ALL OF AERIAL FIREFIGHTING
STRIKE FIRST Ask Questions Later
SPRING 2019
Fighting Wildfires the Spanish-Way Fred Fahey Aerial Services Flies World’s First Constant Flow Electric Firegate Protecting the Rainbow Nation from Wildfires
In This Issue of AERIALFIRE... Volume 17 Number 1 | Spring 2019
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@aerialfiremag.com • aerialfiremag.com PUBLISHER: Blue Sky Investments, Inc. MANAGING EDITOR: Graham Lavender - graham@aerialfiremag.com EDITOR: Ryan Mason - ryan@aerialfiremag.com ACCOUNTING/ADMINISTRATION: Casey Armstrong - casey@aerialfiremag.com DISPLAY ADVERTISING: Ernie Eggler - ernie@aerialfiremag.com Melanie Woodley - melanie@aerialfiremag.com PRODUCTION: Deborah Freeman - deb@aerialfiremag.com
06 STRIKE FIRST Ask Questions Later
CIRCULATION: Mary Jane Virden - maryjane@aerialfiremag.com
09 Fighting Wildfires the Spanish-Way! 12 Fred Fahey Aerial Services Flies World’s First Constant Flow Electric Firegate 14 Protecting the Rainbow Nation from Wildfires 20 Mixed Levels of Effort on Aerial Firefighters ADS-B Compliance 22 L.A. County Air Operations - Defining Aerial Firefighting from the Frontlines 29 Western Australian Government Signs on for Increased Aerial Firefighting Capabilities with New Learjet
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Monthly Columns and Sections 04 From the Seat | John Thomas 28 From the Cockpit| Bill Lavender
Cover Image by Brian Gailey, Brian Gailey Photography, Klamath Falls, Oregon
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FROM THE COCKPIT
Bill Lavender bill@agairupdate.com
A Great Loss
I
t is with great sadness when I say the industry has lost a dear friend to both ag-aviation and particularly to the SEAT industry. On February 14, Marc Mullis passed away due to complications from cancer. Marc was the first and will be the last chief editor of AgAir Update’s special section, AirFire & Forestry. To him, I dedicate this commentary. A little over 15 years ago, I had the idea there was a need for a special section in AgAir Update that focused on the Single Engine Air Tankers. I had known Marc for more years than I can remember, from the days when he was an ag-operator in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, a second generation ag-pilot. I had visited him there, one of the first ag-operators to build a drive-thru hangar/ loading facility with an apartment. I don’t recall the details, but I’m almost sure I spent the night at the hangar. I remember Marc insisted that I fly his RV-4, which I did. Marc left the ag-aviation business to become a full-time SEAT pilot flying for the Mitchell’s M & M Air Service based in Beaumont, Texas. Rarely there, Marc spent most of his down time in Fort Stockton, Texas, but flew throughout the West working fires and during the off-fire season, flying brush control. It was last November that I received Marc’s quarterly editorial for the December edition of AirFire & Forestry. “Bill, this will be my last editorial for AFF. I’ve been diagnosed with terminal cancer and I have only a few months to live.” To say being blindsided would be an understatement. Marc told me I could tell our readers about his plight as I saw fit. My decision was to let Marc tell whoever he wanted and my turn would come now, after his passing. AirFire & Forestry has been retired in memory of Marc. Graham and I have toyed with the idea that
AirFire & Forestry needed rebranding and become more inclusive of the entire aerial firefighting industry and less about forestry, moving that part into the ag-aviation pages of AgAir Update. With Marc’s impending passing, we decided the time had come to make this change and at the same time memorialize Marc. Thus, the formation of that publication is AerialFire. In my mind, there is no question Marc’s influence on the SEAT industry as an active SEAT pilot and editor of AirFire & Forestry, was profound. AirFire & Forestry has experienced its success largely in part because of Marc’s ever present guidance and advice. To continue to move forward with AerialFire without Marc is going to be challenging. I know I’ll ask him, in empathy, “Marc, what do you think?” Or, “Marc what would you do?.” Marc, our friend and mentor, may you rest in peace and as you always closed your editorials with, “I hope to see you in the mountains one day.”
