The conference began with an opening keynote address from Thom Porter, Director of Cal Fire, which set off two days of learning from experienced people in the aerial firefighting industry.

The second day started with a tribute from the Coulson Aviation team who paid tribute to their lost team members from the Tanker 134 crash in Australia.

Elsewhere, Conair confirmed during the show that it expects to open the first Aerial Firefighting and Tactics center in spring 2020, which will contain Network Flight Training Devices for different roles during aerial firefighting missions.

Meanwhile, Viking Air Limited introduced its Canadair CL-515 First Responder, an amphibian aerial firefighting aircraft, and Columbia Helicopters introduced its new Standard Transport Category helicopter, Columbia Model 234 LR Chinook.

Tangent Link said: “Aerial Firefighting North America 2020 Conference and Exhibition is the must-attend event for anyone involved in the aerial firefighting domain. Hosted at McClellan Conference Center in Sacramento, the event featured an array of presentations on a diverse range of subjects.”