Ventura County helicopter N60VC at Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colorado. It was in the process of being converted into a FireHawk. Photo by Barbara S. Hoversten, April 9, 2021Barbara S. Hoversten got an excellent photo last week of one of Ventura County’s HH-60L Blackhawk helicopters flying at Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colorado.
The Southern California county purchased three military HH-60L Blackhawk helicopters with the intention of converting them into FIREHAWKS that will be used for fighting wildland fires, personnel transport, search and rescue, law enforcement, and medical evacuation.
We have learned that when apparently completed FireHawks are seen flying around Centennial Airport, possibly on test flights, a delivery of the finished product to the owner is imminent.
Ventura County Battalion Chief Gary Monday told Fire Aviation in 2019 that heavy maintenance and minor modifications were completed on the aircraft at HSI Sikorsky in Huntsville, Alabama, then two of the helicopters were painted at the United Rotorcraft facility in Decatur, Texas. At least one of them was ferried to United Rotorcraft in Englewood, Colorado to receive navigation and communication systems, cabin interiors, and a 1,000 gallon external fixed water tank with a retractable snorkel system. The landing gear was replaced with higher gear to allow clearance for the installation of the belly tank.
Ventura County is converting military HH-60L Blackhawks into FIREHAWKS. This is N60VC in 2019 before the conversion. VCSO photo, Capt. Romano Bassi.The military had the three Blackhawks originally configured by United Rotorcraft as dedicated MEDEVAC helicopters with medical equipment and patient litter systems, some of which was to be repurposed in the new FIREHAWK configuration.
Ventura County has a joint Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department Aviation Unit. In addition to the FIREHAWKS, they have one Bell 206 Jet Ranger, one Bell 212 HP, one Bell 205B, and two UH-1A Hueys.
“We are a full service 24/7 operation capable of Night Vision Goggle rescues and firefighting”, Chief Monday said, “with three 375 simplex tanks for nighttime water dropping missions, S & R missions, LE missions, and anything else.”
8 Comments
And now Colorado saw them and thinks they have a CA budget.
Or don’t get FireHawks Colorado and burn
United Rotorcraft is the Center for Firehawk construction! The new wave of firefighting rotor wing aircraft !
And quit your apparent jealousy ! Colorado NEEDS this aircraft because of the USFS failure to protect OUR citizens and their property !!
While I applaud Colorado in finally moving to purchase its own fleet of Aircraft I am concerned about the selection of the S70i Firehawk. I see many news sources and politicians citing that it carries 1000 gallons. That is a capability that exists at sea level under certain temperature, atmospheric and humidity levels which all contribute to what is referred to as density altitude. First the aircraft at its base of operations will be operating at least at 5000 above Mean Sea Level (MSL) that alone will begin to decrease the payload. In general the aircraft will be operating anywhere from 6000 to 10000 MSL. This aircraft will be capable of operating at these altitudes but once again its payload must go down. Now when we consider atmospheric pressure as pressure goes down below 29.92 we once again begin to lose addition performance. In reality its a fairly minor factor but it is referred to Pressure altitude or PA . Humidity plays a very small role and is in general not a factor for fire aircraft. What is of critical importance is temperature Colorado not only has high elevation fires but often hot days at those altitudes. This is referred to has high density altitude. For example at 8000 ft MSL at 77 degrees the aircraft operates as if were flying at roughly 11500 due to density altitude. Now while the Blackhawk is capable of operating and carrying water at those altitudes it does so at a heavy penalty. The concern is that even though the S70i is designed with better components for high altitudes it also comes with an extraordinary price at 24m ? So why does California operate these aircraft, because they can make use of all the payload due to the majority of the fires where these aircraft operate is Southern California near sea level or within altitudes where the performance curve doesn’t drop off so dramatically. The aircraft that the State of Colorado currently operates the Bell 205A1++ which is a highly modified commercial Bell 205 with a improved rotor system and derated engine, meaning it has more power than it can use at low altitudes and is designed for cost effective operations at high density altitudes. These aircraft while smaller in payload also come with a dramatically lower price at about 4 million with a fresh overhaul. When considering a fleet of aircraft payload is not the only consideration. It comes down to cost per gallon delivered, redundancy, response time, geographic coverage, time over target. Wouldn’t the state be better served with a fleet of aircraft over a single aircraft?
California operations cover the entire state with 12 aircraft at MANY different altitudes, including the Sierra mountains. Certainly NOT flat ground So. Cal.
If you want to continue to count on the USFS coming to Colorado’s rescue, look at your history of just last summer.
I for one don’t count them as a fire service anymore, just like they have NEVER called their personnel “Fire Fighters” !
Their fire fighters are GREAT, without a doubt ! It’s their managers and policies that I don’t count on !
Per David’s comments. Neither the 205 series aircraft nor the single engine Hueys are being produced. The T53 engine which powers them both is not being built new. Yes, parts are available with rarity in some cases and people have been warning that they will be impractical to maintain for the last 20 years or more and yet here they are, still working. That being said, do you think that what you suggest was not considered? It isn’t like the folks in CO were operating in a vacuum and saw a big shiny new machine and threw focused study to the wind, at least I hope not. California went the Sikorsky route because they wanted better hot and high performance, additional payload capability and multi engine safety, not to mention IFR potential and more importantly NVG ready. You can set up a 205 or Huey for NVG but do you really want to be out there at night doing that with a single engine? Same with aerial rescue ( hoist or short haul). If I had to choose which type of aircraft I had to dangle from, that second engine looks pretty darned comforting. Although the S70i isn’t exactly built in the US, the completions are done here, the OEM support and training are also here. There is also the concept of warranty. There never was a warranty for any Huey and the last 205 warranty expired in the mid 1980s. If it doesn’t work out for Colorado they can always sell it for a reasonable amount. If it does work for them….well there you go. I wish Colorado and California nothing but success with their purchases. Ask the guys at LA county how they like their Hawks. They have more than 20 peaks higher than 2000 meters and it do get warmish in So Cal.
Bell 210.
Tanked Firehawks, doesn’t get any better! (Well, except for the price). CO may be better off contracting for one (or five, for the cost of buying one).
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