Above: Marc Mullis, 1955-2019
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aerialfiremag.com | AF 5
STRIKE FIRST
Ask Questions Later AF 6 | aerialfiremag.com
By John Thomas
The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can and keep moving on. An American General
Washington State’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has fought wildfires with this same aggressive strategy since 2016 and, to date, it has been extremely successful. Michael Cuthbert, Washington’s DNR Aviation Program Manager and George Geissler, Washington’s State Forester, say their goal is to rapidly deploy, within minutes of a notification of a new fire start, a mini aerial strike force. This consists of an Air Attack platform, which is similar to a military forward air controller, an aircraft and aircrew designed to coordinate and direct aerial firefighting assets to support the ground firefighting effort. Also included in this aerial strike force are two Fire Boss water scooping Type III Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) and a single Type II helicopter complete with a helitack crew with an incident commander, all embarked to quickly smash fires and keep them under 10 acres in size. The Combined Initial Attack Team, the program’s unofficial name, was created in 2015 after Washington state experienced its worst fire season in its history. That year saw over one million acres burned between June and September and tragically, the loss of three wildland firefighters, Tom Zbyszewski, Andrew Zajac and Richard Wheeler. Wildland firefighters identified the need for rapid launch initial attack aerial packages that would be strategically prepositioned throughout the state near high fire danger areas capable of providing a quick size up, accurate intelligence and immediate suppression. According to George Geissler, “This was particularly important in remote areas or areas containing high value structures and/or dense populations.” Washington DNR leadership then directed its fire operations group to develop such a program. Most times the four aircraft making up the Combined Initial Attack Teams are collocated at the same base and launch
aerialfiremag.com | AF 7
together. However, rotor wing aircraft provide greater flexibility with their vertical takeoff and landing abilities so often forward deploy nearer vulnerable areas away from hard surface runways and fixed ground support infrastructure (tanker bases) to reduce response times during times of high fire danger. Sometimes, all the aircraft are launched from different bases or locations or may be diverted airborne from a different incident and simply rendezvous overhead at the fire. Point being, this flexible and agile program coordinates and prioritizes the assembly of these specifics aerial assets and gets them to new starts! The DNR operates eight UH-1H (B-205) helicopters. During the 2018 fire season, six Exclusive Use (EU) Fire Boss SEATs, two EU air airattack
AF 8 | aerialfiremag.com
platforms and a mix of Call When Needed (CWN) helicopters and tankers were contracted. With all these assets, the DNR was able to field several Combined Initial Attack Teams. What’s the program’s success rate thus far? A stunning 92% in 2018 were held to less than 10 acres because of the use of aviation combined with effective ground based suppression. DNR has determined, spending what appears to be a sizable amount of money upfront in immediate suppression initial attack costs, using both aviation and ground resources, saves the state exponentially more money by not having to fight extended attack major fires; an outstanding return on investment! Remember the old Fram oil filter commercial? You can pay me now, or you can pay me later. The DNR is currently working to refine its metric for success by changing it from keeping the fires at ten acres or less in size to the complete containment of the fire within the first 24-hour operational period with no structures or lives
Fighting Wildfires the Spanish-Way! By John Thomas Over twenty years ago, an agricultural application and aerial firefighting company in Spain developed a visionary and aggressively proactive strategy to combat wildfires…
time the current Avialsa PZL M-18 Dromader aircraft and invest in building a completely new AT-802 fleet. Over the years, Huerta’s business bloomed and his
they actively hunted them with loaded Air Tractor AT-802
companies now have 150 employees and strive for
SEATs (Single Engine Air Tankers)!
continuous growth and expansion, united around one
Having inherited the agricultural aviation business
key factor - the continued success of Air Tractor AT-802
that his father established in 1965, the young and
aircraft. Being the center of Huerta’s business, the AT-802
visionary entrepreneur Vicente Huerta Dominguez, Jr.,
grew into a truly capable and successful aerial fire-fighting
owner and CEO of Avialsa, located in Valencia (yes,
asset. Avialsa and its sister-company, Air Tractor Europe
think oranges), early in his business career recognized
(exclusive distributor of Air Tractor aircraft for Europe,
the newly-developed AT-802 agricultural aircraft would
North Africa and the Middle East since 1996), achieved
be indeed an excellent and cost-effective water-bomber.
amazing success and have sold over 150 new and pre-
This lead him to the decision to invest in two AT-802s
owned Air Tractor aircraft to different customers in 13
(serial numbers 802-0018 and 802-0019) that he used
countries worldwide, including to the governments of
in 1995 to promote his very own “Initial Fire Attack”
Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Cyprus and Israel.
program to the Spanish authorities. The test program
Today, Avialsa still patrols but now instead of a crew of
aimed at proving the concept that early fire detection
two, their patrols are single piloted and may also be flown
and immediate suppression is better than the traditional
in a Fire Boss, an AT-802A or a dual cockpit AT-802.
method of holding air tankers on the ground while ground
Availsa’s inventive AVA concept has proven successful
personnel or observation aircraft make the determination
and cost-effective in decades-long domestic aerial
as to whether aerial suppression is needed…they just get
firefighting operations in Spain, but also in regular foreign
after it!
deployments to neighboring nations of Italy, France and
This “armed reconnaissance”, seeking targets of opportunity, was based on the proven capabilities of
Portugal. Croatia, a small Balkan nation globally recognized as
the newly acquired Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft, wildfire
an aerial fire-fighting superpower is regularly patrolling
statistical data for the preceding 10 years and use of
its loaded AT-802s on a daily base during the summer
specialized software (a computer generated analysis of
season between May and October. Under the well
years of collected historical weather data, fire activity
established practice, two aircraft are taking off every
and fire locations combined with current and forecasted
morning from their home base in Zadar for patrolling
weather conditions to include humidity levels, winds,
flights towards Dubrovnik airport; one aircraft flies
dry lightning, as well as typical outdoor activity of the
southeast along the coast line with the other flying over
public) and last but not least Avialsa’s experience in aerial
the Adriatic Sea covering the nation’s statistically-proven,
firefighting operations. Aerial patrol routes were developed
wildfire-prone islands. In the afternoon both planes fly
and flown by one or two, dual cockpit AT-802s (pilot and
back home from Dubrovnik to Zadar, again patrolling
observer pilot) loaded with retardant or water and foam.
