Tag: firefighting

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RWS 89 – Night Aerial Firefighting 2020 Update with Richard Butterworth

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Photo: Richard Butterworth has lead a team from Kestral Aviation that now has two fire seasons of experience in night aerial firefighting.

We first looked at night aerial firefighting in episode 65 when the capability had just finished the first trials in Australia. Now with two more fire seasons of experience fighting fires at night, Richard Butterworth is back to give an update on the continuing road map and what as been achieved so far. 

Richard Butterworth is Head of Training at Kestrel Aviation based in Mangalore, Victoria. It is about 1 1/2 hours drive north of Melbourne. Kestrel has been developing a night aerial firefighting capability and has put a significant amount of private investment behind Richard, their other staff and equipment to become one of the first Australian operators to gain CASA approval.

Don’t forget to check out past episodes on Episode 65 Night Aerial Firefighting and Aerial Fire Fighting

The benefits on a fire scene range from not just the extended hours avaliable (Richard also talks about the daylight hours lost on current fires due to morning briefing requirements) but also the generally calmer conditions and colder temperatures reducing the intensity and speed of fires. This ‘quietening’ of the fireground provides more of a chance to affect the outcome with water drops.

The big advance in approvals for the night capability has been the successful proving of and then approval to conduct hover refills from natural water sources at night. The initial trials were only conducting using stationary ground refills from a prepared position. This allows crews to find water sources at night close to the fire and refill as they would for day operations – a corresponding reduction in logistical support and an increase in flexibility is gained. This was considered by many to be a world first, with other countries initially preferring ground filling operations.

To date one restriction on their operations was a requirement for a day reconnaissance of the fire location prior to going back out and operating at night. This was in place as an early risk mitigation factor as part of the first approvals by CASA. The goal now is to move to a first attack capability where crews can be the first response on scene during night hours opening up additional flexibility and greater impact for the firefighters on the ground.

Crews so far have operated entirely under visual flight rules which places certain requirements for weather and visibility for the holding of alternate airfields. In the future having the ability to recover on instruments under IFR to suitable airfields is another way of increasing the operational availability. During the large, widespread fires of January 2020 there were occasions where visibility due to the smoke was so bad and over such an extent that it was impossible to hold an alternate airfield anywhere in the state of Victoria.

A Bell 412 fitted out for firefighting and NVIS operations

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Links from this week’s episode:
Support the podcast on Patreon
Kestrel Aviation Website

(Photos supplied)

Fire ground at night through NVGs
Rosedale, Victoria – fire front visible from the air during night operations
Ovens Airbase January 2020 – aircraft were grounded for several days due to wide spread thick smoke. At other times crews could not launch at night as there were no suitable alternate airfields anywhere in the state of Victoria.

Do you have a question for Richard and the Kestrel crews about night firefighting? Be part of the conversation by leaving a comment below.

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RWS 65 – Night Aerial Firefighting with Richard Butterworth

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Richard Butterworth spent time in the military, instructing and EMS before taking up a role at Kestrel Aviation in support of a night firefighting capability.

Helicopters are amazing assets to have working in a bush firefighting role. Every year around the world they contribute to lives saved and property damage avoided. Now for the first time in Australia we are starting to see the move into night time firebombing operations.

Richard Butterworth is head of training at Kestrel Aviation based in Mangalore, Victoria. It is about 1 1/2 hours drive north of Melbourne. Kestrel has been developing a night aerial firefighting capability and has put a significant amount of private investment behind Richard, their other staff and equipment to become one of the first Australian operators to gain CASA approval.

Don’t forget to check out past episodes on Helicopter NVG flying and Aerial Fire Fighting

Dropping water on a fire during trials – part of final approval from CASA to commence live, night-time aerial firefighting.

Internationally night firefighting with helicopters goes back a surprisingly long way.

“On June 16, 1974, the first night water drops were made on a wildfire on the Angeles National Forest with Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Bell 204B helicopter, equipped with a fixed tank”

“In 1977, an L.A. County Fire helicopter and the USFS Rose Valley helicopter collided while inbound to a heliport on the Angeles National Forest”

After this collision, night firefighting was essentially canned until 2005 when it again became an operational capability in the US. The quotes above have come from this article which gives a pretty good run down on the history. There is a ‘Part 2’ of the article too.

Dropping water low level at night on fires while flying on NVGs at first glance looks like ‘risky’ business. As you’ll hear from Richard in the interview they have taken a very slow step by step process to building the capability up and have done so using existing frameworks and procedures already in place that govern night flight and aerial firefighting. They have then just incorporated them together.

It is not an activity that just any company can turn around do. Aside from procedures and regulator legal instruments you also first need experienced NVD crews with extensive day firefighting time, access to goggles, NVG compatible aircraft modifications, an aerial platform with waterdrop equipment and supporting ground crews. So don’t expect this to come cheap for fire agencies and governments.

The benefits on a fire scene range from not just the extended hours avaliable (Richard also talks about the daylight hours lost on current fires due to morning briefing requirements) but also the generally calmer conditions and colder temperatures reducing the intensity and speed of fires. This ‘quietening’ of the fireground provides more of a chance to affect the outcome with water drops.

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play in new window | Download

Links from this week’s episode:
Support the podcast on Patreon
World Helicopter Day – Register Your Event
Kestrel Aviation Website
Jocko Podcast

Ground filling of water tanks for night firefighting – provides aircrew a chance to catch a break.

