With New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland both hit by a severe storm cell which had originally been a cyclone before reaching landfall in March causing mass flooding and destruction. The need for recovery equipment is at the forefront of all emergency services in both states.
by Dave Soderstrom - Australian Correspondent
Seven years after the Australian Army presented to the NSW Rural Fire service two retired from service Sikorsky S-70A-9 Blackhawks for continued use for that states emergencies agency’s, they are still yet to fly in their modified and certified form.
Then Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull’s government announced the transfer of the helicopters in June 2018 along with a commitment by the NSW Government to spend $6.5 Million to upgrade them for their new civilian operations. It wasn’t until 2023 the two airframes actually arrived and modifications were initiated.
Fast forward seven years and the two airframes are no closer to flying in the near future. The Australian Government entity, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) which enforces and regulates aerial operations in Australia has yet to approve the use of the Blackhawk to carry non-military personal within its cabin. This restriction means the aircraft can only operate with crew and in a fire fighting role and not the dual role intended for the type.
This is despite another Australian operator (Aerotech) already operating the type on the Australian VH register although they also only are crew certified . With this operator now operating six of them on Australian and Indonesian fire contract work.
According to local newspaper the Herald a CASA spokesperson explained that the helicopters, which were designed for military use, do not currently meet safety standards to carry civilian passengers. The same spokesperson was also quoted in saying that the airframes will use the same approach as companies do in the United States who purchase surplus airframes and modify and certify them for civilian use.
The went onto say “We are currently working with the NSW Rural Fire Service on their application to use the Black Hawk for specialist firefighting operations not involving transport of firefighters.
“Anything beyond that would require significant work and regulatory change to ensure safety standards are appropriate.”
A RFS spokesperson was also quoted saying that the Blackhawk work being undertaken was “progressing well, and the work to operationalise the gifted Black Hawks is underway”.
“The first step in this process was registering the aircraft on the civilian register. This registration is expected to be completed shortly, allowing the RFS to move forward with firebombing operations,” the spokesperson said.
“A key factor in the decision to proceed with the Black Hawk project was a verbal agreement from CASA to work with the RFS in obtaining the necessary certifications. This assurance provided confidence that the aircraft could be integrated into operations in a way that meets all regulatory requirements
“The RFS remains committed to working closely with CASA to achieve full certification for all mission profiles currently undertaken by our existing aircraft, including firefighter transportation and rescue operations.”
With the Blackhawk now being operated within Australia by six operators and only one on the Australian VH register and a preferred platform by state fire agencies it is hoped that CASA can progress this along sooner and to the benefit of the Australian public whom the Blackhawks are designed to serve in fire or flood operations which the country experiences every year.
