Challenge

The 2019–2020 bushfires were the worst in Australia’s history, surpassing even “Black Saturday” in 2009. As of March 2020, the fires destroyed 46 million acres, over 5,900 buildings. In order to combat the unprecedented magnitude of fires, the Australian government needed to invest in large aircraft with year-round availability that could dump thousands of liters of water in a short period of time.

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Solution

Erickson Incorporated, in partnership with Kestrel Aviation, brought in six of their Type 1 helicopters, the S-64, to combat the deadly fires during the 2019 - 2020 devastating fire season. Based on the competitive advantage of the S-64 helicopters, Erickson has dropped approx. 10,149,860 gallons (38,421,399 liters) of water in a 4-month period from November 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020.

Results

 

Gallons Water Dropped

 

Type 1 S-64 Air Crane® Helicopters

Erickson is working collaboratively with our partner, Kestrel Aviation, to ensure the security of our personnel, fleet, and customers while protecting the environment conducting safe and efficient aerial firefighting operations.

- Blake Ironside, Director of Corporate Safety at Erickson