Trials moved onto proving hover fill capability at night too.

Another shot inbound on fire at night for trials.

Richard Butterworth is one of the Kestrel Aviation pilots instrumental to the development of the night capability – here in front of the Bell 412 used during the trials.

(Photos supplied)

Do you have a question for Richard and the Kestrel crews about night firefighting? Be part of the conversation by leaving a comment below.

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RWS 20 – Aerial Firefighting with Gordy Cox

Gordy Cox helicopter pilot firefighting

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Gordy Cox helicopter pilot firefighting
Gordy Cox is the Director of Operations at Redding Air Service and knows a thing or two about helicopter firefighting.

 

A great example of the utility of helicopters is their use in firefighting support. There is more to it than meets the eye though.

[Warning: This is a longer episode, approx 85mins, so you might want to download the file and play locally]

Using underslung buckets or bellytanks helicopters are able to provide water right where it is needed to aid in the fire management of bush and wilderness fires. The ability to use natural water sources close to the area of operations, even if that is a small waterhole or a backyard pool, results in quick turnarounds.

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Helicopters are able to move equipment and people around the fire area quickly and to areas with no other infrastructure. Its this ability to work so closely with ground firefighters that makes them so effective.

[Tweet “Firefighter first, pilot 2nd. The flying has to be second nature. Head is outside 90% of the time.”]

A big part of managing a large fire is the removal of combustible fuel in the path of the fire or around areas that need to be protected such as buildings. Ground techniques such as fire breaks and back burning can be complemented by helicopter carried heli-torches and other incendiaries.

On the flying side it requires a bunch of skill and experience. To deliver as much water as possible the aircraft are operating at high all up weights, often in mountainous terrain, poor visibility and hot conditions. Significant co-ordination is needed between other aircraft, ground personnel and the ability to maintain situational awareness of how things are developing. Being able to talk and listen on several radios at once is a bonus.

Firefighting helicopter redding air service

In this episode veteran helicopter firefighter Gordy Cox takes us inside the world of aerial firefighting to get an understanding of what is involved.

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In this week’s episode:
01:50 Gordy Cox, Director of Operations Redding Air Service
02:11 Based in Salt Lake City, Utah
02:50 Parents in the RAF, Born in Ghana
03:30 1982 RAF in backseat of Nimrods chasing Russian submarines
04:10 Helicopter Adventures for helicopter training and then CFI
05:15 First forestry work dropping hay bales in Robinson R22
06:10 Bunch of hours in Hawaii
07:05 Chief Pilot at Redding Air Services
07:45 Flying in bare feet Hawaii – control touch
09:15 History of helicopter use on fires
10:30 Smoke jumpers
13:30 Standard exclusive use contract daily routine – ‘fire station standby’
17:20 Smoke report actions on and initial attack
20:01 Tools of the trade
22:24 Finding a water source, portable tanks and ‘pumpkins’
25:00 Handling a spot fire
28:20 Campaign fires and helibases
30:30 AirAttack and HelCo, locating dip sites, gates, burnouts
35:50 Helibase accommodation arrangements
38:02 Operations and aviation briefings at the start of the day
39:55 Wrapping building with silver foil, resupply and flying in sprinklers
41:10 Aerial fire starting – plastic sphere device (PSD) and heli-torch
46:10 Fire bucket characteristics and operation, typical bucket weight/machine combos
50:34 Drop methods for different fuel types
52:10 Belly Tanks
54:10 Retardants, gels and foams
59:30 Flying conditions near fires
1:04:30 Getting a start with flying on fires
1:07:45 Aerial highrise fire fighting
1:08:55 Night vision devices and fire fighting at night
1:10:07 Drone use on fires and future applications
1:14:11 Traveling gnomes Timothy and Tabitha in Gordy’s photos
1:18:00 Chris Hadfield’s approach to life
1:19:03 ‘Gordy’ on PPRuNe, Redding Air Service, happy to answer any questions
1:23:06 Sponsors trainmorepilots.com – marketing tip, using the tool snip.ly

Links from this week’s episode:
Gordy is Director of Operations at Redding Air Service
The King Fire in 2014 was one mentioned in the interview.
Chicken Wings Comics Forum
Twitter account for the Gnomes

Gordy Cox flying on a fire in Idaho, 2008
Gordy Cox flying on a fire in Idaho, 2008

Plastic Sphere Device - Incendiary balls
Plastic Sphere Device – Incendiary balls

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Gordy’s two gnomes Timothy and Tabitha on an adventure to the Pacific for a satellite launch

Video footage of the Twin Falls Helitack crews 2013 fire season. Credits: David Frey
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Heli-torch operations for backburning – like napalm!
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[Tweet “Its almost impossible to put a fire out, what we do is manage it.”]

[Tweet “You get to know everyone on the crew. It really is like a family. Work hard, play hard.”]

early helicopter fire fighting bucket trials in 1957 Bell 47
Redding Air Service bucket trials in 1957

firefighters are picked up from helicopter from fire site
Picking up ground crew – beats walking out

Gordy Cox is a helicopter pilot with extensive experience working on forest fires
Many thanks to Gordy ‘G-man’ Cox for sharing his fire fighting experience with us.

Have a question for Gordy or tips on firefighting with helicopters? Was this episode too long, should it have been two parts? Let us know in the comments.