the wildfire-proven areas. While doing so, an immediate
Upon detection of a fire, the crews immediately attacked
attack on the forest fire with 820 gallons (3,104 liters)
it.
of water, foam, or retardant while the fire is still small, The program was a resounding success - despite a
benign and easily controllable is the action of choice. This
dramatic 20% increase in the number of wildfires that
has been perfectly mastered in Croatia and is now an
year, the burned area was reduced by an incredible 60%.
example of how an AT-802 should be properly used.
The two Air Tractor aircraft accumulated almost 1,300
Could this concept work in the United States? Probably
flying hours in four months with an amazing over 99%
not, it’s most likely just too costly, among other reasons.
dispatch reliability rate. According to Vicente Huerta,“800
According to Hugo Arceo, sales manager at Air Tractor
gallons of fire retardant dumped during the first minute of
Europe, the cost per hour the government pays for an
a fire is better than 8,000 gallons being delivered in the
AT-802 on patrol in Spain is so economical that it would
first 10 minutes or 800,000 gallons being delivered in 30
be unwise not to use them in this proactive way. Turns
minutes.”
out, most fires reported in Spain come from these airborne
The test program proved successful and the Spanish
patrols and they are promptly and effectively extinguished
government awarded Avialsa, 3 to 5-year contracts for
by Avialsa AT-802s far before developing into destructive,
their program - Aircraft Vigilance and Attack (AVA).
out-of control, deadly wildfires!
Consequently, Huerta decided to start phasing out at that
aerialfiremag.com | AF 9
On Washington state DNR protected land, the days of using the traditional methods of sending either ground personnel or an air attack to investigate the need for air support are over.
AF 10 | aerialfiremag.com
lost. Defining success in this way means wildland firefighters can be quickly freed up for initial attack on new fires versus getting bogged down in extended attack missions. Every year since the program’s inception, the DNR has seen a steady decrease in number of acres burned, a further testament to the program’s success. Although wheeled SEATs are not excluded from the Initial Attack Team, and have been and will continue to be used as needed and when available, the DNR prefers the use of amphibious SEATs a.k.a. Fire Bosses. The Fireboss’ unique ability to scoop water from lakes, rivers and reservoirs and then return quickly to the fire multiple times when there is a water source nearby is much more beneficial to the suppression of the fire than one load of retardant per launch that a standard SEAT provides. These multiple water drops allow for greater cooling of the flames, slowing the fire’s spread while providing precious time for ground personnel to arrive and contain the fire. It is a well-known fact that air assets alone do not put out or contain fires. It is by the able hands of ground wildland firefighters that fires are extinguished. Washington state has ample water sources throughout many areas of the state. Using Fire Bosses makes sense…use the right tool for the job. Of course, DNR is not held to only using water, retardant still plays an important role when it is determined to be needed. In addition wheeled SEATs and larger air tankers are used
when needed, even during initial attack, if DNR operations determine that to be the most effective available resource. Washington state DNR may not have been the first agency to develop a rapid launch initial attack coordinated aerial program, but it is the newest and is unique due to the vast amount of water in the state choosing water scooping aircraft and water carrying rotor-wing aircraft as the mainstay of its initial air tanker assault. Although the Combined Initial Attack Team program is still relatively new, its successes thus far are impressive and worthy of further study. The concept could provide a model for other state and federal agencies to follow, whereby they could develop their own integrated aerial task force to reduce costs and reduce the number of acres burned over a season through immediate suppression. On Washington state DNR protected land, the days of using the traditional methods of sending either ground personnel or an air attack to investigate the need for air support are over. It wastes valuable time when it is determined that air support is in fact needed. According to Geissler, “The quick launch of aviation in combination with ground resources to a fire detection is DNR’s answer to working to prevent costly large complex fires.” John Thomas is an active SEAT pilot flying the AT-802 Fire Boss for Dauntless Air. He also is an active agricultural pilot flying in southern California.
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aerialfiremag.com | AF 11
Fred Fahey Aerial Services Flies World’s First Constant Flow Electric Firegate
The all-electric FRDS GEN III firegate by Trotter Controls mounted on Australian AT-802 owned by Fred Fahey Aerial Services.
