The CFS Aerial Firefighting Fleet

The current CFS aerial firefighting fleet is comprised of seventeen (17) "contracted" aircraft. 

CFS does not "own" any of the aircraft within its aerial firefighting fleet, but rather elects to "contract" aircraft for exclusive use "service periods" during the Fire Danger Season.  Experience internationally has shown that owning and operating aircraft is an uneconomical proposition, particularly when the aircraft are used on a seasonal basis (approx. 5 months of the year).  The contracting of aircraft over short periods (generally 3-5 years) also enables the CFS to be flexible with the selection, composition and placement of aircraft within its fleet, whilst embracing new aerial firefighting technologies and maximising financial resources.

Firebombing Aircraft

The firebombing aircraft fleet mix includes ten (10) Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) and one (1) Type 1 (High Volume) Helicopter, giving the CFS an adaptable fleet of aircraft that are suited to diverse range of fire conditions.

Single Engine Air Tankers (Air Tractor AT-802)

When selecting aircraft for the aerial firefighting fleet, a number of considerations are taken into account. These include the speed at which the aircraft can be airborne, its capacity to operate from a short rough strip, its ability to be flown safely in steep terrain, its bombing capacity, the availability of skilled pilots and importantly, its cost-effectiveness.   The AT-802 fits all of these criteria, and is the largest firefighting single engine air tanker in the world today.  This aircraft is a modern, turboprop "initial attack air tanker" that is fast, manoeuvrable, cost-effective and perfectly complements the CFS "rapid initial attack" philosophy.

Single Engine Air Tanker AT-802

For more information on the operational capabilities of the AT-802 aircraft, see the Single Engine Air Tanker Fact Sheet.

Type 1 (High Volume) Helicopter (Erickson Air-crane S-64E)

While helicopters can be slower to deploy than some other firebombing aircraft, the Erickson Air-crane brings a number of unique benefits to the fire ground.  The Erickson Air-crane S-64E is a heavy vertical lift helicopter capable of delivering high volumes of water and suppressant to a bushfire, given access to an appropriate water source such as a large dam, lake, or reservoir. 

Erickson Air-crane S-64E

For more information on the operational capabilities of the Erickson Air-crane S-64E aircraft, see the Type 1 (High Volume) Helicopter Fact Sheet.

Surveillance Aircraft

Surveillance aircraft on standby

The role of timely and accurate community information on the status of bushfires has increased significantly since the devastating Wangary fire on Eyre Peninsula and the Black Saturday fires in Victoria.  Surveillance aircraft play an important support role in the critical pathway of intelligence dissemination required for the provision of appropriate public safety information and/or emergency warnings.  Surveillance aircraft also play an important role in the safe and efficient command and coordination (Air Attack Supervision) of firebombing operations. 

The surveillance aircraft fleet mix includes:

• 1 x Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
• 3 x Cessna 182
• 2 x AS350BA Squirrels helicopters.