Tag Archives: Aircraft

Aircraft Helicopters

Helitack 217. Skywork Helicopters (ZK-HEE) – Kaman K1200

Helitack 217. Skywork K-Max (ZK-HEE).

Aircraft: Kaman K1200 K-Max
Manufactured: USA, 2001
Owner/Operator: Skywork Helicopters

The K-Max is quite a unique looking helicopter. It has 2 seperated sets of rotors, and no tail rotor. Along with a narrow bulging cockit many think it looks a little like a bug or an experiment.

Helitack 217 is a K-Max 1200 owned by Skywork Helicopters based in New Zealand. In mid-2013 the registration was updated to show the operator as an Australian office for Skywork and a new registration of VH-IUU was assigned.

On the ground at Illawarra Air Show in May 2013 it was still showing the New Zealand registration.
More photos in the gallery by clicking on the image…
Helitack 217, Operated by Skywork (NZ) for NSW Rural Fire Service


Aircraft Helicopters

Helitack 336. Jayrow Helicopters (VH-JJK) Bell 212

Helitack 336. Jayrow Helicopters (VH-JJK) Bell 212

Aircraft: Bell 212
Manufactured: USA, 1988
First Registered: August 2008
Owner/Operator: Jayrow Helicopters

Heltack 336 is a Bell 212 operated by Jayrow Helicopters who are based in Victoria.
It is fitted with a Belly Tank and snorkel for water bombing operations.

The airframe was built in 1988 and is reported to have operated in the Thai Army, and private operations in Canada, before coming to Australia, being operated by Helicorp Australia and now Jayrow Helicopters.

The below photo was taken at Bankstown airport in Sydney, late in 2014. (click on link for larger view)


Aircraft Helicopters New South Wales NSW Rural Fire Service

Firebird 200 – VH-NFO. NSW Rural Fire Service

Firebird 200. NSW Rural Fire Service (VH-NFO) AS350B

Aircraft: Aerospatiale AS-350B
First Registered: 1985
Owner/Operator: NSW Rural Fire Service owned, operated by contract

VH-NFO was formerly owned by NSW Forests, before being purchased by the NSW Rural Fire Service. It’s the only rotary aircraft owned by the service, who typically rely on contracted aircraft. While NSWRFS own the aircraft, it is operated and maintained by a contractor.

This helicopter is painted in a similar scheme to the familiar firetrucks, with a red body, white upper portions and white stripes across the red body.

The helicopter is often used in an aerial observation role but can also take on other roles such as bombing with a bambi bucket attached.

NSW Rural Fire Service owned helicopter 'Firebird 200'

NSW Rural Fire Service owned helicopter 'Firebird 200'


Aircraft Helicopters NSW Rural Fire Service

Helitack 743 -N217AC. Erickson Air-crane S64E ‘Malcolm’

Sikorsky S-64, former US Army aircraft 68-18459 built in 1968. Erickson Air Crane obtained the aircraft in 2001 and it was completely rebuilt in 2008

Helitack 743 ‘Malcolm’ N217AC. On the ground at Bankstown

Helitac 743 'Malcolm'Ericson Air-Crane in NSW for the 2012/13 Bushfire season with NSW Rural Fire Service

Helitack 670 – VH-WCQ. Helicopters Australia (CHC)

Helitack 670. Helicopters Australia (CHC) VH-WCQ.

Helitack 670 is operated by Helicopters Australian which is part of HNZ Global, a subsidiary of CHC Helicopters.

Helicopters Australia run this set of Helitacks in both Qld and WA, with the Qld fire season running earlier. The Helicopters run with the same callsigns in both states, and have a few decals changed between Qld Fire & Rescue for Qld operations, and Dept Fire & Emergency Services and Fire & Rescue WA for their season.

In WA, they run from Helicopters Australia’s Perth Airport facility.

The image below captures bombing operations at a fire in the Zig Zag Regional Park, overlooking Perth Airport and the city.

Firefighting Helicopters Gallery

A small Scrub Fire broke out in difficult terrain on the afternoon of 23 December, prompting a 2nd Alarm Scrub Fire Response. Appliances from Kalamunda FRS, Kalamunda BFS, Welshpool FRS worked with 2 Helitacs to Control and extinguish the Fire.