AerialFire Magazine July/August 2021

AERIALFIRE THE

AERIAL

FIREFIGHTING

MAGAZINE JULY / AUGUST 2021

MILE-HIGH

MAFFS

CHASING THE AMERICAN DREAM - TOWER TECH

2020/2021 AUSTRALIAN FIRE SEASON IN REVIEW

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In This Issue of AERIALFIRE...

Volume 19 Number 4 | July / August 2021 2

TOWER TECH — Chasing the American Dream...

20 Australian Fire Season in Review 34 Mile-High MAFFS

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

50 Aerotech Displays Two New Blackhawks for Australia 52 David Curtis to Retire as Executive Chairman of

Longview Aviation Capital 54 New, Long-Term Fire Retardant to Pass all

US Forest Service Laboratory Tests 56 Blue Sky Network Breaks the Mold with Freedom Pricing 58 International Rotorcraft Community

Launches Collaborative Safety Program 60 In the Fight Against Fire Flightcell’s DZMx

Provides Precise Data Giving You the Edge

PUBLISHER: Graham Lavender - graham@marsaylmedia.com EDITOR: 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 - deb@marsaylmedia.com CIRCULATION: Mary Jane Virden - maryjane@marsaylmedia.com © Copyright 2021 AerialFire retains all rights for reproduction of any material submitted, to include but not limited to articles, photographs, emails and bulletin board posts. All material remain the copyright of AerialFire. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or whole, without the written consent of the publisher. Editorial published do not necessary reflect the views of the publisher. Content within AerialFire is believed to be true and accurate and the publisher does not assume responsibility for any errors or omissions.

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In Every Issue of AERIALFIRE...

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

Cover and inside cover: Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Metro Airport and Jeffco Tanker base played host to units from the Wyoming National Guard and the United States Air Force Reserve Colorado unit for MAFFS training. Photos by Steve Nelson

Air Tractor Inc....................................... 64 Aviation Specialties Unlimited................ 55 Blue Sky Network................................. 57 Bridger Aerospace................................. 49 Cascade Aircraft Conversions.................. 27 CD Aviation............................................ 7 CO Fire Aviation.................................... 59 Conair Group........................................ 41 Davidson Solid Rock Insurance............... 55 Desser Tire........................................... 57 Federal Employee Defense Services......... 49 Fire Boss.............................................. 39 Flightcell.............................................. 63 FlightSafety International....................... 31 Frost Flying Inc. ................................... 45 Isolair.................................................. 55 Kawak Aviation Technologies.................. 27 Lane Aviation Inc.................................. 25 Lightspeed Aviation............................... 27 NAASCO.............................................. 51 Neal Aircraft......................................... 37 SEI Industries LTD................................. 49 Southewest Airmotive............................ 19 Spidertracks Limited.............................. 59 TAE....................................................... 2 Tangent................................................ 29 Technisonic Communications.................... 3 Tower Tech Inc..................................... 19 Trotter Controls....................................... 5 Turbine Conversions LTD........................ 53 Turbine Training Center.......................... 43 Valley Air Crafts.................................... 43

aerialfiremag.com | AF 5

THE DROP

Ryan Mason ryan@aerialfiremag.com

Training to Keep Us Safe

Training is a continuing process, and every learner is different.

When I was in high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life or career. I knew I liked teaching people things. I had a passion for learning, but I knew I didn’t want to teach kids, which led me to pursue adult education and training qualifications. From that point on, every job I have had, from being a police officer to leading the global training of a Fortune 100 company, has involved training people in one form or another.

That experience over the last 25 years has given me the ability to see the difference between a good training program and a bad one; hastily slapped together or has been designed not to pass on relevant knowledge or allow employees to gain new skills, but to fill a gap or tick a box. In the military, the term for this kind of training is “death

by PowerPoint.”

In my current role, I have been fortunate to see first-hand training taking place on both a small and a large scale, such as the training recently conducted in Colorado that you can read about in this issue. The one thing that I have noticed about training in the aerial firefighting world is that it is not only well delivered and essential, but it also has practical applications.

I believe that a lot of training delivered in the aerial firefighting world is so well received because it isn’t the “death by PowerPoint” type training, but given to provide needed skills and knowledge and designed with one purpose in mind - to save lives.

AF 6 | aerialfiremag.com

Aerial firefighting is done for two main reasons, to protect lives and property. I have to admit when I first thought about doing stories related to training in our industry, I was pleasantly surprised that the perception I had of what I thought I would see did not match the reality of what I saw.

One of the takeaways I have from attending training events in this industry is that we are very different from any other aviation segment.

I see more passion for learning and continual knowledge from aerial firefighting pilots because fire is an ever-changing beast and with that, so too is the industry and how we fight fires.

We are in a unique time in the aerial firefighting world where new technology appears rapidly.

New products are entering the market that make firefighting safer or gives more options, like the recent arrival of Fortress retardant that is currently in testing in Boise, ID, or UAS technology like that deployed by Bridger Aerospace that maps fire progress. These are all products that require training and knowledge on how to operate or use new products and then knowledge on how it is applied in the field.

Training is not just an annual week-long event anymore; training can take place in an aircraft after a drop or on the airfield after getting back to base, not just in a classroom. For those that do the teaching, don’t wait until that annual training event to teach something to a lower-time pilot; apply that knowledge in the field when time allows. These are the kind of lessons that are

trained and retained, especially right after an event if there was an issue that training could help resolve. I have a saying that I have imparted over the years to many “knowledge is nothing without training.” In a nutshell, you can hand someone a book and provide them the knowledge of how to do something, like learning to fly an aircraft, but without the practical application, a book will only take you so far. The training provides that hands-on instruction that makes the knowledge stick for kinesthetic learners like me, who are the “teach me, show me” types of learners.

The aerial firefighting industry does a great job providing ongoing learning opportunities to keep everyone safe, but there is always room for improvement. Training is a continuing process, and every learner is different; what works for one may not work for others. If you are a trainer, it is your job to find out the best way to apply the learning you are trying to teach. The one common goal everyone in this industry has with training is that everyone goes home at the end of the day.

Fly safe,

aerialfiremag.com | AF 7

The European Skycrane S-64F grabs a load of water on the run. Photo by Marco Bianchi.

One of Vigili Del Fuoco’s Super Scoopers returns from a firebombing mission. Photo by Eliana Pensato AF 8 | aerialfiremag.com

AERIALFIRE AERIAL FIRE PICS

Tanker 22, an Air Strike P-3 returns to the airport after a firefighting mission. Photo by Kaileen Hannigan.

A unique perspective of the Kaman Helicopters K-MAX owned by Colorado based HeliQwest. Photo by Ryan McIntyre

aerialfiremag.com | AF 9

Copter 205, one of CalFire’s new S-70i Fire Hawks conducts a training drop in California. Photo by Michael Piper.

Tanker 105 from Erickson Aero Tanker drops a load of retardant. Photo by Steve Whitby

AERIALFIRE AERIAL FIRE PICS

A Helicopter Transport Services Sky Crane loads water during recent fires in Arizona. Photo by Luke Vold.

Head on with a Calfire S-2 in California. Photo by Mike Murawski.

aerialfiremag.com | AF 11

TOWER TECH

Chasing the American Dream...

Tower Tech’s mobile air traffic control towers are deployed around the country for fire operations, air shows and military training operations.

