Montreal, Canada – March 23, 2021 – In partnership with Talon Helicopters, DART Aerospace recently received Transport Canada approval for Talon to perform night hover refill operations with its DART AS365 Fire Attack System (FAS). The approval is the first step in pursuing a full FAA STC update to allow night vision goggles (NVG) aided and unaided night hover refill operations on all DART AS365 Fire Attack Systems.
This move comes as demand for night firefighting increases around the globe to help battle the world's growing number of devastating wildfires. Certified tanks like DART’s fire attack system are the only firefighting tool for night VFR flights.
The original AS365 FAS STC only allows ground fill operations at night. After purchasing the FAS-equipped aircraft, Richmond, B.C.-based Talon Helicopters requested DART’s support in removing night hover refill restrictions.
“We installed NVG capabilities on the aircraft in preparation for increased firefighting support,” says Peter Murray, President of Talon Helicopters. “Yet right from the get-go, we found the restriction on hover refills an obstacle to rapid response. DART was unbelievably fast and accommodating in helping us remove this restriction.”
DART worked with Transport Canada and Talon, arranging NVG-aided and unaided flight tests to demonstrate the safety of night hover refill operations. DART submitted the flight test report and other certification documentation to Transport Canada.
“We recognize the extreme importance of helicopters in the battle against the world’s growing forest fires and our responsibility to help support our customers in that effort,” says David Shepherd, Vice President of Certification for DART. “The work with Talon helped pave the way for additional options on our future systems to further support night firefighting operations.”
About DART Aerospace
DART provides industry-leading design, manufacturing and market-certified solutions for the helicopter and aerospace industry. With an impressive line-up of over 1100 STCs, DART offers a comprehensive portfolio of mission equipment and related services, replacement parts and tooling for civil and military operators, all major rotorcraft OEMs, completion centers and MR&O facilities. DART's key products include flotation systems, landing gears, interior and exterior accessories, cargo expansion, external loads, cable cutters and filters. All this, in addition to extensive engineering capabilities and manufacturing centers delivering fast time-to-market solutions with superior customer support in over 120 countries worldwide. Learn more at dartaerospace.com.
Additional information may be found at dartaerospace.com.