AerialFire Magazine - May/June 2024

FLORIDA FIREFIGHTERS

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P.O. Box 850, Perry, GA 31069 USA 475 Myrtle Field Rd., Perry, GA 31069 USA

Phone / Fax: 478-987-2250

info@marsaylmedia.com • aerialfiremag.com

PUBLISHER: Graham Lavender graham@marsaylmedia.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Ryan Mason ryan@marsaylmedia.com

ACCOUNTING/ADMINISTRATION: Casey Armstrong casey@marsaylmedia.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Igor Bozinovski bozinovski.igor@gmail.com

Robert Craymer robertc@covingtonaircraft.com

Dan Reese dan@intwcg.com

Paul Seidenman avwriter@sbcglobal.net

Dave Soderstrom davesoda727@hotmail.com

PROUD MEMBER:

DISPLAY ADVERTISING: Melanie Woodley melanie@marsaylmedia.com

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CIRCULATION: Mary Jane Virden maryjane@marsaylmedia.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Kane Arlow

Igor Bozinovski

Marissa Fortney

Aaron Maurer

Jeff Serpa

Dave Soderstrom

Marty Wolin

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Ryan Mason | ryan@aerialfiremag.com

Government Inaction is Costing Us

The recent fires highlighted a terrible reality that resonates throughout the aerial firefighting industry. As much as we in this industry preach that early detection is the key to getting on top of a fire and putting it out, the government doesn’t often heed those warnings.

Such was the case in the Texas Panhandle during the recent firefight. Hearings held over the last week, as I write this in Pampa, Texas, highlighted the many failures of the Texas Panhandle fires, from the failure of prediction models and government entities to take preventative action ahead of the fires to the absurd, almost week-long wait for aerial firefighting assets to be deployed as the area burned.

Meanwhile, the people of the affected area watched their farmland, crops, cattle, and structures be destroyed through a mix of government paralysis preventing action from being taken. All the while, aerial firefighting operators stood ready to act, just waiting for the “go call,” which ultimately came too late. This led to the loss of over one million acres of land in one of the worst fires in American history based on acres burned.

I would assume that the frustration of aerial firefighters wanting to get into the firefight and make a difference while being left without an action order to launch is akin to a fire truck rolling up to a house burning and there being no water to put it out, all while a family watches what they have worked hard for burn to the ground.

While the state of Texas has already realized that there is a problem, having quickly convened hearings to try and get to the bottom of the issue, which is commendable, the heart of the problem is not just based at the state level. Still, it needs to be addressed at the federal level.

A quote from the recently released UAFA press release related to the Texas Panhandle states: “Unlike the swift and coordinated response of an urban fire department, the current wildfire response system is a complex web of state, local, and federal agencies often struggling to work in unison. This fragmentation leads to delays in deploying critical resources, leaving communities at the mercy of rapidly spreading flames. The recent Texas Panhandle fire serves as a stark reminder of this reality. By the time aerial firefighting assets arrived, days had passed, allowing the blaze to consume vast swathes of land, killing two people, injuring five firefighters, and inflicting billions of dollars in economic damage. At its peak spread, it was consuming two football fields a second. Much of what has burned are productive ranches, some of the largest in the nation; this will have structural impacts on our nation’s food supply chain and economy.”

Most Americans would be shocked to realize how complex it is to have an aerial asset dispatched to a pop-up fire outside the regular fire season, such as the Panhandle fire. There are multiple layers of government bureaucratic red tape to get through. With that, there are numerous levels of bureaucrats along the way, each capable of saying no to dispatching an aircraft or passing the buck

“

...the current wildfire response system is a complex web of state, local, and federal agencies often struggling to work in unison. This fragmentation leads to delays in deploying critical resources, leaving communities at the mercy of rapidly spreading flames... ”

–UAFA

to an endless number of other people with zero consequences. All while a wildfire continues to consume at times like the recent fire, a football fieldsized area a second.

There are still, to this day, zero concrete policies to dispatch aircraft or a “pot of money” that can be released should a situation like the Texas Panhandle happen again. This needs to change; the sooner, the better before it costs more lives. Fires are becoming more and more frequent. We know that based on what we have seen around the world as other countries also struggle to keep up with larger wildfire threats, yet the federal government continues to ignore the issue and not make a concerted effort to formulate even the smallest bill other than increasing funding for agencies while ignoring the larger issues that will eventually cost lives. Hopefully, this will change with UAFA leading a concerted effort to make a difference as an industry in the future.

Fly Safe,

10 Tanker Air Carrier’s Tanker 912 departs San Bernardino for the Peak Fire.

– Photo by Kaileen Hannigan

A Helicopter Transport Services S-64 departs a golf course after filling for fire operations.

Photo by Jeff Serpa

AERIAL FIRE PICS

A Coulson CH-47 departs the Melbourne docks after arrival from the USA. – Photo by Dave Soderstrom

A moody sky awaits Tanker 166 in Australia.

Photo by Tom McKibbin

A Sécurité Civile CL-415 prepares to scoop in France.

Photo by Raphaël Savry

Tanker 160 drops on the Apple Fire in California.

Photo by Marty Wolin

AERIAL FIRE PICS

An Orange County Fire Authority Bell 412 drops on a fire in California.

– Photo by Steve Whitby

The Shaka from the pilot of Porterville’s CALFIRE Tanker 78.

Photo by Aaron Maurer

CRAYMER’S COUNSEL

Robert Craymer | robertc@covingtonaircraft.com

Early Detection

Most of the articles I have presented are focused on best practices. I can share the information, but it is up to each engine owner to do what they want with it. All I can do is lay out a path for success. When things start to go in the wrong direction, there are usually warning signs or signals that indicate a problem is on the horizon.

The PT6A engine has systems to provide some of these warning signs, and I hope everyone here is always listening and looking for them. I have always said the engine will tell you what it wants and what it needs. For example, if you overservice the oil, the engine will push out what it doesn’t want.

Many warning signs of potential problems involve performance. When an engine starts to run at a higher Ng, it could be a signal that it is time for a filter change or a compressor wash. The engine is having to work harder to breathe. A good compressor wash and making sure the filtration system is clean will usually solve that issue.

Another warning signal may be an elevated ITT. If suddenly you cannot get the torque out of the engine you usually have because you are limited by that ITT redline, it could indicate a problem. The engine runs a trim stick, a resistor in the internal turbine temperature system. Occasionally, the resistor may have an issue and not provide the correct resistance. Check it with an OHM meter and verify the proper resistance measurement. You will be back in business. Another item this type of warning signal could be pointing to is distress in the hot section. It will take a borescope of the engine to determine if this is where the issue is. We want to ensure there hasn’t been a tip rub causing a loss of efficiency.

I have had several conversations lately about another warning signal, the chip light. The engine has either one or two chip detectors installed, depending on the

model. These chip detectors are simple in nature. They have two magnetic poles and when a ferrous piece of material comes in contact with both a bridge is formed and sends a signal to the cockpit illuminating a light. This is a warning that something needs investigating. This is a warning that you do not want to ignore. Ferrous metal most typically comes from gears or bearings. f this is the problem, you want to get that addressed.

One thing that happens from time to time on new or recently worked engines is a chip light. Again, need to

Chip detector

investigate it, but it can be a common occurrence. Many locking features inside the engine must be mechanically set. That is a fancy way of saying bent into position. When this occurs, a small sliver of metal may be created. Although we are always mindful of looking for things like this, we don’t always catch them. Even at new manufacture I have seen this happen. The maintenance manual has directions if you find something on the chip detector.

The maintenance manual will guide you through a decision chart based on what you find. For some debris, you will be asked to check the chip detector and oil filter for hours. You will then, based on the results, be directed to check it again down the road. I bring this up because I had a customer who asked me if I would advise leaving some fine material on the chip detector. His mechanic thought they could gage more clearly if the engine produced additional material. I suggested cleaning the chip detector and checking the oil screen per the

maintenance manual requirements. I can’t see a benefit of leaving material on the chip detector.

I hope no one ever has to deal with any of these warning signs, but my caution to everyone is to always listen to their engine. It will tell you if it needs something or if something is going wrong.

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 them at covingtonaircraft.com

Inlet screen

Trim stick location

Tiffany Taylor | ttaylor@uafa.org

UAFA Champions Legislative Solutions for Enhanced Wildfire Response

The United Aerial Firefighters Association (UAFA) recently undertook a successful Hill Day, advocating for critical legislative changes to strengthen the nation’s aerial firefighting capabilities. A delegation of nine UAFA Members, accompanied by several members’ government advisors, Paul and Tiffany, engaged with representatives from 18 Senate and House offices.

