4-Jun-2010Source: Times-Standard
With rain filling out the forecast lately, it might not feel like peak fire season just yet, but CalFire is ready for that first blaze. This week the “Helitackâ€Â crew finished training with a series of practice exercises at the Rohnerville Air Attack Base.... Read more
25-May-2010Source: Absolute Fire Systems
The innovative actuator and control technology that makes FAST Bucket a superior aerial firefighting solution has been patented in Australia and the United States. The proprietary control system design distinguishes FAST Bucket from older technology bucket products because it enables operators to control water volume from the cockpit, regardless of bucket size, and uses less... Read more
18-May-2010Source: Discovery Air
Discovery Air Inc. is pleased to announce that its Great Slave Helicopters subsidiary (GSH) has signed a new three-year contract with the Province of Manitoba to provide forest fire suppression support services. The deal commits one Bell medium helicopter, operated by GSH subsidiary Hudson Bay Helicopters, to the province for each fire season over the... Read more
1-May-2010Source: Maui News
Maui County Council’s Budget and Finance Committee agreed to a budget of about $735,000 for the helicopter, about $90,000 less than the Maui Fire Department had requested... Read more
30-Apr-2010Source: Russian Helicopters
The Russian firefighting Ka-32A11BC, Mi-17, and Mi-26T are ready to keep Europe safe from fires in the upcoming summer season – always a potential hazard in many EU countries. Such a statement was made by the Russian Helicopters delegates at the Athens Firefighting International Conference on 29 April 2010. Russian Helicopters offers rotorcraft fit for... Read more
28-Apr-2010Source: Trinity Helicopters
Trinity Helicopters announced today the introduction of new, more effective firefighting technology to the North. Trinity’s new fleet of Bell 407 helicopters dedicated to aerial firefighting will use the Absolute Fire Solutions’ product line, including its FAST Bucket and FASTtrack event logger, to make its fire suppression operations more effective. The sale is the first... Read more
20-Apr-2010Source: AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) has taken delivery of two AW139 medium twin helicopters. The aircraft were accepted by the customer at AgustaWestland’s Vergiate facility in Italy at the end of March and are now being used for training before being shipped to Malaysia... Read more
5-Apr-2010
The national helicopter company is discussing a firefighting proposal with the government in which Pawan Hans helicopters will shoot water jets, retardant and foam directly from sky to douse flames, a method being successfully used in several developed countries like the US and Australia.... Read more
19-Mar-2010Source: Absolute Fire Solutions
Absolute Fire Solutions (AFS) of Calgary, Canada, and Thermo Technologies of Bismark, N.D., have joined forces to offer an innovative new way to increase firefighting effectiveness. The FAST Gel Initial Attack bucket injection system eliminates the need to wait for large tankers and reservoirs, enabling fire agencies to apply the highly effective Thermo-Gel retardant much... Read more
22-Feb-2010Source: Daily News
After 35 years of fighting fires in this city, first from the ground then as a helicopter pilot for 28 of those years, Dale Gant retired Friday.... Read more
22-Feb-2010Source: Eurocopter
Eurocopter displays its new fire-fighting system developed for the EC225 at this year’s Heli-Expo. The system, which has been extensively tested during forest fires on the island of Corsica (France), is one of the most effective and powerful helicopter-borne fire-fighting systems available in the market. The first operator to utilize this system is South Korea’s... Read more
21-Feb-2010Source: Absolute Fire Solutions
Absolute Fire Solutions (AFS) is introducing expanded versions of its FASTTrack event logging hardware platform and its PCTrac software at Heli-Expo 2010. Originally developed to log heli-bucketing data, FASTTrack has been expanded to include the capability to log and communicate belly tank data, fixed-wing tanker data, as well as drip torch and health and usage... Read more
13-Feb-2010Source: KTUU
Anchorage FD has gotten used to a firefighting helicopter over the last few years, but now it’s on the chopping block. The city is now counting on state money or a new federal grant to keep a helicopter in the air this summer to help with wild fires.... Read more
27-Jan-2010Source: Spidertracks