F
red Fahey Aerial Services, based in Cowra, Australia has become the world’s first fire-fighting operator to fight fires with the all-electric FRDS GEN III firegate designed and manufactured by Trotter Controls. Installed on two of Fahey’s AT-802s in November 2018, the gates have been actively involved in fighting fires during a very busy Australian season. “The new firegate is a significant, long term investment for us,” said Fred Fahey. “And, with the world becoming increasingly electric, we were excited to work with Trotter Controls to be their pioneering partner. We’re very pleased with the result and more importantly, so are our fire agency customers.” According to Victor Trotter, President of Trotter Controls, “We’ve worked very closely with Air Tractor to deliver the next generation of high performance, constant flow firegates for AT-802F aircraft and we expect the ground breaking FRDS
AF 12 | aerialfiremag.com
GEN III to be offered as factory equipment in late 2019.” James O’Brien, Head of Sales for Field Air, Air Tractors’ Australian dealer is excited by the prospects for the new gate technology and added, “We’ve had numerous inquiries. The electric gate is about half the weight of its hydraulic predecessor, delivers more flow and uses fewer components, so is easier to install and maintain.” The FRDS GEN III, all-electric gate leverages Trotter Controls’ established DataVault Mission Control platform for control, telemetry and pilot interface functions. David Coward, DataVault Product Manager commented, “We conceived DataVault as a powerful, open and flexible logging, telemetry and control system. The DataVault along with its new vibrant color pilot display has delivered against all its objectives. With more than 100 aircraft installations world-wide, the DataVault platform is the perfect complement to the FRDS GEN III electric gate.”
Fred Fahey Aerial Services’ Air Tractor with the all-electric FRDS GEN III with fairing removed.
aerialfiremag.com | AF 13
Protecting the Rainbow Nation from Wildfires By Igor Bozinovski
“We might be the first generation to grasp our position in and impact on nature. We might also be the last generation to be able to take action,� were the striking words of Dr. Mmaphaka Tau, Deputy Director of the National Disaster Management Centre of South Africa during the first Wildfire Ready Convention which took place at the Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West on the Western Cape on 28 November 2018.
AF 14 | aerialfiremag.com
aerialfiremag.com | AF 15
The two-day convention had the attendance of various fire prevention associations from across the world (governments, service providers, volunteer agencies and fire services) focused on the future of managing wildfires in the so-called Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) and emphasized the importance of the integrated fire management in mitigating the risks of the appearance and spreading of unwanted wildfires. The convention participants experienced the opportunity to learn precious know-how on modern-day challenges in wildland firefighting by speakers representing globally-renewed entities such as the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Environmental Affairs of South Africa. The industry as whole was also present and pro-active, mainly focusing on emphasizing the importance of an integrated fire management approach to today’s wildfires and providing insight on certain ground and aerial means that are already a global standard in dealing with wildfires. Representing Spain, Valencia-based company Air Tractor Europe, a distributor of Air Tractor agricultural and firefighting aircraft since 1996, sales manager Hugo Arceo was one of the keynote speakers that focused on bringing to the attention to the public the importance of an integrated fire management approach by utilizing the globally popular Air Tractor AT-802 fixed-wing water bomber “Having aerial resources - especially a combination of Air Tractors and helicopters - as part of your approach to wildland fire-fighting is essential. It adds significant value to your ground fire-fighting efforts,” explained Arceo before even AF 16 | aerialfiremag.com
discussing the effectiveness of aerial firefighting operations and emphasizing the very unique capabilities and the effectiveness of the costeffective 3,104 liters AT-802 water-bomber. Speaking about the aircraft’s advantages, Arceo explained that it is available as land or amphibious (known as the Fire Boss) configurations. The aircraft can be airborne in less than 10 minutes (turbine engine requires no warm up and unnecessary wasting of fuel and engine resources) with speed that can attack the fire when it is small and benign. Pointing out that “fires don’t get tired and don’t take a break”, Arceo said, “The AT-802 is really a global water-bomber of choice as demonstrated by a very simple fact that currently there are 800 Air Tractors flying across the globe with more than half of them are engaged in wildland fire-fighting. It is not by accidents that aside of South Africa also nations such as the U.S., Canada, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, Spain, Portugal, France, Cyprus, Israel and many others have entrusted the safety of its people and forests to AT-802,” Arceo concluded. Aside of precious discussions and know-how sharing, the convention was also highlighted by the aerial display organized by Kishugu Group, a South African company headquartered in Nelspruit, is recognized as a global leader in supplying integrated fire management services around the globe. Johan Heine is company president and was honored at the conference. The company currently has active operations on five continents, ranging from training and equipment, to fire management plans and contracted teams.
Above left: Johan Heine, company president for Kishugu Group, was honored at the conference with this painting. Above right: Conference attendees were versed in the firefighting attributes of the AT-802F Air Tractor.