Key Challenges Highlighted:

• Funding inflexibility: Annual appropriations cycles limit agencies’ ability to strategically manage resources for optimal wildfire response throughout the year.

• Short-term contracts: The prevalence of short-term contracts discourages long-term industry investment in new technologies and equipment, hindering overall response capacity.

• I nconsistent performance requirements: Difficulties arise from a lack of standardized performance requirements across agencies, leading to industry dissatisfaction.

• Limited collaboration: Inadequate communication and collaboration between federal agencies and the firefighting industry create inefficiencies in resource allocation and deployment.

Proposed Legislative Solutions:

Drawing upon recommendations from the Wildland Fire Management and Mitigation Commission (WFMMC), UAFA proposes legislative initiatives designed to address these challenges:

• Increased Funding Flexibility: Granting agencies more flexibility in utilizing appropriated funds throughout the year would optimize resource allocation for wildfire response.

• Multi-Year Contracting Authority: Encouraging the use of multi-year contracts by removing some pre-funding requirements. These types of contracts incentivize industry investment, leading to a more robust and technologically advanced firefighting force.

• Collaborative Acquisition Strategies: Mandating collaborative acquisition strategies between agencies and industry would foster communication, streamline contracting processes, and enhance overall effectiveness.

Benefits of Legislative Action:

These proposed legislative solutions extend beyond bureaucratic reform. They have the potential to significantly reduce the duration, intensity, and ultimately, the financial burden of wildfires. Timely access to aerial firefighting resources is a critical factor in mitigating damage to property, infrastructure, and natural ecosystems. Furthermore, increased stability within the aerial firefighting industry contributes to a stronger national response capability.

Moving Forward:

UAFA is actively seeking to secure language in the FY25 Interior Appropriations Bill that underscores the importance of expeditious access to aerial firefighting resources. This will empower agencies to act swiftly and decisively when wildfires erupt. A quicker response translates to less devastation and a more stable aerial firefighting industry, better equipped to serve communities in times of need.

MAINTAINING THE LEADING EDGE

ROTORCRAFT REPAIR AND MANUFACTURING’S DRAGON SKIN XTREME COATING IS A PREMIUM WAY TO ADVANCE BLADE PROTECTION.

BY HOWARD SLUTSKEN

Maga

The rotor blades on a brand-new helicopter are clean and pristine, with an optimized lift-generating airfoil that perfectly slices through the air.

Put that aircraft into service on agricultural, firefighting, or military missions, and the blades will quickly show the effects of flying in a harsh environment.

“The leading edge of the blade becomes beat up and eroded, and then you no longer have a nice, beautiful airfoil,” explained Seth Hardage, owner of Rotorcraft Repair and Manufacturing in Pocohontas, Arkansas. “It affects how the helicopter will fly — it will no longer fly nice and smooth. It makes the blades not track as well, and over time, it’s putting extra stress on the engine so you’re also using more fuel.”

six years of rigorous testing before receiving Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approvals in 2012. Since then, in a careful rollout, Rotorcraft has made DSX available to a select group of customers.

“We needed to let it go out and fly. We didn’t want to tell a lot of people about it until we knew it could last many, many hours,” Hardage said.

And in this extended field test, DSX has exceeded his expectations.

DECADES OF EXPERIENCE

Rotorcraft overhauls or repairs an average of 350 blades per year, ranging from the vintage wooden blades on a classic Bell 47 to the massive rotors from a Boeing Chinook.

including x-ray, borescope and eddy current testing.

If required, Rotorcraft draws on its in-house engineering team to develop repair processes and procedures to submit for FAA approval.

With decades of experience in overhaul and repair of rotor blades, to address the problem, Rotorcraft has quietly developed an advanced blade erosion and corrosion protection coating.

Rotorcraft’s proprietary Dragon Skin Xtreme — DSX — underwent

“We’ve seen more than 3,000 hours of hard flying on a helicopter, and while DSX does wear, it wears so evenly that it always keeps a perfect airfoil. It’s very rare to have a coated blade come back. We’ve only seen them return with some type of damage elsewhere on the blade,”

Hardage said. “We’ve had a couple of customers where the blade is flown out of its life limit, and I’ve bought the blade back so I could see how the coating did over all that time.”

According to Hardage, DSX can be easily applied during the time that a blade is in his shop for overhaul.

“There are a few extra steps we have to take, but nothing major.”

With a mix of work — 60 percent on metal blades and 40 percent on composite ones — Rotorcraft’s bread-and-butter is rotors from Airbus and Bell light and medium helicopters.

When a blade comes in the door, Hardage and his team get to work, first with an extensive preliminary inspection.

“I’m very eager to get the paint and finish removed because it can hide a lot of problems. I spend a lot of time looking at the blade’s structure, a lot of time trying to understand what the blade is going through, and I keep in mind what this blade is doing for a living, what they’re doing with this aircraft,” Hardage said. “I know what to look for.”

As part of its repair process, the company can perform a full range of non-destructive blade inspections,

But it’s the company’s institutional knowledge that gives it an advantage in its operations, going back to the original owners — the Propst brothers.

Having operated Bell 47s for crop dusting and forestry work, the three brothers realized a huge time savings by doing their own blade work, rather than having to ship the blades out for repair.

“If they had to pull the blades off, then their helicopter was down, and it could take months and months to get the blades done. So, in 1992, they opened their own blade repair station in Black Rock, Arkansas.”

Drawing on relationships with original engineers from Bell — including William Underhill and Herb Waldrup, the men who developed Bell main rotor blades — Rotorcraft gained much of its knowledge and experience.

That benefited Hardage when he began working with the Propst brothers in 2018, which led to his purchase of Rotorcraft in 2020, and a move in 2021 to a 40,000-squarefoot (3,716-square-meter) building in Pocohontas, where he and his family have their roots.

A PERSONAL CONNECTION

Rotorcraft’s success has been driven by its relationships with its customers, and word-of-mouth recommendations continue to bring new business to the company.

“When someone calls, I want to get to know them. They’re putting a lot of trust in me. I’m going to be working on something where lives are on the line,” he said.

It’s important for Hardage to maintain those strong relationships, which he does with visits to his clients.

“I understand we’ve got these new technologies, but face-to-face and a good old handshake goes so much further.”

(870) 202-1454

info@rotorcraft.biz

www.rotorcraft.biz

FLORIDA FIREFIGHTERS

TRAIN FOR THE FIREFIGHT

by Ryan Mason

Hillsborough County, Florida, was center stage in early January for a multi-agency aerial firefighting training exercise that involved aircraft, pilots, ground crews, and support staff from the Florida Forest Service, Tampa Police, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough County Fire, Martin County Sheriff, Charlotte County Sheriff, and Seminole County Sheriff.

(Continued on page 20)

Above right and below: Martin County Florida was a first time participant in this year’s event with their New Airbus H125.

In addition to aircraft, ground crews brought scores of ground firefighting equipment, bulldozers, trucks, and fire apparatus utilized during the event.

The event kicked off at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Training Academy on January 10th. The academy grounds served as the operational base for the exercise and a landing and refueling zone for the more than ten aircraft that attended.

Crews for the two-day exercise kicked off the event with an operational briefing to discuss tactics and safety during the event and communications between air and ground units before dispersing into their separate air and ground units to begin the exercise that also involved the controlled burning of county land several miles from the landing zone.

Once ground units had established a fireground and began burning the area, it was quickly evident from the air that this training exercise was centered on real-world scenarios. As the fire line began to grow, hundreds of ground crew from the Florida Forest Service and other supporting ground units worked to keep the fire contained for air units to extinguish from the air with Bambi buckets of various sizes.

(Continued on page 22)

Above: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s flight and ground crews ready a Bambi Bucket ahead of live training.

Above: TPD Chief Pilot Chris Shepherd readies one of the department’s Bell 407s for departure on a training flight with an attached Bambi Bucket.

Tampa Police are an annual participant in the training exercise, training pilots and crews in firefighting tactics.

Left:

Agencies in attendance flew a mix of aircraft, from the workhorse Bell UH-1H flown by the Charlotte County Sheriff and Florida Forest Service (FFS) to the Tampa Police Department’s Bell 407s. The most widely used aircraft throughout the exercise was the Airbus H125, used by the Hillsborough County Sheriff, Seminole County Sheriff, and Hillsborough County Sheriff, numbering, at times, five different H125s on the LZ during fire operations.

The “unicorn” of the event was the arrival of the FFS Leonardo AW119Kx, a recent acquisition of the agency, of which they will eventually deploy six of the aircraft type around the state. The AW119Kx participated in dozens of drop missions throughout day one of the training exercise.

