Coulson – Page 2 – Wildfire Today

Coulson pilots in Chile are aided by translators in the cockpits

A Coulson Chinook and Blackhawk, at Talca, Chile. Coulson photo.

(From Coulson Aviation)

Coulson team members work all over the world supporting communities and firefighters which means adapting to different systems, operations and firefighting partners.

In Chile, it’s also meant adapting to operating in a different language. While some of the team members speak Spanish, each of the 4 Chinooks and a Blackhawk fly with a pilot translator whose job it is to translate the instructions from the aerial supervisor or ground crews.

Pilot Andy Thomas is currently flying a tanked Chinook in Chile and said it was a lot of fun working with the translators, some of whom have fire experience.

“A lot of the translators are highly experienced airline pilots who are a great help on the radios navigating the flight paths and fire operations,” he said.

Coulson pilot Colin Morgan, who has been operating a Chinook with a Bambi bucket, said the pilot translators did an amazing job in dynamic circumstances. Colin worked in Chile last year for Coulson, also flying a Chinook.

“The CH47 is, in my own opinion, the best helicopter operating today. It was designed for the military to be versatile, technologically advanced, yet forgiving and simple to operate. It’s also simply a pleasure to fly,” he said.

Andy, who has decades of experience operating heavy helicopters, said the Chinooks were designed to lift a tremendous amount of weight.

“With us that’s water, and it’s really good at it,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun to fly and it makes us pilots look good!”

Coulson has four Chinooks and one Blackhawk working on fire contracts in Chile.

Coulson partners with Linfox to form consortium for fighting bushfires

Coulson's Tanker 132 — Coulson’s new Tanker 132, formerly operated by the Norwegian military. Coulson photo, November, 2020.

Coulson Aviation and Linfox have agreed to work together in a consortium to help Australians suppress bushfires. Coulson will bring helicopters and air tankers to the table to work with the logistics company Linfox, with both presently operating on multiple continents.

The proposed fleet of large fixed wing air tankers, super heavy helicopters, and fire intelligence gathering aircraft will be based and operated throughout the State and Territories in Australia, with maintenance and support infrastructure supplied in New South Wales and Victoria.

The team intends to work with State Governments, Territories, emergency services agencies, and within any framework agreed by the Federal Government. Australia has one of the largest volunteer firefighting forces in the world. They intend to build a world class training facility and center of excellence for volunteers to create a strong, intelligence-led and informed approach to firefighting.

The 365 day a year fleet is intended to offer firebombing, intelligence gathering, and aerial firefighting support services during the fire seasons, but also search and rescue, surveillance and medical evacuation services at other times.

The combining of the two company’s unique skill sets will allow the consortium to set up remote bases where aircraft can reload retardant close to a live fire zone, rather than having to fly, sometimes for hours, to the nearest airport – and then back again.

Chairman of Coulson Aviation Australia, Wayne Coulson said, ‘We’ve learned through many major fire campaigns globally the enormous effect of large capacity air tankers in managing bushfires, particularly when we bring the fight at night; this results in lives saved and houses standing and that’s why we do what we do.’

“There is always an opportunity to improve our nation’s approach to aerial firefighting,’’ added Lindsay Fox, founder of Linfox. “Each of the States and Territories are responsible for their own emergency response, so each response varies. As our fire seasons get longer – and become more dangerous and unpredictable, the most sensible – and safe – solution is a co-ordinated, national approach.”

Australia Coulson Linfox

Another C-130 is almost ready to join the Coulson fleet

October 2, 2020 | 4:46 p.m. MDT

Coulson air tanker C-130 T-132 (N132CG) — Coulson Air Tanker 132, a C-130H (N132CG) with its fancy black props. Coulson photo.

The first of five C-130H planes that Coulson Aviation purchased from the Norwegian military completed its heavy maintenance in Crestview, Florida October 1 and was ferried to Spokane, Washington for new paint and an inspection.

The aircraft has already been converted to an air tanker, Tanker 132, with the installation of a 4,000-gallon internal gravity-powered retardant tank. As recently as 2017 Coulson operated another C-130 known as Tanker 132. It was leased and was returned to its owner.

A second C-130 was pulled out of mothballs at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona at the same time as this aircraft. It will also be outfitted as an air tanker and is going through heavy maintenance at Crestview.