Inset: Tower Tech is occasionally tasked with unusual air traffic movement like this image of Air Force One. AF 12 | aerialfiremag.com

Titus Gall is, in his own words, fortunate and continually grateful for his lot in life. Born in Holland to Dutch parents and immigrating to the United States as a toddler, Titus grew up in a family of 12 children. Gall traces the success of his business, Tower Tech Inc., to the opportunities granted to him to chase the American dream back to his family upbringing and his military service.

aerialfiremag.com | AF 13

Towers from the company can be on task within 48 hours of

After receiving a draft notice in 1969, Gall willingly enlisted in the Navy. Thanks to aptitude testing, now known as the ASVAB test, Gall was selected to train as an air traffic controller for the Navy, which would see him assigned aboard an aircraft carrier for two and a half years of the Vietnam war. After returning stateside, he was posted to NAS Lemoore in California, later transitioning to a civilian contract position at the same base upon leaving the Navy.

tasking.

Unbeknown to Gall at the time, his role in the Navy and then as a civilian contractor would provide the next step in his career. The air traffic controller strike of the 1980s provided him with the chance to transition to working as a civilian controller for the FAA. A position that would become a 21-year career with the FAA before embarking on the unique business that has now become a well-known fixture on firegrounds in the western states, Tower Tech Inc.

AF 14 | aerialfiremag.com

The company first began operations in 2004 after Gall retired from the FAA with a total of 32 years as an air traffic controller with his military and DOD service. Gall noticed an unfulfilled need for air traffic control in both the civilian and military worlds where he had previously worked and decided to try and fill that gap.

Tower Tech started with just himself and one other controller, a lifelong friend, with a single trailer that functions as a fully equipped control tower in 2004. The business grew through word of mouth around the state of California. Now servicing California, Oregon, Arizona and Nevada, providing air traffic control for everything from private fly-in events to airshows, aerial firefighting and military training events. The company now employs 17 air traffic controllers, all retired FAA-certified controllers with a combined experience that equates to hundreds of years of federal service that can deploy several controllers and one of three

mobile air traffic control tower units anywhere within their service area within 24 hours.

Although most of Tower Tech’s business comes from the United States Forest Service and CalFire through long standing call when needed contracts, they also work for various branches of the United States and British Military; the company’s work does not stop there.

Controllers for Tower Tech are all seasoned veterans with often decades of air traffic control experience.

“Right now, we are talking to Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, for a temporary tower and starting at the end of June until the end of September, just for summer traffic. So there are all sorts of reasons why these entities call us for air traffic control service. We just booked six days in Thermal, California, for a Cessna Citation convention where they expect 100 airplanes. We have multiple letters of agreement with FAA facilities up and down the West Coast, including Northern California TRACON, Southern California TRACON, Salt Lake City tower, Oakland Center, LA Center, all of the major FAA players up and down the west coast.”

Gall stated.

Building the Towers Building his first and subsequent trailers is a task that Gall says is still ongoing, as with each new

build, there are always small changes made from lessons learned from previous ones. The first taking place in 2004, after Gall submitted plans to three custom trailer building companies. The ultimate winner of the contract to build the trailers being TPD Custom Trailers based in Sacramento, California. Gall speaks highly of his ongoing relationship with TPD owner Victor Takahara and for the build quality of the trailers that are a mix of steel and voidless plywood coated with a fiberglass composite.

Each trailer weighs approximately 17,000lbs, towed by a Ford F-350 dually diesel truck.

Each trailer features a fully functional control tower with at least six radios to monitor various approach, ground and air to air frequencies, with an ADSB receiver and weather station equipment that allows the tower to provide timely and accurate information to aircraft. Also included are multiple iPad’s that stream aircraft movement in real time. All of the trailers have internet and phone capabilities. One of the company’s trailers is fitted with satellite internet capability for use in extremely remote areas. Each trailer has two 12,500 Onan Ultra Quiet diesel generators onboard. Only one is used at a time , the other is a standby. The trailers carry 100 gallons of diesel ➤

aerialfiremag.com | AF 15

fuel capable of keeping the generators powering all equipment on board for 7-10 days without the need to source additional fuel or power sources.

Living Quarters Due to the remoteness of some locations, the company is tasked with designing each trailer to function autonomously.

That included providing air traffic control capabilities and the ability for controllers assigned to have living quarters on board. Each trailer will also sleep two controllers comfortably with onboard lavatories and stand-up showers in addition to cooking facilities and HD television.

Expanding the Fleet The first trailer for Tower Tech was completed in 2004 and served as the lone asset for the company for four years. Gall stated that the company has been autonomous since its inception and has never needed to rely on debt to expand.

After the first trailer was paid for and enough work had been completed, the company purchased another trailer, adding the third several years later, all paid for out of company earnings.

The company now has six trailers total. Three additional AF 16 | aerialfiremag.com

trailers are used to support the tower operations when necessary with additional equipment. The company is now looking to expand further in the future, potentially adding a new control tower by the end of 2021.

Staffing While there are 17 available controllers in the pool for Tower Tech, Gall states that nothing is a full-time role for the controllers, who each have earned a retirement from the FAA. “I hope that working for Tower Tech as a controller proves to be more of a continuation of a satisfying career rather than just work.They do it because the FAA lets you go at 56, and some folks just aren’t ready to give it all up. They’re looking for a way to continue controlling airplanes and doing meaningful work.. Working for my company is designed more for the person eyeing that new 85” TV, they go out and work for a couple of weeks with us during the summer, and they can start looking for the wallspace to hang their new TV”.

Taking Care of People Gall is quite humble when talking about the business growth and having essentially invented a business that no one ever

knew they needed - until they did. But for Gall, it all comes down to his employees. He credits them with the company’s success, and he tries to express that he would never be where he is without the support of his people that are out working on a fire line or in a control tower for an air show.

Left: Tower Tech founder Titus “Stretch” Gall (pictured) has built Tower Tech from a single tower operation to one that now deploys multiple towers around the country as needed for various mission types.

Below: Tower Tech has been deployed to many locations around the country for firefighting operations, as seen

Paying each controller a day rate of $500 a day, Tower Tech also picks up the tab for everything else, from airfares to accommodation, right down to the food that staff eats while away from home.

“Working and doing what we do can often take people away from their families, so we try to make that time as comfortable as possible. If they want to eat steak every day while working for me, then so be it. I buy their steak.” said Gall. Watching for exhaustion is also a focus for the company, which only allows controllers to work a total of 14 consecutive days in a tower before requiring them to go home for a break. If the assignment lasts longer than the two weeks, relief crews are sent in and the rotation begins.

here with Tanker 944 in California.

“I place a lot of importance on taking care of my folks. You’ve got to take care of them, they take care of Tower tech! They are the backbone of the whole business, and I’m very, very blessed to have the people that I have.”

At 72, Gall has realized that the time is fast approaching that he needs to take a back seat

to spend some quality time with his wife Lisa, who has supported his business efforts from the beginning. Gall hired an operations manager, RT Martin, eight years ago who has since been promoted to COO. RT does a great job helping with the day-to-day operation of the business.

The company’s new CEO, Aaron Moore is now handling many of the responsibilities originally completed by him so he and his wife can start checking off ‘bucket list’ items and enjoying life more.

Part of that new role is moving the rolling assets of the company to Tehachapi near Bakersfield, California. Equipment will soon be stored in a new 60’x80’ building sitting in close proximity of the homes of the COO and CEO, making their jobs a little easier when moving or rolling out equipment when needed compared to where the equipment is currently located near Sacramento.

For Gall, his satisfaction in the job now rests with repeat work and arriving on a site where they have been multiple times and the familiarity that goes along with meeting up with people they have worked with for many years. “Some who will knock on a tower door at 7 am with donuts, just happy to see us back,” says Gall, who states that for him, that is not work, that’s the fun part of the job, which he tries to impress upon his other controllers. ➤

aerialfiremag.com | AF 17

Above: Each tower arrives equipped with living quarters and an operational base with multiple radios and tracking software enabling controllers to see and direct dozens of aircraft an hour from a mobile base.

