Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

Contributor

Mark Huber

Columbia Helicopters and Simplex Aerospace have developed a large internal firefighting tank and delivery system for the CH-47D Chinook tandem-rotor helicopter and received FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) approval for it last December. The “Fire Attack System” (FAS) got its first real-world test under actual conditions in May dropping fire retardant on a wild fire near Ely, Minn. Columbia currently owns 11 former U.S. military Chinooks and has equipped two with the FAS to date. Both helicopters are operating under U.S. Forest Service exclusive-use contracts.

 


The 2,800-gallon-capacity internal tank is thought to be the largest designed specifically for fire suppression and certified for a helicopter, according to Cody Barton, Columbia Helicopters’ chief flight instructor and command pilot. “To our knowledge, there are no other helicopter operators in the world using an internal tank of that size, purpose-built for aerial firefighting,” he said. “The system is compatible with water, foam, chemical retardant or any other agent the USFS might supply,” Barton said.

 


Barton said the FAS equips Columbia’s Chinooks to tackle urban firefighting, since current U.S. government regulations forbid the use of a traditional external bucket and long-line system over structures and people. Also, he noted, since the tank is a “semi-permanently” installed system, the helicopter can be dispatched more quickly. “With the internal tank, we just take off and no longer have to take the time—about 20 minutes—to attach a 1,322-pound external bucket every time we need it,” he said. “Then, once attached, the bucket generates turbulence in flight, and slows our airspeed to between 100 and 110 knots. With an internally mounted tank, we can do 130 knots, which gets us to the fire that much faster.” He also said the FAS makes the helicopter more maneuverable while firefighting. “When it’s loaded with water, there is no real impact on aircraft handling. We continue to have a high degree of maneuverability, while maintaining operational safety standards.”

 


The tank is constructed as a single unit and uses a roll-on/roll-off method of installation and removal, which can be done at the field level. When installed, the tank is mounted over the cargo hook well, using specially designed components. The cargo hook was removed and the well underwent some modifications for the doors through which the water or retardant is dropped. The tanks can be filled directly from ground-based vehicles, or through a snorkel from lakes or streams. The pilot controls the doors and hover pump from the cockpit. Pilot instruction for the system consists of eight hours of ground and three hours of differences training.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Internal Firefighting Tanks for Columbia Chinooks 

The system proved its worth in the real world fighting fires in Minnesota.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charlotte Bailey

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Pentagon permission facilitates sale of Bell 412EXP and 407M

U.S. Approves $800M Bell 407/412 Sale to Iraq Military

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Fire and disaster management agency to use aircraft in aerial reconnaissance role

Japan Orders Its First H160 for Emergency Response

Flights with two scaled technology demonstrators will inform potential future iterations 

Singaporean eVTOL Conducts Test Campaign In Germany 

Matt Thurber

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

More In Rotorcraft

U.S. Approves $800M Bell 407/412 Sale to Iraq Military

Pentagon permission facilitates sale of Bell 412EXP and 407M

Japan Orders Its First H160 for Emergency Response

Fire and disaster management agency to use aircraft in aerial reconnaissance role

Singaporean eVTOL Conducts Test Campaign In Germany

Flights with two scaled technology demonstrators will inform potential future iterations

FAA Approves TSO for ASU Panoramic Night-vision Goggles

Lightweight white-phosphor NVG have a 94-degree field of view

FAA Floats Special Conditions for Skyryse Fly-by-wire R66

Proposed rule addresses pilot awareness of control limits

Vertical Lift Groups Extend Trade Show Partnership

European Helicopter Association and Vertical Aviation International extended their alliance

Sikorsky Is Upgrading the Black Hawk Helicopter for Evolving Military Needs

Armed forces will be able to outfit Black Hawks with new armament and equipment.

Sikorsky’s S-97 Raider Points to a New Level of Performance for Future Helicopters

Originally developed for the U.S. military, X2 technology is in search of a new customer.

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN