S-70 Firehawk® Multi-Role Helicopter
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™ ® S-70 Firehawk Multi-role Helicopter Colorado Backgrounder In Southern California, a Sikorsky S-70 Firehawk helicopter flies low to drop water on a small wildland fire. The aircraft’s ability to reach remote fires quickly — often before ground firefighters arrive — can prevent a small blaze from spreading out of control. The state of Colorado is looking to acquire several multirole Firehawk aircraft for both firefighting and year-round search and rescue. Background: Governor Jared Polis has added to the proposed budget for 2021-2022 fiscal year an S-70 Firehawk helicopter as a permanent state-owned asset to fight wildfires. The $23.9 The case to own million cost of the aircraft with associated equipment and training is part of a $78 million firefighting assets package for wildfire relief, mitigation and prevention. The budget also indicates a long-term plan to acquire several Firehawk aircraft this decade for aerial firefighting and other roles, such From Colorado’s as search and rescue. proposed 2021-22 budget The Colorado Connection: United Rotorcraft, a division of Air Methods, based at Centennial “These additional resources Airport in Englewood, has developed an aerial firefighting system to convert an S-70 Black enhance the state’s overall Hawk helicopter into a ‘Firehawk.’ The company is the sole installer of the system, which capacity to perform mitigation features a 1,000-gallon (3,785 liter) water tank system and a retractable snorkel — both attached projects, aggressive attack on new fires, and critical support to local to the belly of the aircraft. To give the tank extra clearance from the ground, United Rotorcraft jurisdictions on larger, longer adds an extension to each of the aircraft’s two front wheels (see diagram on page 2.) Optional duration fires. If Colorado has equipment can include a rescue hoist, cargo hook, specific radios and avionics changes, and a operational control over these medical suite for the cabin. resources, it is more likely that we will have appropriate resources A Proven Aerial Firefighter: United Rotorcraft teamed with Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin available to match Colorado’s company and the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) in the late 1990s and early growing fire season regardless of 2000s to adapt three Black Hawk helicopters for aerial firefighting. In the ensuing 20 years federal priorities or fire activity in using its three Firehawk aircraft with the United Rotorcraft system, LACoFD has pioneered how other states.” to suffocate wildfires in their nascent stage when a fire is most vulnerable, and while working in close coordination with firefighting crews on the ground and other aircraft. Their success has attracted orders for the new generation S-70 aircraft; from LACoFD; from the City of San Diego; and the largest order to date, from the state of California, whose 12 Firehawk aircraft are being outfitted at United Rotorcraft’s Englewood facility. Firehawk Videos • Columbia Air Attack Base New Firehawk Helicopter Training Underway CAL FIRE Communications Bureau, Oct. 13, 2020 • Military Helicopter Transformed Into a 'Fire Hawk' For Cal Fire KCBS TV, News Story, June 22, 2020 • Debut of New Firehawk Helicopter City of San Diego Fire-Rescue welcomes its first Firehawk helicopter in Dec. 2019, and demonstrates water drops • Los Angeles County Fire Dept. Pilot Describes the Firehawk Aircraft’s Strengths AIN TV Video (2017) includes aircraft walk around with Senior Pilot Mike Sagely • Saving the Reagan Library Sikorsky promotional video includes comments by the director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library describing how aerial firefighting helicopters saved the structure and priceless historical artifacts and documents during the 2019 Easy Fire. • Firehawk Customer Testimonial: Los Angeles County Fire Department Sikorsky promotional video (2018) Firehawk Websites • For a webpage devoted to the S-70 Firehawk helicopter, along with videos, images, news releases and marketing brochures, see lockheedmartin.com/firehawk • For an overview of United Rotorcraft, visit United Rotorcraft Home United Rotorcraft’s Aerial Firefighting System Versatile, Multi-role Machine Like the Black Hawk helicopter used by 30 militaries worldwide, the two-engine Firehawk helicopter can be employed for multiple uses. Outside of fire season, the Los Angeles County Fire Department performs hoist rescues and provides EMS and medical transport. With its water tank removed and a cargo hook installed, the aircraft can lift heavy objects up to 9,000lbs, including large animals (i.e. horse or cattle) stranded in remote canyons. The Colorado 2021-22 budget proposal states: ‘While the primary mission of the Fire Type 1 helicopter Hawk is fire suppression, the aircraft may also be used for other State purposes, For aerial firefighting, the Firehawk including damage assessments, wildlife counting, search and rescue, or other services is defined as a Type 1 or ‘heavy’ that the State currently contracts aircraft for through other executive branch helicopter — i.e. able to carry 700 to departments.’ 