Heavy Lift ‘Fire Stallions’ ready for firefighting duty

Clovis, Calif.-based Heavy Lift Helicopters is currently converting the first commercially owned Sikorsky CH-53D Sea Stallions for firefighting operations.

By Kim Rosenlof

January 31, 2007

Clovis, Calif.-based Heavy Lift Helicopters is currently converting the first commercially owned Sikorsky CH-53D Sea Stallions for firefighting operations. Readying the first “Fire Stallions” for this year’s fire season, Heavy Lift is installing its own 2,400-gallon water tank and snorkel system in one of six 42,000-pound-mtow CH-53Ds the company purchased from the U.S. Navy in spring last year. According to Heavy Lift president Robin Rogers, the company is modifying one CH-53D with the tank and using a second for flight-testing to obtain FAA certification in the restricted category.

“We’ve already completed flight testing on the one and are in the process of installing the tank on the other,” Rogers said. “We have to unrivet the belly from the helicopter, modify the cargo compartment and incorporate the tanks into the fuselage. We build our own tanks, so the success of this project rests totally on our own maintenance staff.”

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