NIGHTTIME AERIAL FIREFIGHTING MAY BE COMING TO COLORADO

CO Fire Aviation, based in Fort Morgan, Colorado, has been providing daytime aerial wildland fire suppression services in several western states since 2014. The company currently operates a fleet of 9 Air Tractor AT-802A/F aircraft configured as Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs), with two working out of Northern Colorado Regional (FNL), four out of Grand Junction (GJT), and the others in Oregon and Nevada.

In 2018 the company added nighttime drop capabilities with the modification of the aircraft for night vision goggle (NVG) operations. With extensive experience flying under NVG in civilian agricultural and combat close air support in both the AT-802 and the A-10 Thunderbolt, most of CO Fire Aviation’s pilots are NVG certified and two are FAA NVG Instructor Pilots.

Since the completion of modifications, they have been developing and refining firefighting tactics and training methods to determine safe and effective drop heights and minimums across varying terrain and illumination conditions such as bright moonlight, starlight, and low-light. Recently the company conducted eight separate drops on a simulated fire at night using NVG to perform the task. The goal is to be awarded a contract to conduct nighttime firefighting operations in Colorado. Such operations serve to keep the fire in check until daylight when ground resources can be deployed.