During the event, ten aircraft conducted hundreds of water drops, sourced from a nearby lake staffed with divers on standby from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Dive Team on hand should anything go wrong at the dip site. Such is the detailed planning of the event, headed by Sergeant Jason Doyle, Unit Supervisor of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Aviation Section based at Tampa Executive Airport, who works tirelessly each year on the event

planning and execution, which all agreed was another resounding success for all involved.

“We are so proud to be hosting this large multi-agency training exercise. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has one of the greatest aviation units when it comes to catching criminals. Sheriff Chronister implores us to find the most innovative ways to maximize the assets that we have, so whether it’s fighting crime or fighting fires, that’s what these training exercises are for. One of the exciting things about these days is how these folks will go out and practice on a controlled fire. It’s one thing to train and simulate things, but it is completely different to train on something you may actually encounter. You can’t put a price on this kind of training. This training will potentially save property, but it may save people’s lives,” said Anthony Collins, Colonel of the Department of Operational Support at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

From the initial organization to the field execution of the event, which has been running since 2018, Doyle and

(Continued on page 24)

Above: The Florida Forest Service attended the event with several UH-1H Huey’s and their newest asset, the AW119Kx.

Agencies from as far away as Punta Gorda, Florida like this Charlotte County UH-1H were also in attendance training pilots on firefighting techniques.

Tampa Police conducted numerous bucket drops with two of their Bell 407’s and a Bell 206 in attendance at the event.

Classroom training focused heavily on safety during training evolutions that at times had up to five aircraft actively working both the dip site and the fire location in Lithia, Florida.

his team of professionals plan every aspect of the event with the assistance of other agencies to provide the most realistic training environment to simulate the conditions of a real fireground to give pilots and crew a taste of just what to expect when a fire does occur. The event sparks many discussions throughout the day from pilots and crews that treat the day as a real-world exercise, having to plan for fuel in the field, staffing, equipment, and tactics that will keep them in the fight throughout the day as units cycle all pilots and crews through multiple drills.

“I know our flight crews get a lot out of this training. We have a wide range of experience levels. Coordinating with ground and air assets while putting water on a live fire is the closest thing to a real scene we can simulate. We are unable to do this on our own and recognize everyone’s effort to make this a safe, successful event,” said Doyle about the event.

Pilots and crew are challenged not only with the flight portion of the event but by other factors that can make or break a fire operation, such as attaching a bucket in the field and even troubleshooting malfunctions during a fire operation, which was seen throughout the event as several agencies returned to the landing zone to troubleshoot issues before departing again once issues were overcome from equipment.

After two days of nonstop flying, hundreds of man hours, and trailer loads of fuel for almost a dozen aircraft, crews left the event with a solid understanding of tactics to employ in an aerial firefighting scenario. While pilots will not use this skill daily, the training provided will go a long way toward equipping them with the skills needed when it counts.

Aero-Flite Establishes Hangar Base in Chico, California

Aero-Flite Inc. announced on March 8th, 2024, that the company will be opening a second hangar location in Chico, California. The Chico Airport Commission authorized leasing the 45,000 square feet of hangar space located at 77 Piper Avenue, with occupancy taking place on March 1st, 2024.

“Aero-Flite is growing. We added two Dash 8-400AT to our fleet in 2022, contracted to Washington State for four years, and this year we are accepting another Dash 8-400AT from Conair” shared Chris Niemann, General Manager at Aero-Flite. “That will bring our total number of large airtankers in the fleet to fourteen including seven RJ85s and four CL415s. And we plan to continue adding Dash 8- 400AT airtankers. To accommodate this growth, we needed additional hangar space. The new hangar space in Chico gives us the ability to perform heavy maintenance on a portion of the fleet during the winter, plus operational maintenance during the fire season, supported by our main hangar operations in Spokane Washington.”

Chico Regional Airport is one of the fourteen designated airtanker bases in California for aerial firefighting, with its location of strategic importance for a fast initial attack for both Cal Fire and the US Forest Service. “Chico is a great location for a second facility,” shares Niemann. “It is move-in ready. We

will have the ability to perform maintenance on our aircraft during the fire season at a location positioned closer to where missions are occurring, reducing time on the ground.”

“Aero-Flite has had a growing presence in the city for several years. We perform our on-wing training program in Chico, training pilots using a 1500-acre property northwest of the city for a three-week period, simulating a fire in a valley surrounded by complex terrain, complete with mock fire lines, dozer lines, and smoke to add realism. In the past, over fifty team members have descended on Chico for this specialized training, including three trailers of equipment. Locating a second facility near this training site will help alleviate some of the logistical challenges that come with supporting an aerial firefighting training program of this magnitude,” says Niemann.

The Chico hangar location also offers Aero-Flite the space needed to possibly expand into Dash 8400 airtanker conversions, supporting Conair with manufacturing capabilities as global demand continues.

“It is a great community,” Niemann concludes. “We look forward to establishing roots, supporting the airport and local economy while continuing to expand our aerial firefighting services for our partner agencies.”

Helitak Opens New Facility in U.S. Develops New Buckets for Market

Australian-based aerial firefighting tank manufacturer Helitak Firefighting Equipment celebrated several milestones in March, announcing the development of a new firefighting bucket, the signing of a multi-tank contract with Alaska-based Rotak Helicopter Services, and the expansion of their Australian operations to the United States, opening a new 20,000 square foot facility in Camarillo, California to house both a repair station and manufacturing facility.

The multi-tank deal will see Rotak, an aerial firefighting helicopter operator, receive Additional FT-11K tanks capable of holding 2905 gallons of water. In the coming months, these tanks will be fitted to the company’s growing fleet of CH-47 helicopters, ready for service in the 2024 fire season in the United States.

customers and new ones the option to use both buckets and tanks on their aircraft, manufactured to the same high standards, and give customers a single point of purchase for helicopter tanks and buckets that will be able to be designed, manufactured and serviced by a single company, a first in the aerial firefighting industry.

Two of the tanks, the FB10K bucket, capable of a 2642-gallon capacity designed for the CH-47 Chinook, and the FB1200 bucket, capable of holding 317 gallons, were on display at HAI Heli Expo in Anaheim.

The FT-11K tank was designed in 2022 and manufactured in 2023, and it was shipped to the United States for rigorous testing before being granted an FAA STC in January 2024. The FT-11K is the largest tank in the Helitak range, which, when fitted with the HP-10000 Hover Fill Pump, is capable of loading over 2900 gallons of water in under 60 seconds, allowing the aircraft to drop more water in less time than many other aircraft in the industry, leading to faster fills and more water on each fire that Rotak Helicopter Services fight.

“We are ecstatic to receive the ongoing support from Rotak for additional FT11k Tanks as they expand their CH-47 fleet of aircraft. Rotak, who was both our launch customer for the tank and our development partner during certification. We have worked extensively with the Rotak team during development, and this commitment solidifies the trust that our customers have in our tanks and the support we provide to them, leading to continued long-term business,” said Helitak CEO Jason Schellaars.

Also, during Heli Expo 2024 in Anaheim, California. Helitak announced the launch of a fire bucket range that was initiated due to customer requests and demand for options in the marketplace. The new range will allow both existing

“Designing and building a nextgeneration bucket was always going to be the next step in the evolution of our business. Our customers have been asking for a tank from us for many years as there is currently no single supplier for both tanks and buckets in the industry, making us the first one-stop shop for aerial firefighting water suppression equipment. From a maintenance perspective, just like operators aiming to use a single airframe or single manufacturer, it streamlines the process when it comes to replacement parts, service, and repairs, so we hope that this move will strengthen our position in the industry as a leading supplier of firefighting technology,” said Helitak CEO Jason Schellaars.

The new buckets will be capable of utilizing existing onboard Helitak equipment, such as the proprietary drop controller already in use for the tank system or an optional fitment of a physical drop controller added to flight controls. The bucket will also be capable of multi-stage dropping and capable of extracting a full load of water from a water source in under a minute thanks to the inbuilt Helitak Hover Fill Pump, available in HP2000, HP2500, HP6000 shallow fill, and HP10000 models capable of filling 528 to 1000 gallons in times from 30 seconds to 50 seconds for a full load.

Helitak plans to finish flight testing of new designs in the coming week and will release the buckets before the coming fire season. It has begun taking pre-orders for the bucket range.

Tailored solutions for mission-focused operators.

FUNDING MISSIONS THAT MATTER

Air Tractor Releases New AMT Training Course Dates

Air Tractor released the schedule for its 2024/25 Aircraft Familiarization Courses on March 9th. These introductory classes are tailored for aviation maintenance technicians who are new to Air Tractor products, but pilots, owners, and operators may also attend.

