RWS 89 – Night Aerial Firefighting 2020 Update with Richard Butterworth

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.

RWS 65 – Night Aerial Firefighting with Richard Butterworth

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.