC) member Bob Roper of the Western Fire Chiefs Association. He was optimistic that the agencies, partners, industry, and Congress would take the recent Commission’s report recommendations and work together to improve our national preparedness. The UAFA is particularly interested in leading out on earlier Aviation Report Recommendation 1, Establishing a task force comprised of a cross-representative group of fire organizations and other interested and affected parties to explore the feasibility of a regionalized approach to Standards of Cover. Expect to hear more from the UAFA about this in 2024. While unable to attend, authors David Auchterlonie and Jeffrey Lehman provided the UAFA members with copies of their recent book, “Running Out of Time.” The book details the impact of wildfires, the roles of federal and state agencies, and the cost. It goes on to explain the various tools used for response, a review of forest management, and makes recommendations for the future. Many of their recommendations align with the WFMMC and the UAFA recommendations. ➤
UAFA is the only comprehensive association dedicated to aerial firefighting and is a united voice advocating for safety and standardization on the local, state, and federal levels.
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aerialfiremag.com | AF 13
The UAFA annual meeting featured guest speakers and topics from a wide cross section of the industry.
New Board Directors
The event concluded with an insightful presentation from UAFA Senior Policy Director Tiffany Taylor. She detailed her experience during the development of the multiple award task order contract (MATOC) acquisition strategies while at the USDA. Tiffany detailed the “good, bad and ugly” of the MATOC strategy from both the government and industry’s perspective. She also explained how the day-to-day reality of federal employees impacts their ability to execute faster. While federal employees’ primary responsibility is to meet the agency mission (natural resources and wildfire suppression), it also includes IT security training, performance reviews, continuous learning to maintain certifications, responding to FOIAs and Congress, preparing the President’s budget requests, and many other mandatory tasks that get in the way and often take “priority.” This gave a new perspective to the industry on how, why, and who makes agency decisions. Tiffany also detailed the myriad steps required by law and regulation to issue a solicitation and make a contract award, even providing some real evaluation ratings and asking attendees to figure out who got the award! Everyone now understands a bit better why things take so long, but we can’t help thinking there has got to be a better way. AF 14 | aerialfiremag.com
The UAFA was pleased to introduce its newest board directors, Eddie Goldberg and Clint Clouatre. Eddie is Vice Chairman for Perimeter Solutions, leading the Fire Safety business for over 20 years. Clint is the Vice President of Marketing and sales for Wipaire/Fire Boss and will provide the Board insight from the OEM perspective. Over 50% of members voted for the corporate and affiliate spots, demonstrating a strong level of engagement among the UAFA members. The Board will expand to as many as ten directors, with a mix of corporate and affiliate member representatives.
Thanks to the Non-Member Attendees The UAFA extends a special thank you to the nonmember attendees who participated in the meeting. Their presence and engagement enriched the discussions and helped to foster a broader understanding of the wildland fire aviation community. The UAFA is committed to providing its members with valuable resources and opportunities for collaboration. The annual members’ meeting is a key platform for achieving this goal and advancing aircraft use in wildland fire management.
Looking Ahead The UAFA plans its next annual members meeting in Boise in November 2024. Our goals for 2024 include working with Congress to facilitate longer periods for industry contracts and beginning the Standards of Cover conversation. If you are a member, consider volunteering to be on a committee. If you aren’t a member, join now to contribute to the solutions. If you want to join, visit Membership - United Aerial Firefighters Association (uafa.org). Stay connected with us at www.uafa.org and linkedin.com/company/united-aerialfirefighters-association.
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VISIBILITY IS EVERYTHING MULTI-MISSION AIRCRAFT
aerialfiremag.com | AF 15
CRAYMER’S COUNSEL
Robert Craymer - robertc@covingtonaircraft.com
A Look Back at 2023 We have reached the part of the year where we look back and remember. We think about the past, are thankful for our experiences and look forward to the future. We are busy at the shop trying to get engines completed and prepped for next season. We are combing the countryside, either working on projects or attending events where we can sit down and visit with everyone. For us, the year continues to be busy. Let’s look back at some of the items and key points we have covered: The Gas Generator - One of the most common indicators of a gas generator issue is an increase in Ng. When the compressor loses efficiency, it must spin faster to make all the air it needs. You may also see fuel flow and T5 increases corresponding to these issues. The engine is just working harder to produce what you need. My personal maintenance philosophy is to keep things simple and follow a commonsense approach. With that in mind, the first thing that I look
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at is the air intake. I’m referring to the filtration and inlet screen. I have “fixed” many engine issues by changing the air filter and ensuring the engine inlet screen is clear. Introducing the Accessories - The maintenance schedule for your engine accessories follows engine TBO and is identified in the service bulletin that specifies the time between overhaul and hot section inspection. The actual time frame in the service bulletin is TBO plus 500 hours. You should incorporate this guidance as part of your maintenance program. I always encourage everyone to follow these guidelines as a preventative step. It costs more to have an accessory issue when you need the airplane the most. The Power Section - The power section does precisely that; it takes the air from the gas generator and turns that air into power. Simply stated, the power section comprises a turbine section and a gearbox. Much like the engine’s modular design, the power section can be looked at in modules itself. The rearmost subassembly or module is the power turbine. ➤
THE PAST
& THE FUTURE
OF AERIAL FIREFIGHTING.
BAMBIBUCKET.COM aerialfiremag.com | AF 17
The Enemy is - When we do a power section disassembly, we visually get the opportunity to see the outside of the RGB rear housing. A gap exists between the power section exhaust duct and the RGB rear housing. Most of the gap is taken up by an insulation blanket. This barrier is important as it protects the oil contained in the power turbine and RGB rear housings from the temperature of the hot gasses being exhausted by the engine. However, a small pocket at the end of the insulation blanket would allow moisture to be held and corrosion to form. There may be several contributing factors to the root cause of the corrosion problems. It’s ITT - The T5 system consists of thermocouples, either 8 or 10, that extend into the airstream between the turbines. The thermocouples are connected in parallel with a bus-bar. A wiring harness is connected to the bus-bar and then comes to the outside of the engine. There are testing instructions for the whole system in the maintenance manual. You can test it as a complete unit. You can also split the engine at the C-flange and test the individual components. When advising people on the process, I always start with a check of the ITT gauge. Unscheduled Events, FOD - The first thing I bring up concerning FOD is that the event may be insurable. If an incident cannot be repaired on the wing, contact your insurance company to determine if your event is insurable on your policy. If material, such as stones, ice, etc., goes into the compressor, you must inspect the compressor and determine the next course of action. Part of this inspection requirement is a performance run to ensure the compressor operation has not been compromised. What’s in a warranty? - The basic warranty. Pratt & Whitney Canada has a two-part warranty coverage in their enhanced warranty for Ag engines. Just for your information, militaryuse engines have a different warranty. For older Ag engines, the warranty period is the first 1000 engine operating hours AF 18 | aerialfiremag.com
from the date of engine shipment. For newer Ag engines, based on serial number, the warranty period is 2500 operating hours or five years, whichever occurs first. Proper Engine Handling - If your engine must be removed and shipped for repair or overhaul, you must follow the guidelines in the engine maintenance manual. Several issues have been caused by mishandling engines and power sections, which have led to some very costly repairs. Is it an inflight shutdown? - I want to discuss here how the PT6A operates and why an actual inflight shutdown is rare. Operationally, you have heard me and others say many times during training classes and discussions that an engine will stay running as long as it has fuel. To be fair, if you are flying around and suddenly the engine rolls back to normal flow, it may feel like it has quit. In most cases, however, it is still running. Thinking back, I have been able to share a lot of information through this opportunity. We have reviewed some of the engine construction. We have looked at how systems work. We have reviewed best practices. Hopefully, these things and whatever topics we discuss in the future will be helpful. Many folks have told me that they read the articles here. I hope they continue to be beneficial and educational. I am thankful for this experience and look forward to the future! Robert Craymer has worked on PT6A engines and PT6Apowered aircraft for the past three decades, including the last 25+ years at Covington Aircraft. As a licensed A&P mechanic, Robert has held every job in an engine overhaul shop and has been an instructor of PT6A Maintenance and Familiarization courses for pilots and mechanics. Robert has been elected to the NAAA board as the Allied-Propulsion Board Member. Robert can be reached at robertc@ covingtonaircraft.com or 662-910-9899. Visit us at covingtonaircraft.com.
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RTX’s Pratt & Whitney Canada Marks 60 Years of the Purpose Driven PT6 Engine Family With 64 thousand engines delivered over six decades, the PT6 continues to be the engine of choice for the general aviation and helicopter segments, helping make a positive social impact every day. Pratt & Whitney celebrated the 60th anniversary of the reliable and versatile PT6 engine family on December 12th, 2023, amassing more than 500 million hours on a broad variety of aircraft missions in every region worldwide. Since Dec. 12, 1963, more than 64 thousand PT6 engines have been delivered to power nearly 21 thousand aircraft, fostering a sense of connectivity and community wherever they fly. “For six decades, the game-changing innovation and versatility of the PT6 engine has served as a foundation for industrywide achievement and modernization in general aviation, powering 155 different aircraft,” said Maria Della Posta, president of Pratt & Whitney Canada. “The PT6 is living proof how of one product, and our team of people who make it possible, continue to positively impact the industry year after year. Its global reach consistently makes it the engine of choice for the markets and missions it serves.” Operators continue to leverage the PT6 engine family to achieve a variety of missions. Here are just a few examples of its impact: Firefighting: PT6-powered, single-engine firefighting aircraft are both productive and precise, helping extinguish forest fires around the world at a time when the number and intensity of wildfires is increasing globally. AF 20 | aerialfiremag.com
Agricultural application (Ag): When the PT6 engine team began designing engines for this market, it boosted productivity by 60% over the piston engines it replaced. Since then, eight PT6A engine models have been designed for ag aviation. Emergency Medical Services: Whether powering fixedwing aircraft or helicopters, the PT6 engine has long been the go-to power source for Emergency Medical Services organizations, helping ensure their life-saving missions are met with success. Humanitarian Missions: Carrying humanitarian aid to remote villages using a dirt runway or shuttling lifesaving vaccines to rural communities, PT6-powered aircraft are an important element in a global distribution network. Pilot Training: PT6-powered trainer aircraft have been used for more than four decades to train future pilots who go on to play critical roles in defending freedom. Through constant collaboration with its airframe manufacturers, Pratt & Whitney Canada continues to lead with innovation. The recently launched PT6 E-Series™ is the first engine in general aviation to feature a dual-channel integrated electronic propeller and engine control system. The technology provides an overall more intuitive way of flying with simplified operations, control systems, and data intelligence.
POWERING THROUGH Let’s face it. This job’s not for everyone. Aerial firefighting demands nerves of steel and the power to fly at peak performance. The PT6 turboprop continues to be the engine of choice – built for full-load takeoffs in extreme hot and high environments, all day, every day.
LEARN MORE AT PWC.CA/PT6
aerialfiremag.com | AF 21
EU to Finance Purchase of 12 Canadair Aircraft to Enhance rescEU Fleet The European Commission and Canada have agreed to enhance civil protection and disaster risk management ties. During the EU-Canada Summit on November 24th, 2023, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau endorsed an Administrative Arrangement allowing closer cooperation on disaster response and emergency management. The EU and Canada will also share best practices to enhance prevention, preparedness, and coordination on natural and human-induced disasters, including in third countries. In addition, the European Commission will finance the purchase 12 new Canadian built planes (Canadair) to increase the aerial firefighting capacity of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism strategic reserve (‘rescEU’). EU Member States have also ordered a further 12 planes. President Ursula von der Leyen stated, “The climate emergency is all too real. We must partner to address natural disasters better. This is why today we agreed to work more closely with Canada on risk management and response.