Registration is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Enrollment is limited to 10 students per session. Class tuition is $3,500.

However, tuition will be waived if you or your company purchased a brand-new Air Tractor aircraft within the last 24 months. If you were slated for training but COVID-related issues prevented attendance, the training team is allowing some exceptions, extending those periods in some cases.

Aviation inspectors or government officials such as FAA, INAC, Transport Canada, etc., should contact Brian Hahn, Air Tractor Director of Training and Education, at bhahn@airtractor.com to be registered in a class section.

Perimeter Solutions Hires Forest Service, NASF Veteran

Jim Karels as Agency Liaison

Perimeter Solutions announced on January 31st that it has hired Jim Karels as its new Agency Liaison. Karels succeeds Ron Raley, who served as the Agency Liaison for Perimeter Solutions from 2004 until his retirement in late 2023. Karels has worked in wildland fire and forest management for more than 45 years, spending parts of his career with the US Forest Service (USFS) and the Florida Forest Service. He is joining Perimeter Solutions from the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), where he served as the National Fire Director.

As Agency Liaison, Karels serves as the face of the organization to fire management agencies around the world. Building on relationships he has built within the industry over the years, he will educate agencies on the advantages of Perimeter Solutions’ wildland firefighting products and services.

“We are extremely fortunate to have someone with Jim’s extensive background in wildland firefighting and forest management. He is uniquely positioned to build on the strong relationships we have with fire management agencies around the world,” says Shannon Horn, Business Director, North America Retardant and Services. “We look

forward to the positive impact Jim will have leading agency engagement and promoting the benefits of our products and services.”

Milestones from Karels’ career include serving as the original steering committee chair for the Complex Incident Management Course for Florida, a role he held for ten years. The processes they implemented for complex incident management during his tenure are still used today. In 2013, he led the investigation into the Yarnell (Arizona) Fire, a tragic event where 19 Hotshots perished after an unexpected shift in the weather pattern cut off their escape route from the fire. More recently, he served on a small policy group that collaborated with the USFS to develop more effective burn policies following the 2022 wildfire season.

“As National Fire Director, I supported firefighters on fires all over the country; however, as a Florida resident, I have witnessed the alarming increase in wildfires here and in the Eastern United States. This firsthand experience gives me a comprehensive national perspective that will help me to ensure that Perimeter Solutions continues to deliver safe, impactful solutions to wildfires nationwide,” says Karels.

Colombia Recieves Help From Brazil for Aerial Firefighting

– Via Sindag

After recent fires in Brazil, the South American country assisted Colombia using Brazil’s Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS II) through cooperation with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). The deployment is part of the country’s support for its Amazonian neighbor to face fires that have devastated 44,500 acres of Colombian forests since November. The equipment was transported from Anápolis Air Base in Goiás to Galeão Air Base in Rio de Janeiro by a FAB Embraer KC-390 Millenium aircraft.

In Rio, the equipment was installed on a Lockheed C-130 Hercules from the Colombian Air Force (FAC). The MAFFS II system has the capacity to carry over 3,000 gallons (12,000 liters) of water or retardant and projects a flameretardant charge through the side door in the fuselage – allowing the interior of the aircraft to be kept

pressurized without compromising its performance. The system had already been used in Brazil against fires in the Amazon, and the FAB was also used in 2023 during wildfires in Chile.

Furthermore, the Colombian government hopes to be able to count on three Air Tractor AT-802 agricultural aircraft from the National Police in the coming days. These aircraft are used primarily for applications against illegal coca crops and are now used to fight fires. The Peruvian government also sent a firefighting system to the neighboring country to be installed in another FAC Hercules.

The wildfires have also sparked interest from politicians in the Colombian National Congress. Where the debate is continuing regarding the accusation that 40% of FAC aircraft are currently out of service, leaving many of the country’s firefighters and rescuers in the lurch – unable to reach the fire sites to assist.

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Australian Aerial Firefighting Industry Leader Ray Cronin Honored with Order of Australia Medal

Kestrel Aviation founder and Managing Director, Ray Cronin was awarded during the Australia Day honors held during the national holiday in his recognition for his lifetime of service to the Australian aviation industry and his service the the aerial firefighting industry spanning nearly 50 years of service and over 10,000 flying hours during his career.

Ray is one of Australia’s most experienced helicopter pilots and instructors and has been a key contributor to the development of helicopter safety and training policies and regulations.

His aviation career commenced in 1975 when he joined the Department of Civil Aviation, working his way through the ranks to achieve a Diploma in Air Traffic Services while at the same time pursuing his commercial pilot’s license for both airplanes and helicopters.

In the mid-1980s, Ray identified a void in the Australian market for a helicopter

training school, filling that void by founding Kestrel Aviation, which has since become one of the leading service providers for helicopter aviation in Victoria for aerial firefighting.

Ray has focused on building Kestrel into an innovation leader, consistently looking to improve its technologies and service delivery, with other organizations continually looking to Kestrel for leadership in delivering safe and efficient operations.

Throughout his career, Ray has also been a constant contributor to improving the safety of helicopter operations in the country through inputs to government and regulatory committees (including CASA’s Aviation Safety Advisory Panel) that currently represent the interests of the Australian helicopter industry domestically and internationally. Ray also serves as the President of the Australian Helicopter Industry Association and has also been awarded the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Col Pay Award for a Lifetime of Service to General Aviation.

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San Bernardino County Sheriff Debuts New 412EPX

Story and Photos by Jeff Serpa

Initially announced on February 27 in a press release from Bell Helicopter, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department took the initial delivery of a new Bell 412 EPX to add to the agency’s extensive fleet of search and rescue, firefighting, and patrol aircraft.

Shortly after the initial announcement, the new aircraft was delivered to San Diego-based Hangar One Avionics for full completion before arriving home to the SBSO facility located at San Bernardino International Airport late in the evening of April 9th, 2024.

The new aircraft is one of two 412EPX aircraft ordered by the department. The second is already being completed at the Hangar One facility in San Diego and is expected to be delivered in August.

The Bell 412EPX is the latest in the Bell medium fleet and features an increased maximum internal weight of 12,200 lbs., external weight of 13,000 lbs., and the ability to carry 5,000 lbs. with its cargo hook. According to Bell Helicopter, the SUBARU Bell 412 EPX is also equipped with a main rotor gearbox with dry run capability, enabling operators to benefit from increased horsepower to perform operations more efficiently.

More Payload. More Power. More Punch.

The most reliable work trucks are transformed and reborn year after year for decades. When you’re fighting wildland fires from the sky, critical moments require experienced and renewed solutions. The upgraded transmission of the new Subaru Bell 412EPX provides 11% more shaft horsepower at takeoff, resulting in a 15% boost in the hot and high hover. Add in an unprecedented increase for internal, external and cargo hook with 1,100 pounds/499 kg payload added. Proven operational readiness now with more payload, more firemen and women, more water…and more power to fight fire.

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TracPlus Unveils ‘Trip Analysis’

New Feature Elevates Asset Tracking & Safety Insights

TracPlus announced the launch of its latest innovation in March, Trip Analysis. This new feature represents a significant leap in asset tracking and operational insight, especially pertinent to wildland firefighting and emergency services.

Trip Analysis is a comprehensive analytics tool that enables detailed monitoring and evaluation of asset movements, offering a deeper insight into operational performance through advanced features such as geo-referenced tracking, sub-trip analysis, and unique altitude insights.

This tool is designed to significantly boost the operational efficiency and safety protocols for leading agencies and operators who rely on TracPlus to help bring their people home from some of the world’s most demanding environments. Its detailed analytics support better decisionmaking and performance evaluation, which is particularly valuable in the high-stakes environments of wildland firefighting and emergency response.

TracPlus’ Global Head of Product, Wayne Oxenham, said that Trip Analysis is a game-changer for asset tracking and operational intelligence and is a direct response to the challenges our partners face in the field.

“This development streamlines complex location data into actionable and accessible insights, enabling organizations to understand their fleet’s performance and therefore optimize their efficiency and safety.

“Previously, organizations typically used manual processes to collect and analyze such data, but now, thanks to our advanced algorithms, TracPlus can automatically surface this critical information from existing data. This saves time, ensures accuracy and in many cases improves safety. For some customers this may even lead to more revenue. It’s a clear reflection of our commitment to continually evolve our technology in line with the needs of those in critical, highstakes environments.” said Wayne.

Trip Analysis is currently available as a Beta release, allowing early adopters to experience firsthand the transformative impact of this tool on operational efficiency and safety. Following this initial phase, TracPlus is excited to announce that ‘Trip Analysis’ will be available for wider release in early 2024.

