Coulson Aviation is down under, conducting experiments that is a world first in forest fire fighting.
Using night-vision goggles and powerful lights on the belly of their S-61 Sikorski helicopter, Wayne Coulson says these night-time exersizes has proven very successful.
Forest fires are usually allowed to burn uncontrolled at night because it’s too dangerous to fight them, but nighttime would also be the best time to attack them because they are less intense when the air is cooler and the winds are lighter.
Coulson Helicopters has been helping to fight forest fires in Australia for 18 seasons, and were working there in 2009 when 175 people died in a blaze now referred to as Black Saturday.
Coulson says night operations could have made a significant difference if they had been able to fight the fires at night.