Coulson Aviation has a proud history of supporting Australian firefighters and communities in some of the most difficult times. Under new three-year contracts, this summer Coulson is providing a CH-47 Chinook and C-130 Large Air Tanker to New South Wales, as well as a CH-47 Chinook and a S-61 Sikorsky helitanker to Victoria. It is also providing a 737 FIRELINER this summer funded as a national asset through the Australian Government, the first of its kind.
Coulson Aviation has operated in Australia for almost 20 years, providing aerial support across multiple Australian States including during Black Saturday and most recently the Black Summer bushfires.
Over those years, Coulson Aviation has provided powerful firebombers 737 FIRELINER, C-130 and Sikorsky helitankers with highly experienced international and local team members to Australian States.
It was out of the devastation of the Victorian Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria that Coulson began to develop the capability of conducting aerial operations at night under Night Vision Goggles (NVG).
Coulson contributed to the Victorian night fire suppression trial in the years following, receiving the first Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) certification to operate Type 1 helicopters across Australia in night operations in the NVG-enabled S-61 Sikorsky helitankers.
The company confirmed and solidified the innovation through NVG operations in the past two years using the CH-47 very large helitankers and S-61 helitankers in California.
Coulson Aviation has this year gained CASA approval in Australia to conduct NVG operations using the CH-47D. This approval also means Coulson can hover fill from open water sources at night during operations without a daytime flight over the area of intended operations.
Coulson Aviation is pleased to continue to work with Victorian agencies and NSW RFS on their respective NVG trials using the Chinooks.
Coulson Aviation’s international team members work cooperatively with Coulson Aviation Australia, which operates NSW Rural Fire Service-owned aircraft based out of Sydney.