Global firefighting aircraft market continues to grow

Author David BrucePosted on Categories Airtanker, Contracting, Fixed wingLeave a comment on Global firefighting aircraft market continues to grow

The global firefighting aircraft market is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 6.3 per cent, according to a report by Allied Market Research.

The media release on the report states that the global firefighting aircraft industry size generated US$9.0 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to generate US$16.2 billion by 2032, for a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 6.3% from 2023 to 2032.

The report analyses the firefighting aircraft market by Aircraft Type (fixed-wing and rotorcraft), Tank Capacity (less than 10,000 litres, 10,000 to 30,000 litres, and more than 30,000 litres), Maximum Take off Weight (less than 8000 kg, 8000 to 30,000 kg, and more than 30,000 kg), and Range (less than 1000 km, 1,000 to 3000 km, and more than 3000 km).

The analysis of the firefighting aircraft market encompasses more than 15 countries, with a country-by-country breakdown in terms of value (US$ million) for the forecast period 2022-2032.

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a market research and business consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Their research methodology includes combining data, professional opinions, and independent perspectives plus a comprehensive review of over 3700 product catalogues, annual reports, industry descriptions, and resources from industry leaders.

On the basis of region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting more than two-fifths of the firefighting aircraft market revenue and is expected to continue to dominate the market with the growing demand for firefighting aircraft due to the rise in the frequency and intensity of wildfires. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 7.8% from 2023 to 2032, owing to surge in the initiatives, funding, and support for firefighting agencies.

The firefighting aircraft industry has been adversely affected by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, mainly because of supply chain disruptions involving essential raw materials. The supply chain of Russia, a significant manufacturer of titanium, a substance that is frequently used in the aerospace industry due to its strength and low weight, especially in widebody aircraft, has been impacted. This has created difficulties for the large aircraft manufacturers, such as Boeing and Airbus SE, to get a steady supply of titanium.

The report lists the following significant developments in the firefighting aircraft sector

  • Lockheed Martin, in August 2021, secured a contract from United Rotorcraft for five S-70 Black Hawk helicopters, for aerial firefighting operations.
  • Kaman Corporation, in October 2022, received a purchase agreement from North American Helicopter for a K-MAX medium-to-heavy lift helicopter.
  • Kaman Corporation announced its intention, in May 2022, to acquire Parker-Hannifin Corporation’s Aircraft Wheel and Brake division for $440 million.
  • Coulson Aviation, in August 2023, was selected for an indefinite delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, involving C-130H Hercules and Boeing 737 Fireliner aircraft, providing maintenance support.
  • Coulson Aviation secured a $16 million firefighting contract in November 2023, extending support for Southern California’s Quick Reaction Force throughout 2024, with potential extension into 2025.
  • In November 2023, Coulson Aviation secured a three-year firefighting contract with Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF) of Chile, deploying a C-130H Hercules Large AirTanker and a Citation 550 air attack lead plane.
  • In July 2022, Coulson Aviation introduced its latest aerial firefighting tanker, converted from a Boeing 737.

The full report is available for purchase here.

Why fly – survey open on Australian aerial firefighting

Author David BrucePosted on Categories Airtanker, Fixed wing, ResearchTags 1 Comment on Why fly – survey open on Australian aerial firefighting

An Australian based research project is seeking to better understand how and why aircraft are used on wildfires and how effective that use is.

As part of the project, the Research Team of Matt Plucinski (CSIRO) and Owen Price (University of Wollongong) have developed a survey to help them understand strategic and tactical objectives involved in decision making with respect to the use of aerial firefighting assets.

The survey aims to capture expertise and opinion regarding objective setting, tactical response and resource selection for aerial firefighting. It is focused on aircraft use in firebombing roles (i.e. dropping suppressants and retardants).

If you are an Air Attack Supervisor, pilot, or Incident Management Team member, who has worked on Australian bushfires please consider undertaking this survey.

The survey is open until 18 April.

More information on the Natural Hazards Research Australia funded project is available at Why fly? How do we know that aerial firefighting operations are effective and efficient?

Note that the survey may take up to an hour to complete, as the research team is trying to cover a wide range of topics, so it may be best attempted when respondents have time available. It is possible to start the survey and come back to it. Responses are recorded as you go, so you can return later (within a week of starting) to complete if using the same computer.  It is best undertaken on a computer, as many questions require text responses.

The team is also looking for case studies from recent Australian fires where they are able to match up fire progression data to the ARENA database and talk to air attack supervisors about objectives and tactics.

If you have any suggestions for fires that you think might make good examples, please reach out to Matt Plucinski at ma************@***ro.au.