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And we are looking forward to strengthening our European fleet by adding Canadian firefighting planes.” The Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations of the European Commission and the Emergency Management and Programs Branch (EMPB) of Public Safety Canada have signed an Administrative Arrangement concerning Cooperation in Emergency Management Activities. Both parties are committed to deepening their joint work on prevention, preparedness, and response to disasters in key areas: information sharing on response and recovery, sharing of lessons learned, information on international outreach, public awareness and training, warning systems, and capacity-building activities. Whenever an emergency’s scale overwhelms a country’s response capabilities, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism enables coordinated assistance from its participating States. These include all EU Member States, as well as 10 participating states in the Mechanism (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye, and Ukraine). Administrative arrangements signed with additional countries, such as Canada, formalize cooperation, strengthening the response to natural and man-made disasters.
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We can take the heat
aerialfiremag.com | AF 23
AutoFlight Unveils Advanced Air Mobility Firefighting Prototype Global eVTOL pioneer AutoFlight announced on November 15th, 2023, the company launch of a high-payload firefighting program and released a fully functional prototype. With a maximum takeoff weight of two metric tons (MTOW), the firefighting model is designed to lift a 400kg payload over a distance of up to 200km and can reach speeds over 200km/h. It can transport four high-performance fire-extinguishing canisters, each weighing 100kg, with the capacity to extinguish fires covering up to 200 sq/m individually. This means that the four canisters can collectively extinguish fires spanning up to 800 sq/m in a single payload. The firefighting model is based on the CarryAll, AutoFlight’s cargo eVTOL, for which the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) certification is expected by early 2024.
fire-fighting Unmanned Aerial Vehicles available in the market, AutoFlight’s prototype has achieved significant breakthroughs in terms of load capacity, flight duration, coverage, flight efficiency and firefighting effectiveness. The initial demonstrations with potential customers received very encouraging feedback. We will now enter discussions with clients and development partners to evolve the prototype into a product, including ground station and supporting systems.”
Kellen Xie, Senior Vice President of Global Sales & Business Development at AutoFlight, stated “Compared to existing
Mr. Xie added that units can now be sold for joint development by firefighting organizations for operation in 2024.
AF 24 | aerialfiremag.com
Add to Contacts
aerialfiremag.com | AF 25
Technisonic Announces Forestry Mode on the TDFM-9000 / 9300 Series Radios Technisonic Industries. announced on December 12th, 2023, the continued support of the Aerial Firefighting Market with its introduction of Forestry Mode available on both the TDFM-9000 and TDFM-9300. Forestry Mode addresses the space and installation challenges in the cockpit and antennas associated with updated United States Forestry Service (USFS) communications requirements. Developed to meet the USFS communications requirements of multiple Main/Guard radios, Forestry Mode is an advanced software/hardware interface combination which allows the TDFM-9000 or TDFM9300 to operate as either two or three forestry compliant radios. Main and Guard capability is addressed via software defined VHF-FM module grouping on the radios front panel. The ASU-9000 hardware switch sums each main and guard combination of Antenna, Mic, Audio and PTT ports to a single position, thereby requiring only two
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or three antennas and audio positions depending on radio configuration. The result being significant cockpit panel, antenna space and weight savings. “With the introduction of the USFS’s new radio requirements, operators found themselves in a space crunch both inside the cockpit and on the airframe itself,” said Technisonics Director of Business Development Jim Huddock,“Cockpit real estate, audio system capacity, and antenna placements all became issues. Forestry Mode addresses these by utilizing the already compliant TDFM9000 series radio and our new ASU-9000 antenna/audio switch to provide up to three fully compliant USFS radios in just 4.5 inches of panel space, where traditional radio setups would require up to nine inches. Additionally, by utilizing our fully compliant P25 modules, channel capacity is now 3000 per module, and Front Panel Programming is much simpler and more intuitive than ever.”
MISSION BASED. PERFORMANCE DRIVEN. The fully compliant Digital P25 TDFM-136B series radios offer a critical piece of your fleet’s communication and coordination efforts. Call today to learn why Technisonic has more forest service certified airborne radios than any other manufacturer.
www.til.ca • US Sales & Support (612) 231-9020 • General (905) 890-2113 aerialfiremag.com | AF 27
A New Dash in Australia After nine seasons in Victoria, the RJ85 has passed the “B391” baton onto Conair’s Dash 8-400AT C-FFQF. This airtanker is now on standby at Avalon Airport. Tanker 391 began it’s journey to Australia in late November, leaving behind frosty weather in Abbotsford Canada, travelling through Oakland, Honolulu, the Solomon Islands before arriving on the continent. The tanker operated out of Bordeaux from July to September, supporting the Government of France during the 2023 fire season. It completed it’s heavy maintenance during the fall from Conair’s hangars before migrating south. This tanker began operations in 2021, operating its first season in Alaska. Dash 8-400AT B391 will be joined in Avalon by the permanently Australian-based Dash 8-400AT C-FFQE
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“B390”, which completed its seasonal contract in Queensland as B141 in December. The Dash 8-400AT B141 airtanker had been based in Bundaberg from September to December, supporting firefighters in the region. Also working in Australia this 2023/2024 bushfire season from October to February for Conair/Field Air is Bomber B164, an RJ85 based in Dubbo, New South Wales. It deployed to Busselton in Western Australia in November when duty called, a shared resource between wildfire agencies. The large airtanker and crews were proud to support communities in need as a reinforcement during a period of increased fire threat when Western Australia’s LAT was grounded for a period of time.
SUPPRESSING WILDFIRES. SUPPORTING FIREFIGHTERS. The Future of Aerial Firefighting: The Dash 8-400AT Fast, fuel efficient and tactically flexible. A modern airtanker with a 10,000 litre / 2,642 US gallon capacity to drop water, retardant, or gel over diverse geography. Setting the standard for Next Generation aircraft with OEM support to keep the firefighter flying for decades. Photo: Alexandre Dubath
conair.ca aerialfiremag.com | AF 29
CAL FIRE One Step Closer to C-130 Operation After Congress Approves DOD Transfer The long-awaited introduction of the C-130 into the CAL FIRE fleet is one step closer today after the final congressional approval to transfer the seven aircraft through the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2024 from DOD control to CAL FIRE. The seven aircraft, although already painted in CAL FIRE liveries, have been stuck in legislative limbo for almost five years since they arrived at CAL FIRE headquarters in Sacramento, preventing their deployment into the field, which final approval for transfer was granted in the current bill approved on Thursday. The California Department of Forestry in a press release on August 9th, 2023, stated: In recent weeks, the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives have taken action on a critical issue of importance for California: authorizing the expedited transfer of seven C-130 aircraft from the United States Coast Guard to CAL FIRE for wildfire suppression, search and rescue, and emergency operations related to wildfires. In a showing of bipartisan support led by U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41), legislation has been introduced to support an effort that builds on the foundation laid by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in 2018. This initiative has also benefited from the consistent and critical partnership of California Governor Gavin Newsom and CAL FIRE Chief Joe Tyler, who have been instrumental in moving the effort over the finish line. From a retardant delivery perspective, a single C-130 is equivalent to six S-2T Airtankers currently in use by CAL FIRE. In service for more than 60 years, the C-130 is a workhorse of military aircraft, used for troop transportation, medical evacuation, search and rescue, weather reconnaissance and many other functions. Similar C-130s are already in use and
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have demonstrated their superior capability to drop 3,000 gallons (weighing 28,000 pounds) in less than five seconds. “This transfer of critical aircraft to the State of California will surely save lives, improve air quality, protect forestlands, and reduce carbon emissions,” said Matt Dias, President and CEO of Calforests. “Adding seven C-130s to California’s aerial firefighting force is a truly remarkable advancement. We must continue to prioritize forest management and wildfire prevention, but vigorous and efficient suppression forces are needed in trying times as well. The force multiplier offered by the addition of these airframes to fire suppression forces is critical. Today is a huge step in that direction.” “The addition of the C-130s will undoubtedly enhance the states aerial firefighting capabilities,” said Joe Tyler, Director and Fire Chief of CAL FIRE. According to Chief Tyler, “These critical assets will aid in reducing the loss of life and property while protecting our natural resources and private timberlands. I look forward to these aircraft joining CAL FIRE’s world-renowned aerial firefighting force.” "Between earthquakes, wildfires and other natural disasters, California is one of the most costly and challenging states for property insurers and owners. While we may not be able to prevent earthquakes, we do have the tools to combat the most destructive wildfires. Transferring these C-130s from the Coast Guard to CAL FIRE is a huge step forward in the state's ever-vigilant battle against these fires," said Rex Frazier, President of Personal Insurance Federation of California. The final step in addition to pilot and crew training, which has already been underway, is the installation of Coulsonmanufactured RADS tanks for the aircraft which will make them capable of being able to disperse up to 3000 gallons of retardant or water on wildfires.
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Slovenia's Two Air Tractor AT-802 Firefighting Planes Converted into Fire Boss Amphibian Configuration The Republic of Slovenia took final delivery of its first two twin-seat Fire Boss aircraft on November 24th, 2023. The aircraft arrived after conversion from their initial delivery configuration as land-based Air Tractor AT-802 firefighting planes, arriving in Ljubljana on May 9th, 2023, and June 18th, respectively. The converted aircraft are now the first fully functional float-equipped amphibian Fire Boss aircraft to work in the country. The conversion from land-based Air Tractor AT-802's into the more capable amphibian AT-802 Fire Boss meant equipping each aircraft with a pair of Wipline 10,000 floats, a process initiated in late September, completed in late October at Air Tractor Europe's (ATE) EASA Part 145 Maintenance and Repair Organization (MRO) in Viver, Spain. At the same time, the first annual inspection of S5-BZR was executed at Viver. The plane's return to Slovenia was initiated on November 20th, departing from ATE's Viver airport on their first leg to Menorca (Mahon). Due to bad weather, the aircraft continued their flight on November 23rd, passing through Cannes and ending the leg in Venice. On the morning of November 24th, both aircraft landed at Ljubljana International Airport for official acceptance by the Slovenian Ministry of Defence's (MoD) subordinated Uprava Republike Slovenije za Zaščito in Reševanje (URSZR, Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for protection and rescue). With the acceptance of the planes completed in Ljubljana on November 24th, S5-BZR was hangared on site, while S5BZT was flown to neighboring Croatia where it will undergo its first annual inspection at the ATE-subcontracted Velika Gorica-based Zrakoplovno Tehnički Centar (ZTC, Aeronautical Technical Center) EASA Part 145 Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility. Following the devastating Karst wildfire in July 2022, Slovenia committed to promptly building a dedicated aerial firefighting fleet that would rely on four brand-new Air Tractor AT-802 Fire Boss planes with an 800-gallon (3,104-liter) capacity, Slovenian defense minister Marjan Šarec said on April 17th, 2023, in Ljubljana during the ceremony signing the agreement for the acquisition of four Air Tractor aircraft from Air Tractor Europe. AF 32 | aerialfiremag.com
"The purchase marks a new era in Slovenia's fight against natural disasters," said Šarec. "Ljubljana's immediate response to the realization that the nation was not prepared with the proper means for using aerial fighting to fight wildfires was the decision to purchase the aircraft. " The MoD-purchased aircraft operates under civilian registration within a special aerial firefighting unit called Državna Enota za Gašenje iz Zraka (DEGZ, State Unit for Aerial Firefighting,) used within the Slovenian MoD's URSZR. Slovenia's program for establishing aerial firefighting capabilities was approved at a government session held in Ljubljana in January 2023. A new dedicated national development project was then launched for the construction of aerial firefighting capabilities to be executed between 2023-2026 with a maximum of six firefighting aircraft that consists of four firm orders, of which two have already been delivered with two more scheduled for delivery and the option to purchase a further two aircraft within the agreement timeframe. The Slovenian project is co-financed (85%) by European cohesion policy funds for 2021-2027. It focuses on the initial acquisition of four planes and establishing an OEM-backed training and logistical system that would allow URSZR planes to become part of the standard aerial firefighting fleet of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (rescEU) program. In addition to providing Slovenia with aerial firefighting capabilities, the program will assist other EU nations with wildfire support when required. The four-strong Slovenian fleet will be completed in March 2024 with the expected arrival of two additional amphibianconfigured single-seat AT-802A Fire Boss planes. If the option to acquire two more planes is implemented, Slovenia will further increase its Air Tractor fleet during or after 2025.
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AEM Launches New MTP136D Panel-Mount Forest Service Radio Canadian avionics manufacturer, Anodyne Electronics Manufacturing Corp. (AEM), announced November 8th, 2023, the launch of a new modern panel-mount radio for special-role and multi-mission platforms. Designed with the U.S. Forest Service and aerial firefighting operators in mind, the MTP136D is a Project 25 Phase 1 compliant VHF/ FM solution for digital and analog communication on all channels across the 136MHz to 174MHz frequency band. The MTP136D boasts a robust design to ensure the highest performance in lengthy and demanding firefighting environments. It’s easily integrated for tactical systems, platform upgrades, and is a plug-and-play replacement for existing legacy radios. “This new radio helps to modernize tactical aerial firefighting communications with the industry’s most technologically advanced and up-to-date panel-mount solution,” says Tony Weller, AEM’s Director of Sales and Marketing. “We’re proud to bring such a sophisticated and capable unit to market and help operators successfully complete some of the harshest missions out there.”
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The MTP136D was developed in consultation with tactical aerial firefighting agencies and offers an agile P25 capable guard receiver. It supports 40 zones and 5000 channels and has a large NVIS-compatible screen displaying all critical channel and operational information.
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Valley Air Crafts Purchases Johnston Aircraft Service Long-time Air Tractor dealer Valley Air Crafts announced November 28th, 2023, that the company has acquired Johnston Aircraft Service, both located at Mefford Field Airport (TLR) in Tulare, California. "Valley Air Crafts and Johnston Aircraft Service have served our respective customers right here at Mefford Field. Now that both companies are under the same management, we are retaining the same personnel, same parts availability, and shop capabilities," reports Michael Schoenau, owner and president of Valley Air Crafts. "As these two companies consolidate their resources, I believe we can provide even better sales, service and parts for our customers here in Tulare, California as well as those throughout the Northwest U.S." Since 1984 Valley Air Crafts has been a well-known resource for California's Central Valley aerial applicators. In 1996 it became an Air Tractor authorized service center. In 2005 it became an Air Tractor dealer. In 2019, the company expanded its Air Tractor territory beyond California to include Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. "Expert service, aircraft sales, and responsive parts support has built our reputation. Now, we are pleased to combine our expertise with Johnston Aircraft Service customers and to earn their trust and business," says Schoenau. Johnston Aircraft Service has served ag aviators and general aviation flyers since 1947,” adds Schoenau. “Dave Johnston has been a strong presence in California’s ag aviation community for generations," says Schoenau. The company began by modifying post-war surplus Stearman biplanes
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for aerial application. Business steadily grew through the 1960’s and 1970’s as Johnston Aircraft Service became a dealer/distributor for several ag aircraft manufacturers. "We are grateful that we’ve found an opportunity to carry on this business and Dave’s legacy,” Schoenau added. Schoenau will oversee the current operations of Johnston Aircraft Service. Dave Johnston will also remain a presence at the company for a time, helping with a smooth transition and ensuring continuity in service and operational efficiency. “I’ll stay for awhile to assist and advise Michael,” says Johnston. “He’s going to gain some good employees with this deal. But Johnston adds that he’s ready for a change of pace. “There are places my wife and I want to go and see. We want to visit our children. I was a hot rodder in my earlier years, and who knows? I may do a little of that again.” Johnston believes that Valley Air Crafts is in a good position. “There’s a good future in the ag aviation business. There really is. It looks to me like Air Tractor is going to own the future as far as ag aviation goes. So, for Michael, this all should work out well.” As Valley Air Crafts and Johnston Aircraft Service join forces, aviators in the skies above Tulare and the Central Valley of California can expect stronger service and aviation support that supports the local economy and sets the stage for continued growth and innovation. For more information, visit the Valley Air Crafts website: thevalleyaircrafts.com.
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Coulson Aviation Secures $16 Million Year-Round Firefighting Contract for Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura Counties Coulson Aviation announced on November 29th, 2023, that the company was awarded a $16 million firefighting contract to continue supporting Southern California’s Quick Reaction Force (QRF) year-round throughout 2024, with an option to continue through 2025. “Coulson Aviation is thrilled to extend our support of the Southern California QRF,” says Britton Coulson, President and Chief Operating Officer of Coulson Aviation. “This contract went through a competitive bid process, and Coulson was chosen again because of our high experience level, competitive pricing, and great customer feedback. We look forward to serving Southern California through 2024 and beyond.” The QRF is a fully equipped wildfire suppression program for Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura county fire departments that launches day or night at the first sign of fire. This is Coulson’s sixth year contracting with Southern California Edison (SCE) to support the QRF and its second year supporting the QRF 24/7/365. Since starting with the QRF, Coulson has flown over 700 hours, 60% of that time at night using night vision goggles (NVGs), and dropped more than 4.5 million gallons of water on just under 200 wildfires. Every fire Coulson fought with the QRF was successfully extinguished in its initial burn - none have expanded into large campaign fires. AF 38 | aerialfiremag.com
“One of our standout and high-demand capabilities is our night NVG firefighting,” Coulson says. “While NVG firefighting is a high-risk operation, our immersive training, technology-based targeting systems, and superior tanking systems significantly manage the risk and allow us to deliver considerable results safely. Our strong nighttime capabilities are the wildfire battle game changer for the QRF. The contract includes three Boeing CH-47 Chinook Very Large Helitankers, a Sikorsky S-76 intelligence and recon helicopter, and full flight and maintenance crews. The aircraft operate around the clock, with pilots using NVGs at night. The Sikorsky S-76 intelligence and recon helicopter provides additional “eye-in-the-sky” support for the helitanker operations. While the aircraft is primarily dedicated to the QRF, they are available to support other local fire departments within the 50,000-square-mile tricounty service area. Coulson’s CH-47 Chinook Very Large Helitankers are equipped with Coulson’s RADS-L delivery system, the largest fixed helicopter tank in the world. The system carries 3,000 gallons and can “hover fill” in 90 seconds. Coulson also designed and manufactured the largest retractable snorkel, allowing for the quickest return to the fire line.
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aerialfiremag.com | AF 39
Helitak Welcomes Adrien Dillard as European Sales Representative Helitak Firefighting Equipment announced on November 30th, 2023, at the European Rotors show in Madrid, Spain, that the company has appointed Adrien Dillard to oversee sales of Helitak aerial firefighting tanks in the European market. Adrien comes to Helitak with an extensive aviation background spanning over fifteen years of customer service experience in major markets, working for large aviation equipment manufacturers. “We are very excited to have Adrien join the Helitak team and believe that his extensive experience in the aviation industry will benefit the company, especially in the
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European market as we continue to expand our operations internationally. With Adrien servicing the European market, it will greatly increase our ability to service our customers locally and provide a direct point of contact locally for our rapidly growing European customer base,” said Nick Noorman, Director of Operations for Helitak. “As an Australian-based company, our ability to service customers no matter where they operate aircraft has been one of our key success factors in the continuing growth of our business, of which the European market has been a key piece. The addition of Adrien will only strengthen our ability in the market, and we look forward to what Adrien will bring to the team,” said Jason Schellaars, CEO of Helitak.
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aerialfiremag.com | AF 41
Kestrel Upgrades AS332 for Night Fire Program in Victoria Story and Images by Dave Sodestrom Australian-owned Kestrel Aviation, based in Mangalore in central Victoria, has upgraded its Airbus AS332L1 Super Puma (Helitak 349) over the winter as it transitions into the State’s Night Fire Aviation Program (NFAP). Now known as the “Shadow Cat”, the aircraft is arguably the first of its type globally that has been approved for aerial firefighting operations at night. In its new livery paint scheme, which is familiar across Kestrel’s impressive fleet of Bell Medium and Black Hawk helicopters, the Super Puma now starts its fourth year of operations with the company; proving to be a real multimission capable asset with its winch, rappel, passenger carriage, heavy lift, and fire suppression activities with either its belly tank or 4,000-litre (1000 Gal) Bambi-Max bucket. Fitted with extended range fuel tanks and a ferry speed of 130knots, Shadow Cat has an endurance of over four hours, meaning it has the ability for its crew to fly to all parts of Victoria and still maintain an ability to undertake up to two hours of fire suppression on arrival before refueling. As part of its engagement with the Victorian fire authorities this season, Kestrel’s engineering team has been hard at work over the winter to modify the aircraft for night operations. This has included changes to the flight deck to allow for night vision goggle operations and the fitting of external lighting and oversized mirrors that assist the crew with increased visibility whilst undertaking hover-fill activities at night. With a proven history of operations amongst offshore, military, and para-military organizations around the world,
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the AS332L1 Super Puma has a proven safety record that has quickly brought the model to the forefront of firefighting operations around the world thanks to its transport category classification and multi-mission abilities. Shadow Cat will ply its trade at Essendon during the 2023/2024 fire season, where it will operate in conjunction with Microflite’s Airbus H135 (Firebird 308) as part of the NFAP. Essendon will also be the air base for Helitak 341, which sees the return of the proven Erickson S-64F Air Crane® airframe. One of two that will operate in Victoria this season under the longstanding relationship between Kestrel and Erickson.
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To learn more, visit: PR.ERICKSONINC.COM/AF-JAN-FEB aerialfiremag.com | AF 43
Saab Continues to Provide Aerial Firefighting Capability for Sweden Saab is currently operating four scooping firefighting aircraft on behalf of MSB and the new contract means that Saab will continue this provision 2024-2025. Saab and MSB have also signed a framework agreement which allows MSB to extend the service until 2027. This also includes options for up to six additional aircraft. The purpose is to support local the rescue services’ capability of coping with forest fires. Parts of the service is included in the EU’s common firefighting provision and can be ordered by the EU to support member nations. The aircraft are on standby at Skavsta Airport near Nyköping, Sweden, to be ready for missions in 180 minutes and can AF 44 | aerialfiremag.com
be deployed to other locations or provided at shorter standby times if the situation requires. “I am proud that Saab can continue to provide Sweden and the EU with fire fighting capability and this also underlines our ability to support Swedish society on the civil side,” says Lars Tossman, head of Saab’s business area Aeronautics. Saab has operated the AT-802F Fire Boss firefighting aircraft since 2020 and has carried out more than 60 operative missions in collaboration with MSB and local rescue services, with excellent results.
