A South Australian Government upgrade of its bushfire fighting arsenal has drawn on the expertise of local company Helitak Firefighting Equipment.
The southern government partnered with local company Aerotech Helicopters, owners of two Blackhawks, to be at the centre of the states strategy to protect its citizens, property and environment. The Blackhawks will be equipped with the newly FAA certified Helitak underbelly tank which uses a flexible bladder to expand when being filled and retracts when empty. Helitak Firefighting Equipment is Queensland owned and operates from a new expanded base at Lake McDonald near Noosa.
The new Blackhawk tank is just one of a series that equips a variety of helicopter brands, all of which been developed, designed, and manufactured by Helitak with about 86 per cent of components sourced from Southeast Queensland companies. The impressive partnership between a Blackhawk and its Helitak tank will see in the words of South Australian fire authorities “a delivery of 100,000 litres of fire suppressant delivered every 90 minutes to the fire front.” Helitak executives express the volume delivered in slightly different terms with 54,000 litres delivered each hour, this being achieved with the helicopter refilling at the nearest river, creek, dam or even swimming pool.
The partnership with Aerotech Helicopters in South Australia is just one in a long line of sales to operators throughout Australia and overseas particularly the United States and Europe. It demonstrates conclusively that small local companies like Helitak Firefighting Equipment can take on the world and win.
