Coulson Aviation Secures 10-Year Airtanker Contract with United States Forest Service
THERMAL, California. August 21, 2023 - Coulson Aviation, a world leader in aerial firefighting, is one of five organizations that have been awarded a ten-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity Large Airtanker (LAT) firefighting contract with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The total contract, valued at $7.2 billion, will provide the basis for operations and maintenance service for Coulson’s C-130H Hercules and Boeing 737 FireLiner™ aircraft.
“Coulson is honored to continue to provide our services in support of the U.S. Forest Service. Our crew members are incredibly skilled, efficient, and operate aircraft second to none,” said Britton Coulson, President and COO, Coulson Aviation. “We have over 60 years of experience with aerial support operations and look forward to being a part of the group selected by the USFS to aid fire suppression in the years ahead.”
Coulson Aviation currently operates the largest fleet of civilian Lockheed C-130H aircraft worldwide, is rapidly expanding its Boeing 737 Fleet, and is the first and only company in the world to convert a Boeing 737 commercial airliner into a FireLiner™ tanker. Each tanker receives over 40,000 technician hours to become fully compliant and operational. The FireLiner™ is differentiated from all other next-generation LATs by its ability to transport firefighters without re-configuration and to fly at maximum speeds and altitudes with a load of retardant without restrictions. The C-130H has been a leading attack aircraft in Coulson Aviation aerial firefighting missions due to its ability to employ makeshift runways for takeoffs and landings while offering a temporary infrastructure base onboard the aircraft.
Each aircraft platform is equipped with Coulson’s Retardant Aerial Delivery System (RADS), a powerful weapon for any aerial firefighting arsenal. Coulson’s RADS products are the most widely used, highest-volume, 4,000 USG tanking systems currently operating around the globe. In addition, Coulson’s RADS requires no additional crew or equipment, provides real-time flow rate and superior drop zone coverage, and reduces overall pilot workload.
Coulson Aviation is the only aerial firefighting company that operates both large fixed and rotary wing aircraft that are fully equipped to carry out aerial support missions. Coulson’s roots in aviation, combined with the company’s proprietary technology, a wide array of aircraft types, and well-trained attack crews, allow simultaneous aerial firefighting support across multiple continents.
About Coulson Aviation
Coulson Aviation is a global leader in aerial support operations. Throughout the company's 60+ years as an organization, the mission has remained the same: to protect the world from forest fires. Our organizational capabilities allow our team to provide simultaneous aerial support across numerous continents. Learn more about Coulson Aviation by visiting us online at: coulsonaviationusa.com.