LAFD buys new Bell 505

The aircraft, known as ‘Fire-7’, will fill the role of Helicopter Coordinator (HLCO) as part of the department’s multi-mission fleet. Bell stated that it will be tasked with ‘assisting incident commanders with tactics and strategy, while simultaneously managing aircraft separation during firefighting operations’.

“Essentially, the Bell 505 will serve as an air traffic controller in the sky. When we have large brush fires or multiple rescue helicopters working in a certain area, the Bell 505’s technology will assist the pilots in identifying wires, mountains, obstacles, or other aircraft in the airspace and warn the pilots that those hazards are out there,” explained Chief Pilot Scot Davison, LAFD. “The Bell 505’s improved crash survivability and advanced technology leaps us ahead in safety for our pilots and crew, and conversely, lets us safely get to work protecting the people of Los Angeles from wildfires.”

The Bell 505 will also serve as a training platform for new pilots. In the coming months, LAFD also plans to add an Isolair fire tank to the aircraft to support its use in training new pilots to conduct precision aerial water drops.

Wildfires have become increasingly prevalent in the Greater Los Angeles area, and indeed California as a whole in recent years, with many municipalities in the state currently looking to expand their aerial firefighting capabilities. The fire department of Marin County, California, recently announced a deal with Pacific Gas and Electric to use one of its helicopters for aerial firefighting.