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Kishugu Group’s aviation component operating under a subsidiary company named Working on Fire (WOF) Aviation, showcased a Cessna C-206 spotter aircraft, a Bell UH-1H Huey helicopter, an Air Tractor AT-802 Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) and ground teams that jointly demonstrated the effectiveness and interaction between aerial and ground firefighting means and teams with firefighters on the ground providing critical and specific instructions before every single drop is made from the fire-fighting aircraft. The dynamic demonstration clearly proved the importance of an integrated response when dealing with a wildfire. It demonstrated the unquestionable competence of Kishugu Group that since 1986 has flown more than 60,000 flight hours in aerial wildfire-control and suppression operations as a result of more than 9,000 fires that have been extinguished in South Africa. Being of critical importance to South Africa, since 2003 WOF is the trusted supplier of aerial firefighting services to key role players within the wildland firefighting industry in the southernmost country in African continent. The company currently flies an approximate 4,000 hours and responds to an average of 300 fires annually. For this purpose, it operates a mixed fleet of planes and helicopters. WOF’s Cessnas C-182/206/210 single-engine, piston aircraft are used for aerial command, control, safety and operational command over wildfires. These planes observe, analyse and
AF 18 | aerialfiremag.com
predict fire behavior. They are used to supply all relevant parties with updated information. Also in service with WOF is a fleet of Bell UH-1H Huey single-engine utility helicopters that are intended for the fast deployment of attack teams, but also for support of aerial fire-fighting operations through use of an underslung 1,000-liter Bambi Bucket fire-fighting system. The heavy artillery of WOF, however, are its four Air Tractor AT802A single-seat, Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) aircraft that entered service in 2013 after being acquired from Air Tractor Europe, which also provided WOF with the necessary pilot training. With AT-802 fire-fighting aircraft being one of the highlights of the convention, the commercial, sales-oriented promotion of the aircraft by Hugo Arceo was impressive, especially knowing his efforts with Air Tractor Europe has succeeded in the sale of over 150 new and pre-owned Air Tractor aircraft to different customers in 13 countries worldwide, including to the governments of Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Cyprus and Israel. According to WOF, by being fast and highly-maneuverable, the AT-802 is operationally effective and economical and can be programmed to discharge its 3,104-liter load in pre-set volumes and intervals, enabling the pilot to optimise water, foam and retardant dispersal and to make precision drops on a number of critical points on a fire. “The AT-802 is an excellent aircraft for someone who actually uses it as a working tool on a
daily base for years and currently flies an average of 350 AT-802 hours during active firefighting operations annually.” “The settings of the computerized FRDS water-bombing system allow the pilot to disperse the load evenly along the flanks of a grassland fire, pulling a line of up to 1,000 meters,” explained Koos Kieck, an ex-South African Air Force pilot that now works as a WOF AT-802A bomber pilot. “On the other hand, one can also ‘open the gates’ and eject the full tank within 1.68 seconds to penetrate thick forest canopies. Once emptied, the plane returns to the airfield at speeds of up to 350 km/h (217 mph) to refill its tank, an operation that takes about two minutes after which the AT-802 then returns to the fireline,” Kieck pointed out. With an endurance of 3.5 to 4 hours and, depending on the proximity of the runway, an average turnaround time of about 14 minutes, WOF’s AT-802s are delivering roughly 14,000 liters per hour onto a fire. With these impressive performances, the AT-802s obviously became the fire-bombing aircraft of choice for WOF and resulted in sending into retirement the Dromaders and Thrush crop sprayers that had being adapted for aerial firefighting. The first Wildfire Ready Convention was an extremely successful event progressing with initiatives, providing a window for promoting interoperability issues and the beneficial integrated deployment of assets to combat the impacts of climate changes, particularly wildfires in a world of limited resources. The apparent thirst for knowledge on safe and effective conducting of fire-fighting operations, as well as the obvious need for close contact between institutions, societies and industry showed to be a warranty for the success of the event that, hopefully, will became a tradition for South Africa growing on an annual base in the incoming years.
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Mixed Levels of Effort on Aerial Firefighters ADS-B Compliance By Jason J. Baker seaplanemagazine.com
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With less than a year remaining on the looming ADS-B Out compliance deadline, aerial firefighters are working with various levels of excitement to meet the January 1, 2020 equipment compliance. After that date, non-compliant helicopter and fixed wing aircraft will have limited access to US airspace. ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance broadcast) is considered an essential tool of 21st century air traffic management and is being implemented in both the US and Europe. ADS-B Out avionics continuously broadcast an aircraft’s position (out) to air traffic controllers, within as little as one meter of accuracy. While ADS-B Out is mandated, operators can also select ADS-B In as an option, enabling pilots, themselves, to see the location of nearby aircraft on a cockpitmounted display. To meet the ADS-B Out deadline in the US, operators have been actively scheduling equipment retrofits- in some cases, as an integral part of scheduled winter maintenance. For example, an operator with four CH47D helicopters in their fleet began installations of ADS-B Out equipment in
the 2014 winter maintenance cycle, with all units reaching full compliance by January of 2019. Another operator has selected both ADS-B Out and ADS-B In for its nine BAe 146 tankers, with retrofits slated for completion during this year’s winter maintenance period. One operations spokesperson said: “With ADS-B In deployed, our pilots will be able to see the call signs of all the aircraft working on the fire, this will improve situational awareness.” General consensus seems to exist that ADS-B Out is expected to enhance safety, allowing air traffic controllers to see where aircraft are at all times. Many smaller fleet operators are currently still holding off on the retrofit, hoping to see some price reductions, as products are improved and competition increases prior to mandate. It is there where the largest doubts towards ADS-B Out will make any significant difference on the safety side are based. Many appear to view the mandate as a legally required hassle to be complied with and consequently show little haste of excitement for doing so.
