Sport Aircraft Operations Group Inc.

Special Report

GLASAIR BUILDING TO BUSHFIRE ATTACK

The New South Wales bush fire emergency put Rob Priest's Glasair project on hold for a couple of weeks when he downed tools to go helicopter flying again to save houses and National Parks.

A shortage of 'long-line' pilots saw Rob respond to an urgent request to ferry a Bell 206 from the Gold Coast to Newscastle on Jan 23, and following an hour check ride, a bambi bucket familiarisation in Newcastle harbour, a ferry to Gosford,  Rob was dumping 600ltr per drop on fires in the St Alburns area late in the afternoon. 

Two days of firefighting and onto the next fire at Wonemai State forest south-west of Singleton.  Three days flying in very hot gusty wind conditions, picking water up from a billabong in a gully which posed some heart-in-mouth moments with very close rotor blade tree clearances.

At each fire  five choppers operating in various roles.  The big loads of the Bell 205 (Huey) were impressive but the ground firefighters preferred the smaller loads of the Squirrel and Jetranger to extinguish fallen trees and stumps.  The downwash from the 205 would fan the fires causing more problems.  Rob went from Firebird 257 as a water bomber to Airattack 242 when he hocvered above the fire with the controller directing the other helicopters.

Then it was back to the coast and a fire west of Port Stephens. Two days fighting a fire threatening a rural village called Limeburners Creek.   After 6.30am start and a nonstop day of picking up water from the nearest farmers' dam or creek, late in the day, a little tired after some nine hours of continual flying, while looking for somewhere to dump the load, Rob came across a big flare-up next to the Williamstown road. In heavy smoke and limited visibility he dropped down, centered the bambi over the fire and dumped. Out went the fire.  Pull back and noticed half a dozen firefighters waving off and making rude gestures.  Rob had just put out their back-burn.  

Another eight o'clock landing in a paddock. Refuel, daily the  chopper, find the keys to the ute left at the pad, note on seat advising motel to stay in and into Port Stevens for the night. Woke up next morning at five wondering where he was, then tasked off to ferry the jetranger to Evans Heads.      

Nothing beats flying a helicopter up the beach for three hundred miles at zot feet.

Arrival at Evans Head at 4.30pm saw the town surrounded by fire. Quick offload of all the personal gear, fast refuel, hook on the bambi bucket, airborne, call up the other two choppers, quick introduction and into bucketing.  At six thirty the wind suddenly esculated sending the fire racing towards houses.  While the Rural Fire crews evacuated the houses, Firebirds 257 and 422 started a rapid dump on the firefront.   Pickup was a old quarry filled with water. Pickup, swing onto the fire, dump and back to the water source was taking around .45 seconds. As it got dark and the smoke reduced visibility down to fifty metres, separation became critical and with landing light and strobes on and continual verbal communication houses were saved until it got too dark, despite the huge flames lighting the sky, to see the water pick up location.

Three days of fighting the Evans Head fire and it started raining.  The whole NSW's fire emergency was over. The helicopter was ferried back to Newcastle.   A drop off at Williamstown, a  Metro commuter ride to Sydney, Qantas back to Brisbane and back into Glasair building again.

Lucky the girlfriends watered the pot plants.