Coulson Aviation has announced it has been awarded the contract for Australia’s National Large Air Tanker (LAT).
The converted Boeing 737, Tanker 139, is the newest addition to Coulson’s FireLiner™ fleet and will be based in Sydney, New South Wales but will support additional locations in-country as needed. As the National LAT, Tanker 139 will wear the name “Phoenix” as a result of a naming competition last year via local Australian schools and joint winners Bishop Druitt College Coffs Harbour, St Patrick’s College Campbelltown, and Christian College Geelong.
The 737 is in Australia funded by the Commonwealth Government through a partnership with the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC). The contract is for two years with the option to extend. Phoenix is equipped with Coulson Aviation’s Retardant Aerial Delivery System (RADS), the Company’s patented tanking and release system. With RADS onboard, the aircraft is capable of dropping up to 4,000 gallons of retardant or water at flow rates of up to 3,000 gallons per second.
The State and Territory agencies involved in firefighting and land management recognize that improved performance and other synergies may be obtained through cooperation and sharing of aircraft resources. The NAFC arrangements allow for the procurement and sharing of these resources nationally.
Coulson Aviation is the only company in the world to convert a Boeing 737 commercial airliner into a multi-mission FireLiner™ aircraft. The Company has operated in Australia for almost 20 years, providing aerial support across multiple Australian States. 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 regions.
Meanwhile Boeing 737-300 tanker (N619SW) has crashed in southern Australia: