AerialFire Magazine - November/December 2021

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2021

MACEDONIA ON FIRE AERIAL FIREFIGHTING EUROPE 2021

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AERIALFIRE IS PUBLISHED BY

COVER STORY:

PUBLISHER: Graham Lavender - graham@marsaylmedia.com

MACEDONIA ON FIRE MULTI-COUNTRY RESPONSE TO FIREFIGHTING

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Ryan Mason - ryan@marsaylmedia.com ACCOUNTING/ADMINISTRATION: Casey Armstrong - casey@marsaylmedia.com DISPLAY ADVERTISING: Ernie Eggler - ernie@marsaylmedia.com Melanie Woodley - melanie@marsaylmedia.com PRODUCTION: Deborah Freeman - deborah@marsaylmedia.com CIRCULATION: Mary Jane Virden - maryjane@marsaylmedia.com

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CONAIR Q400AT THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

25 28

AERIAL FIREFIGHTING 2021 SHOW HIGHLIGHTS FROM ESTONIA

A330 FIREBOMBER?

STARTUP PITCHES POTENTIAL NEW VLAT

IN EVERY ISSUE THE DROP - EDITORIAL

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AERIALFIRE PICS

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AERIALFIRE NEWS

On The Cover: A Montenegran AB-412 returns from fighting fires in Macedonia. Photo by Igor Bozinovski

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THE DROP

Ryan Mason ryan@aerialfiremag.com

Are the Machines Going to Take Over?

Since the first unmanned aircraft introduction, there has been much speculation in the aerial firefighting world and in the greater aviation community about unmanned operations. I have seen over the last few years every viewpoint. From the panicked Chicken Little approach of “The Sky is Falling” to those who write it off as impossible and “never going to happen.’

As for the latter, and this may be an unpopular opinion, but it has already started. Now, I don’t mean that the aerial firefighting world of the future is a bunch of guys sitting in an air-conditioned trailer fighting fires with joysticks and computers far from it.

If anything, in military operations that don’t have to abide by the stringent certifications the civilian world does, they have a head start. The military has been able to create unmanned operations that can dispose of a single terrorist riding in a car from halfway around the world with pinpoint accuracy. They can also load up an unmanned helicopter with a sling load of vital equipment and fly it straight into the battlefield, delivering what at times means the difference between a battle won or lost.

However, the one thing that military operations have taught us regarding unmanned operations, is that specific missions will always rely on manned operations. The keen eyes of aviators will still be required to deliver human cargo or high-value assets to a battlefield. With an operator looking at a one-dimensional screen view far removed from the battlefield, these pilots can sense and see a danger that unmanned vehicles don’t possess.

AF 6 | aerialfiremag.com

There is also a large gap between the terms ‘unmanned’ and ‘autonomous.’ I think the autonomous market still has a lot more “proof of concept” work to convince the world that eliminating pilots from specific missions are possible.

Certain missions are already being undertaken in an unmanned and autonomous form that can be conducted safely, like that of fire mapping. Bridger Aerospace deploys a robust UAV department that sends up unmanned vehicles on fires equipped with EO/IR sensors that can spend upwards of 12 hours airborne. These UAVs provide services like mapping fire progression, hot spots, and other missions at night. The following day, the information gathered provides fire teams on the ground and in the air a head start on planning their attack strategy for getting ahead of the fire with retardant lines and initial attack strategies.

This is where the technology shines. Not in the uneconomically viable world of “drone swarms” and initial attack aircraft replacement.

As far as the rest of our industry, and indeed the rest of para-public operations, I think that short of drones being used in search and rescue operations and in areas that don’t have aviation support we are still a long way from pilots having to worry if they are going to be phased out.

Para-public operations are at times quick to adapt to new technology like the addition of night vision goggles or FLIR cameras that have made our lives easier and improved the effectiveness of operations. I believe that we are still many decades away from unmanned or autonomous

aerial assets taking away the pilot roles in primary operations that require split-second decision making in the air, which autonomous solutions are just not capable of at this time.

The autonomous and unmanned vehicle market lacks, so far, a serious contender or solution being widely accepted throughout any market they serve. There are seemingly hundreds of small startups that all have what they deem a solution to a particular issue that they are hanging their success and survival on. Some of them are even creating a problem that doesn’t exist! When Igor Sikorsky developed the helicopter, it created a sub-industry within aviation that has served in hundreds of different mission types and continues to evolve today.

As bright and potentially impressive as the UAV/Autonomous market appears, I believe that we still have a long way to go before ever putting thousands of professional pilots that currently serve the industry out of work.

Even with the great success of Tesla vehicles that have made Elon Musk one of the wealthiest people in the world, one thing still eludes what many see as one of the greatest creative minds in our time; Tesla vehicles still struggle significantly with autonomous operation, which was one of the pillars that the development of Tesla vehicles was built around. Like Google’s autonomous vehicle test unit, these and others have had some newsworthy incidents showing that simple things can easily fool the technology. That in itself does not write off the whole future of autonomous vehicle operation, however, it does give me comfort in knowing that if we are still trying to get it right on the ground, we still have a significant amount of time before we get it right in the air, so fret not; I don’t believe the sky is falling any time soon.

aerialfiremag.com | AF 7

L.A. County’s Coulson QRF S-76 and CH-47 begin roll out from Van Nuys, CA. Photo by Hakon Askerhaug.

Conair’s Tanker 566 drops a load of retardant outside of Penticton, B.C. Photo by Mike Biden.

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AERIAL FIRE PICS

CAL FIRE Copter 305 drops a load of water on the South Fire in California. Photo by Kaileen Hannigan.

aerialfiremag.com | AF 9

A European Air Crane S-64 picks up water from a lake in Italy. Photo by Marco Bianchi.

Erickson Aero Tanker 107, an MD-87 returns to Jeffco Tanker base in Colorado. Photo by Steve Nelson.

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Quebec based Super Scooper 245 loads water in California. Photo by David Joseph.

AERIAL FIRE PICS

10 Tanker Air Carrier’s tanker 910 drops a load of retardant. Photo by Steven Herrera.

aerialfiremag.com | AF 11

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aerialfiremag.com | AF 13

MACEDONIA ON FIRE

With several Air Tractor AT-802A Fire Boss firefighting aircraft left unserviceable in the middle of a summer season due to public procurement complications, the European country of Macedonia faced catastrophic wildfires that spread across a nation rendered helpless and unprepared to deal with the disaster. Igor Bozinovski explains how Serbia, Romania and Montenegro helped save the small Balkan country from devastating wildfires.

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By Igor Bozinovski

Macedonia’s Air Tractors went unused during the 2021 fire season, leading to the need for international assistance. Igor Bozinovski Photo.

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Aircraft sent to assist Macedonia’s firefighting effort included a Bell 412 EPI and 212, an Airbus H-145, Gazelle, and Mi-17’s.

Photo by Igor Bozinovski.

The summer of 2021 proved to be one of the worst in decades, with wildfires devastating forests, houses and tourist areas in Turkey, Greece, Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. These Balkan nations suffered greatly, with hundreds injured and, unfortunately, several deaths during wildfires in July and August 2021. This once again shined a light on the extreme negligence and lack of responsibility Balkan governments’ that neglect the adequate funding and support of civil protection departments responsible for aerial firefighting. These government sectors are constantly left with limited budgets insufficient for building, maintaining and providing needed upgrades to systems that would rapidly respond and effectively battle summer wildfires. In such scenarios, the aerial firefighting assets remain the key for prompt and efficient solving of domestic and international wildfire threats before they escalate into national-level disasters.

A significant point in the criticism aimed at the Balkan nation government is the lack of proper funds allocation, which allows the ongoing

AF 16 | aerialfiremag.com

maintenance of state-owned aerial firefighting assets. This year, as was the case in Macedonia, the absence of proper funds left three highlycapable Air Tractor AT-802A Fire Boss aircraft unserviceable in the middle of the peak summer fire season. Overnight, this decision turned the nation from a proven, decades-long example for self-sustainability in battling wildfires into a government on its knees begging for international aid to assist in providing aerial firefighting assistance. Meanwhile, the country suffered tens of millions of dollars in damages, including forested areas that will take between 30-50 years to return to pre-fire growth.

From National Celebration to a State of Crisis The Macedonia holiday of “Llinden,” which means “The Day of the Republic,” is a major national holiday celebrated on August 2 of each year. The holiday commemorates two significant events in Macedonian history: the establishment of the statehood of the Balkan nation, which took place on the same date, and the Ilinden Uprising

of 1903 against the Ottoman Empire, the First Anti-fascist Assembly for the national liberation of Macedonia. A 1944 political gathering laid the foundation of the Socialistic Republic of Macedonia within the borders of the now nonexistent Yugoslavia during World War II. Left: Macedonia’s aerial firefighting fleet includes several military Mi-17’s.

Photo by Igor Bozinovski.

Above: Montenegrin military pilots prepare for a mission during aerial firefighting operations. Photo by Igor Bozinovski.

This year’s events began with nationwide celebrations. They ended with Macedonia entering its worst wildfire crisis since the catastrophic fires in August of 2007. The nation finally recognized the need to activate the Macedonian Air Force’s (Makedonsko Voeno Vozduhoplovstvo) three Russian Mi-17 Helicopters and four Mi-8MT helicopters. Even combined with the air force’s primary operations, it would not be capable of suppressing wildfires regularly burning in forested areas without the support of state-owned and operated fixed-wing aerial firefighting assets and an international assistance plan when needed.

Following the lead of nations like Croatia, Montenegro and Cyprus, that each purchased USmade Air Tractor AT-802 firefighting aircraft after the 2007 wildfires, Macedonia also opted for the extremely capable 800 gallon (3,028 litres) water bomber, buying three float-configured Fire Boss aircraft in March 2009 which went in operation in June 2010.

With its competent FireBoss fleet left unserviceable in the middle of a summer season due to repeated public procurement complications, and only three Mi-8MT/17 helicopters available for firefighting missions, Macedonia this year found itself in a much worse crisis than in 2007. A “déjà vu” moment occurred on August 2 this year when the national celebrations were abruptly cut short as weeks of high temperatures combined with strong winds, and a lightning storm produced a massive wildfire that started on a mountain above Kočani, a small city located 43 miles (70 km) southeast of the capital of Skopje.

The city was encircled by fire from three sides by midnight, engulfing numerous houses along the mountain slope. As panic began to spread among locals via social networks, many implored local authorities to launch the Air Tractor fleet to fight the fires and save Kočani. Faced with enormous public pressure, government officials shocked the nation by admitting that its firefighting planes would remain grounded at the Skopje International Airport for the entire summer because their scheduled maintenance (worth around 400,000 Euro) was not completed.

Repeated complications with the ➤ aerialfiremag.com | AF 17

public procurement process causing an avalanche of public condemnation and anger.

for aerial assessment, guidance, liaison and transport roles during the operation.

After much hard work on the ground throughout the night, the Kočani fires were brought under control. However, the morning of August 3 faced Macedonia with the sad and ugly reality that the nation was entering into a more dangerous fire season than they met in 2007, this time without the air support the country was accustomed to. Without the ability to count on its Air Tractor fleet, Macedonia was left to rely on an aerial Russian-made firefighting fleet with the occasional backup of two ageing police helicopters, one which was mainly used for transportation.

The first day of operations saw Serbia’s contingent of helicopters extinguishing wildfires near the village of Drenok, in the vicinity of the famous Kokino megalithic observatory, some 24 miles (40 km) north-east of the Skopje airport.

The crews dropped more than 5800 gallons (22,000 litres) of water on the fire during this operation. The following three days, the helicopters were redirected to the far east of Macedonia, where devastating fires were raging in the pine forests between the cities of Berovo and Pehčevo, near the Macedonian-Bulgarian border, 65 miles (105 km) southeast of Skopje airport.

The wildfire crisis escalated again on August 3, as the week-long heatwave continued unabated, igniting many wildfires across Macedonia. The fires reached out of control status despite the Air Force helicopter’s efforts against the very poorly equipped ground firefighting units.

Faced with a worsening crisis, the government in Skopje mobilized the Army to fight the fires, imposing a complete ban on movement in forest areas while at the same time requesting international aid for aerial and ground firefighting assets. Ultimately, declaring a 30-days nationwide state of emergency on August 5.

Macedonian-Serbian Aerial Firefighting Mutual Aid The first nation to respond to Macedonian appeals for assistance was neighbouring Serbia. After a telephone call between political leaders of both countries on August 2, an order was issued to the Serbian Ministry of Interior (Ministarstvo Unutrašnjih Poslova - MUP) to deploy four helicopters to the neighbouring nation. The contingent of five helicopters, including a lead aircraft, the MUP’s newest, an Airbus H145M, carrying Serbian interior minister Aleksandar Vulin departed Belgrade on August 3, arriving at Macedonia’s Skopje international airport the same day.

Serbia’s contribution to the wildfire fight included a pair of AB-212s, an Airbus H145M, and a SOKO SA-342 Gazelle, all initially assigned to a Serbian police aviation unit at Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla international airport.