Tracking-based safety systems provider spidertracks today announced that it meets the criteria to provide tracking services for aerial firefighting operations in Australia. The New Zealand-based company is already providing tracking services for many firefighting operators across Australia and will continue to do so under the Australian National Aerial Firefighting Centre’s (NAFC) initiative to standardise tracking... Read more
21-Jan-2010Source: Grupo RBS
The Fire Department of Santa Catarina begins to use, starting this Wednesday, a helicopter used for serving of events throughout the state. In the 83 years of the corporation, is the first time that professionals will use an aircraft to own shares of search, rescue and salvage... Read more
19-Jan-2010Source: Latitude
Latitude Technologies Corporation of Victoria B.C. is pleased to announce the signing of an exclusive supply agreement with SEI Industries Ltd. of Delta, B.C. The agreement covers the integration of real-time sensor gathering, satellite relay and information display technologies for the entire Bambi Bucket® product line. It is planned that joint sales channels will be... Read more
7-Jan-2010Source: USFS
Subject: Medications, Flying, and Fitness Area of Concern: All Aviation Activities Distribution: All Aviation Users... Read more
7-Jan-2010Source: TracPlus Global
TracPlus Global today announced that it has been selected as the exclusive provider of tracking integration services for national aerial firefighting operations in Australia for the next four years. NAFC (National Aerial Firefighting Centre), the Australian organization charged with the coordination of firefighting aircraft across Australia, including a DC10 tanker, Erickson “Elvis†aircranes and a... Read more
22-Dec-2009Source: Rotorhub
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has announced that the Ibaraki Prefectural Government has signed a deal for its latest BK117C-2 helicopter.... Read more
12-Dec-2009Source: Mail Tribune
San Diego Gas and Electric, which has leased an Erickson S-64E aircrane helicopter dubbed “The Incredible Hulk,” will take delivery of a new helicopter sometime in the spring.... Read more
8-Dec-2009Source: Erickson Air Crane
Both helicopters come directly from urban interface firefighting assignments in Southern California where they helped firefighters battle the record-breaking “Station Fire” near Los Angeles in the late summer.... Read more
1-Dec-2009Source: KPBS
Due to the continuing wildfire threat, San Diego-area emergency crews will have access to a large water-dropping aircraft until mid-December, a fire department spokesman said... Read more
20-Nov-2009Source: RotorNews
Helicopter Association International (HAI) held its 2nd Annual Firefighting Safety Forum in Boise, Idaho, at the Hilton Garden Inn Boise Spectrum on Thursday, November 19. The Forum was conducted from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and included presentations from the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior’s Office of Aircraft Services... Read more
4-Nov-2009Source: Vertical
DART Helicopter Services (DHS) today announced a new distribution agreement with Absolute Fire Solutions (AFS) of Calgary, Canada... Read more
4-Nov-2009Source: Russian Helicopters
Russian Helicopters showcased its firefighting rotorcraft at the international airspace supply fair AIRTEC 2009 that kicked off today in Frankfurt. The recent certification by EASA of the multi-role Ka-32A11BC makes it an attractive option for commercial operators in the EU.... Read more
29-Oct-2009Source: SkyTrac Systems
SkyTrac Systems is pleased to announce that it will be exhibiting at the Aerial Firefighting Conference in Italy on November 5th and 6th.... Read more
11-Oct-2009Source: Kauai World
It may be a more dangerous time to be injured or lost in the woods on Kaua‘i, and brush fires may burn longer and stronger than they otherwise might. A helicopter pilot ready, willing, able and certified to do certain types of rescues and fire suppression may be over 90 miles and several hours away... Read more
11-Oct-2009Source: Orange County Register
Sixteen months after the decision to order the night-vision technology, the equipment is ready. The helicopter crews are trained. But they remain tucked in at night in the midst of fire season.... Read more
9-Oct-2009Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
The massive chopper, an S64E Helitanker, can scoop and dump up to 2,650 gallons of water per trip. It will be controlled by city fire officials but be available to fight blazes throughout the county during the next two months.... Read more
9-Oct-2009Source: Vertical
Absolute Fire Solutions (AFS) is pleased to announce that Erickson Air-Crane Incorporated of Portland, Oregon has chosen the new FASTTrack system by AFS to record fill and drop performance data on its S-64 Aircrane Helitanker fleet.... Read more
