Issue 376: Aerial Firefighting

This major fire front has caused widespread devastation, as well as unprecedented smoke pollution that has regularly blanketed Australia’s largest cities – Sydney and Melbourne – leading to serious problems for visibility and forcing those with respiratory conditions to remain indoors.

Bushfire response is much evolved since the 1851 fires. While 19th century firefighting efforts were limited to modest ground support efforts, today a sizable force of various aerial firefighting services can be brought to bear to aid those on the ground.

This multi-pronged approach sees the coordination of an array of diverse assets. From one of the world’s largest aerial tankers to small and nimble drones, each aircraft brings a unique capability to Australia’s fire and emergency services in an effort to protect people, property and the environment.

‘Each aircraft brings a unique capability to Australia’s fire and emergency services in an effort to protect people, property and the environment’

‘The DC-10 can be flown without the reliance on automation and computer control’ JOHN GOULD Tanker support

Aerial tankers play an important role in Australia’s response to the threat of bushfire. Modest sized aerial firefighting aircraft such as the Bell Big Lifter and Air Tractor AT802F are common sights in various Australian states during the bushfire season. But the presence of large air tankers in NSW airspace is a telling sign of the seriousness of the current fires.

The biggest air tankers fall into two categories: Large Air Tanker and Very Large Air Tanker. In Australia, there are several Large Air Tankers to call on, with aircraft types that range from the Avro RJ85 with its 11,350 litre tanks, to the larger C130Q that carries an impressive 15,400 litres.

The newest aircraft in the Large Air Tanker category is the Boeing 737-800, which forms the backbone of the permanent large tanker fleet in Australia. Offering a capacity of 15,542 litres, the 737 bring speed benefits over the C130Q, as it is able to operate at 850km/h, 300km/h faster than its turboprop counterpart.

It was the combination of capacity and speed that saw the aircraft selected as Australia’s only permanent 737-model Large Air Tanker in May 2019, with NSW RFS Acting Commissioner Rob Rogers saying at the time: “This type of aircraft provides us with a fast, effective and flexible option for fighting fires year-round, and supporting fire-fighters on the ground.”

However, despite the benefits of the Boeing 737, there is one aircraft currently in Australian skies that overshadows all others – the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 – one of the largest air tankers in use worldwide.

The only Very Large Airtanker in local airspace, the aircraft is currently based at RAAF Richmond and is operated by American firm 10 Tanker. 10 Tanker operates a fleet of four customised DC-10s to support efforts to quell major fire fronts across the world.

John Gould is President of 10 Tanker. He told Australian Aviation that the DC-10 brings economies of scale to the firefighting effort, which provides a big impact to the overall capability of Australia’s fire and emergency response.

“Our DC-10s are 9,400-gallon very large tankers. In metric terms we can drop 36,600 litres per drop. We can bring two or three times more retardant than a large air tanker and as such we can put in a lot of line (down) in just one drop,” Gould explains.

10 Tanker operate a fleet of four converted DC-10s, all of which began their service life as passenger airliners. Gould says the DC-10 fleet comprises “The last production models created by McDonnell Douglas, created in the late ‘80s, and so they are as new a DC-10 as you can get.”

Despite being among the last DC-10s built, there is no escaping the fact that today these aircraft are older airplanes, having long since been superseded by newer, more efficient models. However, Gould says the decision to utilise the older DC-10 has many benefits over today’s newer aircraft.

Primarily, the DC-10 was selected thanks to the aircraft’s classic flying characteristics, as well as its ability to handle significant weight changes while in flight, with Gould adding that these jets are a “pilot’s aircraft” and thus well suited for an air tanker role.

“If we were flying an MD-11 or an Airbus product, there is a lot of computer control in the inputs which we can’t get around. For example, you can’t program the computer to lose 36,000 litres of weight. Those control inputs make it hard to use newer airplanes, whereas the DC-10 can be flown without the reliance on automation and computer control.”

From its introduction into service as a passenger airliner, the DC-10 was renowned and praised by pilots for its high power; thanks to the aircraft’s three turbines which produce 51,000 lbf / 226.85 kN of thrust.

“When it was certified (as a passenger airliner) its max gross takeoff weight was about 575,000 pounds – plus or minus. In this role, our max gross takeoff weight is around 420,000 pounds. We typically takeoff with around 400,000 pounds so we are 175,000 under the original max takeoff weight,” Gould says of the converted aircrafts’ operational profile.

As an air tanker, this power means 10 Tanker pilots can be confident in handling the aircraft throughout its mission, maintaining control within the fire traffic area, as well as maintaining safe flight when operating with and without its fire retardant payload.

“We are never lacking for power in any flight profile. The airplane responds very nicely to control inputs even when full of fuel and a full load of retardant,” Gould adds.

While water is often used in smaller air tanker operations, 10 Tanker’s aircraft drop a specially mixed fire-retardant gel, with the aim of improving the effectiveness and longevity of each drop.

Gould says that while water is an effective firefighting tool, the speed at which the DC-10s operate makes fire retardant gel a better choice: “When you’re dropping out of a tanker that is doing 140 kt at 250 ft above the ground, you will lose a lot in evaporation. The gels in the retardants give the ability for that water to stay hydrated,” Gould elaborates.