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aerialfiremag.com | AF 45
San Diego County Unveils Two New Helicopters for Fleet The San Diego County Sheriff's Department unveiled its two newest aerial assets to the public in a ceremony on November 20th, 2023, at the ASTREA base in El Cajon, showcasing the agency's new Bell 412 EPX and Bell 407 GXI as the newest additions to the fleet. Sheriff Kelly A. Martinez unveiled two new helicopters during a news conference on Monday, November 20, at the Aerial Support to Law Enforcement Agencies (ASTREA) Base at Gillespie Field in San Diego. Since 1971, the ASTREA unit has provided aerial support to the Sheriff's Department and partner agencies across the county. It averages nearly 6,000 missions annually, including patrol support and regional fire and rescue calls. The new helicopters are a regional asset, according to the county, and will significantly enhance the agency's ability to respond to emergencies to minimize the impact on lives and property for everyone in the county. The Bell 412EPX is designed to operate in challenging environments and weather conditions typically encountered during firefighting missions and works in conjunction with
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CAL FIRE with seven firefighters on board the 412 during fire calls. This unified front is crucial in stopping fires before they become catastrophic according to the San Diego Sheriff's Department. The agency's newest patrol helicopter also unveiled on November 20th is the Bell 407GXi. The patrol helicopter is dedicated to law enforcement operations for both day and night operations. The Bell 407 GXi is fitted with a cutting-edge flight deck with precision navigation allowing pilots to accurately track and respond to incidents. The 407GXi has a powerful engine for speed in responding to emergencies and patrol coverage crucial for law enforcement missions. The helicopter can also be equipped with a Bambi Bucket to assist with water drops during peak firefighting operations. The helicopters cost $21 million using the department's budget and Proposition 172 funds. "These helicopters empower our first responders to meet the demands of their critical roles. They represent our commitment to your safety and preparedness to handle whatever challenges may come our way. It is our promise to be there when you need us the most." said an agency spokesperson.
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Erickson Aero Tanker MD-87 Lands in Chile for Fire Season
Chile welcomed the Erickson Aero Tanker MD-87 to Chile in December to begin assisting aerial firefighting operations.
An Erickson Aero Tanker MD-87T landed in Santiago de Chile on December 1st, 2023, to join the fleet of Chilean company Ecocopter to provide services to the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf) to combat fires projected in Chile. The Aero Tanker has a cargo capacity of 11,356 liters (3000 Gallons) of water or retardant and reaches a maximum speed of 788 km/489MPH. With ports on the
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side of the fuselage, it can discharge up to 2,271 liters/600 Gal per minute. Erickson highlights that the MD-87T is highly versatile since it can operate on smaller runways than other large-capacity LAT aircraft. In addition, their tanks can be loaded quickly in an average of around 7 minutes.
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Airbus Upgrades A400M Firefighter Prototype Kit Airbus Defence and Space announced on December 5th, 2023, that the company has conducted a new flighttest campaign of the A400M Roll-on/Roll-off firefighting prototype kit, dropping 20,000 liters of retardant and creating high concentration lines over 400 meters long.
in a tank in the cargo hold of the aircraft, and by using a mechanical lever, a door is opened to allow the liquid to flow out of the aircraft by gravity through a discharge pipe. The current design of the prototype is capable of dropping 20,000 liters in a single discharge.
Over two weeks, the A400M conducted a ground and flight test campaign in southwestern and central Spain, including six drops, three using red-colored retardant and three using water.
The tanks can be filled in less than 10 minutes using standard high-pressure pumps on the ground. The A400M is characterized by its ability to take off and land on short and unpaved runways and a wide range of air bases and airfields.
“We have tested a new version of the kit, improving dropping efficiency and reducing discharge time by over 30% compared to last year, while combined with rapid deployment and easy installation on the A400M aircraft,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Military Air Systems at Airbus Defence and Space. “We continue to pioneer new solutions and capabilities for our A400M fleet, in this case protecting populations and natural environments from fires.”
An easy-to-install solution This roll-on/roll-off kit does not require any modification to the aircraft and, therefore, is interchangeable with any aircraft in the A400M fleet. The water or retardant is stored
Airbus recently tested the new aerial firefighting kit on the company’s A400M, aimed primarily at the European market.
AF 50 | aerialfiremag.com
During the campaign, the 43rd Firefighting Squadron of the Spanish Air Force has been involved as technical advisors, assuring that this capability in the A400M has operational value for any potential operator. In July 2022, Airbus tested a removable firefighting demonstrator kit on the A400M for the first time. The company concluded that the A400M firefighting kit offers additional capabilities not available on the market thanks to its high-dropping capacity, high maneuverability with the latest safety standards, day and night operation, and the potential to convert any regular A400M in any fleet to a firefighting aircraft at very short notice.
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aerialfiremag.com | AF 51
The MAFFS system has been operated for decades by the Air Force using the C-130 Hercules.
302 Airlift Wing Airmen Embody Agile Combat Employment Via Aerial Firefighting Story by Staff Sgt. Laura Fitzmorris
In January 2022, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., signed the service’s first doctrine publication on Agile Combat Employment, presenting expeditionary and multicapable Airmen who can accomplish tasks in a contested and combat environment. At the 302nd Airlift Wing, Airmen have been operating under the ACE construct for decades through their Modular Airborne Firefighting System mission, according to Lt. Col. Richard Pantusa, 302 AW chief of aerial firefighting. “For the purposes of current and future readiness needs, the method in which we deploy, operate, maintain, and sustain, very closely follows the definition of Agile Combat Employment as it pertains to tactical airlift,” said Pantusa. “Using the Air Force Doctrine Note 1-21 as a guide, I would argue that MAFFS operates in a highly agile posture with a very light footprint.” MAFFS is a capability of U.S. Air Force C-130s that uses standard C-130 aircraft as large air tankers that deliver water or fire retardant to support wildland fire suppression efforts. Every year, millions of acres of wildlands in all climates throughout the United States experience fire activity. Aircraft of many types have been proven effective at mitigating the effects of wildfires when they encroach on property, developed areas and natural resources, according to Pantusa. AF 52 | aerialfiremag.com
Maj. Gen. Bret Larson, 22nd Air Force commander, expressed that the MAFFS mission is one of the most critical capabilities 22 AF provides to the American people. “While most of the things we do in 22nd Air Force are designed to take the fight to our enemies, the firefighting, aerial spray and weather reconnaissance missions are designed to protect American lives and property,” said Larson. “The highly experienced and trained Airmen who conduct the MAFFS mission are pioneers in agile combat employment. The skills they employ in protecting lives and property translate directly to the skills they need to defend our nation against a near peer competitor.” In a typical year, the Air Force is called on to help for roughly 6-8 weeks. When the National Interagency Fire Center identifies the need for MAFFS aircraft, four selected C-130 wings share the workload in answering the call, only one of which belonging to the Air Force Reserve – the 302 AW in Colorado. The remaining three wings are Air National Guard based out of California, Nevada and Wyoming. “In 48 hours or less, those aircraft and crews can be at any location in the United States,” said Pantusa. “They typically base at an established air tanker base, alongside aircraft of the contracted fleet, and are dispatched to fires in the same manner as the contracted private air tankers.” ➤
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Airmen check the MAFFS system before installing it inside a C-130 for aerial firefighting operations.
Once NIFC has requested MAFFS assistance, multiple levels of agencies with a vast array of specialties are needed to answer the order. At a strategic level, the NIFC passes the request to a defense coordinating officer to route the request for validation through U.S. Northern Command, the combatant command for all defense support of civil authority’s missions. USNORTHCOM then tasks First Air Force (Air Forces Northern) to stand up an air expeditionary group in the same manner as any deployed location. One of many agencies tasked with assisting in the MAFFS mission is the 302nd Maintenance Group. “The minimal-overhead maintenance team normally used for a MAFFS deployment is an ideal prototype for employing a structure of multi-capable Airmen in an austere environment,” said Col. Jordan Murphy, 302 MXG commander. “Whereas a normal maintenance deployment package is structured toward depth of experience with each career field performing their core duties, a MAFFS deployment package functions like a small-unit, elite team. In this construct, maintenance specialists receive training and execute tasks cross-functionally. It’s not uncommon during MAFFS for crew chiefs to learn and assist with specialist tasks, or vice-versa.” All mission planning in regards to MAFFS must be done rapidly with flexibility in mind. Teams could be launched to a fire that started minutes ago, or a large complex fire that has had aerial operations over it for months. “From takeoff to effects delivery, our aircrews and maintainers are operating at the edges of the aircraft’s envelopes,” said Pantusa. “Takeoff performance is usually defined as maximum gross weight, at high density altitudes, AF 54 | aerialfiremag.com
where climb performance is critical. Airspace is usually highly congested from takeoff through landing.” Due to the nature of fire retardant, MAFFS crews must execute their drops between 150 and 200 feet above the treetops, at between 120 and 130 knots of airspeed. “There is typically heavy smoke in the air that restricts visibility and aircrews must adapt to changing fire conditions to ensure that they are operating safely. All of these skills are core to what the Air Force needs in their warfighters,” said Pantusa. “Should a need arise to employ tactical airlift in an ACE-based method, I believe MAFFS experts should be the first to answer the call.” Most of the wing’s career fields are heavily involved in the deployment of a MAFFS team. The reserve deployment readiness cell communicates all tasked unit type codes and plans logistical needs. 302 MXG recalls tasked aircraft and immediately begins all required aircraft preparation tasks. 302nd Operations Support Squadron’s aircrew flight equipment personnel adjust the required survival and emergency equipment on the aircraft specific to the MAFFS mission. “When the aircraft are ready, the wing’s 39th Aerial Port Squadron inspects and transports the MAFFS tanks on specially-built trailers to the aircraft and assist 731st Airlift Squadron loadmasters and maintenance personnel in loading and installing the MAFFS systems,” said Pantusa. “Meanwhile, 302nd Operations Group identifies crewmembers, support personnel and overhead staff positions to include mission commander and AEG staff, who will be the first to mobilize and ensure that all of their go/ no-go issues are resolved.”
The Air Force has assisted many firefights in the past decade in California,
The MAFFS apparatus uses an external mount through a custom-designed
Nevada, Colorado and other states.
door mount that dispenses water or retardant.
302 AW financial management works within the 48hour timeline to coordinate all facets of operation and maintenance funds, pay, travel and per diem funding streams. They also work with U.S. Forest Service finance officers to ensure that all funding streams are accurately recorded, rectified and reimbursed in a timely fashion.
Zidek, 302 AW commander, and they do that through tactical airlift and combat support under a full range of operating conditions.
Concurrently, 302 MXG works with the AEG and RDRC to fill tasked mobilized deployment UTC lines, which include maintenance officers and supervisors, crew chiefs, specialists and required cargo for transport. This cargo typically includes aircraft maintenance tools, high-risk spare parts and aerospace ground equipment. RDRC prepares the joint inspection timelines and coordinates the transport of non-aircrew personnel to the location of the mobilization.
“Our MAFFS mission uniquely demonstrates the capability to rapidly lift and shift resources when and where needed and, in a peer fight, maneuvering with speed, agility and lethality will be foundational for victory,” said Zidek. “I’m very proud of the work our 1300+ Airmen do to support MAFFS and our nation’s defense.”