Left: Each trailer control tower offers state of the art technology that now includes satellite internet for use in the most remote locations.

AF 18 | aerialfiremag.com

Tower Tech, Inc. Mobile Air Traffic Control Services We are the leading provider of rapid response mobile air traffic control services. FAA Certified Air Traffic Controllers, and state of the art equipment with a single phone call.

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While ATC services can be stressful, he encourages his staff to have fun and enjoy it because working in a cramped environment daily can lead to stress, which Gall tries to avoid—over the years, hiring a staff that all work incredibly well together and that are reliable. At times, crews have less than 24 hours to get on-site to a new location that could be a place they have been many times or could be a recently mowed section of leased land where 25 helicopters have been sent to fight a fire in a remote area.

Diversity of location, a fun environment, and nothing the same from day to day have kept Titus Gall going since the business’s inception in 2004. As the company continues to grow, even as he takes a back seat to Tower Tech’s day-today operations, Gall will never be far away. He retains full ownership of the business and still driving its continual success and needed expansion as demand for their services steadily increases around the country. Titus Gall has indeed fulfilled what many would call the American dream with Tower Tech, Inc..

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Australian

nI Review

A Kestrel Aviation Bell 412 drops a load of water during fire operations.

AF 20 | aerialfiremag.com

Photos and story by Dave Sodestrom

As the nightmare fire season of 2019/2020 was still very fresh in the minds of all Australians, the world was soon to face the next big challenge. As the COVID-19 virus became a worldwide pandemic, the ferocity of initial infections and casualties quickly spread across the globe, not unlike the intensity of a bush fire.

The Australian aerial firefighting industry that relies heavily on international assistance presents challenges for overseas companies, with enforced quarantines becoming a reality for everyone arriving into the country. The situation at times becoming quite fluid, with developments and changes happening at times almost hourly.

The Australian Government announced a ban on Australians traveling overseas in late March of 2020. This change caused great concern for many international companies with assets and staff still in the country. Many companies having just ended their contracts with Australia’s National Aerial Firefighting Center (NAFC). This national ➤ aerialfiremag.com | AF 21

entity covers all international and domestic aerial firefighting operations. Some aerial firefighting companies elected to pack their machines and crews and depart for home before restrictions took hold. Some operators leaving their aircraft in the country with local operators like Erickson, whose aircraft are now on the way to other contracts after the 2020/2021 season recently ended.

destroying over 5,900 buildings and killing at least 34 people. The devastation estimates on the animals were over one billion losses. Air quality in some metropolitan cities, including Sydney and Melbourne, dropped to hazardous levels on more than one occasion. Financial costs associated with the bushfires are expected to exceed A$ 4.4 billion (USD 3.4 billion.)

Above: Kestrel Aviation recently signed a deal with US based Firehawk Helicopters to bring a UH-60 into their stable of aircraft for the fire

Coulson and HeliCarrier, who in May 2020, flew their S-61s across the ditch to assist Indonesia taking up contracted work with the National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure or the Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB.) The trip was reversed after their service in Indonesia, returning to Australia for the next fire season. The first contract for Coulson was a 150-day contract utilizing the Sikorsky S-6.

It is estimated the 2020 fires burnt an estimated 18.6 million hectares (45,961,000 acres,) AF 22 | aerialfiremag.com

ROYAL COMMISSION On January 12, 2020 Prime Minister Scott Morrison outlined a proposal to establish a royal commission into the bushfires. Requiring the approval of the state and territory governments, the Commonwealth Government drafted the terms of reference. Support for the royal commission from Labor premiers was “lukewarm” at best.

The Federal Government set the commission up to inquire into and report upon natural disaster management coordination related to the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season.

season.

Right: Coulson Aviation continues to grow its Australian operations with multiple helicopter and fixed wing assets now in operation every fire season.

Three Commissioners were tasked with heading up the Royal Commission. This included Mark Binskin as Chair, a former senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. Mr. Binskin was the former Chief of the Defence Force from June 2014 until his retirement in July 2018. Joining him were Annabelle Bennett, a retired Judge of the Federal Court of Australia, and Professor Andrew Macintosh, a professor of law at the Australian National University and a member of the university’s Climate Change Institute.

Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), line-scanning, transport, and logistics) would benefit from a nationally coordinated approach.

RECOMMENDATION 8.2 RESEARCH AND EVALUATION INTO AERIAL FIREFIGHTING •

• On January 14, 2020, the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews announced an independent investigation into the 2019-2020 bushfire season in Victoria. This was quickly followed on January 31, 2020 when the NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, announced an independent investigation to review the causes, preparation, and response to the bushfires in New South Wales.

The final report contained 80 recommendations.

Notably, for aviation, the report produced the following recommendations.

RECOMMENDATION 8.1 A SOVEREIGN AERIAL FIREFIGHTING CAPABILITY •

•

•

Australian, state, and territory governments should develop an Australian-based and registered national aerial firefighting capability to be tasked according to the most significant national need. This capability should include: A modest, very large air tanker/large air tanker, and Type1 helicopter capability, including supporting infrastructure, aircrew and aviation support personnel, and Any other aerial firefighting capabilities (e.g., Light

•

Australian, state, and territory governments should support ongoing research and evaluation into aerial firefighting. This research and evaluation should include: Assessing the specific capability needs of states and territories and Exploring the most effective aerial firefighting strategies.

RECOMMENDATION 8.3 DEVELOPING THE AERIAL FIREFIGHTING INDUSTRY’S CAPABILITY Australian, state, and territory governments, should adopt procurement and contracting strategies supporting and developing a broader Australian-based sovereign aerial firefighting industry.

SUPPORTING AERIAL FIREFIGHTING Considerable money and upgrading of equipment are also being undertaken for support on the fire ground, with new fuel trucks and large quantities of retardant and other associated equipment established in several states.

STATES AND TERRITORIES STEPPING UP The Commonwealth Government offered support or inprinciple support for most of the recommendations, although notably did not outwardly support the proposal to establish a national aerial firefighting fleet. ➤ aerialfiremag.com | AF 23

The Federal Government has indicated that aircraft requirements are a matter for the states and territories. They would be guided by those.

New South Wales (NSW) and Western Australia own a fleet of American Champion Scouts Aerial Reconnaissance and Supervision aircraft owned by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) only states within Australia to have their own state-owned air assets.

NSW has invested $26.3 million to provide the 737 Large Air Tanker’ Marie Bashir’ and two Citation ‘Birddog’ aircraft to undertake line scanning operations. The 737 was purchased from Coulson Aviation and received a new paint job over the Australian winter. Today, it is flying as Bomber 210.

NSW RFS also purchased two Bell 412 Helicopters, an investment of $6.3 million. A Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster delivered one of the helicopters via Vancouver International Airport, Canada. A third Bell 412 will also join the fleet courtesy of the Goodman Foundation. These helicopters join the single AS.350 and the two BK117s already in service.

The Australian Capital Territory Government took the step of contracting its owned state-based helicopters this season. In conjunction with Wildcat Helicopters, United Aero stationed two Bell 412s, Helitak 274 and 275, alongside a Firebird AS350 provided by Microflite Helicopters.

Western Australia elected to continue with their Large Air Tanker program for the 2020-21 season by engaging the C-130H from Coulson to operate out of Busselton this season.

Erickson, Inc. returned with a sixship fleet operated across Australia in conjunction with Kestrel Aviation, with AF 24 | aerialfiremag.com

two Air Cranes in both Victoria and New South Wales and single examples in South Australia and Western Australia. The East Coast-based machines had their lowest utilization in many years, thanks in part to the La Nina weather events this season.

To ensure timely arrivals for the start of the NSW contract, the company elected to fly one of the aircraft, Gypsy Lady, to Australia from Greece in an AN-124 transporter. The rest of the fleet arrived via ship direct from Greece, where they were unloaded and reassembled for their upcoming state contracts.

YOUR NEXT AIRCRAFT IS HERE.

Based at Lake Macquarie Airport in NSW, Skyline Aviation Group also elected to purchase a tank from Helitak and fit it to their ex-Royal Australian Navy S-70 Seahawk fleet.

The first of the S-70Bs, VH-XHJ, joined the Australian register in October 2019, the former N24-002, the first of the Seahawks modified for its new role in aerial fire suppression.

Kestrel Aviation, based in Mangalore Victoria, continued the company’s further expansion. The first of two UH-60 Blackhawks painted and flown by company pilots arrived. Named Firehawk 1 or Helitak 125, the Hawk is the first type flown in Australia with an internal tank. It was one of two Blackhawks in operation this season with Kestrel.

The company also announced that their first firefighting equipped Airbus AS332L1 Super Puma and their fleet to augment the company’s already growing fleet. This will be the first type in the Australian aerial firefighting line-up.

Coulson Aviation and Kestrel Aviation have again been working with the Victorian Government on its Night Aerial Firefighting program. The ➤

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Previous Page Top: Erickson Air Crane

work of the trial this year focused on allowing crews to safely conduct the first attack at night without the requirement of having to complete a reconnaissance flight of the area during the day or having first worked on fires in the daylight.

continues to provide six air cranes each year on contract around Australia through a partnership with Kestrel Aviation.

Previous Page Bottom: New South Wales continues to lead the way for Australian firefighting with a large fleet of contract and

This is the same approach Coulson has successfully conducted in the US. The certification through the Victorian trial now enables Coulson teams to undertake night fire suppression missions in the Sikorsky Helitacks anywhere in Australia.

Coulson Aviation continues its expansion within Australia through local subsidiary Coulson Aviation Australia. Signing a contract for the operation and maintenance of the NSW RFS fleet, including the 737 FIRELINER, two Citations, and two Bell 412 helicopters.

state owned assets for initial attack, surveillance and retardant drops.

The ten-year contract also saw the company move its Australian headquarters to Bankstown, securing a hangar facility with other bases at RAAF Richmond and Avalon Airport.

Above: Victorian based Field Air operates numerous aircraft for aerial firefighting including this Air Tractor used for initial attack and retardant drops.

Coulson also picked up its first Large Air Tanker (LAT) contract with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) division of the Western Australian Government. Aircraft N132CG was employed extensively on the large-scale fires within the state this season.

Quebec, Canada based Helicarrier, in partnership with local operator Paton Air returned for another

AF 26 | aerialfiremag.com

season. The company is now firmly entrenching itself in Australia. Plans are now to base C-FIZA in the country permanently. It is hoped to have the aircraft on the Australian civil VH register. Local training of pilots and crew will see the operation expand as time and resources allow.

Aerotech Australasia also joined the ranks of local UH-60 Blackhawk operators. The company’s latest addition is a UH-60A Blackhawk. This particular aircraft saw service with the US Army at Marietta Dobbins Air Reserve Base (KMGE), Georgia.

The aircraft is being prepared for its Australian operations and will be completed before season 2021-22. The aircraft became the first Australian registered Blackhawk when it became VH-UHS. The company has recently delivered a Helitak tank with the aircraft becoming the first Australian operator with the Helitak FT4500 tank on an Australian registered Blackhawk.

McDermott Aviation continues to expand its local operations and invest in new systems to further improve the delivery of water/retardant on the fire ground. Apart from the newly launched Bell 214ST’s outfitted with the Helitak tank.

McDermott Aviation also collaborated with Fireball International and Helitak Fire Fighting Equipment to display the new Fireball International camera/ satellite technology that detects smoke and reports on the fire movement. Two Bell 214s returned from their operations in Greece with one aircraft,

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McDermott Aviation continues to provide a large fleet of helicopters

each being unloaded at Fremantle and Geelong.

The company is also investing in its fleet with a new Bell 214 under construction.

stops in Oakland, Honolulu, Majuro, Honiara, and finally Brisbane, where it cleared customs. Then onto its new operating base in Bundaberg.

In partnership with United Aero Helicopters again, Wildcat Helicopters brought Canadian registered Bell 412 airframes to work on NSW contracts. A new posting for two machines (Hlitack 274 and 275) with a permanent base at the ACT Rural Fire Service Hume helicopter base. Helitack 273 was noted at Camden in NSW.

Fitted with a 10,000 liter tank, this was the first time a LAT had been contracted by Queensland.

It saw use on fires, including being deployed after an illegal campfire started in mid-October began spreading across Fraser Island. The fires destroyed more than 80,000ha of the island. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Fraser Island saw extensive damage due to the fires.

around Australia each year and recently began exporting their aircraft for international operations in Greece during their fire season.

Valhalla Helicopters also returned to Australia.

This season three machines were assembled at Albion Park airport after arrival by boat. C-FPSZ a Bell 205 or Helitack 252 and was joined by fellow Bell 205 C-GRUV or Helitack 253 and finally a Bell 212 C-GLFT or Helitack 254.

Field Air based in Ballarat, Victoria also brought a new type of aircraft to Australia this season on contract. Conair’s Q400AT aircraft, a converted Bombardier Q-400 passenger airliner, agreed with the Queensland Rural Fire Service. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk authorized the spending of $15 million on a long-term contract for a LAT. C-FFQ was located in the city of Bundaberg in Northern Queensland.

Departing from its Abbotsford base in Canada via

AF 28 | aerialfiremag.com

The company also undertook the conversion of one of their Air Tractors to a Fireboss conversion.

The AT802A-0848 is powered by a PWC -67F and features the new Trotter Gen III fire door. It also has onboard independent gel and foam systems.

As with past seasons, two RJ85s were again based in NSW and Victoria this season in conjunction with Conair. Both aircraft have been to Australia previously. Bomber 166, C-GVFT was positioned at Dubbo, New South Wales starting its contract on October 1, 2020. Bomber 391, C-GVFK, began its contract on December 2 at Avalon Airport.

Moorabbin, Victoria-based Microflite, expanded its contract work this season further afield this fire season. A single AS350, Firebird 100, ➤

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VH-XXU was added, operating on contract for the ACT government. The aircraft fitted with Specialist Intelligence Gathering (SIG) capabilities.

Employing six mobile data connections plus other sophisticated systems such as cameras and lasers that can identify the exact position of the fire, down to a single tree on the fire ground.

Kestrel Aviation continues to grow each year with a fleet that includes the new UH-60 Blackhawk, a Sikorsky

Microflite again provided Airbus Helicopters EC130s as Firebird machines working alongside the Victorian-based Air Cranes® helicopters.

Microflite also utilizes the Helitak fire tank system on both their AS350 and Bell 212 aircraft.

S-76 and a large Bell Helicopter fleet.

Timberline Helicopters also returned to Australia with its UH-60 Blackhawk fleet. The company also operates this year in Indonesia and Australian operations, conducting firefighting operations with the BNPB. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS) has again increased its operational fleet with several aircraft joining the fleet this season. In February, the NSW RFS 737 FIRELINER was deployed to assist with operations in Western Australia. The Marie Bashir (Large Air Tanker) and Citation lead plane assisted firefighters battling blazes near Perth and across the state over the

AF 30 | aerialfiremag.com

next week. The 737 and Citation are owned by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service and operated on its behalf by Coulson Aviation Australia.

The Royal Australian Air Force’s 36 squadron C-17’s were also a key player in this year’s firefighting operations, performing troop transportation for firefighters and retardant from the eastern part of the country to Western Australia, where the bushfire activity was the most severe this fire season. 50 Tonnes of firefighting retardant was flown into Busselton from Richmond on January 9, 2021. A97-447, a Lockheed-Martin C-130J-30 Hercules operated by 37 Squadron, based at RAAF Richmond, delivered fire retardant chemicals to Busselton on February 4, 2021.

While not nearly as severe as the “Black Summer” fires of 2019/2020, the most recent fire season offered up its own unique set of challenges based on a global pandemic, fires on a national heritage listed island, and the largest fires seen in Western Australia in decades. Many lessons have been learned by Australia’s aerial firefighters over the past years, it now turns to hoping for practical application and solutions to many of the issues identified over Black Summer to make a long lasting difference.

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The Global Super Tanker conducts a retardant drop in California. Photo by Marty Wolin.

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AERIALFIRE AERIAL FIRE PICS aerialfiremag.com | AF 33

MILE-HIGH

MAFFS Story by Ryan Mason Photos by Steve Nelson, Ryan Mason, USAF Public Affairs

The C-130s descended on Rocky Mountain Metro Airport in Colorado for this year’s annual MAFFS training event held over the first week of May.

AF 34 | aerialfiremag.com

May of 2021 saw Broomfield, Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Metro Airport receive an influx of C-130’s from the Wyoming Air National Guard and the Air Force MAFFS unit based in Colorado Springs.

aerialfiremag.com | AF 35

Above: A MAFFS C-130 drops a practice load approximately 45 minutes outside of Denver.

Inset: Training was conducted with the assistance of the USFS Jeffco Tanker Base located at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport.

Each aircraft participating in the annual training event is equipped with the USDA Forest Service’s Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS.) The program is a joint effort between the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Defense.

Four C-130 wings support the MAFFS mission, including three Air National Guard units: Nevada’s 152nd Airlift Wing, California’s 146th Airlift Wing, and Wyoming’s 153rd Airlift Wing; and one U.S. Air Force Reserve unit, Colorado’s 302nd Airlift Wing.

Annual USDA Forest Service-led MAFFS training operations are typically coordinated as a joint operation between Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, and California. As COVID protocols complicated the planning and execution of yearly training, the military decided to split the training. One week of training was conducted at the McClellan USFS firebase at the USFS firebase at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport.

Rocky Mountain Metro Airport sits just outside the Denver metro area. Thanks to its use as a US Forest Service tanker base, it made for the perfect

AF 36 | aerialfiremag.com

location for the second week of MAFFS training attended by the U.S. Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. Pilots and loadmasters assigned to the 302nd and 153rd Airlift Wing descended on Rocky Mountain Metro Airport, using the airports FBO as their base of operations to execute classroom training and plan each day’s drop of potable water over several National Forests within flying distance of Rocky Mountain Metro.

The USFS Jeffco Firebase at Rocky Mountain Metro acted as the operational fire control base for filling the aircraft MAFFS tanks after each evolution. The primary purpose of the week of ➤

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training was for pilots, loadmasters, other crew members and support personnel assigned to each unit to gain certification with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service for the 2021 wildland firefighting season.

Inset: A pilot of one of the C-130s signals a successful training mission on arrival back to the Jeffco Tanker Base before refilling.

Below: One of the littlest fans of the C-130 looks on as an aircraft arrives at the Rocky Mountain Metro FBO for a crew change.

Col. Gary Monroe, of the Wyoming National Guard, who is this year’s 153 Air Expeditionary Group commander, First Air Force (Air Forces Northern) stated that as a functional MAFFS team, “the wider operation consists of eight MAFFS units from four wings in the California Air National Guard, Nevada Air National Guard, Wyoming Air National Guard, and the Colorado Air Force Reserve. Each of the four Wings have MAFFS capable aircraft and two MAFFS units, so up to eight planes could be activated at a time if needed in a real-world environment. We can deploy as many aircraft as needed up to the eight anywhere the USFS needs our help. .”

From Training to Real World The military contingent of aerial firefighters is typically requested by the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) based on incident severity and

AF 38 | aerialfiremag.com

aircraft availability, said Col. Monroe. The aircraft will be requested through DOD channels by NIFC and deployed as soon as they can be equipped (typically within 48 hours) and headed to the fireground with a full contingent of staffing that includes pilots, maintenance personnel, and other flight, and other logistics and ground personnel.

Typical deployments for a MAFFS unit are 30 days at the minimum. According to Monroe, “they’ll try to request assistance for thirty days because it’s easier to get us going and keep us ready.

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Above: The C-130 is a versatile platform that can be transformed from a workhorse multi mission aircraft into an aerial tanker

cut us off early if the need goes away or to extend us if they need us longer.” Once crews are in place, each team will fly for seven-day increments and then rotate out due to military flight rules and regulations. This allows for a constant service level to be in place for the duration of a fire with aircraft always available and not leaving an aircraft on the ground due to rest time requirements.

with the installation of the MAFFS system that allows it to drop retardant across large swaths of terrain.

Although the MAFFS units typically respond within the western U.S., their deployments can be anywhere.. Col. Monroe stated that MAFFS teams have been sent to incidents all over the U.S. and even Mexico, and Indonesia.

Inset: Crews have meticulously detailed

Practice Makes Perfect

every drop the aircraft

In addition to gaining annual qualifications through the United States Forest Service, Monroe states that he also values the training for all staff involved in the training, allowing for more in-depth training to take place both on the ground and in the air. “The training gives us the experience, not only within our organizations, but working with our agency partners, such as the Forest Service. Getting to know them, talking one on one, hearing them on the radio, and then

has made on a fire on the side of the MAFFS tank inside the belly of the C-130.

AF 40 | aerialfiremag.com

putting our pilots into training scenarios where they can gain experience and confidence, so when they’re on a fire, when there are helicopters and smoke and a lot of radio chatter, they’re confident and comfortable in that environment, and safe. I mean, practice makes perfect. Safety is always the key,” said Monroe.

Training Challenges While training is an essential piece of the pie, Monroe stated that there are still differences between the simulated roles in annual training and those that occur during a real-world firefighting operation. “If you are going out into a training environment, you don’t have the smoke, and you don’t have the fire. Radio chatter in training can ➤

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be slower and less busy than you would see for a real fire, so those can be some of the biggest challenges.”

Qualifications

Above Left: USFS crews worked seamlessly alongside the military crew members to ensure fast turn around during training.

Above Right: Air Force and National Guard crew members worked rapidly during training to ensure aircraft spent minimal time out of service during the week of training.

Right: Over 100 military members were on site at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport during the weeks training.

AF 42 | aerialfiremag.com

Only the best of the best can join the MAFFS teams, according to Monroe. However, he considers the National Guard to be quite lucky.

Many of the pilots who join are typically older and already serve in a flying role in their day-today jobs, some being very high-time commercial pilots. However, when it comes to the MAFFS operation, pilots still have to put their time

in on the C-130 airframe, needing to log 750 hours as a co-pilot and 1500 hours on type for consideration as a pilot in command for MAFFS operations.

Keeping it all Running Managing a training event with four aircraft and over 150 personnel can be a daunting task at the best of times. Still, Monroe and his other command staff from both the National Guard and the Air Force Reserve take the operation in stride, doing their best to keep the training operation running smoothly. One of the most ➤

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Above: Crew members work tirelessly throughout the day to ensure that crews have everything they need

significant considerations that cannot be planned for its weather, which did impact operations and delay training due to rain for a day during the training operation, but Monroe stated that each team works tirelessly to ensure everything is in constant working order. Still, there will always be curveballs that no one can plan for.

for each mission and monitor the MAFFS equipment on board the aircraft.

Inset: The cockpit of

During the training, one of the aircraft briefly paused from flying for a maintenance issue, but thanks to the dedication of maintenance crews, the aircraft was back and functional the same day, able to continue training.

the aircraft typically contains a pilot, co-pilot

Executing Training

and navigator and

Executing a training operation such as the mission conducted in Colorado in May is something that doesn’t just begin once the crews arrive in Colorado; Major Laura Jeffrey, Wyoming Air National Guard, was the mission commander for the training.

can at times include a training officer for competency flights.

The training mission for Jeffrey and her crews starts back in Wyoming so that teams can hit the ground running when they arrive.

AF 44 | aerialfiremag.com

“Our job before arrival is to get the MAFFS tanks loaded onto the aircraft and test them before leaving for training or an actual fire mission.

The MAFFS tanks are owned and maintained by the Forest Service, so if we have any issues once we arrive, we have their maintainers who can assist us. They’ll work on them on our behalf, and then we get the mission done. Once we are complete with our training or with a real fire season, we’ll offload the MAFFS tank from the aircraft, then the only time that they get reloaded is if we get activated on a fire,” said Jeffrey.

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Above: Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Metro Airport and the surrounding terrain offer challenges not found at airports in lower altitudes and give the air crews the challenge of working in a hot and high environment, much like a fire would be.

Left: MAFFS tanker one returns to the Jeffco Fire Base after a training flight.

AF 46 | aerialfiremag.com

Safety Factors One of the main concerns of a large-scale training operation is to make sure all military staff are safe. This has taken on a new level this year with all staff having to don COVID-19 masks during the training and other safety precautions.

In the aircraft, safety revolves around many factors; flying safely can mean taking on less of a retardant load based on the density altitude, the crew load, outside air temperature, and many other factors daily and can vary from flight to flight, especially in the higher altitudes like Colorado.

“We start to look at all those things and determine what the best type of load we can take is, or the amount of fuel that we have to go out and conduct our mission; what makes this mission very different from other missions is the altitudes that we fly, we’re in mountainous terrain, and we’re constrained. So when you mix those two things, you limit what an aircraft can do capability-wise. When you’re trying to climb out, you have to consider performance; you’ll also look at what the terrain is like. Are you doing a drop where you need to fly out really quick? Or do you have a valley you can go down to try to gain some speed and to try to get some energy so that you can ➤

aerialfiremag.com | AF 47

Above: The C-130’s spent a week at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport

get out of there? So there’s a lot of different moving pieces, and it’s never the same. So you could be dropping on the same fire all day long, and it is the same dynamic. It’s never the same constraints,” said Jeffrey.

while other units conducted training in

Staffing the Aircraft

California due to Covid

Each MAFFS C-130 during training is typically staffed with a crew of six, two pilots, a flight engineer, a navigator, and two loadmasters. During training, the aircraft can also have instructors in each of those positions, teaching those individuals how to do the job. The crew onboard for training operations never exceeds ten people in the aircraft. On an actual fire, staffing is limited to the six essential roles and one additional instructor if required.

protocols.

Below: Each C-130 on site required a small army of maintaners and crew to keep each aircraft in top shape during training operations.

Training Take-Aways The National Guard and the Air Force have

learned many lessons from the MAFFS missions and continue to apply new lessons learned in training and real-world applications. During this training, one of the many things noticed was each crew’s ability to talk over issues and devise safer and better ways to do what they do daily. Maj. Jeffrey noted crews are encouraged to talk out missions and discuss any concerns at length as a group to promote safe practices.

“When we do our ground training, all the units are usually together, except this year due to COVID-19. Part of our training is to talk about years past and situations or incidents that we came across. We like to talk about those particular incidents and say, Oh, this was a situation that we had, what was your thought process for this? We can talk about it as professionals, and then we can talk about ways to mitigate situations that keep us safer. And sharing that information with all four of our Wing’s makes us better aviators at the end of the day. We learn from one another, and you can take the experiences of others and apply them to your practices.”

On to Fire Season This year’s training evolution had its complexities, like having to split training into two separate training evolutions into two different locations due to COVID; it is clear that this annual training is not only beneficial to the military branches that participate but to the state and federal partners that also play a part in the more comprehensive MAFFS operation that will no doubt be called into action this fire season and for many to come.

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Aerotech Displays Two New Blackhawks for Australia Air services company Aerotech has unveiled two ex-US military Black Hawk helicopters, which will become the first of their kind to be used for firefighting in Australia.

The helicopters are also the first Australian commercially owned and operated Black Hawks and the first to be on the Australian civil aircraft register.

Based at Parafield Airport in Adelaide, South Australia, Aerotech is the largest privately-owned aviation company in South Australia and now boasts a fleet of 25 aircraft and 10 helicopters.

Aerotech Managing Director Sam McCabe said the Black Hawk helicopters were fast, reliable, could be deployed rapidly and drop more than 4000 litres of water or retardant per load to contain fires quickly.

He said the pair of helicopters would remain in Australia all year round, which was a recommendation of the Royal Commission looking at the devastating fires in Australia in 2019 and 2020.

“This responds to a key finding of the recent Bushfires Royal Commission that state and federal governments should develop an Australian sovereign aerial fleet comprising ‘Large Type 1 Helicopters’ such as the Black Hawk,” McCabe said.

“It also overcomes the issue of relying on northern-hemisphere based Type 1 helicopters, which is becoming more problematic as the length of the bushfire season is getting longer in both hemispheres, therefore making it difficult for Australia to access these additional resources from overseas in shoulder periods.”

The Black Hawk helicopter (UH-60) has a ‘belly tank’ that can be refilled with 4000 litres of water from a lake, dam or tank using a special snorkel in about 35 seconds.

The Sikorsky Aircraft-built helicopter first entered service with the US Army in 1979. The Australian Defence Force also operates about 40 Black Hawks.

“We’re focused on keeping fires small by deploying aircraft AF 50 | aerialfiremag.com

quickly and dropping large amounts of water in the shortest possible time frame, thereby providing volunteers on the ground with more time to contain and extinguish fires,” McCabe said.

Bob and Pam McCabe started Aerotech in 1968 with a small fixed-wing plane and a handful of contracts to spray crops for local farmers in Tintinara in the South East of South Australia.

The company moved into aerial firefighting in the 1980s and expanded in 1990 with the launch of its 1st Response team, which still provides specialized aerial firefighting and marine oil spill control services to federal and state government emergency service agencies.

McCabe, an experienced pilot, took over the reins from his parents with his wife Jessica about 15 years ago and has led the expansion of the company into diverse areas such as aquaculture, lighthouse inspection and executive charter that has allowed it to bolster its core business.

McCabe said Aerotech, which was already responsible for the majority of South Australia’s aerial firefighting efforts, would seek operational contracts across Australia to provide additional capacity in support of existing firefighting aircraft as needed.

“Aerotech is committed to investing in the world’s most capable and effective aerial firefighting fleet, and supporting government aerial firefighting strategies,” he said.

