Flyby of both of the Air Operations current assets. On the left Copter 18, a Bell 412, and on the right the S-70 Firehawk, Copter 19.
Seconds before getting back on board the hoisted firefighter is grabbed by the other firefighter waiting on the foot platform.
The S-70 demonstrating its capability of dipping the 3.6m snorkel into a nearby water source...
As the Firehawk departs the area in the background the Bell 412 comes in for a landing on a small dirt landing area in the Angeles National Forest above Los Angeles.
...And the subsequent drop of 1,000 pounds of water.
View of the inside of the maintenance Air Operations facility at Barton Heliport as the S-70 is towed out to the ramp after completing an inspection.
The Firehawk provides a stable hover platform as a firefighter is hoisted down to the hillside below. Hoisting is crucial to be able to pick up patients in areas where the helicopter may not be able to land.
Some of the avionics panels removed from the Firehawk’s water tank for inspection. The white panel is the computer flow control system box that allows the pilots to control from the cockpit the doors on the Aero Union tank to vary the amount of water or flame retardant dropped during a drop.
The SX-16 Nightsun, here seen on the Firehawk, is carried by all Air Operations helicopters.
Close up view of one of the General Electric T700-GE-701C engines on the S-70, the durably and reliability of the engine enables the Firehawk to carry heavy loads in harsh conditions.
A maintainer closely inspects the Firehawk tail rotor system prior to an early morning flight.
Interior front view of the cabin on the Firehawk. Note the EMS oxygen panels on both sides of the cabin, and medical suction, along with onboard power for hook up of various medical equipment which allow for transport of multiple patients, also of note are the seats that are folded up to the roof of the cabin that will be used to carry a Fly Away firefighting team.
As the Firehawk departs the area in the background the Bell 412 comes in for a landing on a small dirt landing area in the Angeles National Forest above Los Angeles.
Flyby of both of the Air Operations current assets. On the left Copter 18, a Bell 412, and on the right the S-70 Firehawk, Copter 19.
Pratt & Whitney PT6T-3D engines undergoing a major inspection.
A Bell 412 seconds before touchdown. Note the pilot's ability to land on a very remote and rugged patch of land, a vital skillset for all of the Departments pilots to be able to conduct, given the unit's mission of conducting medical evacuations of patients from areas difficult to access.
Copter 11, one of the Bell 412s undergoing a periodic inspection.