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L.A. County Air Operations Defining Aerial Firefighting from the Frontlines Story and images by Scott Dworkin
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t close to 4,100 square miles, Los Angeles County, California is one of the largest counties in the United States. The Los Angeles County Fire Department provides fire protection and
emergency medical services to over 10 million residents who reside in the unincorporated sections of Los Angeles County. That includes 88 cities, and close to 80 miles of coastline of the Pacific Ocean and the nearby islands of Santa Catalina and San Clemente. This territory accounts for almost 30 percent of the region’s residents.
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L.A. County Fire, which numbers close to 5000 total personnel utilize a wide array of advanced fire apparatus and lifesaving equipment to protect and serve its citizens, including eight helicopters as part of the Departments Air Operations Section that is available 24/7 for missions including aerial firefighting and search and rescue. L.A. County’s Air Operations Section was formed in 1957 with a single pilot and mechanic. The early operation flew one Bell 47 helicopter capable of dropping 100 gallons of water. Today’s Air Operations Section is headquartered and located at Barton Heliport at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, California. Air Operations are led by a Battalion Chief and three Fire Captains that support day to day operations. The unit is staffed by 12 pilots that are augmented on duty and in the air by 18 qualified aircrew Firefighter/Paramedics. The L.A. County Barton Heliport is staffed by 17 full-time mechanics that maintain the Department’s fleet of helicopters which currently consist of three
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Sikorsky S-70 Firehawks, (Copters 15, 16 and 19) and five Bell 412’s (Copters 11, 12, 14, 17 and 18). The unit’s helicopters are all multi-mission capable and can be configured for fire, emergency medical services and search and rescue missions as needed. Each is equipped with fixed water drop tanks for aerial firefighting and hoists for search and rescue operations, as well as provisions to carry swift water rescue teams and their associated equipment. Additionally, all of the Air Operations helicopters utilize 30 million candle-power Spectrolab SX-16 NiteSun searchlights to assist in night operations. The helicopters are equipped with specialized infrared scanning devices and monitors which to allow crews to find hot spots during a fire from the air unable to be seen with the naked eye. These devices are used to direct target water or retardant drops on fires and to also assist in strategic direction for fire crews on the ground to make sure hotspots do not reignite or spread. Capable of transporting up to 13 (three crew and 10 passengers), and fitted with a 1,000 US gallon (3,800 L) tank, the S-70 Firehawk is arguably one of the most effective aerial firefighting and rescue tools available anywhere in the world. Los Angeles County took delivery of its first two Firehawk helicopters in 2001 to better serve the emergency needs in the sprawling metro area. The County was the first local government agency in the world to purchase this type of aircraft. L.A County Fire acquired their third S-70 in 2005. A fast and highly maneuverable derivative of the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter found in service with various militaries around the world; these helicopters provide Los Angeles County with advanced technology fire-fighting and paramedic capabilities. The Firehawk derivative includes specific firefighting and EMS support equipment, specialized medical service interiors for evacuation of patients, multi-mission capable avionics, night vision device capable avionics, and is fitted with landing gear extensions to clear the added belly tank underneath the helicopter. The Firehawk can drop water or fire suppressant material accurately over a target area. Once at a water source the aircrew has flexible options for refilling the water tank. The helicopter can land next to the source while water is pumped aboard via a connector on the side of
the tank or it can hover directly over any water source, and water can be pumped aboard through a 3.6m-long snorkel hose, both options at a rate of 1000 gallons per minute. The tank also contains a 115-liter foam reservoir. If needed, foam can be mixed with the water during flight at whatever concentration is required. With its powerful twin General Electric (GE) T700 engines, it can rapidly transit to and from a water source and back to the fire area in minutes. Additionally, because of the immense power provided by the GE engines, the helicopter is capable of doing heavy long line hoists even at higher altitudes where most helicopters would struggle. The Air Operations five Bell 412 can each transport up to 10 (two crew and eight passengers) and are fitted with a tank that will hold 360 US gallons (1,400 L.) Two of the 412s are the HP versions which are powered by the Pratt & Whitney PT6T-3BE engines, with an improved transmission over the original 412 model, with the other three being the newer Bell 412EP version, powered by the Pratt & Whitney PT6T-3D engines, featuring a dual digital automatic flight control system. Both variants of the 412 utilize a composite four-blade main rotor system. Similar to the Firehawk, the 412 is capable of fulfilling the multi-mission role of medical response and transport, technical rescue, personnel transport and aerial firefighting. The 412 can ferry and insert a crew of eight wildland firefighters rapidly to the frontlines and features an average fill time for 360-gallon onboard tank of only one minute, making the average turnaround time on drops a quick five minutes (including fill time). The quick turnaround time for the helicopter defines the 412 as a definite asset during a firefighting operation, with each of the county’s Bell 412 helicopters able to deliver over 4,000 gallons of fire suppression material per hour. In addition to its fleet of aircraft, the county leases at least two Bombardier CL-415 air tankers, commonly known as Super Scoopers from Quebec, Canada during the active wildfire season in Southern California. This season typically runs September through January. The amphibious aircraft are capable of landing in the nearby Pacific Ocean or any large body of water and scooping up to 1,600 gallons of water from the surface, thus giving them the ability to stay airborne and relatively close the scene of the wildfire for an aerialfiremag.com | AF 25