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David Curtis to Retire as Executive Chairman of Longview Aviation Capital SIDNEY, BC‚—Longview Aviation Capital Corp., manager of a portfolio of long-term investments in the Canadian aerospace industry including De Havilland Aircraft of Canada and Viking Air Ltd., today announced that David Curtis will be retiring as Executive Chairman, effective August 1, 2021.

Mr. Curtis began his tenure with Viking in 1983, becoming President and CEO in 1991. Under his leadership, Viking grew to become a prominent global specialty aircraft company, and the only company to successfully re-launch an out-ofproduction aircraft, bringing the Series 400 Twin Otter back into production in 2010. He was also instrumental in executing the vision to build a leading Canadian aerospace enterprise, including spearheading the acquisitions of the CL-215/415 waterbomber program in 2016, and the Dash 8 aircraft program in 2019, bringing together the entire original product line of the De Havilland aircraft company. Today the combined enterprise operates manufacturing and aircraft AF 52 | aerialfiremag.com

service support in locations across Canada, and in addition to the De Havilland Type Certificates also holds the Shorts Skyvan, 360, 330 and Sherpa family of aircraft.

“Dave has been the leader of a great Canadian success story, and leaves behind an amazing legacy in the global aerospace industry,” said Bill Sheffield, speaking on behalf of the Board of Directors of Longview Aviation Capital. “He has overseen the evolution of this business from a small Vancouver Island-based service company into a global leader in specialty and turboprop aircraft, with an iconic portfolio of aircraft, and a stable foundation based on diverse revenue streams. Our aviation business has a bright future, and is well positioned to remain at the forefront of the industry as the world emerges from the effects of the pandemic. On behalf of the Board, and our employees, we thank Dave for his many contributions, and wish him well in his richly deserved retirement.”

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“It has been a true privilege to work alongside the women and men who have made, and continue to make, our portfolio what it is,” said Mr. Curtis. “I joined Viking because of my passion for aviation, and I am proud that our companies have contributed to the development of the Canadian aerospace industry. I am most proud that our team has helped demonstrate that with vision, commitment and spirit even small companies working outside the limelight can take on the world and accomplish big things.”

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Added Mr. Curtis: “The time is right to turn over leadership to a new generation of visionaries. This organization has all the qualities necessary to lead the post-pandemic industry, including talented people, great assets, and a committed owner with a long-term perspective. With the industry in the midst of a transition, it is an excellent time for renewed leadership with a focus on charting the future for these great aircraft programs.”

As it pursues the opportunities of a transitioning industry, David Riggs will lead the business having been appointed Chief Transformation Officer of the entire aviation enterprise including De Havilland and Viking. Mr. Riggs has served as Chief Transformation Officer of De Havilland since June 2020 and has a long track record in the aviation industry, including consulting to Viking on the restart of production of the Twin Otter. Don Boitson, currently Chief Operating Officer responsible for Western Canada operations, will take on that role for the entire enterprise including the Viking and De Havilland operations, reporting to Mr. Riggs. Todd Young, who has more than 30 years of experience with De Havilland aircraft, will provide additional support as an advisor to the management team. An international search is underway for a new Chief Executive Officer for the combined aviation enterprise. The Board will seek a proven leader to focus on growing the aircraft businesses, founded on a commitment to customer service and a passion for strengthening De Havilland as an anchor of the Canadian aerospace industry. More details on the search will be available in the coming weeks.

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New, Long-Term Fire Retardant to Pass all US Forest Service Laboratory Tests Innovative Company Delivers Advanced Formula, Long-Term Fire Retardant Technology, Moving to Final Operational Field Evaluation at the U.S. Forest Service Air Tanker Base in Missoula, MT.

MT – FORTRESS North America, a new and innovative entrant has emerged onto the aerial fire retardant scene by introducing their first retardant product, of what will be a full portfolio of products, to be rolled out this summer.

FORTRESS was founded in 2016 by a team of industry experts, including former Federal and State firefighters with experience across natural resource protection, wildfire suppression, aviation management, and environmental engineering. FR100, FORTRESS’ first aerial fire retardant product, will begin its final field evaluation by the U.S. Forest Service on June 1st 2021, at the Missoula Air Tanker Base. The FR-100 retardant, with its high-visibility red color, marks the beginning of a stream of revolutionary new fire retardant chemistry technologies. FORTRESS anticipates FR100 and other fire retardant products, including a Liquid Concentrate version, to be available for commercial and international sales beginning later this year In addition, FORTRESS has entered into a strategic partnership with a subsidiary of Compass Minerals (NYSE: CMP), providing FORTRESS with access to environmentally responsible, critical fire retardant ingredients, as well as robust logistics and supply chain support, to efficiently meet the increasing

AF 54 | aerialfiremag.com

demands of aerial wildfire suppression throughout North America.

“Our mission is to be the leading innovator in the aerial fire retardant industry, providing the highest quality fire retardant and enhancing the safety of the public and our firefighters, while helping reduce the catastrophic losses inherent with worsening wildfire conditions in the West”, as stated by Robert Burnham, FORTRESS CEO. “Our long-range vision, through the expansion and advancement of our portfolio of fire retardants, is to reduce the environmental impact of this essential public safety service on our communities, watersheds, and broader ecosystems.”

FR-100 does not contain any phosphate or ammonium, and can be applied far in advance of a spreading wildfire to protect firefighters, infrastructure, watersheds, and critical emergency evacuation routes. FORTRESS patent protected retardants have met and exceeded the requirements of the stringent laboratory testing undertaken by the U.S. Forest Service. FORTRESS products can be stored and applied using existing equipment and infrastructure, enabling firefighters to efficiently deploy this new and value-added fire retardant.

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AVIATION SPECIALTIES UNLIMITED aerialfiremag.com | AF 55

Blue Sky Network Breaks the Mold with Freedom Pricing

New Flexible Pricing Plan Supports Remote & Global Missions for any Length of Time.

San Diego, CA—Blue Sky Network announced a new service option designed to support commercial, government, and private organizations needing limited or short-term satellite connectivity. Freedom Pricing by Blue Sky Network is a no annual contract plan for select Iridium® Short Burst Data® (SBD) voice and service plans. With the flexibility of Freedom Pricing, remote operations can now get reliable satellite coverage without long-term service obligations or early termination fees.

“We want to make satellite communications and data connectivity easily accessible for all organizations. With Freedom Pricing, operations managers can ensure safe and reliable services are part of every mission,” said Gregoire Demory, President of Blue Sky Network.

“I’m proud to offer this plan to my clients,” Nick Tucky, VP of Defense & Security, stated. “Freedom Pricing gives them the power to effectively manage and budget for any operation, including small deployments or even missions led by contract teams.”

Freedom Pricing is now available for use on

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select Iridium SBD voice and service plans. Some restrictions may apply. For more details, call +1 858-551-3894, or email sales@blueskynetwork. com.

ABOUT BLUE SKY NETWORK Blue Sky Network is an industry-leading provider of mission-critical fleet management, business continuity, and operational analytics solutions, serving commercial and government customers worldwide. Since its founding in 2001, Blue Sky Network has been a partner of choice to track, manage, and optimize high value-assets in realtime anywhere in the world for improved safety, reliability, and operational efficiency.

Blue Sky Network is headquartered in San Diego, California, with over 450 customers and dealers in more than 50 countries. Additionally, Blue Sky Network holds ANATEL certification and maintains additional offices in São Paulo, Brazil, and Scottsdale, AZ. For more information about Blue Sky Network products and services, visit www. blueskynetwork.com or call +1 858-551-3894.