“With gels and phosphate-based fire retardants, when we drop outside of the fire line and the fire burns up to the line we have dropped, a couple of hours later it’s still hydrated and (still) very effective by the time the fire reaches it.”

Additionally, the phosphate-based fire retardant used by 10 Tanker maintains a retardant effect even when it is dried out, adding to the long-term benefit to the firefighting effort, which in addition to the DC-10s’ ability to drop a “a very nice line” makes the presence of the McDonnell Douglas air tanker invaluable to the bushfire response.

Remote recon

The New South Wales fire response is overseen by two distinct agencies. The Rural Fire Service (RFS) is the primary combat agency for bushfires; while Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) oversees the response to major bush and grass fires, in coordination with the RFS.

In its oversight capacity, FRNSW has invested in drone technology over the past five years, utilising a robust unmanned system to offer a highly effective reconnaissance and planning capability.

As one of the early adopters of this technology, FRNSW has explored first-hand the many benefits that remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) provide when coordinating bushfire responses.

As such, FRNSW has a wealth of experience utilising RPAS to gather data and work up a more effective response to a bushfire threat. Importantly, the RPAS system brings access to real-time data, meaning manned fire fighting responses can be coordinated in a safer and more effective manner.

Leading Fire-fighter Anthony Wallgate of Fire and Rescue NSW’s Aviation team told Australian Aviation that the safety benefits of RPAS are particularly evident at night.

“Using a thermal camera and live-streaming capabilities, FRNSW Aviation Officers provide Incident Management Teams with a real-time feed showing nocturnal fire activity, rather than utilising crews for on-ground reconnaissance,” he said.

Additionally, RPAS thermal sensors introduce a high level of accuracy when locating and identifying the fire threat. Its unique ability to map out a thermal image of the fire makes it possible to improve the accuracy of the location of the fire source; allowing for a more effective and targeted use of suppression tactics.

Wallgate says the system provides peripheral support to those coordinating fire fighting efforts by: “detecting spot fires and reporting the coordinates, estimated size and thermal signature to Incident Controllers where smoke, aviation resource availability or other factors have made observation from aircraft unfeasible or challenging.”

To provide this invaluable capability, Fire and Rescue NSW utilises small to medium sized quad-copter platforms, with a take-off and landing footprint much smaller than manned aircraft. This adds significant flexibility to the variety of locations where the system can be deployed.

“Just recently, a bushfire was burning in an inaccessible part of forest off a waterway,” Wallgate recalls. “FRNSW Aviation Officers were able to launch off the front of a boat in order to identify and report the source of a spot fire.”

Adding to its operational flexibility, Wallgate says that the technology employed on the RPAS system means the aircraft are usable even in some of the toughest conditions, adding: “Some of the cameras FRNSW have feature a 30 times optical zoom so it means that the platform does not have to be directly over the top of a bushfire which limits the impact of bushfire atmospheric effects.”

During bushfire events, requests for FRNSW’s RPAS support are received directly from the Incident Controller. Having been acknowledged by FRNSW Liaison Officer and FRNSW Strategic Operations Centre, the Chief Remote Pilot is tasked with planning the upcoming mission.

“The Chief Remote Pilot manages all the flight details and ongoing RPAS operations. This extends from pilot and platform assignment, through to all communications,” Wallgate explains.

“FRNSW RPAS pilots are firefighters who bring a diverse breadth and depth of skills as well as expertise in a variety of emergency incident types and response. This extends from bushfires, hazmat, urban search and rescue, fire investigation, incident management.”

Each Fire and Rescue NSW RPAS pilot undertakes accredited RPAS training. At the conclusion of this course, they hold a CASA-recognised qualification as well as an aircraft radio operator’s certificate.

In keeping with its culture of safety, FRNSW conducts regular skills maintenance training, as well as specialised skills training which Wallgate says covers: “night-time operations, IMT flight operations, thermal reporting and mapping.”

The RPAS system employed by FRNSW is highly robust and kept in operation year-round. Having offered invaluable support throughout the bushfire efforts in 2019, the system is also effectively utilised in a variety of non-fire related incidents.

“The FRNSW Aviation Team has been assisting RFS and many other government agencies for the past two years for many different incident types. This includes infrastructure inspections, motor vehicle/truck accidents, structural or factory fires, hazard reductions, post-incident volumetric debris calculations and of course, bushfires,” Wallgate says.

The system has also gained international recognition, with RPAS platforms and technical specialists deployed to assist with the Greece wildfires in 2018.

‘The remotely piloted aircraft system employed by Fire and Rescue NSW is highly robust and kept in operation year-round’ ANTHONY WALLGATE ‘Such roles require highly skilled pilots’ Airport assistance

With numerous aircraft operating across New South Wales in support of firefighting efforts, a variety of airports are required to support the needs of numerous operators.

The largest aircraft are based at RAAF Richmond. As the NSW nominated operating base for the Rural Fire Service, Richmond is home to the RJ85, C130Qs and Boeing 737 as well as 10 Tanker’s DC-10.

