AERIAL FIREFIGHTING DIRECTORY 2023
The ultimate resource of leading wildfire operators, services and technologies The Aerial Firefighting Directory, presented by Wings, Helicopters and UAV Canada features key suppliers of aircraft, equipment and services for the aerial firefighting sector. The directory also includes a range of rotary- and fixed-wing operators involved in emergency forestry services, as well key North American agencies and associations for the sector.
AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AIR TRACTOR Olney, TX, airtractor.com Tracing its root back to 1951 when founder Leland Snow designed his first ag airplane, Air Tractor today focuses its firefighting production around two aircraft, including: The AT-802F Initial Attack Firefighter, powered by powerful a Pratt & Whitney PT6A67AG turbine, and the AT-802F Fire Boss Amphibious Scooper Air Tanker designed to deliver up to 14,000 gallons per hour for extended attack or ground support. AIRBUS HELICOPTERS Marignane, France, airbuscanada.ca Airbus Helicopters employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide. Its fleet in service includes nearly 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers across 150 countries. Its U.S. affiliate is headquartered in Grand Prairie, Texas, while Airbus Helicopters Canada operates out of a 138,000-square-foot facility in Fort Erie, ON. In addition to hundreds of oldergeneration platforms in use to fight fires, the company’s full range of helicopters can be integrated for fire suppression. BELL TEXTRON Fort Worth, TX, bellflight.com Bell, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron, is an industry-leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical-lift aircraft. It serves Bell customers in more than 120 countries, with its Canadian facility in Mirabel, QC, serving key contributor to Bell’s 505 production chain. In addition to a large legacy fleet fighting fires, Bell in 2018 introduced its 407GXi as a new platform for potential fire suppression integration. DE HAVILLAND AIRCRAFT OF CANADA Calgary, AB, dehavilland.com With more than 5,000 aircraft delivered, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada is well
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established across the globe and is dedicated to advancing the company’s near-100-year reputation for excellence in innovation, production and customer support. De Havilland Canada’s aircraft provide vital connections between rural communities and urban centres and also support a wide variety of special mission operations including aerial firefighting, search and rescue and reconnaissance. The company’s portfolio of aerial firefighting aircraft includes the CL-215, CL-215T, CL415 and CL-415EAF aircraft. In March 2022, De Havilland Canada launched the DHC-515 Firefighter program. European customers have signed letters of intent to purchase the first 22 DHC-515 Firefighters with first deliveries expected to begin by the middle of the decade.
ERICKSON Portland, OR, ericksoninc.com Erickson has been a world leader in heavy lift and aerial firefighting for more than 20 years. This includes its S-64 Air Crane Helitankers, equipped with fire suppression systems, which can drop more than 95,000 liters every hour. FIRE BOSS South St. Paul, MN, firebossllc.com Fire Boss LLC is the manufacturer of the Fire Boss water scooping system exclusively installed on the Air Tractor AT-802. The Fire Boss system combines airframe modifications, performance enhancements and a pair of Wipline 10000 amphibious
water-scooping floats that enable the AT-802 to scoop up to 800 gallons in 15 seconds.
HELITAK FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Noosaville, Australia, helitak.com.au Helitak develops a range of systems for aerial firefighting, including its underbelly Fire Tank featuring a new design to allow a flexible bladder to expand while being filled; and then retract within its housing when empty. These tanks are custom built with a carrying capacity from 1,000 to 10,000 litres. KAMAN AIR VEHICLES Bloomfield, CT, kaman.com Kaman Air Vehicles, a division of Kaman Corp., manufacturers the K-MAX helicopter platform, described as a rugged, low-maintenance aircraft with a counter-rotating rotor system that is optimized for cyclical, external load operations. The aircraft can lift up to 6,000 pounds (2,722 kg). KAWAK AVIATION Bend, OR, kawakaviation.com Kawak Aviation engineers and produces aerial firefighting products focusing on tanking systems, related pumps and hydraulics. Its tank systems, refill pumps and hydraulic power solutions are leveraged by a range of platforms like Bell, Kaman and Firehawks. ISOLAIR Bend, OR, isolairinc.com Isolair has been manufacturing helicopter systems for aerial firefighting, agricultural,