News & commentary about aerial firefighting, air tankers, and helicopters
The Vice President of Coulson Aviation describes the new Chinook and Blackhawk program they are undertaking with Unical. He also updates us on the firefighting aircraft they have working in Australia during the 2018-2019 bushfire season. It was filmed at the HAI Heli-Expo in Atlanta, March 5, 2019.
If you are having trouble viewing the video, you can see it on YouTube.
Firehawk helicopters are becoming more popular across the wildland fire services, especially in California.
A rather loose definition of a Firehawk is a Blackhawk, a Sikorsky UH-60 or S-70i, usually with an aftermarket 1,000-gallon external water tank for fighting fires, and a suction hose for refilling while hovering.
The earliest Firehawk that we are aware of was used in 1998 when Los Angeles County leased one with a belly tank from Sikorsky for about four months. (I’m sure someone will correct me if there’s an earlier occurrence.) Since then many of the newly acquired firefighting helicopters have been, or will be, Firehawks. CAL FIRE has signed contracts and expects to have 12 brand new converted S-70i ships within three years. Their first fully modified aircraft should arrive in June. Other examples of Firehawks include — Los Angeles County’s five (not all are fully modified yet), San Diego Fire Rescue has a one (but it is not yet fully modified), Ventura County has started converting three HH-60L Blackhawks into Firehawks, and Coulson is partnering with Unical to convert about 10 UH-60 Blackhawks. There are also other companies that have various configurations of Blackhawks with tanks.
As far as I know most of the above ships will have external water tanks, which require installing a longer landing gear to raise the ship, making room for the belly tank. Coulson, on the other hand, is installing a version of their removable RADS tank internally, and at least one company, Simplex, for example, has built another version of a removable internal tank. The company had it on display last year in Sacramento and at HAI Heli-Expo in Atlanta today.
For the record, Sikorsky, the company that manufactures Blackhawks, does not support the use of an internal water tank in the ships. They are not worried about the floor being able to hold it, but are concerned that in the event of a hard landing the tank, especially when full, could pose a danger to the crew. A belly tank, their theory contends, would not threaten the crew as a projectile, but could crush under the aircraft, absorbing some of the energy — not unlike the crumple zone in the front of a well designed automobile.
Ventura County has purchased three military HH-60L Blackhawk helicopters and is in the process of converting them into FIREHAWKS that will be used for fighting wildland fires, personnel transport, search and rescue, law enforcement, and medical evacuation.
Ventura County Battalion Chief Gary Monday said heavy maintenance and minor modifications were completed on the aircraft at HSI Sikorsky in Huntsville, Alabama, then two of the helicopters were painted at the United Rotorcraft facility in Decatur, Texas. One of them is now being ferried to United Rotorcraft in Englewood, Colorado to receive navigation and communication systems, cabin interiors, and a 1,000 gallon external fixed water tank with a retractable snorkel system. The landing gear will be replaced with higher gear to enable the installation of the belly tank.
The military had the aircraft originally configured by United Rotorcraft as dedicated MEDEVAC helicopters with medical equipment and patient litter systems, some of which will be repurposed in the new FIREHAWK configuration.
Ventura County, in Southern California, has a joint Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department Aviation Unit. In addition to the FIREHAWKS, they have one Bell 206 Jet Ranger, one 212 HP, one 205B, and two UH-1A Hueys.
“We are a full service 24/7 operation capable of Night Vision Goggle rescues and firefighting”, Chief Monday said, “with three 375 simplex tanks for nighttime water dropping missions, S & R missions, LE missions, and anything else.”
In 2016 one of the Hueys, Copter 7, developed a mechanical problem while fighting the Pine Fire on the Los Padres National Forest. It had to be stripped down in order to transport it via truck on a route that included a tunnel with a height restriction.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Gary and Isaac. Typos or errors, report them HERE.
The Fire Department may acquire it from the National Guard
The Santa Barbara County supervisors voted 5-0 to approve the submission of a competitive bid for the fire department to purchase a Blackhawk helicopter from the National Guard.
Currently the agency operates two Bell OH-58A+ helicopters used primarily for law enforcement operations. These aircraft are equipped with multi-agency communications radios, Forward Looking InfraRed technology, powerful searchlights, LoJack stolen vehicle tracking equipment, photo and video equipment, and mapping technology.
The department also operates three Rescue/Firefighting aircraft: two Bell UH-1H Hueys and a Bell UH-1N twin-engine Huey. All three Huey Aircraft are equipped with rescue hoists, capable of lowering rescue personnel into remote or otherwise inaccessible locations and extricating lost or injured persons who could not be rescued by conventional means. All of the Huey aircraft are also capable of fire suppression missions using either fixed water tanks or removable long-line buckets.
Below is an excerpt from an article in the Santa Ynez Valley News:
Interim Fire Chief Michael Dyer said the Blackhawk helicopter will cost less than $1.73 million, noting Cal Fire just purchased two new Black Hawks for between $20 million and $25 million each. He said there will be some additional costs to remove military-specific equipment from the Black Hawk and install the gear necessary to turn it into a Firehawk aerial firefighting unit. The annual operation and maintenance costs also will be higher than the choppers the county currently operates.