10 Tanker’s John Gould says that Richmond offers numerous benefits for the unique fire retardant cargo that the DC-10 and its fellow Large Air Tankers carry.

“It takes a lot of room to allow a DC-10 to park – and Richmond has that space. And then to have the retardant mixed and loaded – especially when you have 36,000 litres per load and we’re doing 6, 7, 8 loads a day – that’s a lot of retardant that needs to be mixed and loaded and this operation takes up a lot of room.”

Each operator requires a team of experts to maintain and handle their respective air tankers. In the case of the DC-10, this includes a four to six-person team of engineers who are tasked with maintaining the 30-year old airframe.

“A widebody jet has a lot of parts and so we have quite the supply of parts with us. Our team knows the DC-10 inside and out and looks after everything from the tyres and the brakes to ensuring it is loaded and fuelled.”

While other air tankers, such as the Boeing 737 and Avro RJ85 are newer models, they too require specialised maintenance and support, all of which are handled at Richmond.

Richmond is not the only airport supporting the firefighting effort. Sydney Metro Airports General Manager, Aviation, David Binskin told Australian Aviation that their two airports (Bankstown and Camden) facilitate various aspects of aerial firefighting operations.

“Activities at the airports include overnight parking, maintenance and refuelling. These aircraft, when tasked by the RFS, conduct fire spotting and water bombing activities to assist those on the ground fighting the fires at the frontline,” Binskin explains.

For several months each year, Bankstown is home to Erikson Air Cranes with a 7,560 litre capacity. These striking orange heavy-lift helicopters require special support which Binskin says includes “preparation to ensure a readily accessible area, clear of other users, that supports the enabling equipment that accompanies the cranes”.

Bankstown Airport has also been utilised as a transfer hub for RFS crews heading to and from the fires, with larger commercial aircraft flying into the airport for this use.

42 km south-west of Bankstown, Camden Airport is home to Curtis Aviation. Curtis Aviation’s David White said that the operator has had a long-term relationship with the Rural Fire Service that has been in place for over 20 years.

The agreement sees Curtis Aviation provide a variety of aerial services on a 15-minute notice arrangement that is maintained throughout the fire season.

“Our fire spotting and reconnaissance work involves patrolling designated areas looking for fires and ignition spots, as well as the mapping of fire grounds and fire fronts,” White explains.

“This involves communication with ground staff with respect to people, property and livestock that is under threat, as well as where to locate ground crews and advise ground crews who are under threat.”

Curtis Aviation is also employed to coordinate the arrival of aerial bombers onto the fire grounds in an activity known as ‘air attack’. Such roles require highly skilled pilots, with White adding: “Our pilots are all experienced on fire operations and have many years of experience as commercial pilots, which is a pre-requisite for conducting this role. This fire season has seen our aircraft away in support of the bushfire response for up to four weeks, with two or our pilots rotating between the Sydney and regional fires for up to six days at a time.”

Additionally, Curtis transports personnel and staff across New South Wales utilising a Beechcraft King Air; while outside of the bushfire period the company conducts radio operator training for the NSW Rural Fire Service.

Despite the increased activity at Camden and Bankstown throughout the current fire season, David Binskin says that there has been minimal disruption at Sydney Metro Airports’ facilities, which are designed to easily adapt to the needs of emergency service operations.

“The only impact is when the Air Cranes arrive or depart the airfield, due to the large amount of disturbed air (or downwash) that is created from such a large helicopter,” Binskin says.

“The airspace adjacent to the Air Cranes is quarantined by Air Traffic Control to all other aircraft, for a short period of time, after the Air Crane has been airborne near the runways. This is to ensure the safety of the smaller aircraft that could potentially be damaged by the unstable air.”

Sydney Metro Airports CEO Lee de Winton concurs with Binskin’s assessment, adding that the thriving GA communities and general public at both airfields are highly supportive of emergency services operators.

In addition, de Winton says that the central location of both Bankstown and Camden make the airfields ideal locations to support a variety of emergency services across multiple disciplines, including police, ambulance and fire.

“Sydney Metro Airports are home to the majority of the state’s emergency services. This is evidenced by the new facility for NSW Ambulance on the eastern side of Bankstown Airport, as well as the ongoing construction of a state-of-the-art Police Air Wing Headquarters Building which is due to be completed mid 2020.”

Future outlook

As this issue goes to print bushfires continue to rage across New South Wales. With over 720 homes lost and 3 million hectares burnt, danger is ever present at the front, which includes the 350,000-hectare Gospers Mountain ‘mega fire’ – the largest single forest fire in Australia’s history.

With ongoing drought as well as concerns relating to a warming, drying climate, many experts predict above normal bushfire potential for coming years.

Yet despite the devastation, one thing is clear. Without the critical support of an array of firefighting services and providers, the damage to local communities would undoubtedly be much worse.

It is the effort of countless people across the aviation and emergency services community that enable this response to take place.

From the smallest of drones providing thermal imaging of the fire front, to the giant DC-10 dropping 36,000 litres of fire retardant; petite escort planes that lead the air tankers into the drop zone to the ground teams at various airports and forward operating bases – together countless people provide an immeasurable difference to those on the front line.