25-Sep-2009Source: Great Falls Tribune
The U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday launched the second phase of its largest ever prescribed fire in the Lewis and Clark National Forest. Using a “helitorch,” the Scapegoat Wilderness was intentionally set ablaze at the confluence of Hoadley Creek and the South Fork of the Sun River, 25 miles west of Augusta. A helitorch is... Read more
21-Sep-2009Source: RotorNews
Absolute Fire Solutions (AFS) of Calgary, Canada will be exhibiting at the upcoming Helitech Conference in Duxford, UK from September 22-24 in booth 2208. Representing AFS at the conference will be Steve Reeves and Laurie Saindon... Read more
21-Sep-2009Source: SkyTrac Systems
SkyTrac Systems would like to announce the launch of the ITRACS, its next generation portable transceiver for flight following and text messaging, at Helitech 2009 in Duxford Cambridge and AFAC Bushfire CRC Conference on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.... Read more
14-Sep-2009Source: Vertical
SkyTrac Systems is pleased to announce that it will be exhibiting at the AFAC Bushfire CRC Conference on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia from September 22-24, 2009 with Absolute Fire Solutions (AFS).... Read more
14-Sep-2009Source: Erickson Air-Crane
Four of Erickson’s Helitankers are flying long hours battling the large “Station Fire” consuming homes and forcing thousands of evacuations. In previous weeks, they have already helped put out wildfires in Washington State, Oregon, Utah, Greece, and British Columbia and will soon be to Australia for the bushfire season that is soon approaching.... Read more
14-Sep-2009
14-Sep-09 (unknown type) VilamartÃn of Valdeorras, Spain... Read more
9-Sep-2009Source: Vertical
Aerial firefighting companies from as far away as Atlanta are working with ground forces to contain the devastating Station Fire still sweeping Los Angeles County. The fire has scorched more than157,220 acres or 246 square miles to date.... Read more
9-Sep-2009Source: Vertical
Profile of one particular fire-fighting helicopter in the Erickson Air-Crane fleet... Read more
8-Sep-2009Source: San Diego Gas & Electric
Press conference to introduce Wildfire Strike Team and to announce details on new firefighting helicopter that are part of SDG&E’s Community Fire Safety Program for 2009. SDG&E will also outline its progress to date on steps taken to improve power line safety, especially during fire season... Read more
4-Sep-2009Source: Vertical
ISOLAIR, INC. of Gresham, Oregon was granted the new Amended STC approval for the A & N model S-61 Sikorsky Fire Fighting System. The system features a fiberglass under slug hard mounted 1000gallon tank.... Read more
3-Sep-2009Source: Overberg District Municipality
Duly completed tenders must be enclosed in a sealed envelope and placed in the official tender box before 12h00 on Monday, 11 September 2009... Read more
2-Sep-2009Source: Vertical
The summer of 2009 has been another season fighting inferno for Erickson Air-Crane, manufacturer of the world-renowned Helitanker and heavy-lift helicopters... Read more
28-Aug-2009Source: RotorNews
AFS is pleased to announce that Larry Hindman of Albuquerque, New Mexico will join the team of foresters, former operators, and technicians working to develop and promote the FAST Bucket and line of accessories designed to increase the utility of helicopter firefighting missions.... Read more
14-Aug-2009Source: Vertical
The private aerial firefighting industry has once again demonstrated its capability to deploy aircraft and crews rapidly to a rash of wildland fires throughout the far Western US. Currently, some 31 fires in nine States–from Alaska to Texas–have destroyed over 1,354,562 acres.... Read more
10-Aug-2009Source: Rotorhub
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30-Jul-2009Source: Bernama
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29-Jul-2009Source: Redding Record Searchlight
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26-Jul-2009Source: RotorNews
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26-Jul-2009
AgustaWestland announced Thursday at the ALEA Conference that the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) has signed for a third AW139. This aircraft will join the two AW139s already in service performing critical aerial fire-fighting, medevac and search and rescue missions in Los Angeles and the surrounding communities.... Read more
30-Jun-2009Source: Fire Department Network News
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19-Jun-2009Source: AgustaWestland
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