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aerialfiremag.com | AF 57

International Rotorcraft Community Launches Collaborative Safety Program

VAST represents the combined voices of the worldwide rotorcraft community.

ALEXANDRIA, VA — International rotorcraft safety organizations, regional safety teams, and other global safety stakeholders are pleased to announce the establishment of the Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST). In cooperation and collaboration with the worldwide vertical flight community, VAST aims to achieve a vision of zero fatal accidents, providing “Safety Above All.” In pursuit of that vision, VAST will use a data-informed, consensus-based approach to better harmonize, coordinate, and implement global safety information, resources, and programs, and to support regional safety efforts.

The international vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) industry includes many groups working to reduce accidents, including regional safety teams, industry safety organizations, businesses and associations with safety components to their missions, as well as the individual operators, pilots, maintenance professionals, and others who work daily to mitigate the inherent risks of aviation. The International Helicopter Safety Team and, later, the International Helicopter Safety Foundation previously represented these global safety stakeholders.

Regional safety teams will continue to lead safety initiatives in their respective areas. The role of VAST is to engage with those teams and other safety stakeholders to integrate, harmonize, distribute, and promote the resulting safety data, programs, and recommendations worldwide, reducing duplicative efforts and enabling more efficient use of resources. Several VAST working groups will oversee the organization’s efforts in areas such as technology, regulations, and safety promotion.

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VAST represents the combined voices of the worldwide rotorcraft community. Its operations are overseen by two advisers: James Viola, President and CEO of Helicopter Association International, and Miguel Marin, Chief Operational Safety, at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Their advisory role will help VAST meet its objectives building on industry best practices and the latest international standard developments.

“VAST like other Safety teams are proven initiatives to reduce accidents on a global level,” says Marin. “Bringing the international industry and regulator community together will create a consistent program striving to make the global rotorcraft community as safe as possible.”

“Statistics show that accidents in our industry share the same causes, regardless of border or language,” says Viola. “VAST will bring together safety advocates from around the world to collaborate on finding the most effective safety initiatives and then sharing them with the VTOL community.”

Industry stakeholders, the public, and anyone who wishes to learn more about improving VTOL safety should visit the VAST website, www.vast. aero. In addition to providing more information about VAST, this site will be a key access point for information on safety programs, policies, tools, and promotional products for the global industry.

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More Performance, More Productivity aerialfiremag.com | AF 59

The Fight Against Fire — Flightcell’s DZMx Achieving cellular and satellite connectivity from the cockpit at Flightcell is enabling aerial firefighting operators to tackle fires as efficiently and safely as possible by staying ahead of the technological curve.

4,000 feet might have once seemed like a daunting task for service providers, especially in remote locations. As technology has progressed, not only have satellite and cellular connections become possible in aircraft, but pilots can now access voice, data, and aircraft tracking software simultaneously from one piece of hardware. The hardware in question, the Flightcell DZMx, is produced by Flightcell International of Nelson, New Zealand, and is the company’s flagship product.

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With over 20 years’ experience and product leadership in satcom technology, Flightcell provides product solutions across a range of industries, including air medical, search and rescue, law enforcement, military, and aerial firefighting. The DZMx is installed worldwide, primarily in North America, Europe, and Australasia, targeting the larger turbine rotary airframes that are operated in these sectors.

Flightcell has proudly supplied their DZMx satcom system to Erickson, CAL Fire and Kestrel for many years.

“The Flightcell DZMx is unlike any other product in this area because it’s a product platform, not a product,” said Shawn Deaker, Key Account & Sales Manager at Flightcell. “The DZMx has over 60 different product variants and configurations that customers can order; we built it specifically like that, so it is flexible and future proof.” A firefighting aircraft, for example, may require additional inputs to report bucket loads during operations – such flexibility and customisation is a reality with the DZMx.

A Solution for Aerial Firefighting Operators The DZMx is the world’s smartest, lightest, and smallest Satellite and Cellular system for aviation in the market, and has been long utilized through

the fleets of the likes of Erickson, CAL Fire and Kestrel. With DZMx installed, full coverage is always available. Voice and data are transmitted over satellite networks, via Iridium satellite when in remote locations, and cellular networks when in range. Handover between cellular and satellite is automatic and seamless for tracking purposes.

This makes for significant cost savings compared to satellite-only transmission. Further costs savings can be made as the DZMx is an unlocked product.

Unlike other products, with DZMx you can choose your airtime and mapping service provider and change to a different provider at any time.

The auto-switching coverage comes in handy in the aerial firefighting sector — especially in North America and Australia where Automated Flight Following requirements have been implemented.

The DZMx is capable of tracking the exact flight path of an aircraft, the location and volume of water picked up (Load), released (Drop Start/ Stop), and the identification of the bucket, tank or additive being used, to name a few. Firefighting authorities and operators want to measure the amount and weight of water uplifted and send this data to base. “Apart from the obvious safety benefits, they are experiencing reduced pilot ➤

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workload and receiving operational intelligence from the aircraft” says Deaker. After event data can even be used to reimburse landowners for the exact amount of water taken from their properties.

Flightcell’s DZMx in action – the world’s smartest, lightest and smallest Satellite and Cellular system for aviation in the market.

Product evolution is a key principle for the development team at Flightcell and some new connectivity options and integrations with other sensors have been implemented. In cockpit Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are now a standard option with all new Flightcell DZMx units. This allows seamless connectivity to the DZMx for smart devices and laptops when in the aircraft. There has very recently been support for the innovative Airborne Mission Systems AFDAU unit, which reads fully accurate weight, volume, and load information from tanks or Loadcell’s and then transmits this information to your tracking software using the Flightcell DZMx.

Hitting the Mark While continuing to grow, Flightcell is remaining focused on its ability to stay ahead of the technological curve and enabling operators in the aerial firefighting industry to do their jobs as efficiently and safely as possible. The people who design the hardware also provide the customer support – this has been key in securing Flightcell’s premium position in the satcom marketplace.

“By not offering services, it allows us to focus on the hardware and the software inside the DZMx unit itself,” said Deaker. “We feel we’ve got a unique and world leading product; it’s quite unlike anything else.” Testament to this is the long-term relationships Flightcell has created with its valued AF 62 | aerialfiremag.com

clients and resellers, of which the company now has roughly 40 resellers promoting and selling its products worldwide.

“It took 10 years of research and development to create the DZMx, which was built on the success of our earlier DZM models,” said Deaker. “In creating this satcom system, we spent a lot of time seeking customer feedback and using it to guide our design process. The current DZMx is very much the fruit of this collaboration between Flightcell International’s engineers and our global client base, including our valued firefighting clients, Erickson, CAL Fire and Kestrel. The best part of the resulting satcom unit is that it is not only highly capable, but it is small, easy to install, and cost effective, whereby saving DZMx operators a lot of money by using cellular when it is available.” Furthermore is the Flightcell DZMx firefighting solution is fully compliant, allowing operators to meet United States, Canadian and Australian AFAMS and AFF requirements. This provides assurance to existing and potential clients the DZMx is of the highest quality and exceeds compliance requirements.

In the fight against fire the DZMx provides he edge. precise data, giving you the Flightcell’s firefighting solution ensures there here is rcrew and constant communication between the aircrew lular networks. ground operations using satellite and cellular nto your ICS • Satellite and cellular voice integrated into • Tracking & operational event data • Onboard sensor integration • Fully NAFC - AFAMS & USFS - AFF compliant pliant • Integrated ATU exceeds tank and bucket et reporting requirements • In cockpit Wi-Fi and Bluetooth ed airtime and tracking provider • Unlocked device – choose your preferred

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