Aerial firefighting support for Australia has been boosted after US-based Coulson Aviation added four former NZ Hercules aircraft to its fleet.
The aircraft were flown from New Zealand to the company’s base in Thermal, California, where they were converted into aerial firetankers.
A NSW RFS Large Aerial Tanker (LAT or converted Boeing 737) just returned from Thermal where it helped to fight US and Canadian bushfires.
The converted Hercules have been fitted with a Coulson tank system that will allow for precision drops of up to 4000 gallons.
The aircraft will be deployed on firefighting missions worldwide, the company says.
“This acquisition represents another major milestone for Coulson Aviation and the future of aerial firefighting,” said Britton Coulson, President and COO of Coulson Aviation USA.
“These aircraft continue to enhance our ability to respond rapidly and effectively to wildfires (bushfires) around the world.
“With the four additional C-130Hs in our fleet, we’re reaffirming our commitment to lead the industry with the most capable, high-performance large airtankers in the world,” he says.
The conversions were conducted entirely in-house which will allow for a more rapid deployment worldwide, the company says.
“On days marked by extreme fire behaviour, it’s the large assets like the C-130s and CH-47s (Chinook helicopters) that can truly make a difference,” says Coulson.
AERIAL FLEET EXPANDS MORE
The company also recently bought five Cessna Citation jets from Canada; the jets are used as lead aircraft, ‘marking’ the drop point for larger aerial tankers like the Hercules, Boeing 737 and a DC-10.
The NSW RFS operates two of these jets.
The ex-Kiwi Hercules date back 60 years and began their NZ service by flying soldiers to the Vietnam War. The aircraft have flown missions from Antarctica to Afghanistan to Europe (including the former Soviet Union and China), the NZ Defence Force says.
Last year, Coulson signed a 10-year $400 million deal to maintain and operate the NSW RFS aerial firefighting fleet.
The NSW RFS operates 11 aircraft: the Boeing LAT, Cessna Citation jets, six Bell-412 helicopters, a CH-47 Chinook helicopter and a twin-engine Beechcraft Super King Air.
MORE COULSON NEWS: LA fires spark Australian call for fleet
