Australian based Helitak Fire Fighting Equipment has received further approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to add more Black Hawk model Type Certificates (TC) to the FAA Supplemental Type Certification (STC) of the Helitak FT4500 Black Hawk fire tank, bringing the current number of TC’s to 18 and the total number of approved models to 24 including the UH-60A, EH-60AH60, HH-60A, S-70, S-70C, S-70A and the S-70M models.
The receipt of this recent Approved Model List (AML) amendment means operators of Black Hawk helicopters issued under these 18 type certificates are approved to install and operate the Helitak FT4500 fire suppression tank. Over the coming months, additional type certificates will be added.
The type certificates approved in the Helitak Supplemental Type Certificate SR04461CH are:
| Aircraft Make | Aircraft Model | Original TC No. |
| High Performance Helicopters | UH-60A | R00054SE (approved with initial STC in May 2021) |
| Pickering Aviation | UH-60A, EH-60A | R00003AC (added October 29, 2021) |
| Delta Enterprise | UH-60A, EH-60A | R00019AT (added October 29, 2021) |
| Carson Helicopters | UH-60A | R00020AT (added October 29, 2021) |
| PJ Helicopters | UH-60A | R00020LA (added October 29, 2021) |
| Billings Flying Services | UH-60A | R00021LA (added October 29, 2021) |
| Skydance Blackhawk | UH-60A | R00022LA (added October 29, 2021) |
| Ace Aeronautics | UH-60A | R00005RC (added October 29, 2021) |
| BHI H60 Helicopters | H60 | R0012DE (added May 2, 2022) |
| Unical Aviation | UH-60A | R00023LA (added May 2, 2022) |
| Sixtyhawk | UH-60A, EH-60A, HH-60A | R00025LA (added May 2, 2022) |
| Capitol Helicopters | UH-60A | R00026LA (added May 2, 2022) |
| Heliqwest International | UH-60A, EH-60A | R00028LA (added May 2, 2022) |
| Timberline Helicopters | UH-60A | R00052SE (added May 2, 2022) |
| Northwest Rotorcraft | UH-60A | R00058SE (added May 2, 2022) |
| Sikorsky Aircraft | S-70 | H2NE (added May 2, 2022) |
| Sikorsky Aircraft | S-70C | H3NE (added May 2, 2022) |
| Sikorsky Aircraft | S-70A, S-70M | H5NE (added May 2, 2022) |
As the only FAA certified underbelly fire suppression tank for the Black Hawk helicopter in the world, the proven performance of the Helitak FT4500 fire suppression tank has been further confirmed.
As a consequence, sales into the American market and advanced discussions with both military and civilian operators in South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region are currently underway.
Helitak recently signed sales and service agreements with Arista Aviation and Seaview Aviation and these new partnerships will help further expand the Helitak international footprint, enabling the team to continue to deliver the exceptional product support to customers they have to expect.
Helitak previously secured their intellectual property with patent and design registration applications submitted in Australia, the USA and other selected countries and territories around the world to protect their next-generation tank design and tank mounting systems used in connection with the FT4500 Black Hawk fire suppression tank.
The inclusion of the newer Sikorsky S-70 models on the Helitak STC is a major progression in securing market acceptance moving into the next few decades on these younger and somewhat more advanced Sikorsky models.
Helitak, CEO and founder Jason Schellaars said, “These additions to the STC are very important as it increases the number of helicopters that are approved to operate the FT4500 fire suppression tank, and these operators, who are so instrumental in fighting wildfires and bushfires, will be able to use our tank as part of their firefighting strategies.
“Of course, if there are any TC’s that we have missed we are more than willing to discuss further inclusions on the FT4500 STC Approved Model List.
“Importantly, the FT4500 is light, easy to install, allows for large Type 1 water volume capacity and offers easy plug and play operations allowing for a perfect and controllable drop pattern every time – and when fighting wildfires and bushfires accuracy and being able to carry as much payload as the aircraft is approved to deliver is critical.
