Blue Sky Network Expands Aerial Firefighting Capabilities

As we informed, AerialFirefighting Europe Conference and Exhibition opened today in Nîmes, France. Blue Sky Network is participating in the AFF Europe exhibition and continued its commitment to the industry with new offerings.

This marks the satellite tracking innovator's first time exhibiting at AFF Europe. For more than a decade, BSN has provided tracking, communications, and fleet management solutions for aerial firefighting operations around the world such as Erickson, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Cyprus Department of Forestry, and Helicopter Express. 

"We have an established, excellent track record of providing top-tier products and services for the aerial firefighting industry and its stakeholders," said Jeff Sherwood, BSN's business development manager. 

Apart from being recognized as a "Gold" supplier by Erickson, BSN has also made strides in helping customers comply with regulations and mandates affecting the U.S. and global aerial firefighting industry. The company recently announced its avionics hardware and centralized fleet management software, SkyRouter, will integrate with Olympic Aero's Additional Telemetry Unit (ATU) to transmit critical information from helicopter buckets commonly used for aerial firefighting operations. USFS regulations mandate firefighting aircraft collect ATU data and transmit it to state and national regulators through an automated flight following device.

BSN's tracking solutions also meet Canadian and United Nations automated flight following requirements. Aside from meeting regulatory requirements, BSN offers aerial firefighting customers an array of custom features, including: fire perimeter overlays, to help establish fire boundaries; and active fire satellite imaging, to track the progress of a fire.

Also, BSN's satellite tracking device, the HawkEye 7200A, is now factory qualified for the Sikorsky S-70 Firehawk, the firefighting variant of the UH-60L.