With thousands of wildfires occurring nationwide each year, airborne assets prove to be of great value in fighting these fires. Therefore the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF), founded in 1957, started its own aviation program way back in 1959 by converting a Beechcraft C-45 torpedo bomber into an air tanker for firefighting. It took another 15 years to acquire the first NDF helicopters, with the assistance of the U.S. Forest Service. Three Bell TH-13Ts from surplus U.S. Army stocks entered service in 1974, primarily for aerial fire reconnaissance. Although there was a need for a stronger and more capable firefighting helicopter, the three Sioux helicopters soldiered on and remained in service until 1991. In 1993 the U.S. Forest Service assisted again in acquiring surplus Army helicopters for the NDF. The Bell UH-1H Huey was selected because of its powerful engine and the ability to transport a considerable number of firefighters in the back of the aircraft. Eventually three UH-1Hs began entering service in 1994, and that year is seen as the birth of the current NDF “Battle Born Helitack Program.” Beginning in 2006, the fleet of UH-1H helicopters received several upgrades to meet present and future requirements. In 2019, one UH-1H was retired and replaced by an Eagle Copters Eagle Single, a Bell 212 conversion.
During NDF wildfire operations, the Eagle Single will carry the 324-gallon Bambi Bucket (Bambi Max) while the UH-1H Huey takes the 240-gallon Bambi Bucket. The Eagle Single can carry both buckets, but the Hueys will take only the 240-gallon buckets as they are not wired for the SEI Industries’ Bambi Max. This bucket has a modulating valve that can be operated only out of the Eagle Single, and it allows the water load to be split into multiple drops.
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