Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s (AAF) Wildfire Management Branch has recently contracted two Sikorsky S-61N heavy helicopters for the next five years. Both helicopters are equipped with an external tank (max. volume 1000 USG) and have on-board injection systems that are capable of mixing class A foams and water enhancers.

Currently, there is limited data on drop recovery rates of foam and water enhancers (suppressants) for these heavy helicopters. To fill this knowledge gap, AAF has asked FPInnovations to conduct grid tests in different wildland fuel environments. Data from these drop evaluations will provide sound reference points to inform operational decisions.