Columbia Helicopters Aerial Firefighting Chinook Helicopter Model 234 LR Water Drop

Helicopter firefighting with precise extinguishing capabilities. Industry's first standard transport category firefighting Chinook Helicopter. Over 50 years helicopter firefighting experience.

FIGHTING FIRES IS WHAT WE DO

Aerial water drop to put out fires.
Our tandem rotor helicopters are fast and fuel-efficient, capable of dropping suppressants and retardants in a variety of ways to best meet the needs of the ground firefighters.

2,800 GALLON TANKS-
Columbia Helicopters flies the Columbia Model 234 LR Chinook and the Columbia CH-47D Chinooks with Fire Attack Systems (FAS) internal water tanks. The system includes a 2,800 gallon internal tank with a 140-gallon retardant reservoir and a 12-foot-long, 10-inch diameter hover pump. Water can be dropped in less than four seconds and refilled in less than 60. The system was developed for installation with minimal aircraft provisioning, making installation fast and cost effective.

BUCKETS-
Heavy-lift helicopters use buckets to carry and deploy up to 2,650 gallons of water and chemical retardants, and our Columbia CH-47D Chinooks have the lowest cost per gallon delivery of any fire-fighting helicopter. SEI Torrentula Bambi Buckets each carry four high-speed pumps that can fill buckets in less than 90 seconds from water sources as shallow as 18 inches.

COLUMBIA MODEL 234 LR CHINOOK-
• Industry’s first Standard Transport Category Firefighting helicopter
• 19 passenger configuration
• 2,800 gallon internal fire tank
• 5.5 hour range

Columbia Helicopters is a leader in aerial firefighting and has been providing this service globally since 1967. Columbia’s fleet of heavy-lift helicopters are the Columbia Model 234 Chinook, the Columbia CH-47D Chinook, and the Columbia Model 107-II Vertol. Each aircraft is suited for a variety of missions in support of aerial firefighting. Columbia’s fleet of helicopters deploys to fires equipped with the SEI Powerfill Torrentula Bambi Bucket or the Simplex Fire Attack System (FAS) internal tank.

Internal Tank:
Our Simplex Fire Attack System is available for the Columbia
CH-47D Chinook helicopters. This system is designed with
a 2,800 gallon (10,599 liters) water or retardant tank and a
139.7 gallon (529 liters) foam tank. The pilot can drop a full
load of water or retardant in four seconds, or combination
of settings as required by the customer. The Fire Attack
System is also equipped with a Telemetry Unit that provides
real time information on dip site location, drop site location
and amount of suppressant or retardant delivered. The tank
can be filled at a tanker base through 3 inch (7.62 cm) lines
or the tank can be filled while hovering over a water source
or dip tank through a snorkel/hover pump. The hover pump
can fill the tank to capacity at suppressant/retardant sites
with as little as 18 inches (45.72 cm) in depth.

Bambi Buckets:
Columbia’s fleet can deploy to fires with the SEI Powerfill
Torrentula Bambi Bucket with a capacity of 2,600 gallons
(9,842 liters) with our Columbia Model 234 Chinook. We
also operate the smaller Bambi Bucket with a capacity
1,300 gallons (4,921 liters) with our Columbia Model 107-II
Vertol. Each Bambi Bucket contains four high-speed pumps
that can fill the bucket in less than 90 seconds from sources
as shallow as 18 inches (45.72 cm).

SPECIALIZED MISSION EQUIPMENT:
SEI Powerfill Torrentula
Bambi Bucket
Simplex FAS internal tank
Cargo hook and rigging
Specialized rigging

FIREFIGHTING CAPABILITIES:
CH-47D helicopters are 24% faster
and 40% more fuel efficient than
other helicopters in its class
Higher cruise speed and better fuel
efficiency translates into delivering
greater payloads
Fire tank and bucket can
accommodate foam, gel and
retardant in addition to water

QUICK FACTS:
CH-47D Fire tank capacity:
2,800 gallons (10,599 liters)
Fire tank can be filled in 60 seconds
and emptied in 4 seconds
6 water drop settings
8 coverage drop selections
234/CH-47D Bucket capacity:
2,600 gallons (9,842 liters)
107-II Bucket capacity:
1,300 gallons (4,921 liters)

Positioning Water Drops Effectively:
Once the aircraft is over the fire, Columbia’s pilots are able to drop suppressants
and retardants in a variety of ways to best meet the needs of the ground fire
fighters. The pilots can create a massive fire line by partially opening the bucket/
tank while in forward flight. They can open and close the gate to dispense a series
of spot drops, or they can hit stubborn hotspots with a precise, massive spot drop.
Bubble windows on both the pilot’s and co-pilot’s sides facilitate quick pick up and
provide a full view of the drop area to ensure obstacle clearance and enhance
safe load delivery. Once over the location, the load is placed precisely over the
designated target and the pilot electrically opens the bucket/tank’s gate.

Visit our website and connect with us here:
https://www.colheli.com
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