Cuts to wildland firefighter force – how have you been affected?

Author Hunter BasslerPosted on Categories Wildfire7 Comments on Cuts to wildland firefighter force – how have you been affected?

It’s been over a month since President Donald Trump began his nationwide federal hiring freeze and job-cut effort. Since then, the impact on the nation’s wildland firefighting force remains unclear.

A USDA spokesperson told Fire Aviation that the agency had laid off 2,000 probationary employees from the Forest Service, but claimed the layoffs were non-firefighters.

“To be clear, none of these individuals were operational firefighters,” the USDA statement said. “Released employees were probationary in status, many of whom were compensated by temporary IRA funding.”

Reporting from various news outlets, however, gives first-hand accounts of employees with wildland firefighter roles having their jobs cut, many of which had jobs at the USFS.

“Uncertainty is at an all-time high. Morale is at an all-time low,” a federal wildland firefighter told ProPublica.

Fire Aviation and Wildfire Today have a dedicated reader base of wildland firefighters, hotshots, aircraft crews and operational managers. We want to hear how these cuts have affected you, your colleagues, and your area’s firefighting force, on the ground and in the air. In addition, many of the reports have been of cuts to related workers and programs, such as in land and forest management, public information activities, and new equipment purchases. These impact upon firefighting too.

Share your own experience with Fire Aviation in a comment below. Keep it short and succinct. Tell us what you are seeing so we can all get a better, wider view of what is going on.

El Capitan displays a massive American flag upside down in a public show of protest against cuts impacting Yosemite. Courtesy of Our Parks

‘National Wildland Fire Service,’ federal firefighter consolidation push kicked off by US senators

Author Hunter BasslerPosted on Categories Legislation, WildfireLeave a comment on ‘National Wildland Fire Service,’ federal firefighter consolidation push kicked off by US senators

Two U.S. senators are pushing to consolidate the nation’s wildland firefighting force into a single agency.

Republican Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana and Democratic Senator Alex Padilla of California recently introduced a Senate bill that would create the “National Wildland Fire Service.” The bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to reorganize federal wildland fire response nationwide, create a Director of the National Wildland Firefighting Service position, and develop a description for the new agency.

“The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this Act as the ‘Secretaries’) shall jointly develop a plan to consolidate the authorities of the Secretaries relating to Federal wildland fire preparedness, suppression, and recovery efforts under an agency of the Department of the Interior, to be known as the ‘National Wildland Firefighting Service’,” the bill’s text reads.

Click here for the full text of the bill.

Firefighters air tanker
Firefighters observe a retardant drop by an RJ85 air tanker. DOI photo.

Sheehy and Padilla also recently introduced legislation to create a “National Wildfire Intelligence Center” modeled after the National Weather Service to coordinate fire response across federal and state institutions. The Senators called the current system “unnecessarily burdensome,” and said this bill would close gaps in federal response, as multiple agencies currently have their own fire management goals, firefighters, and jurisdictions.

“There is established in the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of the Interior a joint office, to be known as the ‘Wildfire Intelligence Center’…serving as the development and operational center for the comprehensive assessment and prediction of fires that occur in the wildland and fires that move into the built environment to provide decision support services to inform land and fuels management, community outreach and risk reduction, post-wildfire recovery and rehabilitation, and fire management,” the bill’s text read.

Sheehy, before becoming a senator, founded Bridger Aerospace, which operates the largest private Super Scooper fleet in the US, according to its website.  He said the acts would streamline resources for wildland fire events.

“We can all agree that the federal government must do a better job protecting our people, property, public lands, and communities from wildfires, and this bill will go a long way in streamlining our wildland firefighting efforts and best leveraging all available resources to accomplish our shared mission,” Sheehy said. “As the only aerial firefighter in the Senate, I’m proud to be working with folks on both sides of the aisle to deliver commonsense solutions to more effectively fight the devastating threat of wildfires and protect the American people.”

Firefighters suppressing the Mosquito Fire
Firefighters suppressing the Mosquito Fire off Michigan Bluff Road, Sept. 7, 2022. Credit- Robert Foxworthy, CAL FIRE.

The Grassroots Wildland Firefighters advocacy group applauded the move to establish a National Wildland Fire Service, saying the creation of such an agency has been its goal since it began.

“This new agency would consolidate all wildland fire management responsibilities from the five separate federal land management agencies (US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs) into a single, cohesive agency,” the advocacy group said. “The new agency should be a comprehensive wildland fire management agency directly under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and should be run by experienced wildland fire practitioners and managers. We are optimistic about the discussion this new legislation will generate, but there are few specifics on how it will be implemented.”

