Aerial firefighting covers another hot summer

But similarly, the professionalism of the pilots, engineers and support staff and their focus on the mission – to serve the community by providing a cost effective emergency response – should not be taken for granted.

The integration of aviation into the bushfire-fighting arsenal and the use of aggressive initial attack by aircraft when a fire is small are key principles now recognised by fire agencies around Australia and around the world.

It wasn’t always this way, with many government agencies resisting the use of aircraft until their value was brought home in a very public way in the bushfire emergencies during the early 2000s. It’s pretty hard to claim that TV footage of houses being saved and flames being brought under control by aircraft was not effective, although some bureaucracies tried.

The pioneering work by aerial application companies over previous decades to get aerial attack recognised and integrated into the fire-fighting toolbox laid the foundation for the modern firebombing and aerial fire-fighting industry. Companies consistently volunteered their own time and aircraft to demonstrate to politicians and agencies the capabilities of aircraft in supporting ground fire-fighters and as a tool in their own right. Their persistence in the face of bureaucratic indifference in some states is testament to the fundamental faith the industry had in its own capability to improve fire-fighting and to support volunteer bushfire brigades. The only sour note was that it took so long and so much destruction before governments came to accept that aviation offered huge advantages.

The modern Australian fire-fighting sector is continuing to develop strongly, especially since increased federal funding and coordination through the National Aerial Fire-fighting Centre – a Commonwealth/State joint body – was founded in 2003 following the devastating NSW, Canberra bushfires in 2002 and 2003 and subsequent inquiries.

But the weight of this development has fallen onto the aviation business owners who have decided to invest heavily in specialist equipment including aircraft, fire specific dispersal equipment, fuel tankers and other support equipment.

The availability of specialist fire-fighting fixed wing aircraft such as the Air Tractor 802F – worth in excess of A$1.6 million with computerised fire doors and the 802 on floats – the ‘Fire Boss’ – that can fill-up by skimming across a body of water as well as conventionally, and the versatility of helicopters is driven by a willingness of aviation business owners to make long-term investments in the sector.

The use of fixed wing aircraft in firebombing has proven to be highly economical especially when combined with appropriate strategies for their use that includes having them ready for almost immediate dispatch when a fire is first identified. This principle is well established as highly effective internationally and is proven to work in those states where it is used every fire season.

“The use of fixed-wing aircraft in fire-bombing has proven to be highly economical.”

SEATs (Single Engine Air Tankers) such as the Air Tractor 802F and the Dromader prove their value to the community every year, delivering excellent value for money for litres delivered to the fire front, combined with great operational flexibility.

Similarly, rotary wing fire-fighting assets offer fantastic capabilities and unmatched versatility across a range of activities, including bombing, fire attack supervision, personnel transfer around the fire-ground and so on.

In terms of the ongoing debate about rotary versus fixed-wing, it is best answered by considering the best tool for the job at hand. Each different type of aircraft will offer different advantages – the challenge for fire agencies is to ensure the right asset is used on the right job in the right mix and at the right time.

Australia probably doesn’t yet have the numbers to support a specialist career as a fire-fighting pilot and of course the work is seasonal. Almost all fixed wing pilots come to firebombing after gaining considerable experience as an agricultural pilot first, while rotary pilots often come to fire-fighting with considerable experience in other airwork operations such as sling work.

As part of an aviation career, fire-fighting would certainly rate as one of the most satisfying of operations, knowing that you are helping to protect people, their belongings and their livelihood.

CASA is now proposing a fire-fighting endorsement as part of its CASR Part 61 – Licencing package which was promulgated in February and is available from the ComLaw website. AAAA convened a meeting of leading ATOs and developed a full competency suite for CASA – covering all aerial application (including fire-fighting and both rotary and fixed-wing) – which has been submitted and which will hopefully feature as the basis for the competencies in the Part 61 Manual Of Standards.

Australian companies have a proud history of providing excellent emergency bushfire response to the community and the business owners, pilots, LAMEs and support staff deserve our thanks for another season of hard work and dedication.

Col Pay Scholarship

Applications are now open for the 2013 Col Pay Scholarship and will close on April 30th. The Col Pay Scholarship was founded in 2009 with the generous support of the Pay family. AAAA looks forward to receiving another high class field of applicants for this prestigious Scholarship. Application forms are available from the AAAA website – www.aerialag.com.au

AAAA Convention

The annual AAAA Convention will be held at the Marriott Resort in Surfers Paradise on the 4th and 5th of June, featuring the biennial trade show that brings together the top suppliers, supporters and participants in the industry. Registration forms and accommodation booking link are available from the AAAA website.