Leasing company Milestone Aviation Group and Australia-based Helitak Firefighting Equipment have received an FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) for installation of the Helitak FT5000 fire tank on the Sikorsky S-92A helicopter.
The carbon-fiber fire tank is removable in minutes and its high-flow hover pump can fill the 5,000-liter (1,320-gallon) tank in just 48 seconds. Mounting the tank to the helicopter requires no structural modifications to the helicopter’s airframe, according to Helitak. Pilots have full control of tank operations using the Helitak cockpit controller.
VIH Aviation Group of Canada has taken delivery of the first FT5000-equipped S-92A, which will be flown on firefighting missions in Western Canada.
Milestone Aviation and Helitak partnered on the development of the STC. “The S-92A presented some unique design challenges for the Helitak team,” said Helitak founder and CEO Jason Schellaars, “but after working with our project partner, Milestone, we believe we have delivered a world-class firefighting solution. With older S-92As coming out of the offshore market, the addition of the Helitak FT5000 system will allow S-92A operators to capitalize on the aircraft’s versatility by operating it as a standard-category aircraft.”
“The Milestone and Helitak teams have worked tirelessly to create a solution that harnesses the advanced capabilities and versatility of the S-92A, combined with Helitak’s innovative tank design,” said Milestone president and CEO Pat Sheedy.