LATEST TECH TAKES TO THE AIR In 2021 the NSW RFS took delivery of two new Cessna Citation V aircraft in a boost to the Service’s aerial firefighting capability. The two aircraft (call signs Fire Scan 200 and Fire Scan 201) will serve a multipurpose role, able to perform lead plane functions for the NSW RFS 737 Large Air Tanker (LAT) and also conduct scanning operations and transport personnel. Able to operate at the same airspeed as the 737 LAT, the Citations are a significant upgrade as lead planes for water-bombing missions. Compared to the much slower Bird Dog aircraft that previously functioned as lead planes on water-bombing missions, the new Citations will substantially cut the lag time associated with lead plane work. This means the LAT can now reach fires around the state in a shorter time to provide aerial support. “Historically, what we were using three planes for, can now be done in one of the new Citations alone,” says Chief Superintendent Christopher Ryder, Manager Operational Field Support in State Operations. “The Citations can keep up with the LAT and can scan straight after the LAT drop. “They can also do passenger transport, and their speed means we can move people around state a lot quicker too.” The two new Citations will also be equipped with TK-9 imaging systems, designed and manufactured by Overwatch Imaging. The TK-9 will enable the Citations to perform high-resolution scans of fires in a range of spectrums including thermal and infrared anywhere from 2,000 to 20,000 feet in altitude.
24 BUSH FIRE bulletin || FEATURES
The technology will give the NSW RFS the ability to scan large areas quicker and more easily identify hot spots and fire edges. The mission system installed inside the planes runs the scanning software and allows for the control of flight operations in real time from the NSW RFS State Operations Centre. The system’s speed of data delivery and automation of mapping processes enable fire imagery to be released to the public via the NSW RFS website or the Fires Near Me NSW app in much quicker time.
