Black Hawk helicopters the best weapon in fighting bushfires

Fighting bushfires was not always done from the air, but today Western Australia has 38 aircraft on hand during the fire season.
Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) superintendent of aviation services Ray Buchan said when he first started about 20 years ago, there were only three fixed-wing aircraft at their disposal.
“The aircraft are there to contain the fire the best they can before ground forces,” he said.
“We need to get as much water as possible on the fire in the first hour.
“If we can do that, there’s a high likelihood we can bring it under control and contain it in hours rather than days.”
The 38 aircraft assets are not owned by the state, but instead are leased from companies across the world and travel between bushfire seasons.
Ex-military helicopters do the job
Four of the 38 aircraft are Black Hawks, co-owned by Sam Borg, who is also their chief pilot.
“They’re ex-military aircraft,” he said.
“The US government auctions them off. That’s how we buy them.”
One of the helicopters, based in Serpentine, an outer suburb of Perth, is still painted the signature military green.
A Black Hawk helicopter based at Serpentine still has the original US Military paint. (ABC Rural: Anna Cox)
However, the military accessories have been taken out of the helicopter so it is as light as possible to carry more water.
What was called the “gunners chair” has stayed, so a DFES official can sit and help direct ground crew from the sky.
Two of the Black Hawks are stationed in Serpentine, while the other two are in Gingin.
Sam Borg is the chief pilot for United Aero Helicopters. (ABC Rural: Anna Cox)
Mr Borg said the aircraft was built for military combat and this was what made it one of the best weapons for fighting fires.
“It can carry its own weight,” he said.
“It’s a five-tonne aircraft, which can carry five tonnes of water. So, in flight, it’s carrying 10 tonnes [of weight].”
It carries the water in an expandable tank, which sits underneath the aircraft.
Refilling the tank takes 45 seconds through the snorkel, using a pump similar to a jetski.
Mr Borg said fresh water was the preferred source.
“We have a map of the sources that are allowed, but as a rule, we go for the deepest, cleanest source,” he said.
Saltwater is considered the last option due to the damage it would cause to vegetation and the aircraft.
The Black Hawk is particularly useful during a bushfire due to its precision capability, allowing it to hover over a spot to drop water.
The helicopter’s operational flexibility means it can fill its water tank in a diverse range of places, including an oval, road, or a general flat surface whereas a fixed-wing aircraft is limited to a landing strip.
“With the Black Hawk, the manoeuvrability and the amount of water it has … you pinch yourself every time you go flying,” Mr Borg said.
Aerial firefighting takes special skills
Ray Buchan says pilots need to have lots of experience before they can fly an aircraft into a bushfire. (ABC Rural: Anna Cox)
Flying an aircraft into the bushfire is a risky task and not an entry-level job.
The department’s Ray Buchan said the pilots needed to have lots of flying experience and were trained in aerial firefighting.
“It’s not something you can jump out of doing your helicopter licence into this role,” Mr Buchan said.
“They are highly skilled and very experienced. Some of them have more than 25 years of experience behind them.”
Because of the skills and experience needed to be such a pilot, many come from around the world during the fire season.
Pilots from Canada, the US, and New Zealand follow the bushfire season between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
The specially trained pilots are deployed around WA where required.
“We forward plan and look at the days ahead and decide where is going to be best for different aircraft to be based depending on fire risk,” Mr Buchan said.