The Serbian contingent of helicopters began their operations on August 4, flying in formations led by the Macedonian Air Force’s Mi-18/17s equipped with SEI Industries Bambi Bucket systems capable of dropping 660 gallons (2,500 litres.) The Serbian contingent of helicopters carried smaller capacity buckets appropriate to their aircraft size; the AB-212 carried a 300 gallon (1,200 litres) bucket. The H145M worked with a 200 gallon (800 litres) Bambi Bucket, while the Gazelle helicopter was used AF 18 | aerialfiremag.com

During the first two days of operations, and wildfires in different locations, refuelling the helicopters provided a challenge due to having to cover a considerable distance to refuel. Pilots were challenged regularly to maintain good weight and balance, match the fuel loads to ensure effective firefighting operations, and ensure the aircraft could still make the more extensive return trip for refuelling.

Serbia’s crews continued their efforts on August 6, focusing on saving the village of Budinarci, dropping over 10,000 gallons (38,000 litres) of water to extinguish that blaze. Establishing a forward fueling base also improved effectiveness after the Macedonian government released 15,000 gallons of fuel in the firefighting operation to the forward operating base, allowing the aircraft to hot fuel thanks to the addition of fire apparatus on standby at the forward command.

Serbia’s MUP helicopters sent to Macedonia marked the second firefighting operation for Serbian Police helicopters outside national borders. Two AB-212s and a Gazelle helicopter were also sent to neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 31, 2021, assisting in the aerial firefighting effort to fight the Stolac mountain wildfire near the city of Višegrad in Republika Srpska, one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Helicopter Unit Commander Nenad Nedić said that Macedonia was a challenging mission that flew between 7 and 9 hours a day. “We flew a lot, but the water collecting points were often far away from the wildfires, and so the quantity of dropped water is far lower than it should be,” Nedić explained, adding that 92 flight hours were flown

by MUP helicopters that managed to attack the wildfires with between 47,550 gallons (180,000 litres) and 50,100 gallons (190,000 litres) of water during the deployment.

Serbia’s mission to Macedonia ended on August 7 when the helicopters returned to Belgrade before being quickly

returned to international aid service. Two AB212s and one H145M were sent out the following morning to the Hellenic Air Force base of Tanagra to take part in the international efforts to extinguish the catastrophic wildfires at the Greek island Evia.

Romanian Firefighting Spartan on the Macedonian Skies By the time Serbians left Macedonia, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM) was already mobilized - consisting of a team of 46 firefighters and 16 firefighting vehicles that arrived in Macedonia from Slovenia and were deployed around the city of Berovo on August 5. At the same time, 25 Bulgarian firefighters organized in four groups with two firefighting trucks and began fighting wildfires around Umlena, Robovo, and Mitrašinci, all located near the city of Pehčevo.

With devastating wildfires raging across the country, Macedonia’s aerial fleet was still severely depleted. This led the government of Macedonia to request further aerial firefighting assistance through EUCPM. Romania immediately deployed two Romanian Air Force (Forțele Aeriene Române

- FAR) transport planes: an Alenia C-27J Spartan of the 902nd Operational Air Transport and Aerofotogrametria Squadron. This aircraft is configured to carry up to six 1,000 litre droppable cardboard containers. A C-130B Hercules (6166) of the 901st Tactical Air Transport Squadron was sent to Skopje to provide logistical support.

Macedonia’s military provided assistance during recent

The Romanian transporters left their home base - in Bucharest at Otopeni airport on August 7, arriving on-site with a team of 15 FAR servicemen to support the mission. The Spartan’s first firefighting mission was executed around the city of Delčevo the same day. The Romanian operations continued with the C-27J over the following days, attacking wildfires in Divlje, a village near Skopje international airport, in critical areas in southeast Macedonia and along the border with Bulgaria, as well as in the Raovikj village in the vicinity of Skopje. ➤

firefighting operations with the MI-17. Photo

by Igor Bozinovski.

aerialfiremag.com | AF 19

Above: Macedonias fleet of AT-802 Fire Boss aircraft were grounded this fire season during one of the most severe

Romanian Spartans are the first global users of Alenia’s Caylym Guardian firefighting system, allowing an in-flight drop of up to six cardboard biodegradable containers that ground firefighters can also recover. The containers can be installed on both C-27J and C-130 transporters without any proprietary equipment or modification and launched from altitudes of 1500 feet (460 meters), significantly increasing mission safety and even allowing night deployment.

county, the second in the area of Buceș, Vulcan Mountains, at the border between Alba and Hunedoara counties.

Romanians carried out 18 aerial firefighting missions in Macedonia between August 7 and 12, in which some 100 containers of water were dropped during 15 flight hours accumulated by C-27J crews fighting fires.

In addition to assistance provided by Serbia and Romania, Montenegro’s Armed Forces (Vojske Crne Gore - VCG) also dispatched their Bell 412EPI helicopter for mutual aid, arriving on August 11, under engagement arranged within the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC), NATO’s principal civil emergency response mechanism in the EuroAtlantic area.

wildfire seasons Macedonia has faced.

Right: Assistance from other nations included the use of the Bell 212. Photo

by Igor Bozinovski.

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The demanding deployment to Macedonia marked the second international firefighting mission for Romanian FAR aircraft, the first one taking place in July of 2018 in Greece. Romania’s C-27J aircraft also extinguished two domestic wildfires during 2017, one in Șvinița, in Mehedinți

The Macedonian deployment of Romania’s FAR aircraft ended on August 13 with a modest ceremony held at Bucharest-Otopeni airport where honorary medals were awarded to mission members, the 90th Airlift Base, and the FAR itself.

The Montenegrins for the End

This was the first-ever international firefighting mission for Montenegro’s VCG helicopter that

was deployed through August 18. In the seven days of active firefighting in Macedonia, the Montenegrin aircraft used a 400 gallon (1,600 litres) Bambi Bucket, accumulating 20 flight hours and dropping over 21,000 gallons (80,000 litres) of water. The Bell 412EPI worked in tandem with a Macedonian Air Force Mi-8MT/17 helicopters that accumulated over 80 flights and made over 300 drops delivering more than 171,000 gallons (650,000 litres) of water on wildfires across Macedonia.

The Macedonian-Montenegrin helicopter duo extensively worked together on taming down and extinguishing wildfires in Raovikj, Bukovikj, Čajlane and Grčec villages in the vicinity of Skopje, then in the Kavadarci and Demir Kapija areas where water was collected from the Mokliško Lake for follow-on extinguishing Vešje and Barovo wildfires, as well as in Gorno Melničani village where water was collected from the nearby Lake Debar. In extinguishing Skopje wildfires, 50 Macedonian special police forces assisted and were supported by seven French wildfire experts equipped with drones carrying unique thermal cameras allowing detection of hotspots hidden by the smoke rising from the burning forests.

The Macedonian wildfire crisis ended with longawaited rains finally extinguishing most wildfires during mid-August. In total, 106 large wildfires engulfed over 25,000 acres (10,000 hectares) of forests in Macedonia in the first half of August. The damage, estimated to be over 10 million euros, is a considerable loss when considering the cost of 2021 servicing and ADS-B avionics upgrades of the Macedonian Air Tractor AT-802A Fire Boss fleet that was not completed that would have only cost the nation around 400,000 Euro. Only 4% of the Balkan country’s damage this year was due to the irresponsible grounding of the nation’s fire-bombing fleet in the middle of a peak summer fire season that was a gamble that did not pay off. With their combined, nearly 2500 gallon (9,300 litres) water/foam/retardant capacity, these aircraft would have almost certainly quashed any need for international aid to be requested by Macedonia as it has over their last ten years of operation.

The 2021 wildfire season was a tragic, painful, and expensive lesson for Macedonia. If the nation’s politicians learned a lesson with this season’s loss, it would be evident in 2022.

aerialfiremag.com | AF 21

AERIAL FIREFIGHTING 2021 ESTONIA

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As the global pandemic caused havoc with the European aerospace conference circuit for another year, Tangent Link, the company that hosts Aerial Firefighting conferences in both Europe and the United States were faced with a difficult decision, cancel the show for another year in Europe or find a suitable location that would fit the needs of the convention, and provide the ability for show participants to conduct business without the severe restrictions placed on conventions in other countries during the pandemic.

That responsibility rested with Tangent Link Managing Director John Longhurst and his professional staff, who relocated the event to the

coastal city of Tallinn, Estonia, at the Kulkutel Conference Center in Tallinn. The venue, centered around a decommissioned steam plant for Tallinn, offered a unique experience for conference attendees used to the endless hallways and beige walls of a standard format convention center.

While Aerial Firefighting Europe was smaller than previous years due to the pandemic, it was regarded by many that spoke to AerialFire as one of the best they have attended. Quoting reasons include the smaller size and the ability to host meetings on-site and conduct business that is often more complex to achieve in a larger show environment. ➤

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The conference content was also well received as speakers from the global aerial firefighting industry, businesses, and organizations held dozens of well-attended sessions well received by the diverse audience. According to Tangent Link, this year’s attendees consisted of the most significant number of delegations from countries worldwide in the show’s history.

Breaks from the conference schedule enabled delegations and other attendees to visit businesses that exhibited at the convention. Many companies were commenting on the success of hosting a convention during the pandemic and making it a show that provided many opportunities for businesses.

Aerial Firefighting 2021 concluded with an event hosted by Tangent Link at the Tallinn Seaplane Harbor. This unique event venue surprised attendees upon entrance with a full-sized submarine housed within the event venue. The EML Lembit is one of two Kalev Class submarines that served as mine-laying subs in World War II and was the oldest serving submarine in the world until its retirement in 2011, where it was then placed as a museum piece in the seaplane harbor venue where the event was hosted and served as a backdrop to the show’s finale, featuring live music, dinner and the announcement of an additional show being added to the 2022 calendar.

Tangent Link will also be hosting an Aerial Firefighting conference in Nimes, France, in May of 2022 and San Diego in March. This show will encompass search and rescue and aerial firefighting, hosted May 18-20, 2022.

Although the logistics and obstacles for hosting the 2021 show in Estonia were many, Tangent Link deserves to be commended on their hosting of the event and executing a well-planned conference that was viewed as one of the best in recent history by many attendees. ➤

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aerialfiremag.com | AF 27

Is the A330 a Potential New VLAT?

AF 28 | aerialfiremag.com

Numerous fires have ravaged the south of France in recent days. If the intervention forces gradually manage to control them, concerns persist about the risk of seeing these phenomena intensify in the years to come. A new major tool could however join the arsenal of fight against these devastating fires: A330 airliners transformed into water bombers.

The idea of new VLAT technology development is far from over, however.

Coulson Aviation has proven with the continual growth of their 737 Fireliner aircraft. In a recent article published in French media, a new idea has been gaining traction in the European market.

That of a VLAT tanker aircraft based on the Airbus A330 airframe.

VLAT aircraft have had much success in the aerial firefighting industry, even with the retirement of the world’s largest VLAT, the Global Supertanker, whose funding was pulled earlier in 2021. The former global supertanker was recently seen after its sale to National Airlines as a freight carrier decked in a National logo just last week.

This idea was initially floated by airline pilot David Joubert, who was inspired by VLAT development in the US and Canada.

Forming a partnership with Dominique Legendre, a professor from the Toulouse Institute of Fluid Mechanics, the two formed Kepplair Evolution. A company that has now been recognized with a patent ➤

The A-330 has been pitched as a potential aerial firefighting VLAT by Kepplair Evolution.

aerialfiremag.com | AF 29

for a retardant delivery system named Kios patented in 2019.

The Kios system invented by the pair is designed to be installed in the Airbus A330 airframe.

According to the company “The interest of the project is not to replace existing firefighting equipment and modules but to provide additional assistance to public authorities” explains David Joubert.

The Kios system touts the capacity to drop more than 10,000 gallons (40,000 liters) of retardant which is four times that of traditional French tankers currently at work around the region that are capable of dropping a maximum of 2600 gallons (10,000 liters) deploying a swath line over 1600 feet (500 meters) long and 130 feet (40 meters) wide. As with other VLAT

Kepplair’s planned VLAT will see a four tank KIOS system used to deploy 10,000 gallons of retardant, which is four times the amount of traditional tankers used in France currently.

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aircraft, one of their main advantages is speed, to reach the scene of a fire in time to make a difference. The Airbus A330 having a cruise speed of 542 knots.

As with other VLAT products, Joubert’s project it touted to also have the capacity to carry vital firefighting products from site to site in addition to a full load of retardant, increasing the planned effectiveness of the aircraft, should it make it into final production, realizing the full potential of the project for service both in Europe and overseas.

Joubert also touted the economic stability of the project and the viability of bringing the aircraft to fruition, claiming that a used A330 will cost between 3 and 8 million euros (3.5 to 9.6 million USD) to purchase, and a conversion cost of between 15 and 20 million euros (17.75 to 23.68 million USD) to make it an operational

firebombing aircraft. Joubert compared the cost of recent government Dash 8 water bombers in France costing a total of 400 million Euro (473,78 Million USD) or 66 million euros (78.17 Millon USD) per aircraft

accomplish their goals, has plans of being integrated into the rescUE European civil protection mechanism, to offer the European Union “long-term contracts or one-off contracts to respond to emergencies”.