County Fire’s Hueys fly at 120 knots and carry 360 gallons of water, but the Firehawk will fly at 190 knots and carry 1,000 gallons of water, which can be released as a full load or in three separate loads. It can also carry twice as many personnel, Dyer said.
In addition to the $1.7 million purchase price of the Blackhawk, the additional costs of retrofitting and maintenance will bring the total up to about $4.7 million. The most costly task will be the installation of the 1,000-gallon water tank including extending the landing gear, which raises the aircraft to make room for the tank.
The helicopter they hope to purchase has been used as an air ambulance by the National Guard. It has about 3,200 hours on it and was built in 2002.
One of the Hueys now operated by the department flew in the Vietnam War and is 51 years old. Parts are becoming difficult to find for the helicopter fleet, with all of them being previously owned and retired by the military.
Two of the district supervisors stated that the fire department needs to develop a long range strategic plan for managing and funding the helicopter fleet.
At least three other firefighting agencies in California have recently purchased new Blackhawk helicopters, CAL FIRE, Los Angeles County , and San Diego Fire Department.
The article was revised to show that San Diego city, rather than San Diego County, is acquiring a new Blackhawk.
Above: screenshot from the first video below.
California Air National Guard helicopters are assisting with the suppression of wildfires in the state.
The Bambi Bucket shown in this first video holds 2,000 gallons. I’m thinking it is used under a Chinook
It takes Big Buckets to fight #wildfires . Thankfully @theCaGuard has a 2K gallon one they use to help fight the #CarrFire #CAfires … https://t.co/EIEJQmnOXh #firefighters #California pic.twitter.com/ooVkMRloKq
— DVIDSHub (@DVIDSHub) July 30, 2018
In the video below you’ll see a 650-gallon Bambi Bucket, probably used with a Blackhawk.
Check out the process and equipment needed for water bucket missions from @theCaGuard in #ReddingCA as they fight #CaliforniaWildfires #fires … https://t.co/1IIl5z4Fec #firefighters pic.twitter.com/duZ7pUu3ad
— DVIDSHub (@DVIDSHub) July 31, 2018
There are two versions, holding 850 or 1,000 gallons
Above: The Simplex 850-gallon Fire Attack System installed on PJ Helicopters’ UH-60 Utility Hawk. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
For decades Simplex Aerospace has been manufacturing devices used by aerial firefighters, including the Helitorch and various internal and belly-mounted water tanks for helicopters. This year they added to the list by developing an internal water tank for Blackhawk helicopters. The 850-gallon tank can be installed in less than 15 minutes in several models of Sikorsky ships, including the S-70i, S-70A, UH-60A, and UH-60L.
According to the company, the 850-gallon tank drops water through the cargo hook well “with minimal modifications to the aircraft”. They also have a 1,000-gallon version with three dispersal doors, which requires “minimal modifications to the aircraft skin”.
While hovering, the tanks can be refilled at a rate of 1,000 gallons per minute, or on the ground using ports on either side. Pilots can select the number of drops, flow rate, and percentage of foam concentrate to be mixed with the water. There is also an automatic emergency water drop feature.
Mark Zimmerman, Simplex’s CEO said “Simplex’s internal Fire Attack systems eliminate the need for the Blackhawk gear extensions required for belly mounted tanks, making the internal tanks ideally suited for civil Blackhawk operators.”
We interviewed Chief Pimlott at the Aerial Firefighting conference in Sacramento, March 13, 2018.
Above: Model of CAL FIRE Firehawk
Ken Pimlott, the Director California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, talks about the 2017 wildfire season, aerial firefighting resources available in 2018, and the acquisition of a new fleet of Blackhawk, (or Firehawk) helicopters. We interviewed Chief Pimlott just after he made a presentation at the Aerial Firefighting North America 2018 conference in Sacramento, March 13, 2018.
Above: A Los Angeles County Fire Department Sikorsky S-70 Firehawk helicopter demonstrates a water drop during a 2013 airshow. Photo credit: Trent Bell.
An administrative law judge ruled last week against a protest filed by a competing company clearing the way for CAL FIRE to purchase up to 12 new firefighting helicopters, Sikorsky S-70i (Firehawks), from Air Methods/United Rotorcraft (AMUR). This was in spite of the fact that their bid was $63.8 million higher than the one submitted by AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation (AWPC, part of Leonardo Helicopters). When adjustments were made after the protest, there were only two points separating the analysis of the two proposals, out of a possible 1,000 points.
AWPC intended to supply the AW189 which are popular in the offshore oil industry.
Los Angeles County Fire Department has successfully used the Firehawk for several years and just received two more. Firehawk Helicopters in Boise operates several S-70’s.
The two newest Firehawks for @LACoFireAirOps are on US soil. Just need paint and mission equipment before service entry for the citizens of LA County. pic.twitter.com/Ts2Cede2q3
— Mickey (@Airsquad9) December 10, 2017
CAL FIRE will replace up to 12 of their aging Bell Super Huey helicopter with the Firehawks.
CAL FIRE began the contracting process for the new helicopters in 2015 or early 2016. There were issues with the first attempt and the solicitation and bids were all thrown out. After the second round the agency announced on August 2, 2017 that they “intended” to award the contract to AMUR for the Firehawk but there would be a period to allow protests to be filed.
Vertical Magazine has an in-depth article about the protest.