KEY FEATURES OF TRIP ANALYSIS:

Geo-referenced Departure & Arrival Locations:

Each trip is meticulously mapped with geo-referenced data points, pinpointing departure and arrival locations. This feature allows for precise tracking, whether the asset departs from or arrives at airfields, heliports, or towns, ensuring detailed logistical oversight.

Time and Date of Departures & Arrivals:

The tool provides exact time and date stamps for each departure and arrival, offering a chronological perspective of asset movements.

Trip Duration & Distance:

Users can obtain a comprehensive overview of each journey, including the duration and the distance covered. This aids in assessing the efficiency of operations and planning future missions with greater accuracy.

Sub-Trip Summaries:

For operations involving multiple legs or destinations, ‘Trip Analysis’ breaks down the journey into sub-trips, providing summaries that detail the duration and distance of each segment.

Analysi s of Engine Events:

A pivotal feature for aircraft, particularly those with turbine engines, is the ability to analyze engine events separately from the trips. This is essential for aircraft that may complete multiple trips per engine event, offering critical insights into operational performance and asset utilization.

Exportable Data Insights:

The tool allows users to download comprehensive insights into a CSV format, facilitating further analysis and record-keeping.

Detailed Altitude & Speed Analysis:

The feature presents a graphical representation of altitude and speed over time and distance. This includes the unique ability to display altitude both Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL) and Above Ground Level (AGL), providing vital safety insights, especially in varied terrain.

Access to Raw Reports & Metadata:

Users can delve deeper into the data with access to raw reports and metadata (from integrations with ATUs for pick up and drop details and other onboard systems), enhancing the granularity of analysis and decisionmaking processes.

Aerial Firefighting North America 2024

Story by Ryan Mason, Photos by Cooper Reese

Early March saw the latest round of the Aerial Firefighting North America (AFFNA) show return to Sacramento, California, for the first time since 2019. The show was held at the Safe Convention Center in downtown Sacramento for the first time in 2024.

This year’s show featured many new and returning trade show exhibitors showcasing the latest in aerial firefighting technology and providing a forum for vendors and operators to learn about each other’s products and operations.

Like previous years, this year’s sessions featured many well-known and respected speakers who presented on topics related to aerial firefighting technology, operations, and product applications within the industry. In addition, a static display took place at McClellan Airtanker base, the headquarters of CALFIRE’s air operations.

Tangent Link announced after the successful completion of the Aerial Firefighting North America show that the conference series will continue next year, with two global shows taking place in France and Australia in 2025.

The French show will be held from March 25 to 27 in Bordeaux, France, in partnership with the French Department of the Interior and France’s aerial firefighting agency, Sécurité Civile. The Aerial Firefighting Europe show in 2025 will be held over three days and encompass technical workshops, conference sessions, a trade show, and various technical demonstrations.

“We look forward to returning to France in 2025 and wish to express our deep appreciation to the French government and regional agencies supporting this important event. We also look forward to adding Bordeaux and its rich aviation history to the list of cities to have hosted AFF Europe”, said John Longhurst, CEO of Tangent Link.

Also in August 2025, the Aerial Firefighting series returns in its new biennial form to Australia, to the incredibly wellreceived destination of Dubbo, in New South Wales. The conference will again be supported by one of Australia’s premier firefighting agencies, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, which will host the event at the RFS academy campus adjacent to the Dubbo Airport.

“The people of Dubbo and the New South Wales Rural Fire Service assisted in making the Australian AFF show in 2023 a resounding success, and we look forward to returning in 2025 to continue to facilitate business and agency successes in the Asia Pacific region,” Longhurst noted.

(More photos continued on page 44)

Aerial Firefighting North America 2024 (cont.)

Aerial Firefighting North America 2024 (cont.)

Coastal Air Strike’s agile, forward-attack SEAT (single engine air tanker) and Single Engine Scooper aircraft are your best chance to contain small wildfires, to prevent them from becoming big wildfires. Their ability to operate from virtually all airports, ranging from large tanker bases to remote airstrips – even reloading at portable retardant bases – along with the Single Engine Scooper’s ability to scoop nearby water sources, proves them invaluable.

Aerial Firefighting North America 2024 (cont.)

Aerial Firefighting North America 2024 (cont.)

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Helitak Aerial Firefighting Equipment

Innovation Leads to Growth

by Ryan Mason

As far as nontraditional career paths go, Jason Schellaars’s path to success has been long and full of challenges while always steeped in aviation. His hard work and determination led to the creation of the company we now know as a top producer of the world’s first expandable tank solution for aerial firefighting aircraft.

Jason began learning to fly in the late 1990s at Becker Helicopters before taking on a role at the well-known aerial firefighting company McDermott Aviation, based

in Noosa, Queensland. Starting as a loader and then pilot in the year 2000, Jason worked for the company until 2006. His role involved flying agricultural aviation missions and aerial firefighting while the company was in its infancy of providing aircraft to the aerial firefighting industry.

During that time, company owner John McDermott acquired several Bell 214 models from Oman, which Jason helped physically acquire from the Middle East with John.

Jason fitted a 2500-liter fire tank to the aircraft, igniting what would later become Jason’s passion for invention and the creation of the company that would become Helitak Aerial Firefighting Equipment.

His initial exposure to tank building came from McDermott Aviation, which built a tank under license for the company, and Jason, who has a marine engineering background,

(Continued on page 54)

Helitak Business Development Manager, Nick Noorman (left) and Helitak CEO and founder Jason Schellaars

Above: A Heli-1 tank equipped UH-60 approaches a dip site in California.

Photo by Jeff Serpa

All Helitak tanks are equipped with a retractable bladder (pictured) that retracts immediately after water delivery.

After six years with McDermott, Jason continued his flying career, putting his tank-building ambitions on the back burner while flying contracts in Tasmania and Papua New Guinea. However, as an engineer, his ambitions led to developing the first expandable tank design, a 1000-liter/250-gallon tank with the original hover pump designed for an AS350 in 2007.

Although growth was initially slow, selling one tank to pay for the design of the next, Jason developed a tank for the S-61, which was quickly sold to several companies, including Coulson Aviation in Canada and CHI in the United States.

By 2010, with Black Hawks’ impending entrance to the civilian marketplace, Jason took to designing a tank for the UH-60, seeing the writing on the wall for applying the UH-60 to aerial firefighting. This would prove a smart move for the company’s growth, as it now builds and ships several FT-4500 tanks worldwide to civilian and

(Continued on page 56)

4–6 JUNE 2024

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RotorTech 2024 will host conferences from peak bodies the Australian Helicopter Industry Association and Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems, at the RACV Royal Pines resort, minutes from Surfer’s Paradise.

Helicopter and Uncrewed Aerial Systems conference streams

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government entities each month from its Lake McDonald, Queensland facility.

The next several years would see the addition of tank designs for the Bell medium range, now widely utilized on the McDermott aviation fleet and many others around the world. Tanks designed for the AS332/H215, S-92, and recently FAA-certified CH-47 Chinook will also be added. Launch customer ROTAK Helicopter Services has placed additional orders to equip the company’s fleet with the largest expandable tank on the market.

In 2024, with growing interest and a massive expansion in demand for the FT4500 tank, Helitak leased a 20,000-square-foot facility at Camarillo Airport, where the company had previously shared a small facility with another operator.

The new facility, which will serve as Helitak USA’s headquarters, will consist of design and manufacturing facilities, office space, and a repair station for maintaining tanks already deployed in the field.

When brought up to full capacity, the Camarillo facility will eventually employ up to 30 new staff. These new premises aim to further streamline the production process and provide faster service to their United States clientele. Production will no longer rely solely on the company’s Australian headquarters, which Jason states will speed delivery by more than a month on new tanks and allow much faster servicing of existing tanks, an essential service for any damage sustained to tanks during firefighting operations.

In addition to tanks, Helitak also stepped into the bucket market in 2024, showcasing several new tank designs capable of operating on type three to type one aircraft. This produces an end-to-end solution for operators who perform aerial firefighting operations with both tanks and buckets, depending on contract requirements.

Although the growth process is not always smooth, Helitak has become accustomed to it as the company grows and provides life-saving equipment to those threatened by wildfire.

A McDermott Aviation Bell 214ST dropping on a fire in Australia.

Helitak tanks are in use all over the world, including Greece (pictured)

● APPROVED AROUND THE WORLD!

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● REDUCED PITCH - UP

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Fire Boss Holds Bi-Annual Conference in Minnesota

Fire Boss operators from around the world descended on the Omni Hotel Viking Lakes in March for the 2024 Fire Boss Operators Conference in Minnesota. The conference provided two days of discussion, presentations from vendors, and time to network with other global operators of the venerable aerial firefighting platform.