French media organization Le Figaro contacted the General Directorate of Civil Security and Crisis Management, who expressed some reservations about the use of airliners to fight forest fires. Stating that the aircraft in question would seem “better suited to the fight against large established fires (California type, Siberia), without the presence of a ground component in contact with the fire”. The DGSCGC also indicates that it is now favoring “airplanes with propeller engines, more suited to the geography of European areas of operation”. The smaller Canadair CL415 and DASH8 have, for example, a “capacity for rapid rotation between fire and refueling stations or scooping sites” specifies the DGSCGC.

While the European Union may still be gun shy of such a lofty target, the international need for more VLAT’s has already been demonstrated over recent years where overlapping international fire needs stretched internationally available resources to their limits.

The company hopes to be able to put the first aircraft into service before the 2024 Olympic Games allowing the aircraft to be on standby for any wildfire threat that may jeopardize the games. As a long term goal, Joubert aims to transform seven planes in total, hoping that the global need for VLAT aircraft increases

Kepplair Evolution, while having lofty goals as a startup with big ambitions and in need of a large cash influx to

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Conair’s Dash 8 Q-400AT The Next Generation Air Tanker During the 2021 fire season, while Canada and the U.S. developed plans around having access to their combined resources, Mother Nature threw a curveball this season, keeping each country’s resources at home trying to deal with domestic wildfires.

Officials across both borders, and into Mexico, have issued strong warnings about the potentially catastrophic fire conditions that may well be the new normal, with major drought conditions across the continent.

Given that airtanker fleets worldwide continue to age, set amidst a global increase in wildfires, Conair set out to find a solution that would provide a modern aircraft that would see the company’s operations thrive decades into the future. Conair’s Dash 8-400 Airtanker was designed to provide a “Next Gen” aircraft suitable for operations worldwide. Already in service, the “Q”, as it has been nicknamed, has proven itself to be a dependable platform for successful air attack operations for operators large and small. Versatility was a key element in the overall planning and design process from square one.

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In response to those grim statistics, the process that brought the Dash 8-400AT from inception to operational status was the result of an extensive evaluation process in the search for a ‘next gen’ aerial attack aircraft. Jeff Berry, Director, Business Development for Conair, highlighted that process during an interview with AerialFire.

“Conair originally considered dozens of potential aircraft platforms before narrowing down the shortlist. We performed an in-depth analysis of the Dash 8-400 in production to evaluate the suitability of the aircraft for airtanker conversion while still meeting the established performance expectations of the customer. Flight operations concluded it had superior low-speed maneuverability, especially in rugged terrain, with the power and speed to execute missions.

Our maintenance team concluded its strong ➤

Story by Ted Delanghe Photos by Conair

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operational history indicated the aircraft wasn’t prone to service difficulties and was in ready supply of parts, meaning it would be operational for dispatch when needed most. Our engineers concluded that although the aircraft’s primary role is a passenger-carrying airliner, the airframe’s design allowed for growth into alternative roles, including aerial firefighting with an externally mounted tank, and emergency response services including freight or medical evacuation capability.

The strength of the aircraft provided an ideal platform for airtanker conversion incorporating the innovative tank design produced by Conair engineers with support from Bombardier/De Havilland. Adding to its long list of benefits is that the aircraft is also fuel-efficient, burning far less fuel for payload delivered than other similar size air tankers.”

International Roots Conair has been in the firefighting business for over 50 years. Based in Abbotsford, British Columbia, the company started out small with a handful of employees and less than two dozen aircraft. Today, its current fleet numbers over 70 aircraft and nearly 400 staff, including 100 pilots.

Adding to that fleet from 2021 forward will be nearly a dozen Dash 8-400ATs. The current Dash 8-400AT has its roots in a 2004 contract from France’s Ministère de l’Intérieur Direction générale de la sécurité civile et de la gestion des crises (DGSCGC) to develop a multirole aircraft that could not only carry fire

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retardant but could be easily reconfigured for passengers, medevac, cargo, or combi roles.

The result was designated the Dash 8-400MRE, known as the Fireguard. It was the result of Conair modifying and reconfiguring existing commuter aircraft and adding an external retardant tank that could easily be removed or installed as the role dictated. Two were delivered in 2006 with six more being ordered, the first delivered in 2019. The Dash 8-400AT shares that direct lineage with the Fireguard, both fitted with an external 10,000 liter (2,642 US gallons) retardant tank.

2019 – A Year of Change The global statistics on wildfires have indeed been grim the last number of years, in light of that, Conair made the decision in 2019 to develop and market a new generation airtanker that would provide a technically sophisticated, high-performance platform that would address the coming global shortfall in aerial firefighting fleet capacity.

The work began on two Dash 8-400s already in the commercial passenger/cargo role, first by removing all unnecessary interior equipment for a major reduction in weight. The goal was to provide an aircraft that fully met U.S. Forest Service Type 2 requirements of 1800 – 2999 U.S. gallon capacity.

High performance was a key element in the design process. One of the biggest advantages

of the Dash 8-400AT is its excellent STOL/short-field performance, with the ability to operate comfortably from 5,000-foot airstrips. This provides agencies with a costeffective option to replace or supplement existing Type 1 and 2 airtankers. That performance is in large part due to the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A turboprops rated at over 5057 shaft horsepower that provides excellent thrust ratings even at high-density altitudes.

Another big plus of the Q is its external tank configuration, which means the aircraft remains pressurized, with a full climate control system that greatly enhances crew safety and comfort.

Modern Cockpit Design The Q features an advanced tank control system, situated on the central instrument panel for easy access by both pilots. As well, the aircraft comes with a Conair developed, Transport Canada certified, Flight Envelope

Awareness System (FEAS) providing a wide range of safety awareness information such as instantaneous G-Loading, slow speed awareness, angle of attack detail, and flap configuration over-speed awareness. The FEAS system puts critical information into the pilot’s field of view, enabling them to stay in the safe zone and minimize exposure of the aircraft to high-risk excursions outside of the flight envelope. The system prevents exceedances, preserves the structural integrity of the aircraft, and extends the life of the airframe. An advanced GPS navigation suite comes standard, with a heads-up display option available as required.

Economy of Operation In this era of decreasing budgets with expanding operational needs, the Dash 8-400AT provides significantly lower operating costs than typical Type 1 airtankers. It can carry almost 90 percent of the load of larger aircraft, but with a fuel consumption reduction of 50 percent or more. ➤

Conair Q-400AT Features and Performance

• An external 10,000 liter / 2,642 gallon tank with a proprietary Retardant Delivery System (RDS), capable of multiple, constant-flow coverage levels from a single, controlled-flow drop over wildfires • Most advanced constant-flow RDS in the world – a new generation Conair/Moog M3000 controller system providing enhanced flow capability for lower volume drops, reduced volume repeatability range as low as 2%, performance data capture, recording, and diagnostic analysis capability • Holder of 3 ‘Time to Climb records - a fast dispatch reducing the time from base to fire and return • A specialized Flight Envelope Awareness System providing enhanced safety data including slow speed and angle of attack detail • A mission duration of 3.5 hours (including reserve) • Cruise speed of 360 knots (667 km/h) • Maximum operating altitude 25,000 ft (7,600 m)

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Optimum Fleet Mix The overall approach to a world with an increasing number of wildfires has placed the focus on achieving an optimum fleet mix in terms of both size, and the capability to deliver water or retardant loads as the specific situation demands.

Water loads – whether alone, with foam or gel – can have immediate but unfortunately shortlived suppression actions. Retardant not only slows combustion, but its effects are immediate and long-lasting. Both are essential parts of a comprehensive response to reducing the damage from wildfires.

Going Green Conair has been proactive in responding to this new reality, and the Dash 8-400AT is no exception. Incorporating the latest in turboprop technology and advanced aerodynamic design directly contribute to lower emissions, lower fuel burn, and a lower noise footprint when compared to existing airtankers of similar load capacity.

International Markets There is a current gap worldwide in tanker fleets between existing fleet configurations. In the U.S. Type 2 Neptune aircraft have been retired, leaving

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a fleet of Type 1 and Type 3 tankers, with a subsequent gap between the two.

“The Dash 8-400AT provides the perfect compliment for agencies operating primarily water scooping aircraft, who seek to balance their approach by introducing retardant to their operations.” Jeff Berry noted. “While water cools the flames, retardant slows combustion.

Retardant lines the perimeter of the fires, slowing its progression, while water drenches the interior, cooling its heat. Using both amphibious airtankers with retardant tankers on a fire, working in concert with each other, offers a one-two punch to fight the extreme wildfires of today. The Dash 8-400AT also fills a gap in all markets whose agencies do not have numerous large airports to support large airtanker operations. The Q can be positioned in remote locations, closer to where fires break out, operating on shorter runways.

Mobile tanker services including fuel and retardant can be set up to make nearly any appropriate runway operational for aerial firefighting services.

And the tanker is a reliable, long-term investment, a strong aircraft that will keep flying for decades, as exhibited in France who is entering their 17th year in operation with no end in sight.”

SUPPRESSING WILDFIRES. SUPPORTING FIREFIGHTERS. For over 50 years Conair has partnered with governments on wildfire missions around the globe, operating the largest, privately owned, fixed-wing fleet in the world.

The Future of Aerial Firefighting: The Dash 8-400 Airtanker Fast, fuel efficient and tactically flexible. A modern airtanker with a 10,000 litre/2,642 gallon capacity to drop suppressant over diverse geography. Setting the standard for Next Generation aircraft with OEM support to keep the firefighter flying for decades.

CLICK TO WATCH THE DASH 8-400 AIRTANKER IN ACTION...

Photo: Alexandre Dubath

conair.ca aerialfiremag.com | AF 37

CRAYMER’S COUNSEL

Robert Craymer - robertc@covingtonaircraft.com

Borescope Inspections

Left: Borescope CT blades.

Center: CT blade tip erosion.

Right: Damaged compressor blade.

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For those that don’t know me, my name is Robert Craymer and I work for Covington Aircraft.

I have worked in and around PT6A’s for over 30 years. I still get to hear and learn new things and I always tell everyone that “I may not know everything about engines, but I know people who can answer almost any question.” I’m excited to utilize this column to answer maintenance questions that I hear throughout the year, share maintenance tips and distribute important PT6A updates that we receive.

In this month’s topic, we will be discussing borescope inspections. If you have attended any of the classes that have been given over the years, you know a borescopes inspection is a very popular topic. A borescope is a tool that allows an engine’s condition to be examined in between hot section inspections and/or overhauls.

While borescopes have become more widely available and the cost has become more affordable if you decide to invest in one get a quality borescope that will allow you both to take pictures and movies. In addition, I suggest one with a replaceable memory card for additional storage

capabilities. We have several models of borescope at Covington, but my personal favorite is the Olympus iPlex G Lite. This is not an endorsement of any borescope, just letting you know the one that I generally have enjoyed using. The other tool required when performing a borescope is an engine-specific tube that can be procured through Pratt & Whitney Canada or Covington.

The borescope can be used to inspect the hot section, but it does not replace or diminish the importance of performing normal scheduled hot section inspections. It is intended only to monitor the condition of the internal components. A side benefit of a borescope is being able to recognize things that may need to be addressed prior to a normal repair schedule. It also provides you with documentation when it comes to Pratt& Whitney Canada warranty claims.

A word of caution, DON’T PUT YOUR BORESCOPE IN A HOT ENGINE! It is possible to cause great borescope damage if the internal parts are still hot. The best practice is to make sure the engine is cool.

What are you looking for when performing

a borescope? Basically, I am looking for abnormalities. If I see something on a blade or vane that looks different from the rest, I know that spot needs more evaluation. It is not just cracks that we are looking for, but carbon build-up, buckling or burning, rubbing, erosion, and foreign object damage are also items on our list. Also, don’t forget to check your compressor for foreign object damage (FOD) as well.

What do we do if we find issues? Although your borescope operator may be highly skilled in interpreting what they see, I suggest that you reach out to people you know have experience and you trust. I receive many pictures from borescopes for analysis. Once I receive the pictures, I discuss my findings with several expert sources prior to offering an opinion. My experience is you can never have too much educated inputs.

When should a borescope inspection be performed? I have customers that have a borescope performed annually. Some do a borescope inspection in conjunction with a prepurchase, which is always a good idea. Pratt & Whitney Canada requires a borescope inspection when you perform your fuel nozzle maintenance,

which is normally every 200-400 hours! If you have a warranty issue arise, your FSR will ask for your periodic borescope results. If you don’t have borescope documentation, it could cause a delay or denial of warranty claims.

Remember, a borescope is a wonderful tool.

Take pictures/videos and keep everything for your records. Talk to people with experience about findings. This will allow you to utilize the borescope to help control operating costs by being aware of what is going on inside your engine.

Finding issues early saves money and everyone likes that.

Please reach out to me at robertc@ covingtonaircraft.com if you have any questions and I’ll be glad to assist.