“Numerous other organizations within the wing can also be tasked, depending on the location that MAFFS aircraft will be based,” said Pantusa. “This can include the 302nd Logistics Readiness Squadron who engage in providing last-minute travel arrangements, supply issue, 302nd Communications Flight personnel to provide mobilized communication needs and public affairs to inform the community of our operations.” The Reserve Citizen Airmen who are part of the MAFFS team are ready and willing to execute the mission at a moment’s notice. “They are unparalleled in their commitment to the mission,” said Pantusa. “Never in the 49-year history of MAFFS has the Air Force been unable to answer the call, and that is because of the dedication and sacrifice of all the members of our team.” The 302 AW provides ready, resilient Airmen to support COCOM requirements, according to Col. Christopher
AV-1 KOR
STRONGER | LIGHTER | VENTED
aerialfiremag.com | AF 55
40
Years
Of Family Tradition
Billings Flying Service
Story by Meg Rude, Images by Ryan Mason AF 56 | aerialfiremag.com
Two CH-47 Chinook helicopters sit next to the Billings Flying Service (BFS) hanger. The red “billings” letters and white body sharp against the sky. The long, sleek, rotor blades powerful even as they rest over the nose of the the aircraft. It’s another day at Billings Flying Service, and the team is getting to work. Al Blain stands next to his desk in his office looking out the window at one of the most capable helicopters ever designed. Yet, this impressive aircraft is not really what he is seeing. Rather, Al is actually looking at the men and women on the tarmac standing next to the behemoth. “Our team— they are our most important resource,” he says. “They will truly move heaven and earth when asked.” Al Blain has come a long way from the days of ferrying spray planes home to Montana. The aircraft, the innovation, the shop, the team of employees, and the impact on the world of aerial firefighting has grown exponentially, yet, one will still find Al and his son Bridger standing on the tarmac with their team, involved in all aspects of bringing an aircraft online and pushing each machine to its potential. While much has changed over the course of the 40-year family business, there is yet a sweet confluence of passion for aviation and business that is, and always has been, the bedrock of Billings Flying Service.
Humble Beginnings Gerhart Blain was a master pilot and a hard worker. In the 1950’s, he started Blain’s Spray Service, an agricultural aviation business. While spraying crops was a job to put food on the table, Gerhart’s born-passion for horse trading and finding a deal filtered into his love for aviation. Over the years, he acquired multiple fixed wing aircraft and spare parts that accumulated at the family ranch. As most children of entrepreneurs and passionate hobbymen, all four of Gerhart’s children acquired an interest in aviation. Al and Gary, Gerhart’s two sons, both quickly became expert mechanics, tinkering in the shop, fixing all things from boat motors to small airplanes. Both soloed at impressively young ages and obtained their pilot licenses as soon as they met legal age. In the late 1970’s, Gerhart purchased a Hughes 300, and with only a few hours of instruction, taught himself to fly it. Seeing both the adventure and advantage of coyote hunting from the air, the boys learned to fly the small helicopter alongside him. “This was the first helicopter I ever flew,” said Al. While a bit wild at times, the family business was a part of life for the Blains. “As family members, we all had roles in the business and we knew we had to put in the work for the right outcome,” said Al. By 19 years old, both brothers flew as pilots in the company and were adept at buying aircraft that were in dire
need of love and care. From corroded sheet metal and failing engines, Al and Gary put the time in the shop, refurbishing and putting each to work. Very quickly they understood that when one builds a quality machine, there’s a market to sell it, opening doors to the next available aircraft. Buy it, fix it, operate it, sell it—an operational strategy was born. Making a living as a spray pilot was very difficult, and there was little glamor in the work. “It was a nasty job, but it taught good pitch and power skills,” said Al. The commercial airlines offered a better life, dangling the brass ring. Both Al and Gary pursued this path until, in 1990, Continental Airlines, who employed both Blain brothers, filed for bankruptcy. It was quickly apparent that it was not all it was set up to be, and the fiasco of the commercial airlines at the time forced both Al and Gary back into a spray plane. Back in the shop, the boys were running the business, and they quickly started buying, fixing, and getting the aircraft back to work.
The First Huey By good fortune, Al and Gary bumped into a Huey that had been sitting nearly abandoned for eight years. Experienced in practical deal-making, they knew the potential sitting before them and landed the deal. The focus of business at this time was still agricultural, but there was energy around the Huey. In 1997, Billings Flying Service officially stepped into the fire-fighting world. Al and Gary had won a formal call-whenneeded contract with the U.S Forest Service (USFS). But calls were slow; they were still spraying fields, fixing small planes, raising small children, and working for the airlines. On July 4th, Al was waterskiing when the phone rang. There was a fire in Florida, and so Al and Ebert Stanton (still Director of Maintenance at BFS today) ferried the Huey to Florida to get to work. Here, in the cockpit of that Huey, dropping water on the fire that burned Florida, with confirmation still in his eye today, Al remembers, “I just knew deeply: This could work!” “It was exciting and fun,” said Al. “But it was still wild. Gary and I were scheduling shifts opposite each other with the airlines as we traded cockpits. I spent nearly 1000 hours in the air that year, but we didn’t look back.” It was Al, Gary and Ebert, and one Huey. They’ve gone better and bigger ever since.
A Shift to Aerial Firefighting The year 2000 solidified the business pivot away from crop dusting. As Al put it, 2000 was “the year Montana burned down. I lived in a helicopter that summer,” he said. After returning from the fires in Florida, the Blain brothers invested all they had, mortgaging houses and throwing every dollar together. aerialfiremag.com | AF 57
Billings also utilizes a UH-60A in addition to their fleet of CH-47 helicopters.
They purchased two additional UH-1 helicopters to repair and put to work. Their grit and handwork continued to drive them; they had to make this work. Al and Gary became adept at stocking parts and pieces, acquiring skills, and hiring the right team to rebuild and maintain the engines they needed to operate. It was a natural split then, in 2001, after 9/11, when the airlines were looking to divest pilots, that both Al and Gary made Billings Flying Service their priority. With the Hueys in service, Al was watching Trade-A-Plane and saw two Aerospatiale SA330 Puma aircraft from Aero Asahi become available in Japan. The brothers ended up buying three, and all the spare parts in the world, and, again, got to work. “We had containers full of parts,” said Al. “We went to sleep thinking about helicopters and we woke up thinking about helicopters, and we were continuously building a team of experts around us to help us get where we needed the aircraft to be.” This marked a pivotal time for BFS as this was their entry point into the type 1 aircraft for USFS. The operational model was successful, and the risk of the investment paid off. Shortly after the SA330 Puma was certified, Presidential Airways /Blackwater requested a contract to take the aircraft on a VertRep for the U.S. Navy, eventually leading to the ultimate sale of the aircraft. AF 58 | aerialfiremag.com
With this new infusion of cash, they immediately went shopping for the next aircraft. They purchased three Sikorsky S-61s. Seeing the great potential, they engaged their growing team. They built an external tank system, fit it with Carson blades, and working with Isolair, they helped certify the external tank mod for aerial firefighting. Once the belly-mounted tank was certified, BFS became the launch customer. Furthermore, having now shifted focus largely from agriculture aviation to the firefighting world and quickly gaining a unique reputation for innovation and operational expertise with their fleet of Hueys, BFS landed multiple seismic contracts, which became a compliment to the aerial firefighting they were becoming known for.
Aviation and Business in their Blood Entering the world of aviation is contagious in the Blain family. As with Al and Gary, AJ, Erin, and Bridger, all three of Al’s children, inherited the knack and passion for business and aviation. Both AJ and Bridger were immersed in the family business and became involved at a very young age— as mechanics, pilots, and deal makers alongside Al and Gary. When business meetings happen on the car ride to school, it’s easy to learn the business on a molecular level. Just as Al and Gary stepped in when the family business called for them, as soon as age permitted, AJ and Bridger did the same, ferrying parts to job sights after school or shuttling aircraft when needed.
Billings maintenance staff are an integral part of the operation, bringing prior military aircraft into the civilian world for aerial firefighting and heavy lift operations.
Billings recently purchased several more CH-47s to bring into civil service that are currently being brought online by their talented team of maintenance professionals.
aerialfiremag.com | AF 59
“I was done, and I wanted to hide in a hole,” said Al. Yet, as the aviation world kept moving, a call from Bridger, who was also watching movement on the first release of a military CH-47 Chinook helicopter that was about to be put up for auction by the U.S. government confirmed the intuition Al felt deeply. Again, it was just known: This could work! He and Gary immediately booked seats at the auction, and through devastation and tremendous grief, the need to make this deal work was palpable and breath stopping. Al and Gary again took every nickel to the bank, sat as underdogs at the auction, and won the bid.
Creating the Culture Al and Bridger Blaine are both pilots, seen here flying the UH-60A.
“It’s a fast-paced operation, and you were expected to work hard,” said Bridger. “Regularly I was called to the office at school to receive a note of which aircraft was loaded and ready for me to fly after school. It was just part of life, and I loved the thrill and adventure of it all.”
Overnight the Billings Flying Service staff grew from ten to fifty employees and has accelerated exponentially ever since. There was an immediate need for a team they could trust, a culture committed to their values, an organizational structure, and financial strategy that was crucial to making this whole deal work.
The family business became a second language—the operating model, the unwavering standards of safety, the understanding of risk and reward, creativity and innovation. The values of handwork and boldness were being passed along. With degrees in finance and engineering complimenting their immersion into the business at birth, the brothers brought much to the table for Billings Flying Service.
Entrepreneurs and business owners know well the phrase “taking a leap of faith.” It’s wildly exciting, and a deal is always a roll of the dice. But building a business takes grit and substantial risk. One has to see the long-game. Deciding to take on the challenge to be the first civilian entities to outfit and operate a CH-47 fleet has been no small undertaking for BFS. “You can imagine Kevin Costner standing in the field; it’s all glorious in the movie, but the reality is it’s a bit intense when you’re doing it. You have to believe in and love what you do,” said Al.
In 2013, the world stopped for the Blains and the entire Billings aviation community. Tragedy struck when AJ, Al’s oldest son, was killed in a helicopter crash due to hydraulic failure on the Huey he was piloting during work on a job site.
It has been a monumental task to get to where they are today. “We believe in our team, and we take care of them, they take care of us, and we’re working towards more creative solutions.”
AF 60 | aerialfiremag.com
40 Years Billings Flying Service Specializing in Heavy Lift Helicopter Operations, Aerial Firefighting and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO).
BILLINGS, MONTANA GLOBAL OPERATIONS IN-HOUSE MRO SUPPORT billingsflyingservice.com media@flybfs.com aerialfiremag.com | AF 61
Billings operates a Black Hawk and an Astar as part of their fleet for various missions.
Al said. “We don’t have the ability like larger companies to go out and buy everything we need; we’ve had to do everything creatively.” He continues, explaining that, “by caring for our people, they take care of us. And they’re in that success with us…All these areas touch each other, whether it’s parts engineering, MRO, maintenance, or the financial side of it. Everything has to play together.”
