Skip to main content

6MFS

6MFS Committee

All 6MFS Topics

6MFS Calendar

Aviation

Airtankers

Felling Safety

Fire Communication

Firefighter Health - First Aid

Leadership

Misc Fireline Hazards

Operational Engagement

This Day in History

Vehicles - Roads

Weather - Fire Behavior

Week of Remembrance

Helicopter Performance

 

Certain helicopter missions push the limits of the aircraft’s performance capabilities. Items that could reduce the effectiveness and increase the risk of the mission include weight, temperature, altitude, and visibility. Below are some points to remember when evaluating missions.

  • Helicopter missions that transport external loads increase risk.
  • A helicopter’s performance/lift capabilities decrease as temperature and/or altitude increase. Be watchful of conditions that are “High, Hot, and Heavy.”
  • All helicopters have different maximum performance capabilities. Be aware of the capabilities of the specific helicopter that you are working with.
  • Low-level helicopter operations often occur in heavy smoke where hazards (e.g., trees, snags, antennas, visibility, turbulence, and other aircraft) increase the risk significantly.
  • Determine the risk level for every mission. Is the risk level acceptable? Can the risk be mitigated? If the risk is not acceptable or it cannot be mitigated, then the mission should not be flown.
  • A large part of the success of a helicopter mission is the result of clear and effective communication between the pilot and the user on the ground.
  • Accurate target and hazard descriptions are essential to a safe mission. Gather this information and relay it to the pilot. Things to consider in the description include:
    • What would the target look like from the air?
    • Are you located where the pilot can see you?
    • Do you have a signal mirror?
    • Are you using cardinal directions or clock directions in relation to the track of the aircraft?
    • What is the wind direction? Provide this information to the pilot.
    • Are all firefighters clear of the drop area?
    • Is there a safer way to accomplish the suppression action?

Activity:

If available, have a pilot explain how to complete a load calculation and the effects of density altitude on aircraft capability and allowable payload.

 

Category
Aviation


Have an idea or feedback?

Share it with the NWCG 6MFS Subcommittee.


Follow NWCG on Twitter and Facebook

Print PDF

NWCG Latest Announcements

2024 Week of Remembrance

Date: June 27, 2024
Contact: 6 Minutes for Safety Subcommittee 

As we approach the 2024 Week of Remembrance (WOR), June 30 to July 6, we dedicate this time to thoughtfully reviewing and recognizing the events of the 2018 Mendocino Complex. As such, this year’s theme of “Learning From the Mendocino Complex” embodies a longstanding hallmark of WOR, honoring through learning.

Throughout the week, our energy will be directed toward fostering generative conversations in briefing rooms and at tailgates.

References:

6 Minutes for Safety - 2024 Week of Remembrance

Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

Updated NWCG Wildland Fire Risk and Complexity Assessment, PMS 236

Date: June 24, 2024
Contact: Incident and Position Standards Committee 

The June 2024 update of the NWCG Wildland Fire Risk and Complexity Assessment, PMS 236, is now available to meet the current needs for incident management typing.

The NWCG Wildland Fire Risk and Complexity Assessment should be used to evaluate firefighter safety issues, assess risk, and identify the appropriate incident management organization based on incident complexity. Assessing risk, determining incident complexity, and identifying an appropriate incident management organization is a subjective process based on examining a combination of indicators or factors, which can change over time.

References:

NWCG Wildland Fire Risk and Complexity Assessment, PMS 236

Operations Branch Director (OPBD) Next Gen PTB Available

Date: June 10, 2024
Contact: NWCG Feedback 

The NWCG Position Task Book for Operations Branch Director (OPBD), PMS 311-109 is now available for use within the OPBD position qualification pathway. As part of the transition to Complex Incident Management (CIM), the OPBD Next Gen PTB was developed and the position qualification pathway updated.

More information about the Next Gen PTB format can be found on the NWCG Position Task Book webpage.

References:

Operations Branch Director Position Page

Operations Branch Director Next Gen PTB

NWCG Position Task Books

Updated NWCG Standards for Interagency Incident Business Management, PMS 902

Date: June 5, 2024
Contact: NWCG Incident Business Committee 

The 2024 revision of the NWCG Standards for Interagency Incident Business Management, PMS 902 is now available. The uniform application of interagency incident business management standards is critical to interagency fire operations. PMS 902 assists NWCG agencies in constructively working together to provide effective execution of each agency's incident business management program.

References:

PMS 902