2,500 gallons of water. According to language in the Colorado 2021-22 proposed budget, ‘the capability of the Type 1 Firehawk exceeds that of Firefighting any contracted resource in 1,000 gallon water tank Colorado.’ Personnel Transport 12-14 Firefighters with Equipment Medical Evacuation Patient Litter Systems Onboard medical systems Search and Rescue (SAR) Neat fact about the Firehawk External Rescue Hoist The aircraft’s weight, size and strength enable pilots in California to continue flying and fighting Cargo Transport wildfires in 50-70 mph Santa Ana Internal/Cargo Hook winds when lighter helicopters are grounded. How the Firehawk Helicopter Fights Wildfires A Firehawk helicopter can transport 12-14 firefighters and their equipment to the edge of the fire line (no water in tank). Its cabin now empty of firefighters, the aircraft flies at 160 mph (140 knots) to the nearest water source — a lake, river, portable tank or swimming pool. While hovering just 10 feet above the water, the crew operates the control to extend the snorkel. It takes just 45 seconds to pump 1,000 gallons into the tank. The snorkel is then retracted to reduce drag for the return journey to the fire line. With a full load of water, the Firehawk helicopter can reach speeds of 140 mph (125 knots) on its return to the fire line. The volume of water carried is almost three times the amount carried by the UH-1H helicopter, a smaller firefighting aircraft that drops water from a bucket suspended by a cable. With its faster outbound and return flight speeds, the Firehawk helicopter can drop 16,000 gallons of water every hour (depending on configuration) if the water source is within six miles of the wildfire. The depth of the tank, combined with the angular design of its computer controlled doors, build water head pressure strong enough for dropped water to penetrate brush and foliage with precision and force. The effect is to reduce the flames so that firefighters on the ground can advance. New control modes developed by United Rotorcraft enable the pilots to regulate the quantity and concentration of water dropped from the tank to suit the size of the fire or avoid injury to ground crews. The S-70 aircraft has sufficient engine power and lift capacity to safely perform aggressive maneuvers, such as 4 g turns with a full load of water. In the photo at right, the aircraft is shown at a steep degree angle of bank so as to forcefully expel water onto a hillside slope. Its power/lift capability also enables the aircraft to carry water or personnel to 10,000-ft altitude. Back at the fire line, the Firehawk helicopter drops its water, allowing ground crews to gain control over the blaze. Should a firefighter become injured, the aircraft can hoist the patient into the cabin for treatment and transport to a nearby hospital. Night-vision-capable avionics combined with night vision goggles worn by the pilots, allow Firehawk helicopter crews to continue firefighting after sunset when winds and heat are less intense. Night vision goggles also allow pilots to see through smoke in daylight operations. Colorado Wildfire Size and Costs In 2020, Colorado witnessed its worst-ever fire season in recorded history. That’s because the size of its wildfires is growing exponentially. • The state’s three largest wildfires all occurred in 2020. See Wildfire News & Information | Fire Prevention and Control (colorado.gov) for acreage consumed by wildfires. • 1,019 wildfires were reported in Colorado in 2020, says the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center, burning 665,454 acres. • According to an Oct. 20, 2020 article in the Colorado Sun: “Prior to 2002, Colorado had never had a fire in recorded history exceed 100,000 acres. With the Cameron Peak in 2020, the state recorded its first 200,000-acre fire.” See Five charts that show where 2020 ranks in Colorado wildfire history. • As of Nov. 24, 2020, the Cameron Peak Fire was still burning, according to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control. Although 92 percent contained, the blaze had consumed more than 208,000 acres, an area twice the size of the City and County of Denver. • A summary of wildfire costs to the state of Colorado can be found in these Colorado Sun articles: o Wildfires in Colorado cost $130 million in 2018. Here are the details, down to the $40 daily rate on portable toilets (Nov. 1, 2018) o Scouring soil, sowing seeds and spending millions for wildfire recovery in Glenwood Canyon (Dec. 1, 2020) • According to the state of Colorado’s proposed budget for 2021-2022 fiscal year, the longer a wildfire burns, the greater its overall impacts, not least the costs to suppress the fire, the loss of life and property, insured losses, recovery and clean-up costs, and long-term economic impacts, such as tourism and pollution.