Innovation and Growth February, 2014: With two army green Chinooks sitting in the hanger, and no call backs from Boeing, “we knew immediately we needed to be self-sufficient,” Al explained. These were after-market aircrafts, and lead time on parts for the CH-47 exceeded five years. Al and Gary secured outside capital to purchase a total of eight airframes that would allow the BFS staff to harvest parts to get the two primary CH-47 aircraft airworthy. It was again time to get to work. “Sometimes it gets overplayed to say people have a team mentality at a company, but we believe in our team,” said Al. “To make [our model of creativity and innovation] successful, we have to operate efficiently, but we have to maintain a higher level of safety at a low price point. So, by caring for our people, they take care of us, and they’re in that success with us.” The first Ch-47 Chinook aircraft was put to work in 2015 and began generating income. Simply operating the aircraft and picking up and dropping water didn’t capture the vision the Blains had for the CH-47. It became quickly apparent that they needed an internal tank to maximize firefighting AF 62 | aerialfiremag.com
capabilities with this aircraft. They partnered with Kawak Aviation for their hydraulic expertise, and together designed and outfitted the aircraft with a hydraulic driven snorkel pump with capabilities of filling a 2,500 gallon internal tank in forty seconds. Refining their vision, they spent countless hours and invested greatly in computer modeling that fashioned the drop pattern of the water out of the tank to ensure the pattern was as laminar and smooth as possible to provide maximum coverage on the fire. The new tank system allowed for precise drop patterns and rates far superior to capabilities of other aircrafts in the industry. This innovation is stunning; a design heads and tails above the competition. The CH-47D Chinook is the most capable firefighting asset available today. It is a highly complex and competitive market. While still in active use by militaries around the world and with several operators in the industry seeing this capability and attempting to bolster their fleets, sourcing new aircraft for BFS can be daunting. Therefore, when the Netherlands put six Chinook helicopters up for auction in 2023, Bridger Blain, now president of the company, jumped on the opportunity. “We bid aggressively, and we won all six aircraft,” he said. “We are hugely excited to incorporate these aircraft into our fleet.” Eating, sleeping, and breathing the CH-47, Al and Bridger consider daily every detail and every way they can do it better. They trusted their team, and eventually brought all aspects of maintenance (excluding OEM part building) in house. BFS now hosts an impressive footprint west of
The recent acquisition of six more CH-47s has kept maintainers busy as they continue to bring the aircraft online for upcoming contracts.
Billings-Logan International Airport, including company headquarters, four extensive maintenance facilities, and a state-of-the-art aviation complex. BFS is now able to service everything from routine maintenance to hydraulics, AFCS and transmissions; a world-class avionics shop and overhaul facilities provide much of the supply chain to keep the evergrowing CH-47 fleet in the air, lending support to outside vendors, FMS operators, and now, opening the door to land the deal in the Netherlands. Nearly a year and half after winning the bid in the Netherlands, Bridger states, “we finally see the fruits of our labor.” In September of 2023, the first of the Netherlandspurchased Chinooks was able to reach its hover check capability, a milestone as the new aircraft are brought online for BFS. While the fleet of Chinooks is not complete, true to the business over the years, aircraft come and go. “The number of airframes fluctuates, but at present, we are beyond excited to incorporate the new Chinooks into the fleet and our operations,” said Bridger.
The Future When one walks down the hall of the company offices, beautiful photos narrate the journey from the Hughes 300 to the impressive fleet of the strongest and most capable aircraft in the world. Al still has a glimmer of mischief in his eye, as though he got away with something at the initial Chinook auction. “They didn’t even know our name,” he said laughing. aerialfiremag.com | AF 63
Billings also operate a PC-12 for staff and parts transportation.
The fleet has grown to 12 Chinooks. BFS employs the best people in the world—tackling heavy lift operations, aerial firefighting, accepting any challenge from construction to the most devastating fires. As the first company to operate a fleet of Chinooks in Canada, BFS expertly operates and provides services around the world and is always in the hunt for new opportunities. From humble Montana ranching roots, corroded fixed wing aircraft that offered thrilling views through the floor, and a once cropdusting focus, today Billings Flying Service is one of the most competitive aerial firefighting companies and heavy lift operators in the world. And as generational businesses naturally do, the company has seen multiple transitions from Gerhart to Al and Gary, and as Gary has pursued other ventures, to Al and Bridger. And now, as third generation, Al has naturally handed the baton over to Bridger. While the Billings Flying Service of today, employing over 175 dedicated experts in their fields and the largest civilian fleet of CH-47s in the world, has come a long way from dusting crops and trading small airplanes, the
Billings started with a modest space outside of Billings International Airport that now takes up a considerable amount of space bordering the airport.
AF 64 | aerialfiremag.com
Billings headquarters in Billings, Montana.
company holds the same roots and passion for aviation and innovation. There is always a deal to be had and a better product to create. The language of a family company becomes ingrained. While Al Blain has no plans of stepping away while still having fun, working alongside Bridger is a highlight as they continue innovating and enhancing the aerial firefighting industry and heavy lift operations. Both Al and Bridger continue to challenge the status quo to bring new ideas to fruition—whether negotiating multi-million dollar purchases and sales or jumping in the cockpit to ferry a small aircraft to a job site, they are still ready to step in wherever needed for a successful outcome. “The only way we are able to keep that creativity is to maintain the passion for aviation. And our people see that and they too maintain their passion for aviation,” says Al proudly. While Al can laugh at the memory of hanging from the window of a Hughes 300, chasing coyotes and learning to the fly a helicopter at the same time, the glimmer of adventure is still in his eyes, displaying the hard work, grit, and boldness passed through the generations.
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aerialfiremag.com | AF 65
Big or Small, Law Enforcement Agencies Play an Important Role in Wildfire Suppression Story by Nancy Argyle, Images by Tony Webber AF 66 | aerialfiremag.com
Law enforcement may not be the first agency that springs to mind when fighting a wildfire, but the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has been doing just that for more than 40 years. Equipped with an impressive suite of fire suppression tools and partnered with CAL FIRE firefighters, the agency has been able to dedicate crews and helicopters full-time to meeting the needs of the county it serves. “The reason we’re so involved in aerial firefighting is that there are times that fire season runs all year,” says Tony Webber, a San Diego County Sheriff’s Department fire rescue pilot. “Our weather is great here, but the downside is that we have fires.” As an ASTREA unit (Aerial Support to Regional Enforcement Agencies), the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department aviation division has two helicopter fleets: one for law enforcement patrols (four Bell 407 GXIs) and the other for fire rescue services (three Bell 205 and one new Bell 412 EPX). Any law enforcement agency in the county can request one of these helicopters and there’s no charge to victims for rescue. In 2023, so far, the fire rescue fleet has provided fire suppression for 46 fires and been involved in 98 rescues, 43 of which were advanced life support (ALS) calls. Servicing the entire 4,200 sq. miles of San Diego County, fire rescue pilots like Webber can find themselves flying missions that stretch from coastal beaches to challenging mountainous terrain. A typical day for a fire rescue pilot starts early with a pre-flight of the aircraft (at any given time, two helicopters are always available). It’s time to meet their fire partners, take part in a briefing, review the weather, and see what’s happening and what resources are available. Once seat assignments and roles for the day are determined, it’s time to start actioning fires and rescue calls. Fire missions can be urban interface fires, canyon and brush fires, or wildfires that would benefit from aerial suppression. Typically, one helicopter is used to transport and deploy CAL FIRE initial attack crews while the other helicopter is set up for hoist rescues. “The helicopters are owned and operated by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department while our partnership with CAL FIRE supplies the helitack crews,” Webber explains. “One rescue specialist is also a fully trained CAL FIRE paramedic.” “You need highly trained and proficient crews to do this work,” he adds. “The pilot can’t see what’s under the helicopter, so you’re getting instructions from the hoist operator, and it can be a very unforgiving environment.” ➤ aerialfiremag.com | AF 67
For decades, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department used Bambi Buckets as their go-to fire suppression tool until, in 2005, after a massive firestorm two years earlier, they could fund and dedicate a fleet of helicopters to fire response and permanently mount Simplex tanks. “Most law enforcement agencies, doing fire-fighting parttime, are not going to spend the money on tanks or won’t want to attach a fixed tank, so the Bambi Bucket is the way to go,” Webber says. “It’s a great tool, and agencies who don’t do fires all the time will run a Bambi Bucket.” With more fire seasons lasting the entire year in Southern California, agencies with the ability to respond to a fire means “everyone can help and go work a fire,” says Webber. “It’s very easy to grab a bucket, it takes minutes to deploy, and it’s convenient.” “Before 2005, we would help local agencies with Bambi Buckets, and today, we still use the Bambi Bucket on the patrol Bell 407s as a fire backup helicopter when one or two of the Bell 205s are not available or in maintenance,” says Webber. “We have a 120 and 140-gallon bucket for the Bell 407.” Like the aviation division of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the Bambi Bucket is also 40 years old and used in 110 countries worldwide for wildfire suppression. While dozens of Bambi Buckets are typically tasked to fight wildfires due to their ability to provide precise, AF 68 | aerialfiremag.com
targeted drops, a law enforcement agency with a single bucket can still make a huge difference in stopping the progression of a new fire in their area. Suppose a lightning strike has set a tree on fire in a remote location. In that case, a law enforcement agency can easily keep that fire from spreading until ground firefighting crews can arrive to put it out, notes Webber. “The cool thing is that the Bambi Bucket is a very simple design, and the things that can go wrong are very few…it’s been around this long for a reason because it has a bulletproof design.” After nearly 20 years of flying with Bambi Buckets, Webber now teaches other agencies who are just getting started with their first Bambi Bucket. As a contracted instructor with SR3 Rescue Concepts, Webber says, “It’s great to start with a new pilot who has never had a bucket hanging off the hook and then leave, at the end of training, confident knowing they will be safe.” Webber also remains a full-time fire rescue pilot with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, where his days are both rewarding and, sometimes, very memorable. That happened with a hoist rescue in a remote area of San Diego County for a female hiker with a broken ankle. Webber says, “It was already late in the day, and we were racing to get the rescue done before it got dark. Darkness puts a whole new dynamic on a hoist rescue.”
Once on scene, the crew sent their hoist rescuer down to the victim while Webber’s helicopter orbited the area. “After about 10-15 minutes, our rescuer radios back up to us that they are ready to be hoisted up to the helicopter but that he has a problem. He says the victim has three large Labrador dogs, and she is NOT leaving them behind.” It is starting to get dark, and the helicopter is getting low on fuel. “We can’t leave her behind, and we can't force her into the helicopter. We know if we leave the dogs behind, the coyotes would probably kill them overnight.” With no dog harnesses onboard, Webber must think fast. He suggests emptying the largest hoist rescue bag that has a heavy-duty zipper. “We tell our rescuer to stuff all three dogs into the bag and zip tie the zipper closed so it does not open while we are hoisting the dogs up to the helicopter.” “When I saw the bag in the cargo mirror below the skid, I could see the bag moving with the dogs inside and started laughing while holding the hover,” says Webber. “After we got everyone up to the helicopter, we landed in a clearing where an ambulance was waiting to take our victim to the hospital. Our guys carried the bag with the dogs outside the turning rotor blades and opened the bag just enough for three Labrador heads to pop out. Our rescuer said all three of their tails were wagging, and they were as happy as could be.”