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sales@desser.com www.desser.com 800.247.8473 aerialfiremag.com | AF 39

DroneSeed Raises $36 Million in Series A Funding DroneSeed announced in October that the company has raised $36 million in its Series A funding round. This funding round was led

by Social Capital and Seven Seven Six with participation from new and existing investors.

And part of these funds was used to acquire Silvaseed – a 130-year-old forestry company – to expand DroneSeed’s seed collection and seedling cultivation services.

Known as a pioneer in climate tech and postwildfire reforestation, DroneSeed is the only company approved by the FAA to deploy a fleet of heavy-lift drones to reforest after wildfires, enabling healthy forests to grow back. And this year, wildfires across the U.S. have already burned nearly 6 million acres of land, demonstrating the growing need for a full suite of vertically integrated reforestation services like those DroneSeed offers.

DroneSeed is able to drop seed vessels within 30 days after a fire, compared to traditional methods which can take years of waiting to replant. And after it reforests burned land, DroneSeed sells the resulting carbon credits to organizations looking to go carbon neutral or negative.

DroneSeed has expanded Silvaseed – which grows millions of trees per year – to become the largest private seed bank west of Colorado. And the acquisition positions DroneSeed as a onestop shop for reforestation services including seed collection, seedling cultivation, aerial dronebased seeding, and financing with carbon credits.

DroneSeed is planning to further expand, doubling its capacity to address increased demand for reforestation services by the middle of next year.

Along with acquiring Silvaseed to expand its seed supply, DroneSeed will use this funding to respond to the 2021 fire season already underway, adding on more reforestation projects, generating carbon credits, and expanding its services geographically in the future.

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And along with Social Capital and Seven Seven Six, new investors in this raise include DBL Partners – which was an early investor in Tesla and SpaceX; Tobi Lütke, CEO of Shopify; Resilience Reserve; and Marc Benioff’s TIME Ventures. And existing investor Spero Ventures also participated with Marc Tarpenning, the cofounder of Tesla, continuing his role as a board observer. Over 60% of the capital invested in the round came from investors with a climate and impact fund focus.

DroneSeed is able to drop seed vessels within 30 days after a fire.

The additional investors and syndicates include Gaingels with Flight.vc, HBS Lady Angels, Julia Lipton’s Awesome People Ventures, and the Coalition angels including Ashley Mayer. And four of nine angel list syndicates are LGBTQ+ or female-led. This funding round includes continued participation from prior investors Massive, Drone. vc, and Rob Ness Syndicate who have supported the company since DroneSeed completed Techstars Seattle in 2016.

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Is it Time?

Changing Tactics for a Changing Environment

By Shannon De Wit

Long periods of intense heat, insect infestations, and drought have made forested regions of the world ripe for wildfires, altering fire behavior with larger, more destructive, forest fires challenging current wildfire management programs.

reaching as far north as the Arctic, smoldering underground, extending over multiple seasons, contributing to climate change.

The European Union describes the changing trend as a “result of unbalanced policies that can be effective in fire suppression in normal weather conditions but are insufficient to prevent extreme events.”

The science is clear. The environment and wildfire behavior have changed. And so must the response. Higher temperatures, lower humidity, and increased winds experienced on today’s fires evaporate much of the moisture content of a water drop before it hits the ground. Gel or foam additives improve water’s impact to a degree but are no match for a fire burning in extreme conditions. Fire burns deep into organic material on and underground, emerging from the roots after moisture dries out, making wildfires unstoppable without additional support.

The European Commission, from 2000 to 2017, reported that 8.5m hectares have burned; 611 people have died, and over EUR 54b in economic losses have amassed. Megafires are shattering records around the world, leaving behind ecological disasters. Overwintering fires,

WILDFIRES HAVE CHANGED HAS THE RESPONSE?

The further the fire is from the water source, the harder it is to contain. The fewer the aerial assets, the harder it is to contain. The longer the fire goes uncontained, the greater the cost to fight and the greater the loss and damage.

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TWO PARTNERS – ONE GOAL, SUPRESSANT AND RETARDANT Water is a suppressant, cooling flames using evaporation.

Foam expands water, insulating it, allowing water to penetrate deeper into the fuel layer and remain on the surface longer. Similarly, gel clings to water, making it heavier, falling faster to reach the fuel before evaporating.

Water’s benefits are immediate but short-lived.

Retardant slows combustion. Mixed with water, it coats the fuel, clinging to the fuel after water has evaporated, altering combustion. Retardant’s benefits are immediate and longlasting.

Retardant lines the perimeter of the fire, slowing its progression, while water drenches the interior of the fire, cooling its heat.

RETARDANT REDUCES BURN FEEDS REGROWTH Fuels coated with retardant and burned produce only carbon and water vapor. Ingredients of retardant are primarily ammonium phosphate or polyphosphate, found in agricultural fertilizers, plus gum-based thickeners.

Retardants are tested and certified as safe for use in the wildfire environment. The red pigment color is added so that drop lines are highly visible for both pilots and ground crews, to target extending lines with precision.

to cool flames. In an ideal scenario, this balanced response occurs during a rapid initial attack, catching the fire while it is still small, preventing it from increasing in size so that it is manageable and safely extinguished by ground crews on arrival.

France has successfully managed an integrated fleet of CL415/CL515 waterbombers and Dash 8-400MR airtankers for over 15 years.

WATERBOMBERS AND AIRTANKERS - The Loon Lake Fire During the Loon Lake Fire, airtankers seamlessly adapted into the waterbombers’ predictable and continuous drop pattern, which maximized the effectiveness and efficiency of both aircraft types. The airtankers on this fire observed, planed the drop, and then executed the mission in between amphibious aircraft drops, ensuring waterbomber delivery was not disrupted.

Because the waterbombers skim from a water source, while the airtanker refills from an airbase, the coordinated attack on this fire was able to work without congesting either fill location. A rapid initial attack using both water and retardant on a fire in Kenai National Wildlife Refuge reduced a wildfire from 60 hectares to 30 hectares within hours, lowering the probability of overnight growth.

Anticipating future large fires, agencies can adapt their aerial firefighting assets using a balanced approach that strategically takes advantage of the benefits of both water and retardant. Enhancing current fleets of waterbombers with airtankers, capable of dropping both water and retardant, offers a solution to the question of how to fight new wildfire behavior.

Airtankers draw long lines of retardant around the fire perimeter while amphibious aircraft drop water on the fire

aerialfiremag.com | AF 43

AEM Acquires Eagle Audio Anodyne Electronics Manufacturing (AEM) Corp., a global provider of specialty aviation solutions has announced the acquisition of Eagle Audio Systems, a division of Eagle Copters Ltd. (Eagle).

The acquisition of the Calgary-based aircraft audio designer includes their flagship P139HD Digital Audio System and custom avionics consoles for the AS350 / H125 aircraft, as well as dimmer power supplies, audio mixers and power converters. The terms of the transaction also include the transfer of the company’s FAA, EASA, ANAC and TCCA STCs on multiple airframes including the AS350, 355 Bell 204, 205, 206 212, 214, 412, EC135 and BK117 platforms.

AEM_Eagle Audio System and Console.

Since acquiring the audio system from Geneva Aviation in 2013, Eagle Audio has developed their Generation II Digital Audio System to be one of the most capable systems in its class, supporting up to 18 headsets, 30 transceivers and 48 control panels. AEM is excited to take the reigns: “the Eagle Audio assets fit well within AEM’s skillsets and capabilities, and we are looking forward to supporting the existing customer base while introducing the product line to our varied and diverse global customers” said Tony Weller, Director of Sales and Marketing at AEM. “This is a powerful, flexible digital audio system and our customers will benefit from AEM’s investment in further development and certification of the product suite.” He added: “we are looking forward to continuing the legacy of an industryleading special mission digital audio system and complementary accessories, used by multiple high-profile operators in a variety of mission profiles.”

With a rich history in audio system design and as an approved supplier for many of the industry’s leading aircraft manufacturers, airborne audio was a logical vertical for AEM’s ambitious growth targets. “We’ve listened to our customers and are providing a solution to meet their audio requirements” said Brian Wall, CEO of AEM. ”The Aerospace sector is well-versed with the Eagle Audio products and can expect the same high quality and support previously provided by Eagle” he continued. “Given the lifespan of these fixed-

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wing and rotary platforms, it is critical that the audio and radio systems continue to be supported for years ahead. This is where AEM continues to meet and exceed our customers’ needs: through a culture of continuous improvement and leading by design.”

“Developing the Generation II Audio System has enabled us to provide a product that is secondto-none for our customer base, a relationship that we put first and foremost with anything we do” said Mike O’Reilly, CEO of Eagle Copters Ltd. “With our focus on helicopter leasing, sales, and MRO, it was time for our Audio division to move to a fully dedicated organization.” O’Reilly believes their audio products are in good hands with this acquisition: “We have worked with AEM for many years and, in fact, they have been a supplier for many components used in our Eagle Audio business”, he concluded: “for that reason, this transition will be a natural fit and seamless to our existing customers. We wish AEM all the best and standby them to create as seamless a transition as possible.”

THE PERFECT MATCH AEM Has Acquired Eagle Audio Some things are meant to be together: like AEM and Digital Audio. The acquisition of Eagle Audio means you have access to the industry’s smallest, lightest, most capable digital audio system, manufactured and supported by a Global leader of specialty aviation solutions. Building on decades of design, development, and manufacturing experience, AEM is proud to add the P139-HD Digital Audio System, P122 and P132 Switch Consoles, and other audio accessories to our diverse product suite.

Visit aem-corp.com to learn more.

aerialfiremag.com | AF 45 TM

Coulson CH-47 Chinook Firebombers Bound for Australia Two of the largest firebombing helicopters in the world, the Coulson Aviation CH-47D Chinooks will be in Australia for the first time this summer through new aircraft contracting arrangements for the country.

CH-47 Chinook Air Operations Drill.

Photo by Douglas Glen Morrison.

AFAC, through the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC), has confirmed Australia’s seasonal aircraft contracts for the next three years on behalf of the States and Territories. Coulson Aviation has been awarded contracts to provide a Chinook and a Sikorsky S-61 helitanker to Victoria, as well as a Large Air Tanker and a Chinook to New South Wales.

“Coulson is pleased to have been selected as the supplier for both the largest capacity airtankers and

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helicopters in Australia,” Britton Coulson, President and CEO of Coulson Aviation Australia said.

The Chinooks will be the largest volume helicopters in Australia, with the capacity to carry up to 11,000 litres of water or retardant. Both are capable of night fire suppression Night Vision Goggle (NVG) operations.

“Coulson is the only non-government entity to utilize Type 1 Helicopters to fight fire at night using NVG’s, and we know exactly what these helitankers can do and the difference they make,” Britt said.

“The CH-47D helitankers, with Coulson’s own RADS-L tanking system installed, have the highest

payload, fly at the fastest speed, and are the only high volume helicopters that are dropping at night.

“Coulson’s flight and maintenance crews are some of the most experienced in the industry and all share the same passion as we do for providing the best support to the ground firefighters.”

Two Coulson Chinooks, with a Sikorsky-S61 and a Sikorsky-S76, are in California as part of the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) program, which is a 24-7 cooperative operational concept between three fire jurisdictions of Orange, Los Angeles and Ventura Counties supported by Southern California Edison.

“Along with the proven aerial firefighting capabilities of the S-61 helicopter and our Large Airtankers which have successfully operated in Australia for many years, we’re confident these aircraft are a good choice to help to protect communities and firefighters if and when they’re needed,” Britt said.

Coulson Aviation Australia, the Australian arm of the global company, operates on behalf of the NSW Rural Fire Service its 737 Large Air Tanker, two Citations and two Bell 412 helicopters in Sydney. The company also supports the seasonal surge aircraft Coulson Aviation brings into the country every Australian summer.

“The 2021/2022 fire season marks Coulson’s 17th consecutive year in Australia,” Coulson Group CEO Wayne Coulson said.

“The addition of the CH-47D’s to Coulson’s existing Australian fleet of B-737’s, C-130’s, S-61’s, B-412’s, and Citation aircraft further solidifies Coulson’s commitment and long-standing relationship with government, agencies and the community to continue the battle against fire, 24/7.”

In Australia, NAFC contracts approximately 150 aircraft on behalf of state and territory governments. This fleet is supplemented by additional state-owned and statecontracted aircraft hired to meet peak demand across Australia.

Coulson Aviation assets work across four continents.

Coulson Aviation aircraft are operating in North America currently supporting an intense fire season.

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aerialfiremag.com | AF 47

Pratt & Whitney Awarded Funding by FAA for $50M Effort to Further Develop Sustainable Propulsion Technologies

Pratt & Whitney and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investing $50 million to develop an ultra-quiet engine fan and advanced combustion technology designed to reduce noise, emissions, and fuel consumption as part of the third phase of the FAA’s Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN III) initiative. Pratt & Whitney has been an FAA partner since the program’s inception in 2010.

Pratt & Whitney will match the FAA’s $25 million funding for the development of technologies that will continue to make jet engines more fuel efficient, leading to lower emissions, and helping make air travel more sustainable. Pratt & Whitney ushered in a new era of commercial propulsion with the introduction of the Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine for single-aisle aircraft in 2016.

Since its introduction in 2016, the GTF family of engines has helped 54 operators save more than 500 million gallons of jet fuel and avoid 4.9 million metric tonnes of CO2 over 9.3 million flight hours.

“We are honored to continue to partner with the FAA to explore advanced engine technologies AF 48 | aerialfiremag.com

and deliver additional significant fuel savings and environmental benefits. This third award is a result of our proven track record over the last 11 years, working on FAA CLEEN I and II strategies and deliverables,” said Frank Preli, vice president of propulsion and materials technologies at Pratt & Whitney.

Previous CLEEN awards in 2010 and 2015 supported the development of an ultra-low fan pressure ratio engine coupled with a short inlet, as well as compressor and turbine technologies that build upon the company’s revolutionary geared engine architecture. Pratt & Whitney will use these advancements as a base to drive even higher efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions in its GTF engines.

“Our GTF engines already offer the highest efficiency and lowest CO2 emissions for singleaisle aircraft – with a dramatically smaller noise footprint,” said Tom Pelland, senior vice president of GTF engines at Pratt & Whitney. “Today’s FAA CLEEN III award will help us build on that success and aligns with our focus on driving sustainable solutions for our customers and the industry.”

VELARY to Launch 4-Hour Flight UAV Wildfire Solution VELARY, an American aviation technology company, unveiled its 4-hour + flight Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology during the Commercial UAV Expo Americas September 7th in Las Vegas. Among other use cases, the aircraft are designed to protect first responders and flight crews confronting increasingly severe wildfires; VELARY’s set of fully autonomous, versatile, and scalable solutions are designed to save lives and help Western states more effectively address the now annual ‘wildfire season’ by assessing and modeling wildfire risk, detecting ignitions early, conducting aerial surveillance for command, and providing logistical support to the fire line.

“Sadly, the ferocity and scale of recent wildfires have become our new normal,” said Mihai Rozsa, CEO of VELARY. “To address this challenge, we have been working tirelessly over the past several years at VELARY to develop and bring to market leading edge technologies and applications to protect those on the front line and preserve our environment.” He added, “Sustainable, effective, and cost efficient solutions are critically needed in the immediate and near term, which is why VELARY has decided the time is now to present our next-generation aviation solutions to the world during the 2021 Commercial UAV Expo Americas.”

The company states in a press release that by safely integrating into existing airspace, VELARY’s scalable, versatile, environmentally conscious UAV solutions will complement and, in some cases, replace costlier helicopters and airplanes. VELARY’s hybrid powertrain design is a sustainable alternative to the aircraft currently used by many municipalities, better protecting marine and terrestrial environments. The UAVs can rapidly adapt to wildfire response scenarios and other use cases, allowing for extended range, autonomy and heavier payloads.

Capabilities of the VELARY platforms include: • Wildfire surveillance, fuel analysis, prevention, and prescribed burns • Early detection of ignition, aerial surveillance of fire behavior • Critical logistical support to the fire line for equipment, hose pulls, supplies • Eye-in-the-sky, transmitting streaming video and IR imagery to wildfire command • Dramatically lower fuel consumption as compared to a helicopter • Reduced noise profile as compared to a helicopter • All-weather, day or night, urban and rural flight capability • Extended range and autonomy • Vertical Take Off and Landing, eliminating the need for runway infrastructure The two UAV solutions to be presented at the Expo by VELARY, the LIFT 10 and LIFT 25, bring a new standard of sustainability to the market with unsurpassed flight times and payload capacities that are uniquely situated to perform in the public safety UAV space. LIFT 10 is ideally suited to carry out medium-range wildlands and wildfire fuel load analyses. It operates on a flight time of more than four hours and can carry a payload of 10kg (22 lbs.), with the ability to travel up to 150 nautical miles. LIFT 25 can operate for more than five hours, carries a payload of more than 25kg (55 lbs.), and can travel more than 300 nautical miles at a time. In addition, it can search, locate, and rescue and carry out regulated wildland control burn missions by dispensing incendiary capsules in preset patterns from the air.

aerialfiremag.com | AF 49

DART Aeropsace Announces Largest Firefighting Supply Agreement for Fire Attack Systems for S-70i Firehawk

AF 50 | aerialfiremag.com

DART Aerospace announced in October that the company has signed an agreement for the supply of a new generation of Fire Attack® Systems for the FIREHAWK®, supporting DART’s mission to be the industry leader in aerial firefighting equipment manufacturing. DART Aerospace will be partnering with United Rotorcraft, the exclusive completion center for the FIREHAWK®, for the development and certification of lightweight Fire Attack® systems.

“This contract is a testament to the quality and trust the firefighting industry has in DART Aerospace to develop quality, reliable fire attack systems to help operators and government agencies battle today’s growing wildfires,” says DART President & CEO Alain Madore. “It solidifies DART’s leading position as a development and production partner in the firefighting tank market and we expect long-term demand for tanks to increase for years to come.”

The systems will be developed and manufactured at DART’s Portland facility in Oregon, leveraging the latest design and manufacturing technologies to provide a 1,000-gallon belly tank combining lightweight materials and durability while offering an optimized drop pattern. The new FIREHAWK® tank is expected to receive an FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval in the second half of 2022.

“With the continued and growing trend in wildfire danger, this new generation of Fire Attack® Systems for the FIREHAWK® has never been more relevant,” said Larry Alexandre, president of United Rotorcraft. “This new tank technology will further establish the FIREHAWK® as the standard for aerial firefighting in the US and abroad and enhance its unmatched multi-mission capability.”

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aerialfiremag.com | AF 51

Turbine Conversions, Ltd Announces the Approval of Hatfield Hydraulic Fire Gate by ANAC Brazil

AT-502 doing a test drop in Brazil.

Turbine Conversions, Ltd founders Bill and Nancy Hatfield have been pioneers in the single engine air tanker equipment with their Hatfield Hydraulic Fire Gate. The gate was designed in a response to requests by SEAT pilots needing a reliable system that could live up to the demands of the operation.

The innovation of the Hatfield Hydraulic Fire Gate which received STC SA00961CH in 1998 filled this request. Bill & Nancy’s involvement in the early days of the Single Engine Air Tanker association (Bill as President and Nancy as Secretary) helped establish the foundation of the SEAT program as we see today in the United States.

The Hatfield Fire Gate became one of only 3 approved fire gates by the United States BLM/ USFS and started TCL’s expansion into support equipment for the Ag Aviation industry. TCL has received approval in Canada, Argentina and now Brazil on the systems. After two decades TCL fire gates continue to be reliable equipment fighting

AF 52 | aerialfiremag.com

fires on both sides of the Equator and now is approved by ANAC Brazil.

“TCL has been working to bring their fire gate technology to Brazil and is pleased with the recent ANAC approval. Our fire gate will be an essential tool in supporting the emerging firefighting program in Brazil. Approved for all models of Air Tractor (402,502, 602 and 802) makes it unique.

The Hatfield Fire Gate’s innovative longitudinal opening design features a less than 2 second full salvo drop, four level settings, Emergency Dump safety feature, light weight design, and proven reliable hydraulic system making it a leader in the industry. All fire gates are manufactured in a PMA FAA approved facility located in Nunica, Michigan USA. There is also a bypass adapter available so that aircraft can continue to make liquid spray applications while the fire gate is installed expanding the gates potential without any extra work.

TCL is confidently bringing this product to Brazil in cooperation with our partners with Brazilian

Turbine Conversions, Ltd

The Aviation Innovation Specialists since 1990

Hatfield Hydraulic Gate Fire Retardant Delivery System

Ag Aviation Industry leader Fabiano Zaccarelli and his team at AeroGlobo Aeronaves. “We have invested time and resources to prepare AeroGlobo Aeronaves’ team to support new owners of the Hatfield Fire Gate with quality installations, a network of technical support and an inventory of spare parts. Having worked with AeroGlobo Aeronaves since 2017 we are confident that Brazilian owners of TCL equipment will receive superior customer support equal to what our American customers receive” according to Ann Hatfield-Grahek, Director of International Sales. Our partners, AeroGlobo Aeronaves in Botucatu SP Brazil are available to provide quality sales, installation and parts support on TCL’s behalf”, Ann Hatfield-Grahek, “As a company we are very proud of the durability and reliability our fire gates. There is no excuse for down time while on a fire contracts and our track record in the field speaks for itself.”

Fighting Wildfires Around the World since 1998!

Western Pilot Services - Arizona STC SA00961CH STC SA00-45 Canada ANAC 2021S08-10 Brazil ANAC Argentina

The reliability and safety of the TCL Fire Gate has been proven in the field.

“Although there has been little need for parts support, we know that fires don’t stop because of technical issues and we won’t tolerate down time. This is why it is so important to have this infrastructure in place,” Bill Hatfield developer of the Hatfield Fire Gate and president of TCL, “We never want one of our customers to be down for any reason and their safety is our first priority.”

The first two fire gates are already in Brazil with more shipping soon. We are very excited to be working with AeroGlobo Aeronaves’ client Aeroterra Aviação Agricola Ltd located in Bahia state. Aeroterra Aviação Agricola is a pioneer in the single engine firefighting program and already has one Hatfield Fire Gates installed and working, with a second one scheduled to be install soon as part of their operation.

TCL is looking forward to returning in for the Congresso da Aviação Agrícola do Brazil 2022 in Sertãozinho - SP and demonstrating the Hatfield Fire Gate to its attendees. For more information before then please contact Aeroglobo Aeronaves at +55 14 3814-3450 or Ann Hatfield – Grahek ann@turbineconversions.com co

The original design which reduces pitch up after the drop & emergency “Blow Down” system makes the Hatfield Fire Gate a leader in Single Engine Aircraft Technology. Versatility to allow use of liquid spray equipment while installed so there is no need to disconnect to change to agricultural work.

Effective drop control, ease of maintenance, pilot friendly controls & lighter weight makes TCL’s gate the right choice in fire fighting equipment.

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Ann@turbineconversions.com

aerialfiremag.com | AF 53 TEL 616-837-9428

Greek Firefighting Season Ends as Many Aircraft Head to Australia for Season The Greek firefighting season came to a close this week as crews from all over the world began the process of packing their aircraft to return home for maintenance or head on to the next mission, with some aircraft headed directly to Australia as the southern fire season begins.

Australian Consular General to Greece, Sue Parkes hosted the crews of the six Mc Dermott aviation (Heli-Lift Australia) Bell 214B’s that assisted in Greek firefighting efforts all season this week as a final farewell to the crews and aircraft as they begin their trip home via the Russian Antonov AN-124 heavy cargo aircraft to begin work in Perth, Western Australia and other locations around the country.

The Mc Dermott crews were in the country for a period of two months, flying over 155 flight hours that consisted of 986 water drops, dropping 2,460 tons of water during firefighting operations in Greece according to information supplied by McDermott Aviation.

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Firefighting operations in Greece are accomplished by international cooperative agreements with several Greek companies that source international helicopter operators to provide support for firefighting, such as Mc Dermott Aviation, Erickson Incorporated, and Heli-Sky to name a few, that provide aircraft that include the Erickson S-64 Air-Crane, Bell 214, and several Mi-8’s deployed around the country to various bases that have all seen action this season.

In addition to contract resources, Greece also operates several state-owned assets that include several CL-415 water-bombing aircraft. This year also saw international support provided by the Russian government, who sent several Mi-8 aircraft with buckets to provide mutual assistance during this season which proved to be one of the busiest seasons on record for aerial firefighting.

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Erickson S-64 Air Crane to Return to Australian Skies The Erickson Air-Crane will return to Australia this year, although with a much smaller footprint than previous years. In a statement distributed to AerialFire today, Kestrel Aviation, Erickson’s Australian partner noted that only one Air-Crane will be returning to Australia this year versus the previous several year’s contingents of six aircraft dispatched around the country. The statement from Kestrel Aviation read: After providing exemplary aerial firefighting services to fire agencies around Australia for over two decades, the legendary Erickson S-64 Air Crane® helicopter will return as part of the country’s seasonal aerial firefighting fleet.

The S-64 Air Crane® helicopter is the world’s most proven type-1 high-volume helicopter which has a successful track record of operations in Australia and around the world.

Fitted with a 10,000-litre tank, the aircraft has the unique ability to refill its tank in 45-seconds from either fresh or saltwater sources thanks to its flexible hose snorkel or patented retractable hydrodynamic dive plane, a feature which has meant the Air Crane® has been the go-to versatile firebombing solution for fire agencies around the world.

“The Air Crane® is an iconic platform that has become synonymous with aerial firefighting in Australia thanks to the folklore that surrounded Elvis, the aircraft that was credited with saving the lives of fourteen firefighters in the Burragorang Valley in 2001” says Ray Cronin, Kestrel’s Managing Director. Continuing, “the aircraft provides leading availability, and has been extremely effective in Australia’s tough conditions.

Whilst disappointed that we will see a reduction in the number of aircraft that will be based in Australia, we remain committed with Erickson to supporting the Air Crane® program in Australia.”

Elvis, named after the legendary singer who also served with the National Guard in Memphis where AF 56 | aerialfiremag.com

the aircraft was also based, last called Australia home in 2013 and continues to be a point of reference with the public for the orange giants of the sky. Over the past few seasons, Georgia Peach, Elsie, Jerry, Gypsy Lady, Marty, and Delilah had been deployed down under.

Kestrel Aviation and Erickson will continue their strong relationship in bringing the S-64 Air Crane® aircraft to our shores, seeing a return to the highperformance F-model aircraft and introducing the innovative composite main rotor blade program to Australia, a modification that sees increased lift capacity which will further increase this aircraft’s already impressive firebombing performance and maximum external cargo capacity of 11,340kg.

Bubba (registration N163AC) will be based at Moorabbin Airport in Victoria from this year after being awarded a contract under the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) arrangements.

Since 1992, Erickson have held the type certificate for the S-64 Air Crane® helicopter, both E and F models, and have implemented over 4,000 innovative improvements to the original Sikorsky design which first flew in the early 1960’s and played an active role with the United States Army during the Vietnam War.

“We remain committed to supporting firefighters on the ground” says Brittany Black, Erickson’s SVP of Sales, Marketing and Business Development.

Continuing “with seemingly longer periods of bushfire activity, having the right aircraft for the conditions is key to ensuring that fires can be contained before they spread. This is what Erickson has developed the Air Crane® helicopter to do – be the heavy hitter when it’s needed!”

The Erickson fleet has been busy since it departed Australia in April 2021, playing a significant part in the devastating and simultaneous fire activity that has impacted both North America and the Mediterranean regions of Europe during the northern summer.

“It has been a significant undertaking this year, however as a global leader in providing highvolume helicopters, we’ve been able to achieve a continuation of our industry leading levels of availability, which leads to having the S-64 Air Crane® helicopter ready when they’re needed.” comments Erick Nodland, Vice President of Operations.

The Air Crane® helicopter will form part of Kestrel’s wider domestically based fleet that includes its Bell Mediums, Black Hawk, and Super Puma aircraft placed in strategic locations in Victoria and New South Wales.

U.S. Forest Service Says Goodbye to the Cobra The United States Forest Service said goodbye on October 16th to their Vietnam war-era Cobra helicopters as an aerial attack platform.

with the transition, local communities and wildland firefighters will be better served by the advancements in modern technology.

The final aircraft took its final flight as its sister Bell 209/AH-1 was already in various stages of dismantling at the Redding, California base as seen by AerialFire during a visit several months ago.

The two Forest Service-owned AH109 helicopters were repurposed Vietnam War-era, U.S. Army attack helicopters for fire aviation, aerial supervision, and intelligence work. They served the Forest Service for nineteen years and reached their maximum lifespan after flying approximately 7,600 flight hours with the Cobra program.

In a press release on the retirement, the Forest Service stated: This past Saturday, the last remaining USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest (Region 5) Firewatch Cobra Program Vietnam War-era helicopter took its final flight as we transition to a new era of aerial supervision utilizing modern helicopters and implement modern technologies like fixed-wing aircraft to service a larger landscape. Additionally, Region 5 has stood up an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Program to reduce risk and hazards to firefighters both in the air and on the ground.

The roles previously served by the two Cobra helicopters will be performed by a combination of three modern platforms: new helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and UAS. There is no reduction in firefighting surveillance or operational capabilities

Right: One of the Bell 209/ AH-1 Cobra’s in the U.S. Forest Service Fleet flies over fires in California. Photo by Mike Murawski Left: The last remaining Cobra in the process of it’s last stage check at the Redding Air Attack base in California. Photo by Ryan Mason

AF 58 | aerialfiremag.com

“The Forest Service thanks all the pilots, mechanics, aerial supervisors, and program managers that made the Cobra program a success,” said Robert Baird, Director of Fire and Aviation Management for Region 5. “The next generation of equipment will continue this critical mission of public safety and protection.”

The U.S. Forest Service has utilized the Cobra platform for many years, but due to the age of the helicopter first used in the Vietnam War, parts are becoming harder to locate for the agency, forcing it to retire the aging platform in favor of completing the mission performed by the iconic helicopter with a mix of UAS platforms and fixed wing assets.

CAL FIRE Receives S-70i Firehawk with Axnes PNG Wireless Intercom System Mission Wireless Intercom innovator and leader Axnes announced in October that California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) received an additional S-70i Firehawk helicopter recently with their PNG Wireless Intercommunication System (WICS) installed. This makes seven Firehawk’s delivered to CAL FIRE thus far, out of an order of twelve total. The PNG WICS features NVG compatibility, push-to-talk (PTT) and voice activation (VOX) functions that allow easy integration of the MP50 handset transceiver into their mission set, along with multiple civil, parapublic and military mission profiles.

The integration of the Axnes PNG WICS was performed by United Rotorcraft in Denver, where the S-70i airframes are equipped with mission equipment, including internal audio integration and two PNG MP50 handsets, to allow crews to operate inside and outside of the aircraft with full-duplex crew communication via wireless intercom.

Eventually, twelve (12) CAL FIRE S-70i Firehawk aircraft will be equipped with the Axnes wireless intercom to improve crew safety, situational awareness, enhancing communications for mission efficiency.

The MP50 handsets used by CAL FIRE is housed in a waterproof, rugged aluminium case and includes a two-to-three-mile range and secure AES 256bit secure encryption. Battery life of the MP50 handsets include 30 hours of standby time and up to 12 hours of continuous operation.

wireless communication with its full AES 256 grade encryption.”

The DO-160G (environmental-airborne) and DO178C (software-airborne) qualified PNG WICS is integrated with the aircraft Becker Avionics DVC6100 digital intercom system, increasing mission capability and operational safety for the most challenging scenarios, particular during rescue hoist missions.

Zach Boyce, Fire Captain and Training Cadre Member at CAL FIRE stated, “We operate our new high-performance Firehawk helicopters under very challenging conditions, so safety and crew awareness are very important to us. Axnes’ unique wireless intercom technology was essential to us because it provides excellent full-duplex wireless ICS capability, allowing seamless crew communications inside and outside of our aircraft in high noise environments. We were also attracted to their PNG product due to its unique adaptive noise and echo canceling technology and its “hands-free” VOX capabilities, which are vital to enhancing our firefighting missions.”

The PNG WICS system is designed for integration into any aircraft communications suite, or it can be deployed as a standalone portable system. PNG provides robust, reliable, clear, and secure, fullduplex communications to crew members who are either wired or wireless.

Axnes is proud to be the trusted partner for the wireless intercom technology on the CAL FIRE Firehawk program,” said Brett Gardner, Vice President at Axnes Inc. “The PNG system brings unprecedented situational awareness and safety to CAL FIRE crews, freeing them from having to be connected to ICS drop cords.” Our equipment is easy to operate and enhances their mission capabilities. Plus, PNG enables secure line-of-sight aerialfiremag.com | AF 61

Australia’s Sovereign Year Round Firefighting Capability In preparation for the next fire season, the Australian Government has announced the addition of a Large Air Tanker to provide year round aerial firefighting capability.

Minister for Emergency Management Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie said an annual $4 million boost to the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) will allow a Large Air Tanker to be based in Australia to be readily available for our earlier starting and later finishing fire seasons.

“The Black Summer bushfires were one of the worst natural disasters in our nation’s history.

Having our own water bomber ready for action all year round will allow fire fighters to respond quickly and effectively, saving lives, livelihoods and homes,” Senator McKenzie said.

“This Tanker will reduce our reliance on overseas aircraft and together with existing aerial firefighting resources will ensure we are well prepared to combat the threat of bushfires across the country.

A sophisticated fleet of more than 150 specialised, highly mobile aircraft are positioned AF 62 | aerialfiremag.com

around the country to respond to bushfires, protect communities and to support firefighters on the ground.

“The vast capacity of these aircraft, combined with the hard work of firefighters on the ground, and a well-prepared community, will make the difference.

“We have acted on the recommendation of the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements Final Report for an aerial firefighting capability to be tasked according to the greatest national need,” Senator McKenzie said.

In total, the Australian Government has increased its annual investment in aerial firefighting to more than $30 million for the National Aerial Firefighting Centre to ensure additional resources are available to firefighters.

“By working together to pool our resources, all jurisdictions can get the maximum value for money and ensure that Australians are protected by the best aerial firefighting equipment possible.

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San Diego County’s First ‘Heli-Hydrant’ Ready For Duty Just in time for the peak of wildfire season, San Diego County’s first heli-hydrant is now accessible to the region’s fleet of fire-fighting helicopters to help combat wildfires.

This new 5,000-gallon water tank can be continuously refilled and remotely controlled by a helicopter pilot, just the way fire trucks hook up to hydrants on the street.

It takes approximately five minutes to fill a helicopter tank from empty.

North County Fire Protection District Chief Keith McReynolds says there are a lot of devastating wildfires in this region. His district partnered with the Rainbow Municipal Water Department and CAL FIRE San Diego to build the helihydrant.

“To have a dedicated water source like this, a water resource is incredibly valuable and we certainly will be using it, hopefully not too soon, but I’m sure it will eventually see some use,” McReynolds said.

This partnership is known as the Rapid Aerial Water Supply system. It’s designed to proactively combat wildfires and protect life and property.

AF 64 | aerialfiremag.com

The Heli-Hydrant is an innovative fire protection solution aimed at maximizing the water dropping capabilities of helicopters, to protect both wildlife and communities from wildfires. Strategically placed across fire-prone wildland areas, the Heli-Hydrant seamlessly integrates into already existing hydrants or municipal water systems and acts as a refillable and efficient water source for helicopters. Allowing for a quicker aerial response time, the Heli-Hydrant ensures multiple helicopters have rapid and efficient access to clean water across large areas to fight wildfires faster.

Sitting as either a hot dipped galvanized or factory powder coated open-top bolted steel tank, the Heli-Hydrant asserts itself as the newest innovation for water-dropping helicopters to dip and refill their water snorkels with ease, reliability and convenience. The Heli-Hydrant has to potential to save our land, our property, our communities and our neighbors from the destruction of wildfires. The billions of dollars spent each year on treating burned homes and cities can be spent on investing in our cities, not rebuilding them. Our mission for the Heli-Hydrant is create safer communities for all, so that one day, the headlining story for fire season will be that there is no story.

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Flightcell and AMS Join Forces to Create Advanced Aerial Firefighting Reporting Tool Flightcell announced this month that their flagship product, the DZMx, now integrates seamlessly with Airborne Mission Systems’ AFDAU-T1 (Aerial Firefighting Data Acquisition Unit), providing further efficiency improvements and benefits to aerial firefighting operators. Integrating both state-of-the-art products allows for the immediate transmission of valuable data to allow air crew and ground operators to make well informed and real time decisions to tackle fires from above.

The key benefits of integrating the DZMx and AFDAU-T1 are:

Enhanced Features Get the best of both worlds with advanced inflight calling and tracking capabilities including WIFI and Bluetooth of the DZMx and the reliability and accuracy of the AFDAU-T1 providing event reporting compliancy for aerial firefighting operations, including fill events, drop events, additive type, engine start/stop and aircraft takeoff and landings.

Smarter Volume Detection AFDAU-T1 automatically calibrates your bucket to ensure accuracy, safety, and efficiency. Minimal pilot interaction is required, even when swapping buckets in a slung load configuration. When integrated with the DZMx, data is transmitted immediately over satellite or cellular networks, providing real time situational awareness.

Flexible Integration Both the DZMx and AFDAU-T1 have been designed to integrate with a wide range of aircraft systems and sensors, and once installed both devices require minimal pilot input in a busy cockpit.

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Fully NAFC & USFS Compliant The DZMx and AFDAU-T1 are fully NAFC Ops14 & USFS ATU compliant for automated data capture of fill/drop data for bucket and tank work.

“After much testing and analysis we fully support and believe the AFDAU-T1 product is aligned with our product leadership strategy and saw value in endorsing this product to bring even greater value to aerial firefighting operators” says Shawn Deaker. With what has been the worst fires in record across North America and Europe, it is becoming increasingly imperative to obtain precise and accurate real time data to safely tackle fires.

“When integrating the AFDAU-T1 with our DZMx, operators will experience further efficiency and productivity improvements, which translates to more time fighting fires and less time conducting dry runs” says Shawn Deaker, Sales Manager at Flightcell.

Zane Vohland, Managing Director or AMS goes on to say, “We created AFDAU-T1 to be affordable, easy-to-use, and to reliably capture accurate event data. Now with the collaboration between AMS and Flightcell in integrating the AFDAU-T1 with the DZMx, this has provided an advanced feature rich solution for firefighting operators.”

aerialfiremag.com | AF 67

Reserve C-130 MAFFS Teams Fly Second Busiest Wildfire Season The 302nd Airlift Wing has three C-130 Hercules aircraft flying sorties out of McClellan Air Tanker Base this year in Sacramento County, California, performing an aerial firefighting mission unique within the Air Force Reserve.

Since first being activated July 20, the 302 AW has been working together with other military aircraft from Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd AW, Wyoming ANG’s 153rd AW, and California ANG’s 146th AW to drop millions of gallons of fire retardant in support of fire suppression efforts in California.

C-130 aircraft like tanker 9 (pictured) have been an essential part of aerial firefighting in the country’s west this fire season.

Photo by U.S. Air

On Aug. 25, all eight C-130 aerial firefighting aircraft were activated for the first time since 2012. The aircraft are equipped with a U.S. Forest Service Modular Airborne Firefighting System unit loaded in the cargo bay without requiring any structural modifications to the airframe, enabling crews to drop up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant in less than 5 seconds over a quarter-mile stretch of land.

Force.

As of Sept. 12, the combined effort of these units has resulted in the delivery of 23 million pounds of fire retardant through 925 drops over a variety of fires since ANG assistance was first requested on June 26. This has been the second-highest producing season in the 48-year history of MAFFS. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CAL FIRE, the host unit at McClellan ATB, also broke personal records this year by mixing and delivering 6.5 million gallons of fire retardant supporting military and civilian aerial firefighting aircraft alike.

“Everything we do is to support the work accomplished by the crews on the ground,” said Lt. Col. Brad Ross, 302nd Operations Group commander. “With a few rare exceptions, the retardant drops cannot put out a fire on their own, but slow the fire and reinforce lines laid by the firefighters providing a better opportunity to contain the fire.”

AF 68 | aerialfiremag.com

Ross said firefighting efforts have been focused on the Dixie, Caldor, Antelope, River Complex, Monument, French and several other smaller fires. Each fire presents its own unique challenge, whether it’s variations in terrain, problems with visibility, or ensuring separation from other aircraft on larger fires. Even though there are wellestablished procedures preparing crews for these challenges, that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

“Flying MAFFS is the most tactical, challenging flying that we do outside of deployed combat zones,” said Master Sgt. Michael Davenport, 731st Airlift Squadron loadmaster. “Low-level flying in the mountains over ridges and through valleys for retardant drops 150-200 feet above ground level while considering weather and fire conditions requires the best, most experienced aircrews a squadron has to offer.”

Davenport said the most important part of MAFFS is maintaining situational awareness. Each crew member needs to be aware of everything happening around them while flying to and from fires. Everyone is listening to radio calls, watching airspeeds and altitudes, monitoring aircraft and MAFFS systems while communicating with one another every step of the way. Situational awareness and warding off tunnel vision are vital for flying in general, but significantly more important when flying over wildfires.

The number of drops on any given day depends on a wide variety of factors. During calm days with no breeze it’s possible for smoke to linger and greatly impact visibility during flight, limiting the ability of crews to drop. They also don’t fly before sunrise or after sunset because it adds another layer of risk to an already challenging mission. But, when conditions are right, it’s possible for one crew to perform 15 drops in a single day.

Everybody needs to be ready to go within minutes in case a launch order is called for, and crews are often on standby until sunset. Each drop involves a

coordinated effort between aircrew, maintenance teams, CAL FIRE ground crew, and the U.S. Forest Service to ensure the process goes as smoothly and safely as possible, from the moment the aircraft starts to the moment the fire retardant is discharged.

“All of us take a tremendous amount of pride from being a part of flying the MAFFS mission,” Davenport said. “Every year we see firsthand what kind of destruction wildfires can cause, so it’s an honor to be part of a larger effort to stop them and keep people safe.”

At one point during the season, all eight military aircraft were airborne at the same time working together to fight the Dixie fire on its eastern and

western zones. Ross said it can be challenging maneuvering that many aircraft at once during the loading pits when they come down to refill their MAFFS tanks.

“The time commitments from our maintenance and operations personnel on scene are significant,” Ross said. “Our stated mission is to supply two planes and crews, but now we’re providing three and doing so very successfully.

Our C-130s have retained a remarkable mission capable rate due to the hard work and dedication from the 302nd Maintenance Group, and getting large amounts of people and equipment out to support the operation doesn’t come together without the help of nearly every unit in the 302nd Mission Support Group.”

Ross said the number of drops happening wouldn’t be possible without the extensive efforts of the 302nd MXG team committed to keeping the aircraft flying. Of the three aircraft the 302nd AW has supplied to the firefighting efforts, only one has been down so far due to maintenance issues which were resolved quickly. Another aircraft was down for a major inspection that takes a week during normal operations, but the team finished in just four days. Maintainers have been providing a 100% aircraft commitment rate for two months, which is unheard of according to Ross.

Lt. Col. Richard Pantusa, 302nd AW aerial firefighting chief, said crews flying C-130s work alongside other aircraft such as federally-activated large and very large air tankers, Air Force RC-26 infrared imaging platforms, helicopters, aerial supervision and water scooper aircraft. They also work together with California State S-2 trackers and OV-10 broncos, helicopters and various other manned and unmanned planes. Aircraft from as far as Australia have been joining the fire suppression efforts this year.

“It required careful coordination between wing leadership, our partner wings in the ANG, and the National Interagency Fire Center, to ensure that we were able to support the requirements of the firefighting effort this year,” Pantusa said. “Our MAFFS team never ceases to amaze me, with many of our operations, maintenance, and logistics folks jumping in with overwhelming motivation to do this mission well.”

Only experienced aircrew are eligible to become qualified to perform the dangerous aerial firefighting mission, said Pantusa. They’re selected from within the 731st AS aircrews and require several years of flying experience in a variety of deployed and domestic operations prior to meeting the initial MAFFS qualification threshold.

Once they meet the requirement, they’re trained during an annual training event hosted by the U.S. Forest Service. All MAFFS-certified crews attend this training every year.

The 302nd AW has 10 MAFFS-certified crews prepared to support the mission with three currently flying, swapped out weekly.

In the 1970s, Congress established the MAFFS Program to aid the United States Department AF 70 | aerialfiremag.com

of Agriculture Forest Service. Typically, when all other civilian air tankers are activated but further assistance is needed, the U.S. Forest Service, through the National Interagency Fire Center, can request the aid of the U.S. Air Force’s MAFFS flying units.

MAFFS is a mission that highlights interagency cooperation. The 302nd AW works in concert with NIFC and the U.S. Forest Service. NIFC serves as a focal point for coordinating the national mobilization of resources for wildland fire. When it is determined MAFFS will be utilized, NIFC through U.S. Northern Command requests Air Force resources.

Pantusa said conditions for wildfires in 2021 are at elevated levels over large portions of the Western United States, and all types of resources have been activated to support the national effort.

The military aerial firefighting efforts are expected to continue through to the end of October.

New DOI / USFS Aviation Helmets Standard on flight helmets for Air Tractor Aircraft The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently approved a standard that enables the use of new flight helmets for pilots of Air Tractor® aircraft, models AT-504, AT-602, AT-802 and AT-802A. The standard was developed by the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Aviation Services and supported by the United States Forest Service (USFS). With the approval of the FAA, this type of helmet is added to those already approved by the Mil-Spec military specifications and by the Department of Transportation (DOT) for use in the aircraft models mentioned above.

Although the FAA does not require a helmet on all other Air Tractor aircraft models, the manufacturer recommends that pilots use an appropriate flight helmet on all models of their aircraft.

In 2017, the OAS established that, while standards containing DOT and Mil-Spec specifications on flight helmets have long existed, until now, no government regulator has written such a standard for civil aviation.

helmets in aviation for firefighting in the USA. The new DOI / USFS Aviation Helmets Standard directly affects pilots operating agricultural aircraft and aircraft for firefighting.

In July, the FAA approved the use of DOI / USFS helmets on Air Tractor aircraft, for which Mil-Spec and DOT helmets are still in effect. “All Air Tractor pilots should include a quality flight helmet in their safety gear,” says Jim Hirsch, President of Air Tractor. “We are pleased to know that the approval of these helmets gives pilots more alternatives.”

From here, you can access the list of companies that manufacture flight helmets according to the DOI / USFS Aviation Helmets Standard: https:// www.doi.gov/aviation/safety/helmet All operators of the Air Tractor AT-504, AT-602, AT-802 and AT-802A models must request from their Air Tractor dealer a new identification plate to place on the aircraft and the new pages of the standard to update the manual Of flight..

As a result, the OAS commissioned the Southwest Research Institute to develop a standard that would allow the use of approved non-military aerialfiremag.com | AF 71

Jeffrey Cavarra Joins Bridger Aerospace Bridger Aerospace Group, LLC announced today that Jeffrey Cavarra has been hired as the new Vice President of Business Development as of September 1st, 2021.

Mr. Cavarra joins Bridger after an 18-year tenure at Amentum (previously DynCorp International), where he served most recently as Program Director. Cavarra will bring his experience in Aerial Firefighting Program Management to the Company to extend the high quality of service Bridger provides to partners domestically and internationally.

Cavarra will bring his experience in Aerial Firefighting Program Management to the Company to extend the high quality of service Bridger provides.

At Amentum, Cavarra worked closely with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), where he played a crucial role in expanding Amentum’s partnership with the CAL FIRE Aviation program and helped Amentum maintain a positive and productive relationship with CAL FIRE.

AF 72 | aerialfiremag.com

“I am thrilled and excited to join the Bridger team, and my goal is to help continue and expand the outstanding services that Bridger provides to citizens, firefighters, and property affected by wildfire,” Cavarra said.

In connection with Cavarra’s hiring, Tim Sheehy, CEO at Bridger stated “We are proud to have Jeff join our team. His broad experience building highperforming organizations engaged in the aerial firefighting industry will enhance our ability to pursue our mission of saving lives and supporting firefighters on the ground.”

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Shoot from the Stars: Startup Provides Early Detection of Wildfires from Space Wildfires are responsible for about 6 percent of the planet’s CO2 emissions, according to Earth System Science Data. Australia’s bushfire season of 2019-2020 alone saw over 46 million acres of land devastated by wildfire, including the loss of almost half a billion mammals, birds and reptiles.

NVIDIA Inception member OroraTech is addressing these issues head-on with its wildfire detection and monitoring service.

Combining data from predominantly satellites but also ground-based cameras, aerial observations and local weather information, the Munich-based startup is taking on the challenge of preventing one of today’s most prevalent disasters.

“Wildfires are a natural phenomenon — but global warming is making it worse,” said Björn Stoffers, one of the company’s co-founders.

“There are more droughts, pest infestation, higher temperatures and humans are building houses in wildfire-prone areas. Our goal is to monitor wildfires around the world and detect every fire within 30 minutes.”

Detection From Start to Finish Data suggests global warming might be happening faster than we thought. Temperatures are rising, carbon dioxide levels are at their highest and AF 74 | aerialfiremag.com

extreme weather events are happening more frequently. Preventing wildfires is one route to reducing a sizable chunk of CO2 emissions, not to mention saving lives and property.

OroraTech provides risk assessment features to help monitor areas before wildfires can appear. Its holistic approach analyzes a fire risk index, wind particle layers, and the greenness of vegetation and moisture levels to highlight vulnerable areas where a potential wildfire can easily spread.

Early detection and real-time monitoring are used during an active wildfire. Using imagery from 19 satellites and many ground-based cameras, the company’s system can detect wildfires even in remote areas and then present visuals of the area and fire progression over time.

In Mozambique’s Niassa Special Reserve, the Wildlife Conservation Society has already put OroraTech’s system to good use. Wildfire alerts enabled rangers to prevent a base camp from burning down with only 100 meters between the camp and the blaze.

The system also provides damage analysis to review air pollution, fire origin and burned area after a wildfire has taken place.

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Perimeter Solutions Gains Forest Service Approval for Uncolored Version PHOS-CHECK Perimeter Solutions announced in the second week of October that its ground-based long-term fire retardant PHOS-CHEK LCE20W is now on the USDA Forest Service (USFS) Qualified Products List (QPL).

PHOS-CHEK LCE20W is an uncolored version of Perimeter Solutions flagship long-term fire retardant, PHOS-CHEK LCE20-Fx, which is a red solution dropped from aircraft during active wildfires to prevent their spread. PHOS-CHEK LCE20W is delivered to application sites as a low-viscosity liquid. It is a next generation solution that can be applied on vegetation and other surfaces around vulnerable facilities to protect them from wildfires. An innovative 100% phosphate product, this new formula combines high performance with improved environmental characteristics. This new retardant also improves stability, making it easier to handle and store.

“The introduction of PHOS-CHEK LCE20W demonstrates our continuous efforts to develop solutions that save lives, while improving on the environmental profile of our products,” says Edward Goldberg, CEO of Perimeter Solutions.

“Wildfires are growing in intensity and the amount of devastation they cause is increasing exponentially. In the years ahead, we will see fire management organizations becoming more AF 76 | aerialfiremag.com

proactive when it comes to wildfire prevention.

PHOS-CHEK LCE20W along with PHOS-CHEK FORTIFY® ground-based long-term fire retardant, which was also added to the QPL this month, are two valuable resources that can be used to help stop wildfires before they start.”

Products included on the QPL are approved after a rigorous testing and evaluation period. These include testing to ensure low levels of mammalian and aquatic toxicity, as well as evaluations of impact on human health and the environment.

Retardants added to the list are also put through corrosion testing and measured for retardant efficacy. PHOS-CHEK LCE20W has met all the criteria to be listed on the QPL, and it now can be used on federal and most state forest lands in the United States. With the addition of PHOS-CHEK LCE20W and PHOS-CHEK FORTIFY, Perimeter Solutions now has 10 long-term fire retardants on the QPL, more than any other organization.

“Our line of PHOS-CHEK LC95 products were the fire safety industry standard for more almost two decades. With the improvements that we have made to its effectiveness and environmental profile, we believe the PHOS-CHEK LCE20 line, including PHOS-CHEK LCE20W, will be the standard for years to come,” says Melissa Kim, Director of R&D at Perimeter Solutions.

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Perimeter Solutions’ PHOS-CHEK® FORTIFY® Now Qualified by USDA Forest Service for Application as a Proactive Wildfire Solution Clayton, MO 1 – Perimeter Solutions, makers of PHOS-CHEK® long-term fire retardant and other high-quality firefighting products, announced today that its ground-based long-term fire retardant PHOS-CHEK FORTIFY® has been added to the USDA Forest Service (USFS) Qualified Products List (QPL), making it the first and only highly-durable fire retardant that has been approved by USDA Forest Service for preventative application on U.S. federal lands.

Uncolored, Ground-Based Retardant able to Help Prevent Wildfire Ignitions and Protect Assets with a Single Annual Application

PHOS-CHEK FORTIFY incorporates breakthrough VISMOTECH technology, a hydrogel platform developed by Stanford University and MIT before Perimeter Solutions acquired the global exclusive rights to the technology. The PHOSCHEK FORTIFY formulation builds on PHOSCHEK’s almost 60 years of proven retardant effectiveness and is formulated with patented polymer technology to provide enhanced durability to weathering as well as adherence to vegetation.

It can be applied on flammable vegetation and cellulosic material early in the fire season before a wildfire approaches and provides ongoing protection, remaining effective until a significant rain event of one inch or more. Unlike retardant dropped from aircraft, which is colored to help pilots track where the retardant is dropped during active wildfires, the durable PHOS-CHEK FORTIFY fire retardant is uncolored and precision applied from the ground.

Products included on the QPL are approved after a rigorous testing and evaluation period. These include testing to ensure low levels of mammalian and aquatic toxicity, as well as evaluations of impact on human health and the environment.

The retardant is also put through corrosion testing and measured for retardant efficacy. PHOS-CHEK FORTIFY has met all the criteria to be listed on the QPL, and it now can be used on federal and most state forest lands in the United States. The listing should also enable application of FORTIFY

AF 78 | aerialfiremag.com

globally, as other countries, including Canada and Australia, have previously approved QPL-listed long-term fire retardants to be used.

“Having a product added to the USDA Forest Service QPL is a years-long endeavor, and I appreciate the prior dedication and commitment, as well as the work of the team at Perimeter Solutions to get this across the finish line,” says Edward Goldberg, CEO of Perimeter Solutions.

“PHOS-CHEK has achieved many firsts. It was the first phosphate-based, long-term fire retardant included on the QPL in 1963, and I am proud of the fact that PHOS-CHEK FORTIFY is now the first highly-durable, preventative long-term retardant approved for use.”

PHOS-CHEK FORTIFY was developed in 2018, and over the past three years, utilities, railroads, insurance companies, homeowners and other industries have widely adopted it as a solution to prevent wildfire ignitions and proactively protect their property from wildfires. With a mix ratio of 5.0:1, it is one of the most effective pretreatment products on the QPL, and its listing provides a pathway for environmental and legal approval that is needed for a broad and rapid adoption of the preventative and proactive wildfire solution by government agencies, military, utilities, and state and federal transportation agencies.

In a single year, there were 37 fire starts along a four-mile stretch on California’s Route 118 in what is known as Rocky Peak. PHOS-CHEK FORTIFY was applied to the same area prior to the following wildfire season, and not one fire was recorded that summer. The retardant was also applied along the roadway and under utility lines in Wildcat Canyon located in San Diego County in California, where a wildfire ignition was recorded.

What was projected to be a half-acre to oneacre fire was reduced in size by 99% due to the proactive application of PHOS-CHEK FORTIFY.

Use of PHOS-CHEK FORTIFY as a preventative solution is an environmentally responsible choice, as it eliminates the need to kill the vegetation with dangerous herbicides, clear vegetation to bare mineral soil, or cut down significant forest assets to prevent fire starts.

Leaving vegetation intact may lead to greater microbial health in the soil, can help to maintain both plant and animal habitats, and may help reduce the risk for erosion and nutrient runoff.

“With PHOS-CHEK FORTIFY added to the QPL, there is now a preventative long-term fire retardant that is expected to be rapidly adopted for use ahead of the 2022 wildfire season.

Preventative use of the long-term retardant can now officially be part of a cohesive strategy for helping to prevent wildfire ignitions, and we expect it to become the standard for utility companies and transportation agencies, railroads, forestry owners, and even insurance companies. With preventative use of long-term fire retardant now approved for use on federal lands preventatively, we believe there is nothing that will hold back commercial and government organizations in taking a more proactive approach to fighting wildfires,” says Wes Bolsen, Director of Wildfire Prevention and Protection at Perimeter Solutions.

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FROM THE FAA Leo M. Hattrup, M.D.

Hypoxia The scenery is often spectacular when flying close to the ground, but there are many advantages gained by flying at higher altitudes. Communication improves, as does navigation (other than GPS). Convective activity often decreases. Flight visibility (if out of the clouds) and true airspeed both benefit from higher altitudes. But these benefits come at a cost.

As one ascends, the ambient pressure decreases. On average, it decreases one inch Hg for every 1,000 feet up to 18,000 feet. The rate of decrease is not linear, although close. From sea level (at 29.92 inches Hg on a standard day), pressure decreases by half to about 14.9 inches Hg at 18,000 feet.

As pressure decreases, gas expands. That includes the gas in your intestinal tract, sinuses, and ears.

This is not an issue if the pressure can be relieved. If blocked, though, incapacitating pain can result. We therefore recommend not flying with a cold or congestion, even if you’re asymptomatic on medications. Gas introduced from medical procedures, even dental work, will also expand and might not have an escape route. I highly encourage discussing these issues with your treating physician (or, even better, your AME) before getting into an aircraft (personal or commercial).

In addition to pressure, the amount of available oxygen also decreases when you ascend. Even though the percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere is nearly constant at 21%, the amount of pressure is less, resulting in one half the amount of oxygen at 18,000 feet than at sea level. This is typically not a problem for someone young and fit, but most risk factors for decompression sickness (DCS) also increase the risk of hypoxia (below). Use of supplemental oxygen is highly recommended above 5,000 feet, especially at night. 14 CFR section 91.211 outlines the legal requirements, but these are minima. Note also that the nasal cannula, preferred by many pilots, is inadequate for the higher altitudes.

Oxygen is carried in the blood primarily on the hemoglobin molecule (98%) with some directly absorbed into the blood (as it is in water). Each hemoglobin molecule carries four oxygen molecules, each progressively bound more tightly.

The whole dissociation curve is non-linear and can shift from AF 80 | aerialfiremag.com

more tightly bound to less tightly. Factors that favor the latter include increased carbon dioxide, acidity, an increase in 2,3 DPG (an organic compound involved in O2 movement), and heat. Of interest, these factors increase with exercise, which makes sense as that’s when O2 demand is highest.

Factors that adversely affect the oxygen carrying capacity of blood include: smoking, anemia (even though the pulse oximeter can remain normal), abnormal hemoglobin (sickle cell disease, thalassemia), etc. Prolonged sitting can also lead to impaired oxygen delivery (stagnant hypoxia).

For those pilots who SCUBA dive or snorkel, we recommend no flying after SCUBA for at least 24 hours, whether there was a mandated decompression stop or not. The risk of DCS increases with the depth, bottom time, and number of dives.

Other risk factors include age, fitness, obesity, smoking, sleep loss, dehydration, alcohol and other drugs, some heart defects, cold water diving, and lung disease. Flying at low altitude or in a pressurized cabin does not eliminate the risk.

I personally have seen divers develop DCS after driving over a 3,200-foot pass following several dives at sea level. When diving, consider safety stops even when not mandatory, stay hydrated, and maximize the surface interval. Note that skin diving, while safer than SCUBA, is not risk free. Repetitive deep dives while holding your breath can increase nitrogen build up in blood and tissues; DCS can result.

Remember that hypoxia impairs your ability to recognize that you are impaired. The best defense, other than supplemental oxygen, is to know your personal symptoms. In this issue’s Aeromedical Advisory, Dr. Northrup addresses some of the available training.

Leo M. Hattrup, M.D., received a bachelor’s degree from Wichita State University, a master’s in public health from Harvard University, and a doctorate from Vanderbilt University. He is retired from the U.S. Air Force in which he spent the majority of his career in aerospace medicine. He is board certified in aerospace and occupational medicine. He is a certificated flight instructor and enjoys flying airplanes, helicopters, and gliders.

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FAA Service Bulletins Manufacturers issue aircraft Service Bulletins to inform owners and operators about critical and useful information on aircraft safety, maintenance, or product improvement. Compliance with Service Bulletins may or may not be mandatory, but you should never ignore them when it comes to safety.

specific AD to address the unsafe condition. These mandatory SBs can also get included in an AD as an additional source of information about the unsafe condition. If a SB is included in an AD, then compliance with that SB is mandatory for continued airworthiness.

Are Service Bulletins Mandatory?

However, do not ignore “recommended” or “optional” SBs. Ask your mechanic to check these items during inspection.

The short answer is — it depends. If you are operating your aircraft under 14 CFR part 91, a service bulletin is advisory, and compliance is not mandatory unless it is included in an Airworthiness Directive. Keep in mind that even when a service bulletin is not mandatory, you should always pay attention to it as a means to ensure your safety. Let’s unpack this further.

Are Service Bulletins the Same as Airworthiness Directives?

No. The FAA issues Airworthiness Directives (ADs) and aircraft manufacturers issue Service Bulletins (SBs). ADs are legally enforceable regulations, in accordance with 14 CFR part 39, to correct an unsafe condition that exists in a product. Compliance with an AD is mandatory for continued airworthiness.

Manufacturers issue aircraft Service Bulletins in response to identified maintenance and manufacturing defect issues to give owners and operators critical and useful information about aircraft safety, maintenance, or product improvement.

Compliance may or may not be required depending on the type of operation and whether or not it is included in an AD.

If Service Bulletins are not Mandatory, Can I Ignore Them?

No. Manufacturers issue SBs to call attention to improvements you should make to enhance your safety. It is also just good sense to heed the advice of the aircraft manufacturer who is providing important information about your aircraft.

Service Bulletins: 1. Inform you about the manufacturer’s recommended inspection and maintenance items for your aircraft.

2. Help you detect trends and spot weaknesses.

3. Advise you about items that may be wearing faster than anticipated or items that you or your mechanic might overlook.

When a SB displays the words “Mandatory,” “Alert,” or “Emergency” in big red letters, it is emphasizing a significant safety concern, and manufacturers may ask the FAA to issue a AF 82 | aerialfiremag.com

Make it a best practice to read, or ask your mechanic to review, any SB that the manufacturer issues for your aircraft.

If cost is a concern, discuss this with your mechanic to determine the best course of action. The SB may only be reporting a product improvement that does not affect airworthiness or your safety.

Here’s What Can Happen If You Ignore a Service Bulletin On July 7, 2017, a Cessna T337 with faulty fuel gauges crashed in a wooded area after running out of fuel. Textron Aviation published a mandatory SB that required inspection of the fuel quantity indicating system to verify that each fuel gauge showed the precise fuel amount. It also required an initial inspection within 100 hours of operation and subsequent recurring inspections every 12 months.

Examination of the airplane’s maintenance logbooks revealed no evidence of compliance with the mandatory SB. The aircraft was a total loss. Fortunately, the pilot and passenger survived with minor injuries, but it could have been much worse. They learned an expensive lesson about the importance of SBs. Where Can I Find Service Bulletins For My Aircraft?

SBs are available online, and they are free. Take a look at any engine or airframe manufacturer’s website and you’ll find up to date information on the safety issues identified from accident reports, service difficulty reports, and any other data used for safety analysis and product improvement.

You can also find information, guidance, recommendations, and airworthiness concerns for your aircraft free of charge in the FAA’s Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) database at bit.ly/SAIBdatabase. It is searchable by SAIB number or by aircraft make and model. Subscribe and get the latest ADs and SAIBs delivered straight to your inbox.

Service Bulletins are a great way to stay informed about product improvements and safety issues that affect your aircraft. Take an active role in maintenance by reviewing inspection results and discussing ADs and SBs with your mechanic.

aerialfiremag.com | AF 83

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