VIH Aviation Group deploys firefighting S-92
The company plans to have two more aircraft converted to this configuration by 2025
Canadian aviation services firm VIH Aviation Group has partnered with Milestone Aviation to deploy the world’s first Sikorsky S-92A firefighting helicopter.
The configuration is intended to support government agencies in suppressing wildfires, particularly in the Canadian market. VIH's own helicopter will be used to support firefighting in western Canada.
It features a 5,000L external water tank – Helitak's carbon fiber FT5000 – as well as a new vertical reference window, FM radio, and remote torque indicator. The configuration also removed some equipment not needed for visual flight rules (VFR) operations, such as rafts, floats, and navigation equipment.
The configuration, developed by Milestone and Helitak, was validated by Transport Canada after it received supplemental type certificate (STC) approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 2 August.
VIH plans to convert two more S-92s in time for the 2025 fire season.
VIH Aerospace – a division of VIH Aviation Group focused on maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) – also recently received STC approval to install vertical reference windows on the Airbus H145.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.