With a first time for everything, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department rescue helicopters now carry dog hoist rescue harnesses in three different sizes to make sure they can continue to help everyone in need. From dog hoists to aerial firefighting, this fleet of law enforcement helicopters often provides life-changing support to the citizens they serve – even the ones with paws. aerialfiremag.com | AF 69
Executive Profile
Perimeter Solutions- Jeff Emery In November 2023, AerialFire spoke to Jeff Emery, President of Global Fire Safety at Perimeter Solutions, to discuss his role at the company after more than a year in his new position. AF: You've been in your new role for over a year. Can you tell us where you came from before joining Perimeter Solutions and how you jumped to where you are now? JE: The early part of my career was focused on aerospace and aviation, spending almost ten years in Honeywell’s Aerospace Division, mainly in the aftermarket world. I worked across almost every aviation segment you could think of, from defense and space to commercial air transport, and in the general aviation segment, predominantly working on repair, overhaul maintenance, and upgrade programs. It was a great experience early in this fascinating industry. Following my time in aviation, I moved into the personal protection side of the business.,with Honeywell’s armor business, working on ballistic programs for military and law enforcement applications. That eventually led me to the fire safety world, where I spent over a decade with Scott Safety. Scott is the world leader in respiratory protection for firefighters and military personnel, with a noble mission centered around protecting those who protect us. We made the Scott Air-Pak known across the industry as the world's leading breathing apparatus. We also made gas masks for the military and various additional technologies, from thermal imaging to accountability software, focused on firefighter safety. Flash forward to a couple of years ago, and Eddie Goldberg reached out to me, stating that Perimeter Solutions was looking for somebody to lead a global fire safety business. It felt like that perfect marriage between my aviation background earlier in my career and my fire safety background over the previous ten years. It was the ideal time in my career for a transition, and the more I learned about the business, the more I had a chance to meet our people, the more I was attracted to the role and the company. What we do at Perimeter is unique. Only a few other companies in the world have this kind of mission. Every day, you wake up knowing that your ability to deliver and execute is supporting real-life operations on the ground and the safety of firefighters. Ultimately, we're able to help them do their job better. We help protect lives and communities, and there's nothing better. AF 70 | aerialfiremag.com
You always want challenges in your work, and you want to be able to build and continue to evolve a team. But for me, it all starts with having a good mission that you can wake up to daily and know that what you do makes a difference. There's no question that what we do makes a difference in the world, and that's something I take a lot of pride in. AF: Perimeter Solutions has been around for 60 years; what are some of the company's greatest strengths? JE: Well, if you look back over the past 60 years and look at Perimeter Solutions' background from that first PHOSCHEK® approval 60 years ago, the company is just filled with new and impactful programs for the industry, whether that be new products that we brought to market, evolving the product to be more environmentally friendly, raising the performance level of the product, or the work that we do on the ground. That piece often goes unnoticed is the daily support we provide in the field. We've put decades of research and innovation into optimizing the product that we've created. Still, one of the things that's special about this company is the innovation and advancement we've made at the airbases themselves and our ability to staff bases around the world. Today, we have more than 50 different air bases worldwide, with our people trained in proper mixing technologies, and
we are building more automation into each base to ensure the quality is spot on every single time. Those elements are just as essential as having the right product because they ensure that the product will be on spec every time you take that plane up or go out for a drop. As a pilot, you'll know that the product will be appropriately mixed and have confidence that it will do its job. Most importantly, our product is extremely effective at slowing down and stopping the fire's progress, making it much easier for the ground team to fight that fire. I think it often goes unnoticed: the team's work in the field, the people we have out there who have a passion for what they do and just never miss a load, day in, day out, through the heaviest of fire seasons. And that advancement is just as crucial as the advancements we see in the product. AF: What advances has the product seen over the last few decades? JE: As we have throughout our 60 years, we have continued evolving our technology over the past decade. PHOS-CHEK has always been known as the best fire retardant in the industry, and ammonium phosphate fire retardants have been proven through test after test, research after research, as the best in the market. Our latest versions of PHOSCHEK, MVP-fx, and LCE20-fx are the most environmentally friendly, easiest to use, and have the best visibility of any products in our history. But beyond that, we've expanded PHOS-CHEK usage to other areas of the business and our fire safety business that not everybody knows we're a part of. AF: Perimeter Solutions is also active in ground-level firefighting and has had some development success there, correct? JE: Beyond our aerial firefighting applications, we've also expanded the usage of PHOS-CHEK in prevention and protection applications on the ground to help on the front end around fire mitigation and in response when wind or smoke conditions do not allow for aerial firefighting. Ground applications allow precise placement of retardant in areas with a high risk of ignition or when precision around critical infrastructure is required. One of the other significant roles that we've played is moving the firefighting foam market to a fluorine-free world. Our company has taken considerable steps in this area over the past few decades. And it's culminated in our current portfolio, where today we are the world leader in fluorine-free foams. In wildland firefighting, the Class A foams used in this market have always been fluorine-free. However, other
industries traditionally relied on fluorinated foams to achieve the performance needed for heavy industrial fires, airport emergency response operations, or DOD applications. Our next generation of fluorine-free foams is beginning to change this pattern. This year, we were the first, and so far the only company in the world to meet the stringent requirements issued this year for the new fluorine-free MIL-SPEC standard, and we passed all of that testing and received our approvals in September. The response to that has been gratifying, seeing how many military bases and airports around the country and worldwide are set to transition to fluorinefree. The industry had been waiting for this product to be approved to move forward and transition to this nextgeneration product. We expect this to be a significant shift for the industry for the next several years. AF: What are some of the most significant future threats to the industry, and how do you see business evolving to meet those threats? JE: As we look forward to the next decade, we're in an industry that has changed dramatically. The scope, scale, and breadth of fires worldwide have expanded exponentially in the last 10 to 20 years. With that expansion, there are many states not traditionally considered to be at high risk for wildfires, now seeing unprecedented activity. You have countries across areas of Europe that today have to put new aerial programs in place and never had that consideration in the past, and we are partnering with these countries to support a proper roll-out. The risks and the magnitude of fires continue to increase. With that, the whole industry needs to continue to evolve. You can look across several areas, and Perimeter has a significant role in each. First, what is our business model? And how should the business model be structured? Just this past year, we've seen an industry group formed. We are part of the United Aerial Firefighting Association (UAFA). The group will raise awareness of some evolving needs, such as advancing our government contracting business model and the need for increased consistency in aerial asset availability, It will require changes to that business model to ensure that the industry can continue expanding and scaling faster than the wildfires themselves. I believe it's critical that we play a rolein moving away from the large dependency on so many call-when-needed contracts and move towards a little more exclusive use. We must work hand-in-hand with some of the findings on the Wildland Commission report that was recently posted and look to see what we can do to help put some of those recommendations into place, whether that be through legislation or work with the agencies. ➤ aerialfiremag.com | AF 71
how we can take some of that data generated today and make ourselves more effective. We need to be more proactive about where we may put preventative products out. Likewise, we need better preplanning for where we think the fire is going. It's like the old Gretzky quote from years ago: "You always want to skate to where the puck is going, not where the puck is." We should apply that same logic to our aerial and groundapplied retardant operations as well, and that will come through better understanding, extensive data analysis, and learning to take that data, consolidate it, and use it more effectively as an industry. AF: Do you think industry regulations and processes need any improvement throughout the industry?
We want to ensure an incentive for companies in our space to invest appropriately in air tanker-based technology to make it as efficient and effective as possible. Part of that is structuring daily availability rates into the mix, not just a pay-by-the-gallon type of structure. Our agency customers have already started to recognize these needs and are taking some positive steps to initiate changes that will improve the health of the entire aerial firefighting footprint.
JE: There is a real need to advance today's standards and test protocols. We've had aerial operations in place now for over six decades, and over that entire period, the qualifying products list has changed a handful of times. You compare that to other industry standards such as NFPA, which often have a five-year review cycle, which allows continuous improvements to the testing thresholds and can open the door for new innovation. We should take a hard look at how we can continue raising the bar on fire safety products' performance. And as we look at those standards in place today, such as the USFS QPL, what can be done to raise performance and environmental protection standards? This also includes looking at the operational realities, existing infrastructure, and products to ensure compatibility with the rest of the ecosystem.
JE: The evolution is happening now, and we play a significant role there. We need to consider embracing data as it evolves in emerging technology and building collaboration across different players in that space.
A recent example is when we saw two different chemistries enter the market. An unexpected result was that you had chemistries that did not operate well together when commingled. That was never envisioned in the standards that were developed. It was only considered once we got as far as field evaluations. And on the back end of that, I think the whole industry is trying to figure out how we incorporate these different chemistries coming into the market without compromising the safety of the firefighters on the ground, the security of the pilots, and the aircraft in the air and the ability to have airplanes available when needed.
As an example, you have the capability for predictive modeling today. We have imaging capabilities that we couldn't have imagined 20 years ago. There's data available now to go back and take a better look at the effectiveness of all of our aerial operations in different scenarios based on the fire behavior we're seeing and its response to retardant drops. The whole industry must collaborate to understand
All these changes are happening in real-time. I think the industry needs to take a step back and think about how we can evolve the testing and the standards that we have to make sure that we're effectively encouraging new technology into the space while still ensuring that we are protecting those most critical attributes of life safety and aircraft performance.
AF: Data now plays a considerable part in aerial firefighting; how do you think that will continue to evolve?
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American Heroes in California The Nations Premier Aerial Firefighting and Public Safety Show Returns for its 30th Year Story and Images by Jeff Serpa The American Heroes Air Show returned home to Hansen Dam, outside Los Angeles, California, on November 4th, with its 30th show. This annual show has grown to become the nation's premier helicopter aviation experience, designed to educate the public, media, and community about rotary-wing aviation's diverse capabilities. This year's show included a wide variety of public resources, including law enforcement, public safety, search and rescue, firefighting, homeland security, and private operators who brought helicopters to the event.
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American Heroes' mission for each show continues to be to educate, communicate, and demonstrate the dynamic capabilities of rotary-wing aviation to the public, media, and community officials. Over its many years of operation, this mission has widened. The Heroes Air Show featured the Code3 Career Expo as an additional aspect of the show. This expo allowed diverse recruiting teams from law enforcement, fire/ community safety, the military, and homeland security to showcase their agencies to prospective employees considering employment in the para-public sector.
Another unique aspect of the Heroes event is the involvement of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. The agency hosts a special naturalization ceremony where members of our communities spend their first day as American citizens at the American Heroes Air Show. Agencies from as far as San Diego County participated in the show, and agencies local to the Los Angeles County area, the Los Angeles County Alta Dena station, and Santa Clarita search and rescue teams were also in attendance this year. Helicopters began arriving at 7 am and continued for several hours until the show opened at 9 am.
Once the gates opened, attendees had the opportunity to speak with air crews, see the aircraft up close, and, in some cases, be able to sit in the rear passenger compartment to get a feel of what day-to-day life is like as a helicopter crew member, giving some their first up close and personal experience in a helicopter. Some agencies even provide equipment for attendees to try on aviation safety equipment such as helmets and everyday mission equipment of flight crews. Various agencies arrived with swag in hand that included shirts, patches, and other memorabilia for attendees to remember their visit to the show. ➤
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In addition to the static displays and career expo, two Robinson R44 aircraft were on hand to provide attendees with an aerial view of the show, which continues to be a highlight for many taking their first helicopter ride. In addition to multiple Blackhawks, Bell 412s, Super Hueys, and other diverse aircraft in attendance at this year's show, one particularly rare aircraft on display was the Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society's restored Bell 47G helicopter. This year, the aircraft was displayed for the first AF 76 | aerialfiremag.com
time at the American Heroes show. This aircraft is no longer airworthy, so it is transported to public relations events on a trailer and has not been flown in more than four years. This aircraft is used as a piece of living history for the Los Angeles Fire Department and a great piece of aviation history for aviation enthusiasts to see up close after it was restored to near-new condition through an extensive effort by the historical society that wanted to showcase one of the agency's first firefighting aviation assets to the community.