extended period of time. Most of the bodies of water used by the amphibious aircraft have been predetermined as adequate to be used by the aircrews well ahead of fire season, and are strategically located throughout the County. However, the aircraft provides the flexibility to use any water source as long as it has the required room to land and then take off. The County also leases at least one Erickson Air-Crane S-64F that can hold 2,650 gallons of water or retardant based at Van Nuys to augment its fleet of helicopters. The mission of covering such a large area from the Pacific Ocean in the west, to the highest mountains in the Angeles National Forest at over 10,000 feet, out to the remotest parts of the local
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Southern California desert in the east, provides Air Operations with a multitude of calls daily. Calls can range anywhere from vehicle accidents that require an aeromedical evacuation flight to a local trauma center, to lost or injured hikers in the hills all the way to fighting the large brush fires. Because of the vast distances involved the unit forward deploys a minimum of two helicopters and aircrew daily to locations strategically spread across the county. These locations are the North Operations (NCAS) at Fire Station 129 in Lancaster, the East Operations (ECAS) at Bracket Air Field, in LaVerne, and depending on fire conditions a third location, the Central Operations (WCAS) at Fire Camp 8 in Malibu is used.
FROM THE SEAT John Thomas
“It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again” This year’s government shutdown, just like the one a year ago, has trickled down to wildland firefighters and may affect the upcoming 2019 wildfire suppression season. As far as the air side goes, both National Aerial Firefighting Academy (NAFA) courses, NAFA (I) and NAFA-II* have been canceled. NAFA is a prerequisite to becoming a new Level II, Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) pilot. NAFA II is required for Level II pilots to upgrade to Level I. Level I pilots can work autonomously with multiple aerial assets at the fire whereas Level II pilots need aerial supervision (air attack or a lead plane) over the fire when there are more than two total aircraft in the Fire Traffic Area. Additionally, NAFA II is a triennial requirement for aerial fire fighter pilots to remain “carded” (licensed) with the government. As of now the carding process is in limbo. If left as is, this will impact many SEAT vendors’ abilities to fill seats with qualified pilots to meet state and federal contract requirements. There is, however, a glimmer of hope. A government official stated the government is fully aware of the potential impacts of the NAFA courses being canceled on vendors, as well as the detrimental, albeit unintended, effects on the upcoming season. The official says most likely a waiver will be granted for Level I pilots in need of their triennial NAFA II requirement. Upgrades from Level II to Level I are less of a concern to the government for the upcoming season as compared to the ability to issue initial Level II cards to new SEAT pilot; these issues remain unresolved and are still being discussed. It’s fair to say all agencies involved in aerial firefighting are committed to ensuring there are enough qualified pilots to fight the air war this season; hopefully our politicians will keep the government open so that our agencies can continue to work to resolve all of these issues. So, what do the prevailing Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook maps show for 2019? Currently, the significant potential seems pretty low, at least through
May in the lower 48 and Alaska. However, there is some red on the map. All the islands of Hawaii are showing “above normal” …yeah right…don’t get your hopes up fellow SEAT pilots, I doubt we’ll be enjoying Blue Hawaiians on the beaches of Waikiki any time soon! *NAFA (I) - “…a training effort by and for personnel directly involved in aerial retardant and water delivery. The intent is to educate both Agency and Contract personnel using subject matter experts from both sectors.” NAFA II - “…is designed to provide aerial firefighters an advanced training experience to NAFA(I), utilizing flight simulator hardware and software, sand table exercises and classroom interaction. NAFA II simulations and problem solving exercises will enhance the aerial firefighter’s effectiveness and safety awareness by providing complex problem solving tasks while simulating a multi-aircraft fire airspace environment.” -Source National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). **Pilot endorsements “Level II permits pilot performance of missions without benefit of aerial supervision in the fire traffic area (FTA) with the SEAT plus one other aircraft. With more than two aircraft within the FTA, aerial supervision for the Level II pilot is required.” “The Level I endorsement permits the pilot to perform missions in the FTA without aerial supervision and allows them to conduct operations in a multiple tactical aircraft environment. This encompasses all missions from initial attack through large fire aerial operations. The Level I rated pilot will be familiar with and have experience in complex aerial fire suppression methods, and therefore, will be more effective in those types of situations.” -Source NWCG Standards for Single Engine Air Tanker Operations A Fire Traffic Area is an imaginary piece of cylindrical airspace, having a 5 NM radius and is at least 2,500’ AGL in height and is centered over the fire, used for communication protocols.
These forward-deployed locations are designed to provide expedited EMS and Firefighting service in remote locations and areas without available nearby Trauma Centers. By using these forward-deployed locations, once dispatched, helicopters typically arrive on scene within 10-15 minutes. L.A. County Fire also utilize over 100 predetermined helispot landing areas spread throughout the county that hold a water supply, typically a hydrant, so that a team on the ground can forward deploy to the helispot, set up for the helicopter, where the pilot can then land, refill and quickly be airborne and back on the fire line. A snapshot of statistical data from the unit bears out the diversity of calls, as last year Air Operations responded to over 1000 emergency medical service calls, and over 280 fire calls alone resulting in over 700,000 gallons of water and foam dropped. The aircrews also conducted close to 100 hoist rescues throughout the County. The air assets from LA County Fire are always in high demand and requested by mutual aid incident commanders, and the air unit may respond several times per month during fire season as part of this system. All of this makes Los Angeles County’s Air Operations the largest, and busiest multi-mission Fire Department aviation program in the United States.
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Western Australian Government Signs-on for Increased Aerial Firefighting Capabilities with New Learjet
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estern Australia’s aerial firefighting capabilities were increased recently with the addition of a Lear 35 to their aerial firefighting fleet. In the announcement released by the Government of Western Australia on February 15th, 2019 the WA government emergency services department detailed that the new Learjet will carry a sophisticated LineScanner camera, capable of mapping an aerial overview footprint of catastrophic incidents such as bushfires and flooding to get a more accurate overall view of affected areas. Regular satellite imagery can prove difficult to use in emergencies, such as bushfires, that produce large volumes of smoke rendering satellite imagery useless for mapping. The new Learjet’s LineScanner camera can capture imagery at high altitude regardless of smoke or cloud in the area. “With the Learjet flying at between 15,000 and 27,000 feet, the LineScanner can map large disasters even in lowvisibility conditions such as in heavy cloud and smoke and at night in a matter of about 15 minutes. It can accurately plot a fire’s position, showing the intensity of active fire fronts and information on areas that have already been burned out,” stated Western Australia’s Minister for Emergency Services Frances Logan. The added mapping capability will now allow intelligence gathering at a much higher level than previously thought possible by those involved with information gathering in situations such as aerial firefighting that will increase the state’s ability to plan more effectively and distribute the right aerial and ground firefighting assets to bushfire hotspots in the future. The Linescanner system utilized a rotating digital camera
that generates high-resolution images shot anywhere between 15,000 to 27,000 feet, which is then imported into the state’s disaster-mapping software that assists the agency in planning disaster responses. Adding the Lear 35 was considered a valuable investment by the Western Australian Government, allowing fast response to remote areas of the state that comprises of over 1,000,000 square miles. The Lear 35, having a fuel range of over three thousand miles, will allow the state to respond in a timelier manner than previously possible. The WA government further detailed in their release that the scanner equipped Learjet has been engaged on an initial 90-day, $750,000 trial funded by the WA and Federal Governments and dispatched through the National Aerial Firefighting Centre located in the state of Victoria on the east coast of Australia. The states aerial firefighting assets, comprising thirty aircraft, both fixed and rotary, are strategically positioned around the state of Western Australia as needed. All aircraft are jointly operated by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions’ (DBCA) Parks and Wildlife Service. And Australia’s federal Assistant Minister for Home Affairs, Linda Reynolds stated that the national aerial firefighting fleet now consists of over one hundred and forty aircraft around the country. These aerial assets are funded by an annual budget of $26 Million in federal funding, up from $14.8 million in previous years as the federal government responds to the increasing fire dangers faced by Australian communities each year. aerialfiremag.com | AF 29
Aerial Firefighting a Major Theme for 2019 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh We have an opportunity to expose a broader audience to how our operations commence and the tremendous ability to showcase the firefighting pilot and the firefighter on the ground
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Aerial firefighting will be a major theme at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019 with support from the U.S. Forest Service and other aircraft operators and manufacturers. “EAA is pleased to have the opportunity to showcase aerial firefighting and most importantly to give our attendees the opportunity to better understand this important aspect of aviation and salute those that make it happen,” said Rick Larsen, EAA vice president of communities and member programs, who also coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. EAA will be working with the U.S. Forest Service and other entities to bring various firefighting aircraft to AirVenture to allow visitors to see them up close. “We have an opportunity to expose a broader audience to how our operations commence and the tremendous ability to showcase the firefighting
pilot and the firefighter on the ground,” said Chad Runyan, north zone aviation officer for the Eastern Regional Office of the Forest Service. “Typically the only people that really understand what we’re doing are people actively in the fire because we have to close down airspaces and protect our area. The general public doesn’t really get to see these systems, how they all interact and how they all work, in a static setting.” Exact details on firefighting aircraft scheduled to appear and other programming around the aerial firefighting theme will be released in the coming months.
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FIRE FLYER. Mike flies to save lives. He flew the A-10 protecting soldiers in Iraq. Today Mike Young safeguards the crews on the fire line. He works with military precision and the best equipment he can get. Mike knows what’s at stake. And so do we. See what we mean: AF 32 | aerialfiremag.com
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