Wipaire & Fire Boss President and CEO Chuck Wiplinger opened the Operator’s Conference, welcoming attendees from Europe, Australia, North America and South America.

Participants engaged in two days of content, allowing operators to learn more about the company providing the aircraft and the many additional services provided to owners.

(Continued on page 60)

FBOC 2024 also included a tour of the Dauntless Air hangar and the Wipaire facilities in Minnesota.

Wipaire CEO Chuck Wiplinger opens the 2024 Fireboss Operators Conference.

Additionally, vendors presented to attendees the many and varied services and equipment available to operators that have enabled the Fire Boss to become one of the most formidable assets to employ on the fireground. Topics included engineering updates, maintenance, advancements in products available for Fire Boss operations, wildfire predictions worldwide and fleet management.

Notable speakers at the event included multiple Fire Boss subject matter experts from Wipaire, Brad Kutz, VP of Engineering, Martin Holte, Technical Support Lead, and Stephen Johnson, Global Sales Director. In addition, Jim Hirsch from Air Tractor gave a well-received update on the company, and Bill Schuster from Blazetamer presented on the many benefits of water enhancers in the firefight.

Trotter Controls, Aquarius Aerial Firefighting, BlazeTamer380, Portage Aircraft, AgSur Aviones, and Dauntless Aviation sponsored the bi-annual event, which will return to Minnesota in 2026.

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Australia like other nations uses a mix of helicopters, SEATs and air attack in addition to LAT aircraft.

Australian Fire Season

Story and Images by Dave Soderstrom

Australia saw a very ‘mixed bag’ as far as the aerial firefighting season went for the 2023-2024 season down under. While the season was as expected in some areas of predictions, it was worse than predicted in other states.

If you divide Australia into the East and West coasts, there is a stark contrast in the number and severity of fires and the equipment and its numbers. For those not familiar with the size of the country, much like the U.S., a cross-country flight can take five hours from Sydney to Perth, so it’s no small feat when assets are needed on one side or the other. That being said, both ground and airborne crews did just that multiple times this season.

Australia has continued to maintain a fleet of 150 aircraft and helicopters across the five states and two territories. A fleet size that can be boosted should the need arise. While there was no additional equipment needed for the heavyhitting, large-capacity large air tankers (LATs) this year, The mix of LATs and their locations were also similar, the main differences being the numbers of the types within the various states and territories this season.

Western Australia

Western Australia saw its share of large blazes due to extremely dry weather leading up to summer. Areas like Mandurah, Gin Gin, and Waroona were impacted by large blazes this season. Sadly, it appears that arsonists deliberately lit several of these blazes. The state continued to fight fires into early April, greatly impacting people and properties. Western Australia called upon assets from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS) this season

to assist with laying retardant lines and direct attack on some blazes. The NSW RFS provided its Lockheed C-130H, flown by Coulson Aviation, and the state-owned Boeing 737 Fireliner, again crewed and operated by Coulson Aviation.

This was also the first season that a Coulson C-130H was based at Busselton, south of the capital city of Perth. The aircraft was contracted with the Western Australian Department of Fire and Emergency Services for the season. Other assets deployed within the state from NSW included the

(Continued on page 64)

Kestrel Aviation’s fleet was spread around the country during the 23/24 season.

Conair/Fieldair operated RJ85 Bomber 164 and Bomber 137, a Boeing 737 Fireliner again operated by Coulson Aviation.

Pays Aviation supplied an AT-802 Air Tractor in January to Western Australia (WA) to support operations, which was also the same type used by Dunn Aviation on its contracted operations across the state. Dunn Aviation has provided SEAT aircraft for the state for several years now. Air Affairs provided fire scanning in their Beech B200T and the NSW RFS with the Cessna Citations. AgAir Logistics from Stawell in Victoria flew their Cessna 525 CitationJet CJ1s Birddogs to support LAT operations during the year. Other notable fixed-wing assets included a General Aviation Maintenance (GAM) Turbo Commander and Helicopter Logistics Quest Kodiak in the Birddog roles.

The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions (DBCA) uses American Champion 8GCBC Scouts as fire spotter aircraft for forest patrols in the southwest of WA, flying across areas set according to fire weather conditions. These aircraft are located across the state for fire spotting operations, ten of which are working throughout the season.

Helicopter operations in the West were supported during the season by Bell 214s and Blackhawks. McDermott Aviation supplying several Bell 214B-1 on contract with six stationed across the state in addition to aircraft provided to other states by McDermott throughout the season. United Aero from Camden in NSW provided two Blackhawks from Pickering Aviation in Denton, Texas, USA. Both machines were fitted with Australian-designed and manufactured Helitak FT4500 belly tanks. The two Helitaks and the Bell 214s were utilized a lot this season, supporting firefighting operations on the ground.

As with many other states, the Airbus helicopters Squirrels were prolific in the Firebird roles, with helicopter Logistics and McDermott Aviation providing aircraft around Australia. Another interesting type in use with WA is the Airbus Helicopters Dauphin. Three of the types are contracted within the state and provided by McDermott Aviation.

New South Wales

New South Wales had predicted a season which was to be as bad as the 2019-2020 Black Summer. With drought across much of the state, the shift out of a La Nina weather system, which saw record-breaking rain, meant high growth across the state before the shift into the dry season. This didn’t mean that there wasn’t fire within NSW. A fire known as the Sandon River blaze burnt out more than 3400 hectares near the coast. The fire near the town of Wooli was burnt in a southerly direction for the most part.

The fleet of aircraft in NSW was also a familiar set. The NSWRFS-owned fleet comprises a Boeing 737 Fireliner LAT and two Cessna Citation Firescans equipped with advanced line scanning and IR capabilities for fire mapping and monitoring. These aircraft are backed up on the rotary side by a first of its type in Australia, a Boeing CH-47 Chinook, and six Bell 412 helicopters. This fleet was supplemented by the Coulson Aviation C-130H Bomber 133 and the National LAT Boeing 737 Fireliner Bomber 137. Conair and Field Air provided an RJ85 based in Dubbo for the season.

(Continued on page 66)

The NSW RFS 737 Marie Bashir played a large part of fighting fires in Western Australia in addition to New South Wales.

Above: Erickson was once again a key player in Australia’s firefighting missions.

A Forest Air Huey lands after a drop in New South Wales

As in several other fire seasons, some aircraft were used in other states and territories. In February, several NSWbased machines were positioned in Victoria when a large blaze broke out in the central north. NSW provided its fleet for other states as needed resources when NSW was not under direct fire threat.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

This season, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) saw a change of operator. Kestrel Aviation secured the contract for the supply of two Bell 412s to look after the small “state within a state.” Microflite, a fellow Victorian operator, Joined Them, providing a single AS350 for firebird operations. The three machines operate from the Hume firebase throughout the season.

Victoria

Victoria saw several changes in its fleet makeup this season. Two LATS were on contract, with the one shared between the Victorian and Queensland governments, as their fire danger periods work opposite each other. The Conair-owned and FieldAir-operated Q400 arrived in the state after its contract period in Queensland, which was heavily utilized during the northern season. It was joined for the first time by a second Q400, positioned alongside its counterpart at Avalon Airport.

SEAT aircraft were also stationed across the state and moved to where required throughout the season. Operators, including FieldAir and AgAir, did their share of the work on fires across the state. Some were even dispatched to help with fires on the South Australian/Victorian border. Victoria relies heavily on the AirTractor AT-802, with high-country-based Alpine Airwork providing the exception with two turbine-powered PZL M18 Dromaders. Pay also provided an AirTractor on contract at the Mansfield firebase in the state’s High country.

Victoria’s rotary fleet also saw a change this year as Erickson Air-Crane, in conjunction with Kestrel Aviation,

brought two of the S-64Fs into the docks in Melbourne before they were positioned at Moorabbin and Essendon airports, respectively, making a welcome return to two of these well-seasoned machines in the state.

Also positioned at Essendon was a Kestrel Airbus AS332 Super Puma, which undertook the night firefighting program in conjunction with Microflite, flying their Airbus H135 in the Firebird role.

Across the state, McDermott Aviation deployed several Bell 214 and Bell 214STs on contracts. At the same time, Microflite provided Bell 212, 412, Airbus Helicopters EC-120, H135, and AS350s, Paton Air, Osbourne Aviation Services, Professional Helicopter Services, and United Aero provided AS350s; Kestrel Aviation provided Bell 212, 412, Blackhawk, and the Super Puma. Forest Air also provided a Bell 204, among some aircraft involved in the aerial firefighting effort for seasons 2023-2024 in Victoria.