The American Heroes Air Show is only possible with the hard work and dedication of the volunteers behind the scenes who help bring the show to the public every year. Those volunteers include dedicated professionals like Air Boss Dave Andrews and his ground crew, who managed arrivals and departures safely throughout the show. Their coordination and efforts kept everyone safe, contributing to a successful show, from spectators to the crews. The show is further assisted in its execution every year by volunteer event director Steve Goldsworthy, who has directed the entire event for many years, and American Heroes founder and president Jim Paules, who founded the organization more than 30 years ago and has brought the show to states like California, Georgia, Texas, and Florida over the last three decades. “It was a true privilege to be in Los Angeles where the American Heroes Air Show was born in order to celebrate our 30th event anniversary and carry forward our mission to educate the community, the media and elected officials about the critical role rotary-wing aviation plays in sustaining our communities,” said Paules. The American Heroes Airshow continues to be a must-attend event year after year for those in the aerial firefighting or the public safety aviation sector for attendees and aviation operations alike.
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The Kamov
Ka-32
In Cyprus
Story and Images by Babak Taghvaee
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Every year, Cyprus faces widespread wildfires, which not only require government and military organizations of the country to dedicate their aircraft and helicopters to tackling them but also require foreign assistance. The Royal Air Force, with three helicopters; the Cypriot Police Aviation Unit, with four; and the Cypriot Department of Forestry, with two firefighter aircraft, are the only permanent firefighting air assets on the Island. This has required the Cyprus government to lease several more air assets to deal with fires every year since 2001. For almost two decades, two to three Kamov Ka-32 helicopters were leased during the summer and fall. From 2001 until 2021, PANH Helicopter Services provided this service with its Ka-32AOs. Still, since 2022, a Swiss-based company, Arctic Group SA, has leased two of its Ka-32Ts to the Cypriot Forestry Department. Based at Paphos International Airport, these helicopters stand alert from dawn until dusk to fight wildfires alongside the air assets permanently based in Cyprus.
About the Ka-32A and its difference from Ka-32T In 1979, production of Ka-27PL anti-submarine helicopters began at the KumAPP plant in Kumertau, Soviet Union. A year later, the production of a derivative named Ka-27PS dedicated to search and rescue operations began. In November 1979, the high performance of the Ka-27 drew the attention of Aeroflot to use it for Arctic research and explorations.
This led to creating a civilian derivative of the Ka-27 named Ka-32. It was manufactured in two types, Ka-32S equipped with radar for SAR operations and Ka-32T without radar for cargo operations. Ka-32's prototype flew for the first time on October 8, 1980. Five years later, it was displayed during the 35th Paris Airshow. Ka-32T (cargo variant) mass production began in the KumAPP plant in 1986. From 1987, some were produced in Ka-32S (SAR) configuration. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, JSC NI Kamov designed and developed a special variant of the helicopter named Ka-32A, which was adapted to the requirements
of the Transport Category Rotorcraft (FAR Part 29) and Aircraft Engines (FAR Part 33) standards of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the American market. In September 1990, its prototype logged its maiden flight and three years later, it received its certificate. Ka-32A was designed and built for use in North American and European markets. However, its derivatives were also largely sold to various helicopter services companies and government organizations in Russia. These helicopters have played an important role in tackling wildfires worldwide thanks to their capability of carrying four to five tons of water internally or externally. Nine different derivations of Ka-32As have been developed since 1994. They are the Ka-32A1, Ka-32A2, Ka-32A3, Ka-32A4, Ka-32A7 (Ka-27PV), Ka-32A12, Ka-32A11BC, Ka-32A11M and Ka-32AO. Throughout history 188 Ka32s have been manufactured that include two prototypes. Among the examples built, two are known to be Ka-32A1, 49 to be Ka-32A11BC, and seven to be Ka-32A4. All of these helicopters were built for civilian use except seven Ka-32A4s, a military modification of Ka-32S civilian SAR helicopters designed and developed for use by the South Korean Air Force (Republic of Korea Air Force). Seven were manufactured, equipped with Israeli-made avionics made by IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) Lahav in the LG International facility between 2004 and 2006 before being put into ROKAF's service as HH-32As. Of the seven civil derivatives of Ka-32A, Ka-32A1 was a firefighting modification. Two were built in Moscow City Hall to extinguish fires in high-rise buildings, while Ka-32A2 was a police helicopter developed in Moscow city. A Ka-32A prototype was converted into that which flew for the first time on March 21, 1995. It didn't draw the attention of Police forces. Ka-32A3 was a special modification of Ka-32A for use in SAR, Cargo Transport, and Firefighting operations. Six of these were manufactured for the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation. Ka-32A7 was a special armed modification of Ka-27PS with a powerful engine and advanced avionics of Ka-27. It was built in 1995 utilizing conversion of a serial produced Ka-27PS. It never found a customer. In 1996, a Ka-32A was converted to Ka-32A12 to adapt to the requirements of Swiss civil aviation authorities for use by HeliSwiss. Another similar helicopter was built with the name of Ka-32A11BC, which was modified to adapt to the Canadian civil operations standards. The last and most advanced member of the Ka-32A family is Ka-32A11M, based on Ka-32A11BC but with entirely powerful and improved engines, auxiliary power units (APUs), and fully Russian Avionic systems. ➤ aerialfiremag.com | AF 79
It was equipped with powerful 1,765kW (2,400hp) VK2500PS-02 turboshaft engines and TA-14 APU. The first prototype flew for the first time on November 15, 2021. It is planned to have its certification tests finished in 2023. The last member of the family of Ka-32A helicopters is Ka32AO. These helicopters, the Ka-32S and Ka-32Ts, were upgraded to Ka-32A standard for use in civil operations. They were modified for cargo and personnel transport, search and rescue, and fire-fighting. They were nicknamed flying cranes. The helicopter received its airworthiness certificate from the Russian Aviation Authority on August 4, 2000. Two Ka-32T helicopters of Russian company PANChAvia (also known as PANH Helicopters) with RA-31064 and RA-31579 registration codes and one Ka-32S with RA-31571 registration code were upgraded to Ka-32AO standard by the manufacturer. PANH also had a 1993 built Ka-32A with RA-31598 register converted to Ka-32AO in 2003. In addition to the Ka-32AOs of PANH, a Ka-32T, and a Ka-27PS were upgraded to similar standards following an order from a Bulgarian company, Scorpion Air, in 2002. They received LZMOR and LZ-MRK registration codes. AF 80 | aerialfiremag.com
20 years of Ka-32 operations by PANH in Cyprus Kamov Ka-32 has been known as the best helicopter for firefighting operations on the Island. Capable of carrying the highest amount of water inside the cabin or in a bambi bucket under the fuselage with the lowest operational cost compared to other helicopters such as AS332 Super Puma. In 2001, the Cypriot government leased two Ka-32s for fire-fighting operations; in the next year, it increased to three. In August 2001, Cyprus showed its intention to purchase three Ka32Ms, an improved helicopter variant under development. Its lifting capability was up to 7,000kg thanks to its two TV3-117VMA-SB3s, each producing 1839kW (2,466hp) of power, which was more powerful than Izotov TV3-117VMs of Ka-32, each producing 1,618kW (2,200hp) power each. Due to budgetary issues, procurement of the helicopters never took place, and as a replacement, leasing of the helicopters from PANH Helicopters Company continued until 2021. Due to the necessity of firefighting operations in hot environments and mountainous regions of the island, especially Troodos mountain, PANH always had its small fleet of Ka-32AOs on deployment at the Island, which was allowed to airlift a maximum of five tons of water. In case of unavailability of all
three Ka-32AOs, the company sometimes had one or two of its Ka-32S or Ka-32T helicopters deployed to the Island as a backup for two Ka-32AOs. According to PANH, Ka-32AO was initially intended mainly for people transport (15 seats in the cargo cabin) and search and rescue duties. Still, it was mainly used as a cargo helicopter capable of carrying large-sized freight on an external sling weighing up to five tons. To increase the maximum take-off weight and also the weight of the cargo airlifted by the helicopter, the helicopter lacks some of the equipment found on Ka-32S and Ka-32T, including the Osminog-PS-32 radar and LPG-300 winch over the side cargo door of Ka-32S. In Cyprus, the engine cowling of these helicopters had always been removed as a further effort not just to reduce the weight but to increase the performance of the engines. Deployment of the helicopters to Cyprus always took place in May. After their arrival, their crew had familiarized flight training before participation in a joint exercise with Cypriot Police Aviation, Cypriot National Guard Air Command, the Flight Unit of Cypriot Forestry Department, and finally, the Royal Air Force, which usually took place in
a day in the first or second week of May. Starting in the third week, the helicopters were involved in firefighting operations. For 20 years, PANH won all the tenders of the Cypriot Forestry Department for leasing its helicopters for use in firefighting operations. The last tender of this kind was held by the Forestry Department in March 2019 for a two-year lease (plus a one-year extension) of two Ka-32s for a maximum cost of EUR 1.600.000 per year (excluding VAT) for their services. As per the tender requirements, the helicopters needed to be operationally available from 11:00 to 18:00 for May, October, and November and from 10:00 to 18:00 for June, July, August, and September, with a total of 20 hours of unscheduled maintenance for each one of the helicopters in this period.
The expensive Artic Kamovs The Russian invasion of Ukraine led to more restrictive embargoes on the country by the European Union, which led to the Cypriot Forestry Department's inability to renew the PANH contract. Subsequently, the Department, a part of the Cypriot Ministry of Agriculture, issued a new Tender in March 2022, which had No participants as No other helicopter services company in the world could provide similar services to the PANH for a similar price. ➤ aerialfiremag.com | AF 81
To be able to contract PANH helicopters again, the Cypriot Foreign Ministry began negotiations with the European Union in Brussels in the hopes of securing an exemption from EU sanctions against Russia. As the negotiations failed, the Cypriot Ministry of Agriculture increased the value of the tender. Finally, the tender winner became a Swiss-based company named Artic Group SA using several Ukrainianregistered Ka-32T helicopters. Two Ka-32Ts of the company with UR-CIO and URCIS registration codes arrived at Paphos International Airport on July 26, 2022. Starting from August 1, 2022, their operations in Cyprus began. In October 2022, information about details of the contract for leasing the helicopters leaked to the press, which indicated that the value of their contract for a period of three years (2022 to 2025) was EUR 3.2 million per year, almost two times more than the similar service provided by the PANH between 2019 and 2021! Between August and November 2022, these helicopters logged 68 hours of flight with a total cost of EUR 3,600 per hour. Ka-32s had their missions ended by the end of AF 82 | aerialfiremag.com
November 2022, but they once again returned to the Island in early May and logged their first mission for battling a large wildfire west of Larnaca on May 17, 2023. Due to their age and additional equipment compared to the Ka-32AOs of PANH, the two Ka-32Ts could airlift four tons of water in their baskets, one ton less than their Russian counterparts. Despite that, they still carry 35% more water than an AS332 Super Puma helicopter. The two Ka-32Ts of Artic Group SA with UR-CIO and UR-CIS registration codes were built in 1992 and 1991, respectively. The first, with an 8906 construction number, entered service with Vladivostok Avia as RA31076 in 1997, while the second, with an 8602 construction number, entered service with Aeroflot Far East at Vladivostokski with CCCP-31580 registration code (changed to RA-31580 in 1992). Artic Group purchased the first in 2013 and the second in 2010. The four Ka32AOs of PANH with RA-31064, RA-31571, RA-31579, and RA-31598 registration codes are reported to be currently inactive in Russia. They are stored at Krasnodar and Nizhny Novgorod International Airports.
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