Category: Helicopters

The use of helicopters in fire suppression and management.

Aircraft on the Gopher Fire in southern California

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories Fixed wing, HelicoptersTags , ,

Above: Air Tanker 163, an RJ85, drops on the Gopher Fire near Escondido, California August 8, 2016. Photo by Michael Burge.

Michael Burge shot these photos of an RJ85 air tanker and an Air-Crane helicopter August 8, 2016 on the Gopher Fire which burned 35 acres near a residential area off Interstate 15 near Escondido, California at Lawrence Welk Drive and Gopher Canyon. The interstate was closed in both directions for a while as firefighters worked to stop the blaze.

Helitanker 729
Helitanker 729 on the Gopher Fire

Erickson Air-Crane video

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories HelicoptersTags

Rob Gluckman shot this video of Helitanker 731, an Erickson Air-Crane, taking off and dropping a load of water. It may have been recorded at Van Nuys Airport. Mr. Gluckman wrote this when he posted it on Facebook:

Was lucky enough to catch this monster spooling up at the same time we were. Unique perspective on the ground and in the air. Air Crane is fully loaded! Look at those blades cone!!

Worker on helicopter installs hardware on powerline

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories HelicoptersTags ,

Yesterday while traveling down US Highway 16 in eastern Wyoming near Osage I saw a helicopter hovering near the top of a powerline pole. There was crewman standing on a skid who appeared to be installing hardware.

The helicopter, a McDonnell Douglas 369E, is registered to Winco Powerline Services. The company “provides a complete range of both helicopter-assisted and traditional electric transmission line construction and maintenance services”, including “specialized wire stringing, line maintenance and repair operations”.

Salmon helibase supports Comet Fire

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories HelicoptersTags , , , , 2 Comments on Salmon helibase supports Comet Fire

Above: Heli-Rappellers at Salmon, Idaho just after they were transported back to the base by a helicopter after supporting the Comet Fire. L to R: Chris Lilley, Jacob Edluna, and Matt Knott.

Thursday we stopped by the U.S. Forest Service Helibase at the airport at Salmon, Idaho. Some of the 19 USFS personnel assigned to the base were supporting the 367-acre Comet Fire 12 miles north of the airport.

Salmon helibase
Eric Ellis, Helibase Manager at the Salmon Heli-Rappeller Base.
Eric Ellis, the Base Manager who was kind enough to show us around, said they saw the lighting strike that ignited the fire on July 26. Later four firefighters from the base rappelled into the steep terrain. The helibase crew also helped to facilitate helicopter water bucket work and sling loads of equipment.

Comet Fire
The Comet Fire north of Salmon, Idaho.
At the base on Thursday was one 205++ helicopter and one K-MAX helicopter. A second 205++ and a Sikorsky were away working on fires.

Salmon helibase
One of HeliMax’s 205++ helicopters lands at Salmon, Idaho July 28, 2016 while supporting the Comet Fire north of Salmon.
Salmon is the home of the largest of the USFS rappel bases. They have two 205++ helicopters assigned that are each staffed seven days a week. The USFS is the only federal land management agency that has wildland firefighters who rappel into fires. The National Park Service has quite a few helitack personnel trained for short haul, the technique of transporting one or more people at the end of a rope attached to a helicopter, but without sliding down the rope.

Salmon helibase
A K-MAX helicopter at the Salmon Helibase July 28. An hour or so later it was dropping water on the Comet Fire
An hour or so after we photographed the K-MAX helicopter at the base, we saw the same ship dropping water on the Comet Fire.

K-MAX Comet Fire
A K-MAX helicopter drops water on the Comet Fire north of Salmon, Idaho July 28, 2016.

Salmon helibase
After they were declared surplus by the military, the Salmon Heli-Rappellers obtained these pieces of helicopters and spent $10,000 each to have them configured exactly like the actual rappel ships in order to make their training as realistic as possible.
 

All photos are by Bill Gabbert

Yakima firefighters save helicopter from crash landing

Author Ryan Maye HandyPosted on Categories HelicoptersTags ,

Last week members of the Yakima Fire Department rushed to save a damaged helicopter from a crash landing at the Yakima Air Terminal.

The helicopter had been on a search and rescue mission for a lost hiker when its fuselage and one of its skids were heavily damaged, according to local media reports. 

In dramatic fashion, the helicopter was forced to hover over the tarmac while firefighters cobbled together a landing platform out of wooden palettes, The Yakima Herald reported. Some crew members and passengers jumped out of the helicopter while it hovered.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Patrick.

Sky Aviation’s CH-46 on the Lava Mountain Fire

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories HelicoptersTags , , ,

Sky Aviation purchased four CH-46 helicopters in 2015.

Sky Aviation CH-46E
Sky Aviation’s CH-46E at the Lava Mountain Fire

Alyssa Gaulke of Sky Aviation sent us some photos of one of their CH-46E that is assigned on the Lava Mountain Fire 17 air miles northwest of Dubois, Wyoming — and we found more at their Facebook page.

This CH-46E is one of four that the Worland, Wyoming-based company acquired last year.

Sky Aviation CH-46E
Sky Aviation’s CH-46E at the Lava Mountain Fire
Sky Aviation CH-46E
Sky Aviation’s CH-46E. A screen grab from a video on the company’s Facebook page posted about a month ago.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Alyssa.

Helicopter crew training in British Columbia

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories HelicoptersTags 3 Comments on Helicopter crew training in British Columbia

We posted the Tweet below, because the activity in the photo with the helicopter not is something we have previously seen.

Delaware firefighter killed after falling from helicopter

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories HelicoptersTags ,

This was first published on Wildfire Today.

LODD Delaware firefighterA firefighter with the Lewes Fire Department in Delaware was killed Monday night when he fell from a State Police helicopter during monthly hoist training.

Below is an excerpt from Delaware Online:

..”Two volunteer firemen, along with a pilot and a trooper medic, were on board the helicopter,” said DSP spokesman Sgt. Richard Bratz. “As one of the firefighters stepped out onto the skid, at an undetermined height, he fell to the grassy area below the helicopter. At that point, the helicopter immediately landed, and the trooper medic and volunteer firefighter on board immediately responded and began medical assistance.”

Other firefighters rushed to the scene and assisted, Bratz said. The firefighter was transported to Beebe Healthcare, where he was pronounced dead. No one else on the scene got medical attention…

The Lewes Fire Department posted this message on their Facebook page:

It is with deep, deep regret that the Officers and Members of the Lewes Fire Department announce the passing of one of our own earlier today. Further details on remembrance services are to follow.

Our sincere condolences go out to the friends and family of the firefighter.