Many would come together to fight a large blaze in the state’s central north, which would later consume 29,500 hectares (73,000 acres), and saw all of the state’s large type 1 helicopters working on the fire alongside many other type 2 and 3 machines. The fire started in bushland near Bayindeen east of Ararat and grew so large that it began creating spot fires 10 kilometers ahead of the main fire. Operating from bases in Ballarat and Ararat, this was the first time in many years that, at one time, thirteen different

helicopters, along with the locally based LATS and loaned LATS from the NSW RFS, worked alongside SEATs and firescan aircraft to bring the blaze under control.

Other large fires would also start in the Grampians National Park, requiring a massive aircraft-based response and ground units to control it. NSW-based aircraft and helicopters were positioned in Victoria to cover the large numbers of

(Continued on page 68)

Real time positioning and bucket/tank data performance data

resources utilized on these fires. Touchdown Helicopters and McDermott Aviation sent their Blackhawk and Bell 214s to Essendon Airport to cover the urban fringes during this hightemperature period.

Victoria was, however, spared from a large fire this season as seen in previous years, thanks in part to higher rainfall than predicted.

Queensland

The Queensland Rural Fire Service saw an increase in its fleet this year and the addition of a new type to be based in the state. Queensland and Victoria now share a locally based LAT, the Q400, operated by Conair/FieldAir. This aircraft starts the season based in Bundaberg airport, flying as Bomber 141. It was joined by the AgAir-operated Birddog Commander, acting as lead aircraft. Sadly on November 4 this aircraft along with its three crew perished in a crash near Cloncurry in the north of the state. The ATSB s still investigating the crash, however preliminary report published in February 2024 indicated the crew could have been suffering from hypoxia. The investigation’s full report will be released in due course.

Queensland-based operation Precision Aerial provided several AT-802s on contract, with a number of them operating within the state and supporting firefighting operations. The company was busy with their Fireboss versions operating on fires in Mount Isa region. Precision also sent their aircraft into NSW as far south as Grafton to assist with fires.

Joining the rotary fleet this season in the state was a Type 1 helicopter, a Blackhawk operated by South Australian-based company Aerotec. This was the second season a Blackhawk had worked on a contract for the state.

McDermott Aviation, which operates from its head office on the Sunshine Coast, had several of its Bell 214s on contract this year. At the same time, other operators, including Brisbane-based Executive Helicopters, supplied the AS350 for firebird work and an EC-130 for similar operations.

Tasmania

This season, the small southern island of Tasmania saw milder conditions limiting the size and number of large blazes in the state. Kennedy Air, a Gunnedah NSWbased operation, provided several Fireboss AT-802s on contract during the season. The company also utilized a Commander 500S on contract for fire support duties. FieldAir contributed some of its AirTractor AT-802 fleet, with two in Fireboss configuration and two on conventional undercarriage.

The state’s rotary fleet was spread across multiple operators with different types of equipment. Helitrek again provided its BK-117, McDermott Aviation supplied Bell 214s and Microflite, and Osbourne Aviation provided AS350s.

South Australia

South Australia continues to rely on a near sole source for its aerial firefighting fleet. Parafield South Australia-based operation Aerotech claims the lion’s share of the contracts. The company has provided aircraft and helicopters to the local fire agency for several years. Aerotech continues to operate from the three fire bases for most of the season.

The Claremont base near the Adelaide Hills sees multiple examples of the AirTractor AT-802, joined by Cessna 208 Caravan air attack and observation platforms.

The rotary fleet also operates from the same locations. Aerotech contributed to the UH-60 Blackhawks, EC130, EC-135, and AS350s this season, joined by a Helifarm AS350s. Again this season, the locally based fixed-wing and rotary fleets and Victorian-based operators worked on joining border fires.

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory (NT), which covers a large area in the country’s North, relies on a smaller fleet of fixed-wing and rotary assets. The main firebase at Batchelor, which was built during World War II, hosts companies like local operator XO Aviation, which provide AirTractor AT-802s, was joined by HeliMuster and Aerotech, which operated AS350s in both firebombing and air attack surveillance platforms.

While Australia is a large country geographically, it is a small one regarding aerial firefighting operators, with its local-based operators expanding and upgrading their fleets to continue to improve what is on offer. Large helicopters have been coming onto the Australian fire contracts quickly. With the Bell 214ST and Blackhawks leading the way. Australian operators are hungry to expand their fleet to cater to overseas operations. Operators like McDermott Aviation, XO Aviation, Aerotech, and Pay’s are all looking at providing the aircraft for the Australian contracts and switching them to go and work for the Northern summer season.

Next season, we will hopefully see the first of McDermott Aviation’s recently converted ex-German Air Force Transall C-160s at work (pending CASA certification) with the first fixed-wing tank created by Helitak Firefighting Equipment. The 3000-gallon tank is being fitted to allow the C-160s to operate on contracts in Europe, further cementing the Australian company’s growth and expansion into fixed-wing firefighting operations.

THE FATE THE FATE of the

by Babak Taghvaee

The Russian-made Beriev Be-200ChS is the world’s only jet-engined Multirole amphibious aircraft, possessing the highest cruise speed and the highest water/fire-retardant capacity when compared to other amphibious fire-fighting aircraft currently operational around the world. Ukrainian-made Progress D-436TP turbofan engines power the Be200ChS. The engine, which was once a strong point of the aircraft, quickly became its weakness, as in 2014, the Ukrainian manufacturer of the engine stopped supplying them to the Taganrog Beriev Plant, resulting in delays in production of nine Be-200s between 2020 and 2023 and suspending production of the remaining aircraft after drone strike on March 9, 2024.

Deterioration of the Russia-Ukraine relationship not only plagued the production of the aircraft at the Taganrog Beriev Plant but also caused spare part shortages for

the 14 aircraft currently in use by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) and Russian Navy Aviation (VMF). This resulted in the availability of only nine airworthy Be-200s. The Beriev Taganrog Aviation Scientific-Technical Complex, the current manufacturer of the aircraft, began the Be-200 re-engining program to equip the aircraft with Russian Aviadvigatel PD-8 turbofan engines to date; no Be-200 has yet been manufactured with these engines.

In Service of the EMERCOM

EMERCOM, or MChS Rossii, was established on January 10, 1994, following a plan dating back to December 27, 1990, when the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) established the Russian Rescue Corps and assigned it the mission of rapid response to emergencies. EMERCOM was equipped with a Central

BERRIEV BE200 BERRIEV BE200 in Aerial Firefighting

Air-Mobile Rescue Team to operate several search and rescue, firefighting, and cargo aircraft and helicopters for medical evacuation and firefighting missions. It subsequently became the predecessor of Aeroflot in performing aerial firefighting in Russia. It thus became the main customer of Be-200ChS, a variant of Be-200 designed especially to meet its needs for both firefighting and search and rescue operations.

In 2001, EMERCOM ordered seven Be-200ChS, with deliveries commencing in 2005. On December 29, 2003, the Russian Aviation Authority issued an AP-25 certificate for the Be-200ChS, equivalent to the American FAR-25 and European JAR-25 certificates. The first pre-serial produced Be-200ChS ordered by the EMERCOM was completed and flown on June 17, 2003. After completion of its tests, the aircraft, ‘RA-21515’ was delivered to EMERCOM on November 24, 2003, and received the

‘RF-21515’ registration code (later becoming RF-32765).

Before its delivery to EMERCOM, TANTK demonstrated the aircraft in Sardinia, Italy, in July and August 2003 and then in Greece and France in October 2003.

Between May 2004 and October 2011, EMERCOM received six more Be-200ChS, except one with r/c RF-32766, manufactured at the IAPO plant. In addition to the six IAPO-built Be-200ChS of EMERCOM, a seventh aircraft, RF-32769, which had been first flown in June 2007, was built at IAPO for EMERCOM but was later sold and delivered to the Azerbaijan Ministry of Emergency Situations on April 30, 2008. Earlier in 2006, decisions were made to manufacture the remaining Be-200s on order at the TANTK plant at Taganrog to free up production lines of IAPO for manufacturing Su-30MKI fighter jets for India. As a result

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delivered to EMERCOM on January 12, 2007.

While the first and second Be-200ChS of EMERCOM were based in Moscow-Zhukovsky and Khabrovcsk, respectively, the third aircraft, ‘RF-32517’ (later RF32767), was based in Krasnoyarsk in 2006. The fourth aircraft, RF-32768 (now RF-32770), was based in Moscow-Zhukovsky airport after its delivery on September 29, 2006. On January 30 and October 21, 2011, EMERCOM received the two last Be-220ChS built at Irkutsk. They were RF-31121 and RF-31130.

