WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

HI all, look out for a new helicopter coming down to Perth soon. The AS350's over in QLD will be back in the not to distant future.

They are actively recruiting pilots for this year...

Latest word from the South Metro officer forum today is the Fireking won't be coming down due to a investigation in the States of another Fireking that went down. Sounds like we'll be getting a Cougar instead which is part of the wider Super Puma military transport / utility helicopter family.

Here's the details on the Cougar:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurocopter_AS_532

Chooky wrote:Latest word from the South Metro officer forum today is the Fireking won't be coming down due to a investigation in the States of another Fireking that went down. Sounds like we'll be getting a Cougar instead which is part of the wider Super Puma military transport / utility helicopter family.

Not correct. I won't elaborate though, 'coz I tend to believe the info at officer forums isn't for the consumption of the general-public.. (if it was, it'd be in the paper)

It is correct that the Carson S61 is not coming.

Helitak_670 wrote:It is correct that the Carson S61 is not coming.

oh why is that. so will there just be the 4 small ones over here this summer. or are they bring over another big one.

also when do the helitacks come online???

BuddahFRS wrote:

Helitak_670 wrote:It is correct that the Carson S61 is not coming.

oh why is that. so will there just be the 4 small ones over here this summer. or are they bring over another big one.

also when do the helitacks come online???

Regarding the Carson, read up about 3 posts.

Looking into it further, there was a accident in August 2008 in the US which would have been in line with the start of last fire season, but they didn't remove it from service then. Guess its trail finished last fire season, but why would you switch aircraft if something worked well. Got me stuffed.

P.S. Fastlane, there are certain details i would not release from attending officer forums i.e. arsonist information or operational information. I don't believe what type of Helitack were getting is top secret information when people can look up and see it in about a months time.

The talk is that Carson helicopters lost their fire fighting contracts in the US and that the West Aussie contract was the only contract they had still... makes sense on a safety point of view that if one crashed and the US government has stopped using them then we would also.

Heres a good link for the super puma http://www.eurocopter.com/site/en/ref/F ... g_537.html

newbie wrote: Heres a good link for the super puma http://www.eurocopter.com/site/en/ref/F ... g_537.html

Looks like i nice bit of kit to have on the fire ground. but yeah these two would be better.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-64_Skycrane
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_(helicopter)

if these come over here operational. us guy who fight the fires in the hills would need to put surf boards on the trucks. lol, like when S64 come in for a drop in Canning Mills. pull out the board and surf all the way down to the flats in Cockburn. hehehe could be fun

did the air attack choppers make it to the fires at gidgie today,i know they asked for air support at the reen rd fire but didnt hear anymore about them?

helicopters are currently not in the state. They're still in contract to Queensland I think it is off the top of my head, so the most they'd have got is water bombers.

I believe that everything is up in the Air at the moment [no pun intended] but the Carson is still favoured

The 3 helicopters will be rocking up at the end of the month, then in for some maintenance possibly and then online later on in DEC, as for the REEN rd fire I believe that they got some fixed wing.

Our 09/10 S61 is currently being assembled at Essendon in Victoria before she heads west. Rego is C-FQNG here is a pic http://www.myaviation.net/search/photo_ ... size=large
and here is their website www.vih.com