The aircraft and crews will be assisting firefighters in Chile and Australia
Coulson CH-47 prepares for a voyage to Chile. Coulson photo.
Coulson Aviation is in the process of deploying firefighting aircraft to the Southern Hemisphere for the summer wildfire seasons in South America and Australia.
For several weeks they have had three Sikorsky S-61N helicopters in Australia and in November flew air tanker 137, a Boeing 737 (N137CG), across the Pacific to join the helicopters. They will also have a Sikorsky S-76B in the country.
Two C-130 air tankers, T-131 (N130FF) and T-132 (N132CG), departed from San Bernardino, California December 12 for Australia. They both recently received new livery, featuring a new paint design for the Coulson aircraft.
Tankers 131 and 132, before their flights to Australia. Coulson photo (heavily edited by Fire Aviation).
In the last week or so Coulson loaded two CH-47 Chinooks (N47CU and N40CU) and a Blackhawk onto a large ship to begin a voyage to Chile where they will assist firefighters.
Coulson CH-47s and a Blackhawk prepare for a voyage to Chile. Coulson photo.Coulson CH-47 prepares for a voyage to Chile. Coulson photo.Coulson CH-47 prepares for a voyage to Chile. Coulson photo.Coulson CH-47s prepare for a voyage to Chile. Coulson photo.Coulson Blackhawk prepares for a voyage to Chile. Coulson photo.
The first time that Ventura County Copter 2 was used on a wildfire, June 10, 2020. Photo by John Carman.
Ventura County, between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, has an air unit which is a cooperative enterprise of the Fire District and the Sheriff’s Office. The unit has four Bell UH-1 helicopters and one Bell Long Ranger. In addition, they purchased three military HH-60L Blackhawk helicopters in order to convert them into FIREHAWKS to be used for fighting wildland fires, personnel transport, search and rescue, law enforcement, and medical evacuation.
Ventura County Copter 5. Ventura County is converting military HH-60L Blackhawks into FIREHAWKS. VCSO photo, Capt. Romano Bassi January, 2019Ventura County Copter 8. Photo by Ventura County Air UnitVentura County Copter 8. Photo by Ventura County Air UnitVentura County Copters 6, 8, 9, and 2. Photo by Ventura County Air UnitVentura County Copter 3. Photo by Ventura County Air Unit
As of June 17 the fire had burned over 31,000 acres five miles north of the city
An RJ85 operated by Aero Flite. Ned Harris photo.
Ned Harris sent us these excellent photos of air tankers and helicopters assisting firefighters on the Bighorn Fire, which as of yesterday had burned over 31,000 acres five miles north of Tucson, Arizona. Thanks Ned!
Billings Helicopters and Heligroup Chinooks. Ned Harris photo.Tanker 164, an RJ85 operated by Aero Flite. Ned Harris photo.Tanker 105 (foreground), an MD-87 (N295EA) operated by Erickson Aero Tanker, and Tanker 10, a BAe-146 (N472NA) operated by Neptune Aviation. Ned Harris photo.A Sikorsky UH-60A operated by Coulson/Unical. N160CD. Ned Harris photo.Tanker 910, a DC-10 operated by 10 Tanker Air Carrier drops on the Bighorn Fire. N612AX. Ned Harris photo.
This is a new-to-them HH-60L Blackhawk operated by the Ventura County Fire Department.
Jay Widdows sent us these photos he shot June 10 on the Elizabeth Fire north of the city of Ventura in southern California. The fire burned 289 acres. Thanks Jay!
Bell 205A-1, Coastal Helicopters.This photo by the Ventura County FD is included here to provide a glimpse of the terrain and vegetation.Los Angeles County Firehawk.T-137, a B-737.CAL FIRE’s Air Tanker 78, an S2-TA Ventura County Fire Department EH-1H.
Coulson-Unical helicopters at San Bernardino. Coulson photo May 25, 2020.
Coulson Aviation posted these photos May 25 of an assortment of Coulson-Unical helicopters at San Bernardino.
Coulson-Unical helicopters at San Bernardino. Coulson photo May 25, 2020.Coulson-Unical helicopters at San Bernardino. Coulson photo May 25, 2020.Coulson-Unical helicopters at San Bernardino. Coulson photo May 25, 2020.
A Coulson-Unical Blackhawk, UH-60A, was photographed at Sacramento McClellan Airport August 14, 2019 by Mike McKeig.
As we reported in March, Coulson Aviation is partnering with Unical Air, a new unit of the Unical Group of Companies, to create a heavy lift helicopter joint venture company that will build and operate Boeing CH-47 and Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk aircraft for aerial firefighting and other markets.
The camo paint job reminds me of Air Spray’s T-170. We’ll have to see if this makes it less visible to other aircraft when flying low and slow over a fire.
Air tanker 170 at MCC March 12, 2018. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
The livery on the Coulson-Unical helicopter is very different from their Blackhawk that was on display in Atlanta.
Coulson-Unical CU-47 and CU-60 in Atlanta March 5, 2019. Photo by Bill Gabbert.The engineering design for the water/retardant delivery system on the Coulson-Unical CU-60. Coulson image.
In the video below, Mr. Coulson describes the new Chinook and Blackhawk program they are undertaking with Unical. It was filmed at the HAI Heli-Expo in Atlanta, March 5, 2019.
File photo of a Blackhawk helicopter that was working the Rankin Fire in Wind Cave National Park September 13, 2017. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
The helicopters that are fully certificated and available in San Diego County for firefighting has grown in the last 15 or 20 years from practically nothing to eight now that an additional helicopter will be added to the mix.
Last week the County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to split the cost of a Blackhawk helicopter with San Diego Gas and Electric. After the agreement is finalized, the helicopter will be positioned in the north part of the county during Red Flag Warning conditions.
Under the agreement SDG&E will cover the costs to operate the helicopter for the first two hours of any new flight, and the County will cover the second two flight hours. If used during a fire, the County could pay a maximum of $150,000 depending on flight time and reimbursements from the State of California or the federal government.
The County also shares a year-round lease with SDG&E for an Erickson Skycrane helicopter, which was put into action for several 2018 fires including the West Fire in Alpine, the Rangeland Fire in Ramona, the Pasqual Fire and the Recycle Fire in Campo.
The region currently has 10 aircraft available for initial attack:
A U.S. Forest Service firefighting helicopter during fire season
Three CAL FIRE fixed-wing aircraft, which consists of two retardant dropping airtankers and an air tactical supervisor plane,
Three County Sheriff/CAL FIRE helicopters
Two City of San Diego helicopters
The SDG&E-leased Erickson Skycrane helicopter.
For an extended attack the County can also call on 26 military helicopters if available.
The Skycrane helicopter leased by the County and SDG&E from Erickson. SDG&E photo.