The group said the agency’s creation would streamline response to wildfire events, prioritize the safety of wildland firefighters, and efficiently provide cost-savings to American taxpayers.

The “National Wildland Fire Service” bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on Feb. 6. The “Wildfire Intelligence Center” bill was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry also on Feb. 6.

Guilty plea to recklessly crashing drone into firefighting aircraft at Palisades

Author David BrucePosted on Categories Drone/UAV/UAS, Fixed wing3 Comments on Guilty plea to recklessly crashing drone into firefighting aircraft at Palisades

Some fine detective work led by the FBI working closely with other agencies has resulted in charges against a 56-year-old Culver City man for flying his drone into a Super Scooper firefighting aircraft on the Palisades fire earlier this month.

According to a media statement from the United States Attorney’s Office Central District of California, Peter Tripp Akemann, 56, faced one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft. Federal prosecutors filed a criminal information charging Akemann with the misdemeanor offense that carries a prison sentence of up to one year in federal prison.

In a plea agreement, Akemann agreed to plead guilty to the criminal offense and admitted to his reckless and illegal conduct in flying the drone that posed an imminent safety hazard to the Super Scooper crew.

Akemann flew the drone at least 2,500 meters (more than 1.5 miles) toward the fire and lost sight of the drone. As Akemann was flying the drone, it collided with a Government of Quebec Super Scooper carrying two crewmembers attempting to fight the blaze. The impact caused an approximately 3-inch-by-6-inch hole in the left wing. After landing, maintenance personnel identified the damage and took the aircraft out of service for repairs as it was not able to continue its firefighting mission. As part of the plea agreement, Akemann agreed to pay full restitution to the Government of Quebec, which supplied the plane, and an aircraft repair company that repaired the plane. Akemann also agreed to complete 150 hours of community service in support of the 2025 Southern California wildfire relief effort.

In a neat summary, Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, noted:

“Lack of common sense and ignorance of your duty as a drone pilot will not shield you from criminal charges. Please respect the law, respect the FAA’s rules and respect our firefighters and the residents they are protecting by keeping your drone at home during wildfires.”

Moving resources to where they are most needed

Author David BrucePosted on Categories Airtanker, Contracting, Fixed wing, HelicoptersLeave a comment on Moving resources to where they are most needed

The “Wildfire Matters” podcast is produced by the Bureau of Land Management out of Boise, Idaho. Here is an episode from a couple of years back but, as reminded by the National Interagency Fire Center, it has retained its relevance in light of the current discussions on aircraft use in the southern California fires.

In this podcast, Sean Peterson, Assistant Center Manager of the National Interagency Coordination Center, or NICC, talks about his career in wildland fire management from firefighter to his current position at the National Interagency Fire Center. He discusses day to day NICC operations – explaining the dispatch system and the role of the air space coordination unit, predicative services, and the intelligence section. Sean talks about working with the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group, or NMAC, on setting national wildfire resources priorities, preparedness levels, and the importance of working with interagency, state, international, and military partners to support not only wildfires nationally but also assisting FEMA during all-hazard/all-risk incidents.

Listen to the podcast here.

Cal Fire resources on the fire line

Author David BrucePosted on Categories Airtanker, Fixed wing, Helicopters2 Comments on Cal Fire resources on the fire line

Here are the current resources on the Cal Fire: drawing from the largest fire aviation fleet in the world plus support from eight other states, Canada and Mexico.

California statewide fire summary, 13 January 2025. Cal Fire
California statewide fire summary, 13 January 2025. Cal Fire

Cal Fire has been active in promoting what its aircraft can and cannot do in extreme wildfires.

And here is the CAL FIRE Aviation Recognition Guide This provides a comprehensive overview of the resources in wildfire aviation. https://www.paperturn-view.com/cal-fire…/aviation-guide…

High winds prove a challenge for aircraft on LA fires

Author David BrucePosted on Categories Fixed wing, Helicopters, Wildfire1 Comment on High winds prove a challenge for aircraft on LA fires

The fires today around Los Angeles have escalated quickly into a major situation that is likely to develop overnight as the high winds increase.

The aerial firefighting effort at Pacific Palisades is being hampered by the strong winds that are being felt across southern California.

While air attack was happening early in the day, the increasing wind speeds have pushed crews beyond their limits, as reported in the Los Angeles Times just now:

Palisades fire 7 Jan 2025, LA Times

Palisades fire 7 Jan 2025, LA Times

The National Weather Service has been clear and consistent about the risk, today and in the lead-up to this event: