Jun 06 2016

Word on the Street: AHSAFA - American Helicopter Services & Aerial Firefighting Association Posted 8 years 172 days ago ago by Admin

Diverging Dynamics - Aerial Firefighters Upgrade, Despite Government Competitive Threat

By George Hill

 

 

 

For the aerial firefighting industry, 2016 is evolving into a transitional year. Fleet modernization is accelerating along with retirements of aging, legacy aircraft.

Specifically, operators are focusing on technology which will enhance safety, reliability, and capabilities.  To cite one example, Helimax Aviation is in the final assembly stages of a 2,500 gallon internal water tank installation on its former US Army CH-47D Chinooks, with FAA certification anticipated by June 15th of this year.  Upon certification, the tank is to be installed in its two Chinooks for the 2016 fire season, with USFS approval.

The system will be capable of multiple drops of varying capacity on the same spot, drawing water from sources as shallow as 18 inches. Turnaround times will be reduced, given the greater volume of water compared to the 2,000 gallon bucket system currently used.  Other advantages include less downtime attributed to bucket failures, and long-line problems.

It is reasonable to expect that the USFS will encourage more operators of heavy, Type I helicopters to retrofit their equipment with high capacity internal tanks in order to get away from traditional external bucket-fill and drop systems.  Now that the industry has taken the initiative to develop this technology, the potential is there for it to become a contractual mandate for Type I helicopters at some future date.

On the fixed wing side, Neptune Aviation is further refining its BAe 146 tanker program, following three years of extensive research and development of a 3,000 gallon tanking system installation for fire retardant dropping.  In that regard, Neptune has just completed a firefighting fatigue analysis for the former commercial jets.  Data from the analysis will be the basis of Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA), which will shorten inspection and life-limit intervals for operational safety improvements.  The USFS has, in fact, instituted operational life management plans—for continuous structural fatigue monitoring, as a contractual requirement, for fixed wing tankers, as of the 2016 fire season.

The application of new technology, of course, comes at a price, as it increases industry costs.  Yet, at the same time, through an aggressive fleet acquisition program, the USFS is taking significant steps toward entering the aerial firefighting business, mounting a serious competitive threat to the private operators who have underwritten their own research and development--without government funding.  As the USFS gets into the aerial firefighting business, through the use of former Coast Guard C-130s, and former Army Shorts Sherpas, the result will be significant additional capacity while contracts for all industry fixed wing tankers are not yet available.

Helicopter companies are also at risk of government competition.  One operator of large helicopters notes a recent request for information (RFI) by the Department Of The Interior for a helicopter with capabilities closely matching those of the Army’s Blackhawk.  The operator believes that the USFS could also solicit bids for surplus Blackhawks, impacting every privately operated helicopter, of similar size, currently under USFS contracts.

That validates the prediction of another supplier of helicopter services, who sees government expanding its role in aerial firefighting, through a combination of USFS and National Guard assets.  At the same time, the operator believes that more state governments are likely to enter, or expand their presence in the business by acquiring larger and newer aircraft, making the smaller companies, especially vulnerable.

Adding to the issues impacting the aerial firefighting industry, but no less important, is the question of available government funding for operations, especially in the event of an active fire season.  To illustrate, in 2015—a particularly bad year which saw more than 10-million acres burned—the USFS exceeded its firefighting budget by nearly $700-million.  The funding shortfall, was made up by the US Department of Agriculture—which oversees the USFS—by moving money out of other programs.  For 2016, indications are the agency will not pursue that option, and strictly adhere to the $2.1 billion it has budgeted for fire suppression.  It is not known at this time what arrangements would be made, should the firefighting budget be exceeded.

Also, there are a number of unknowns concerning the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) into an aerial firefighting role.  If UAVs are used in aerial firefighting, they would be flying in the same airspace as helicopters and fixed wing tankers, presenting additional risks and dangers to the manned aircraft.  This will be a difficult challenge to overcome.  Some testing of the unmanned equipment was done last year, and more could take place in 2016.

For the aerial firefighting industry, then, the changing dynamics of the year ahead will mean keeping a watchful eye on developments at both federal and state government levels.

George Hill is the Executive Director of the American Helicopter Services And Aerial Firefighting Association (AHSAFA), the Washington-based trade association representing its members from the privately owned and operated aerial firefighting industry.