HANGAR TALK Industry news relevant to your business
Centum Lifeseeker is selected by Airbus Helicopters as a Lifefit Option
Centum and Airbus Helicopters recently signed an agreement to linefit Lifeseeker on Airbus Helicopters’ platforms.
Recoil Aerial Firefighting Tanks Help Fight Major Western U.S. Fires
Kentucky’s Recoil Aerospace Inc. (Recoil), designer of the world’s most advanced aerial fire suppression systems (AFSS), has seen heavy usage of its Tsunami Internal AFSS 790-gallon tank for the UH-60 Black Hawk series helicopters.
From Colorado to California, Recoil- equipped firefighting helicopters are making a positive impact on major blazes.
For several weeks this past August, aviation and ground crews fought the lightning-caused Lee Fire and Elk Fire, near Meeker, Colorado. The Lee Fire became the state’s fifth largest fire in history, burning more than 138,000 acres.
Recoil-equipped aircraft from Montana’s Central Copters brought high-volume, accurate water drops with rapid turns, a significant help in eventually containing these fires and other new fires.
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“Crews were able to switch rapidly from external long-line bucket operations to the high volume, rapid turnarounds with the Recoil AFSS tank,” commented Chief Pilot Will Jacobs from Recoil launch customer Central Copters. “It’s a key ‘flex’ in our operations on these major fires as well as emerging fires.”
Aggressive initial fire response – known as “Initial Attack” or “IA” – keeps wildfires from spreading out of control, as seen in Garfield County, Colorado, on Aug. 23 during the Lee Fire operations. A new fire started north of Rifle Gap and with rapid response and high-volume drops, the Central Copters aircraft with Recoil tank “smashed” the flames.
That same aircraft recently moved into the Lake Tahoe region in northern California, successfully suppressing lightning-caused fires across the Sierra Nevada mountains and Lassen and Tahoe national forests.
Lifeseeker, the airborne phone location system, is designed to support search and rescue (SAR) operations by transforming phones into distress beacons, even in areas without mobile network coverage. Integrating Lifeseeker as a factory- installed solution ensures seamless compatibility with the helicopter’s avionics and simplifies certification processes, providing operators with a ready-to-use SAR capability from delivery.
The agreement strengthens Centum’s role as a trusted provider of SAR solutions integrated directly into aircraft production lines, supporting faster and more effective missions.
“We are pleased to deepen our collaboration with Airbus Helicopters and make Lifeseeker available as a line-fit option,” said Javier Chamorro, executive president of Centum. “This agreement helps end-users access critical SAR technology more easily, improving response times and mission success.”
Lifeseeker is already in use by several rescue organizations worldwide, and has contributed to numerous successful SAR missions.
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