Fighting Fires in Tasmania with Helicopters 

Great vid. I am going to show it to new firefighters. A great example of how effective aircraft are and the importance of ground crews being aware of aircraft. Very professional in spotting the ground crews and working with them to achieve a great outcome. As a firefighter (VIC) on the ground, it is always a welcoming sight to see/hear a Helitak knowing how competent the crews are and their concern for my safety.

Keep these videos coming! Bloody Awesome!!!

Enjoyed hearing the radio work on this!

Awesome! from a Tasmainian who has watched you guys from the ground amazing seeing it from your point of view. loved it,

as a firefighter form NZ its really really good to see this sort of work from the heli pilots it's an amazing show of how you pilots work together and work along side the ground units

I didn’t expect this to pop up in my feed… at one point I was in Acton Drive about 300 metres from the helicopters as they dropped. It was the 19th of March. It was very impressive to me!

Loved watching this. Very interesting. I live not far from this fire and I thank you and the ground crews for controlling this fire so efficiently. Great job everyone.

Those 214s make it look easy

I was working in the Regional Operations Centre during this. I remember this day very well and the additional stress this fire caused being so close to homes! but all my contingency planning was for naught as the second your machines turned up it seemed the fire was out as sooner then it started. Incredible to be able to get your perspective from it! Keep up the great work!

Already had a mad appreciation for you blokes, getting to work underneath you on the fire ground But this video has made that appreciation a lot bigger. Thanks for sharing ❤️🚒❤️🚒

Have to say over this fire season, you and the whole team absolutely smashed it. Both time for the fires at Pelverata, it was impressive to watch, and the response time, very reassuring. Thanks for the hard work Jim

Thanks for being here, we would.all be stuffed without you....thanks for your hard work guys and gals, I was at a mates when this happened few months ago he was stressing and he's in Acton park too.....great work love from Hobart 👍

Rocksy the rockstar. I’ve worked with him, legend. Awesome vid mate

Thank you what a great video. What a dream it would be to live where you do. Eastern Canada sucks.

I live between Jandakot and the Perth hills regularly get helitaks flying over to do their thing. I really aught to get my scanner out one day and see if I can tune in, the radio chatter was really interesting. I could see at least 4 radios there, I think a GME and a Tait, worked on both of them. being more domestic radios, Id imagine they are for communicating with the ground crew? for comms between the 3 choppers, are they just standard air band channels or do you have a private allocation? does anyone have any pointers on what frequencies to poke around on? Ive had my house under threat twice and my workplace once, its a real honour to see your work up close and personal. love your work.

Great footage mate! Can’t wait to see more! Thanks for sharing with us and safe flying 🍻

Awesome, thanks for sharing! We are in Tassie and have seen the rapid aerial response to fires, amazing! This is almost as good as a ride-along :)

I saw about 8 of you guys flying over Nicholls rivulet at last light one night about a fortnight ago….. you looked pretty cool👍 many thanks to you all for what you do, we do appreciate it…… there’s a couple of stubbies in the fridge for you next time 😉😉

Best RU-vid channel I have found... Love it. Keep them coming

Awesome stuff. Great video darc.

your channel and job is fucking sick man, i NEED more vids like this, fighting fire next to structures and coordinating water drops, damn so bad ass, would loove to see more of everything you do! new sub forsure man keep getting after i!

Awesome stuff

Grate vid. As a cadet is the tas fire service. Im loving the vid. Would love to see more of this!!

Hey Darcy, just found your channel. Good stuff! I am and Aircraft Engineer and A+P in Victoria Oz, and also an IC with CFA. Was a bit surprised to find the Helitaks and the Firebird mixing the same altitude? normally 500' separation? Great stuff, keep up the great work!

Great video.... good work guys

Great video

Great to see how it all works from the inside. I saw the alert and with the conditions thought it could go to shite but was surprised to see it knocked over quickly, now I know how!

this is fucking awesome mate, having been ground crew working with helis this gives a great insight as to why the pilots don’t respond straight away sometimes

Impressive work, especially with all that hot unstable air about!

Im pretty sure ive had that UH1 fly over me a bunch of times dropping on a fire nearby. Classic distinct sound. also, loved the vid! keep them coming! Subscribed!!

Excellent mate, cheers and stay safe from Griffith Airport 👍🏽

Love your work. One of you guys saved my home, I was very impressed how it was done looking from the ground. How does the helicopter fly around in the smoke? I would imagine the engine needs oxygen to work. I live in St Helens Tasmania.

I was playing disc golf in Hobart on this day i believe. We could see the smoke then the choppers. Nice work.

awesome work. we have the air attack supervisor here in South Aus to, kinda interesting to see what goes on up there. kinda curious what the Hazard controller does tho!

Awesome job Darcy. Tasmania looks dry. This was my first year doing Air Attack same as you but no tasks. Maybe next year. See you in the sky sometime ;)

wicked man

Nice video. What about the attitude indicator or also known as artificial horizon?

PPL here. That looked busy

Worked on the ground underneath you! was a good year hopefully there is a part 2 with more of the midlands fires and the log fire at Brighton

I spy a hazard systems/code 3 siren controller!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how neat for a heli to have a siren

awesome perspective, would love to know how the lift aviation helmet is working for you on fires

Very nice video, and great work. I was wondering how you ended up where you are? How'd you end up flying fires, because it is something I myself am very passionate about. I am also thinking about going and getting my CPL(H) and would love to end up doing this kind of work. Also, what path did you go down to obtain your license? Thanks

love your work you guys need a pay rise

Excuse my language, That was fucking sick! I hope and I'm sure they are, that the homeowners are appreciative. If that was one of my properties I would have invited you all around for a drink and a BBQ. Hats off to all involved 👍

What kind of helmet, do you wear I love it

wait you didnt fly with a bucket? Why don't command/advisory aircraft carry their own bucket as well?

First time seeing from your point of view... Plenty watching from the ground in WA... Church got it wrong .... Angels fly helitacs and fixwing waterbombers

Firie from Victoria can I ask what with the Code 3 Controller on the dash?

Yo is this at hobart airport?

Hi Darcy, were you in Maryborough Qld the last year or two, on standby for forests? Not sure if it was you I said gidday too.

How do you find the LIFT Helmet?

How do you end up in a position like this? I think my dream job is to a be a rescue heli pilot, helitak would be sick too. I've just always presumed you'd have to be an ex-navy pilot to stand a chance...

Did you only do hobart

You don't know tassie if you think 29 is hot , this year was way below a normal year for rain and temperature

FYI: HeliTak are firefighting attack choppers. FireBirds (what you were for vid) are aerial observers. Good video though, been working under and withthose birds before (430 & 425).

FLI on the fritz?

Any insight into getting hired by McDermott's? I've got thousands of PIC hours on Bell mediums and they just don't reply to my email or calls.

Attitude indicator's on the piss mate

what's up with your AH? looks a little sick.