In 2010, EMERCOM ordered more Be-200ChS aircraft, increasing the total number planned for its use by 2016 to 12. On May 25, 2011, EMERCOM ordered six more Be-200ChS, with deliveries set for 2013 and 2014. These aircraft were going to be manufactured at Taganrog alongside two Be-200ChS-E (export version) ordered by

Deterioration of the Russia-Ukraine relationship due to the annexation of Crimea and subsequent plans of Russia for the dissolution of Ukraine using separating Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts led to delays in deliveries of additional D-436TP engines for the aircraft in production at the TANTK plant. Finally, after several years of delays, the plant completed five out of six additional Be-200ChS orders by EMERCOM.

The five Be-200ChS with RF-31120, RF-31140, RF31380, RF-32768, and RF-31390 registration codes were delivered to the EMERCOM on 23 July 2017, 20 December 2017, 31 March 2018, 7 September 2018, and 27 February 2019, respectively. With several years of delay, the Russian

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An earlier prop version of an amphibious aircraft.

Navy Aviation received its three aircraft, a Be-200ES (ChS), RF-88450 on 14 August 2021 and two Be-200PS, RF-88456 and RF-88457, in January and September 2021, respectively. The last aircraft was the Be-200ChS-E ordered by Algeria for the Algerian Air Force, delivered in January 2023.

The first operational use of Be-200ChS by EMERCOM for fighting fires occurred in Indonesia in October 2006 when RF-32765 and RF-23768 were under a wetleasing contract with a total value of $5.2 million USD. EMERCOM leased two aircraft to Portugal the next year between July 10 and September 2007. That year, the Greek government also leased RF-32768 from EMERCOM and RF-21512 (second Be-200 prototype) to battle wildfires in the country. Finally, in July and August 2010, the EMERCOM had its Be-200s widely used to battle wildfires nationwide. In December of the same year, two of its Be-200s were sent to Israel to tackle the 2010 Mount Carmel forest fire near Haifa.

EMERCOM had its Be-200s leased to various Asian and European customers during fire seasons until the US Treasury imposed tough banking sanctions on Russia, forcing various countries, particularly Portugal and Greece, to avoid leasing them to battle wildfires in their countries. The last such missions were performed in Portugal in the summer of 2016, during which RF-31121, one of EMERCOM’s Be-200ChS, was damaged after hitting tree tops while climbing after a water drop near São Pedro do Sul. The aircraft was repaired and flown back to Russia.

Impact of Ukraine’s War on the EMERCOM’s Be-200 Fleet

Be-200 is currently the world’s fastest amphibious aircraft. It can fly with a maximum speed of 700 km/h (430 mph) while having a cruise speed of 560 km/h (350 mph). Its landing speed is 200 km/h (120 mph), while it performs water scooping at 90-95% of takeoff speed, which is 220 km/h (140 mph). With a maximum of

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12,000 kg (26,000 lb) of water or fire retardant, it has a rate of climb of 13 m/s (2,600 ft/min) at Sea Level while using Flaps 20° and 17m/s at Sea Level without the use of any flaps. Without a pair of Ukrainian-made Progress D-436TP high-bypass turbofan engines, each producing a maximum 73.55 kN (16,534 lbf) thrust, the Be-200 couldn’t have such spectacular flight characteristics.

Ivchenko-Progress (OKB-478) State Design Bureau at Ukraine Soviet Socialist Republic developed the D-436 for use on Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger aircraft and the Antonov An-72 transport aircraft in the 1980s. The design bureau manufactured its first prototypes, which were certified in 1987. Various engine modifications were designed and then mass-produced by the Motor-Sich plant in Zaporozhye Oblast, Ukrainian SSR. With the collapse of the USSR, both companies were inherited by Ukraine but continued working with various Russian aircraft manufacturers. They designed and produced tens of D-436s, including the ‘TP’ variant for Be-200. It was a maritime variant made of corrosion-resistant material.

Annexation of Crimea Peninsula by Russia and subsequent separation of Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts (provinces) by the country in 2014 resulted in termination of the Motor-Sich cooperation with TANTK plant in 2016. The number of Progress D-436 engines that TANTK received before the end of Motor-Sich cooperation allowed the completion of five Be-200ChS for the EMERCOM, one Be-200ChS and two Be-200PS for the Russian Navy, and one Be-200ChS-E for the Algerian Air Force between 2016 and 2023. At least two more engines were available to complete the second Be-200ChS-E ordered by Algeria, but No more spare parts could be provided by the Motor-Sich to keep the twelve Be-200s already in use of the EMERCOM.

Starting from 2018, the number of airworthy Be200s of the EMERCOM dropped from twelve to only seven in 2023. Three Aviation Rescue Detachments of the EMERCOM in Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Yekaterinburg were operators of the Be-200s in 2020. In 2023, only seven Be-200s were airworthy at Khabarovsk (RF-31380, RF-31121, and RF-31140) and Krasnoyarsk (RF-32766, RF-32768, RF-31120, and RF31390) as of March 2024 when this article was written. Satellite images taken in 2023 showed four of the five grounded EMERCOM’s Be-200s at Taganrog, while the fifth grounded Be-200 (RF-31130) was found to be at Khabarovsk with one engine missing.

Following an earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023, EMERCOM deployed RF-32768 to Adana and then Izmir to participate in any possible firefighting mission if needed. The aircraft was used to tackle a fire at Iskanderon port following that earthquake. The same aircraft was deployed to Izmir again to fight wildfires in Turkey from July 19 to November 5, 2023, following a Turkey-Russia intergovernmental agreement.

Before EMERCOM’s firefighting operations in Turkey in 2023, the Russian Navy Aviation performed similar missions following a contract. The sole Be-200ChS of the Navy was leased by Turkey from Russia through TANTK to participate in the fight against the 2021 Turkish wildfires that arrived in Turkey starting on August 8, 2021. On August 14, the aircraft, ‘RF-88450’ crashed near the city of Adana, killing all eight personnel on board, including five Russian servicemen and three Turkish citizens.

In Search of a New Engine

In 2007, the Russian Civil Aviation Authority issued a new certificate allowing the Be-200ChS aircraft of the EMERCOM to

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Engines became a primary concern during aircraft development.

Although not used in the America’s, the BE-200 has seen use in many European countries over the past several fire seasons.

carry a maximum of 43 passengers in short distances, making them useful assets for both

SAR and MEDEVAC duties. This made the aircraft an attractive amphibious passenger aircraft for the International market. Subsequently, because of its passenger transport capability, an unknown American company in 2009 and a Chilean company named Asesorias CBP Ltda in 2018 showed interest in buying the aircraft, placing an order for two of them with an option for five more in 2019. In 2018, an American company named Seaplane Global Air Services ordered four Be-200ESs (Be-200ChS-Es), with an option for six more to be used as water bombers in the US.

The American and Chilean orders forced the TANTK to seek a solution for the lack of availability of D-436TPs. Safran from France and UEC Saturn from Russia agreed to work on re-engineering the Be-200 with a maritime variant of PowerJet SaM146 used on Sukhoi Superjet regional passenger aircraft. In April 2019, Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade objected to the Be-200ChS-146 project because the new engines contained components from NATO countries. Following this objection and the US sanctions, the work on re-engineering the Be-200

with PowerJet SaM146 was suspended the following year. It then was completely stopped after Russia invaded Ukraine. The TANTK subsequently chose PD-8 high-bypass turbofan engines, a lighter variant of the completely Russian Aviadvigatel PD-14 high-bypass turbofan engines.

The first PD-8 engine prototype was produced in 2021, and its ground tests were completed in mid-2022. The engine prototype’s flight tests on the Ilyushin Il-76LL flight laboratory aircraft began on December 26, 2022. Following a 44 billion federal ruble investment by the Russian government, mass production of 50 PD-8s at the United Engine Corporation (UEC) plant started in 2023.

When this article was written in March 2024, the Be-200 production was still plagued with the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both of the flying prototypes of Be-200 (RF-21511 and RF21512), five of the 12 Be-200ChSs of the EMERCOM, and the sole Be-200ChS-E of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Emergency Situations were grounded, leaving only ten Be-200s airworthy worldwide, seven in service of the EMERCOM, one with the Algerian Air Force (Be200ChS-E) and two with the Russian Navy (Be-200PS search and rescue aircraft).

Stay in the fight all day scooping from nearby water sources.

A single 802F Fire Boss can deliver up to 14,000 gallons of water per hour for extended attack or ground support. Season after season, dollar for dollar, hour for hour; the Air Tractor® AT-802F proves its value.