Coulson Aviation to manage NSW RFS fleet

Coulson Aviation has announced a $400 million (AUD), 10-year contract with New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS).

The contract, awarded after a competitive bidding process, will see Coulson Aviation managing, operating, and maintaining the entire NSW RFS fleet.

As reported by Coulson Aviation, the company has managed the majority of the NSW RFS aircraft fleet for the previous five years.

This partnership aims to strengthen local jobs and skills development, ensuring a robust response to the fire seasons.

Coulson Aviation will oversee a fleet of 11 aircraft, including a 737 FIRELINER Large Airtanker (LAT), two Cessna Citations, six Bell-412 helicopters, a CH-47 Chinook, and a Beechcraft Super King Air.

The focus on employing primarily Australian crews will enhance NSW’s self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on international personnel.

In coordination with the NSW RFS, Coulson will conduct rigorous training sessions and thorough equipment inspections to mitigate the impact of bushfires and safeguard communities.

Apprenticeship program expansion

The contract includes the expansion of Coulson Aviation’s apprenticeship program to develop future aviation personnel in NSW.

A minimum of two mechanical apprentices will be part of the aviation team, gaining hands-on experience with firefighting aircraft.

Coulson Aviation recently became the first aviation firm approved by Transport Canada as an Approved Training Organization (ATO), allowing the company to train technician candidates.

The plan is to extend this model to NSW, attracting new technicians and training them for the utility aviation environment, ensuring a continually well-trained workforce.

Additionally, collaboration with local schools is intended to further grow and sustain this initiative.

Wayne Coulson, CEO of Coulson Group, expressed satisfaction with the contract: “We are extremely pleased to have been chosen as the sole aviation supplier to operate the NSW Rural Fire Service owned fleet of firefighting and emergency services aircraft.”

He added: “Coulson Aviation Australia has been the leading supplier of Large Air Tankers and Very Large Heli-Tankers to the Australian Governments for the past decade and it’s an honour to have been selected again, to continue to run RFS’s world-class fleet.”

RFS and Coulson Aviation partnership

Rob Rogers, Commissioner of the RFS, said: “The RFS has found a reliable and high-performing partner in Coulson Aviation, and we look forward to working with them as our aerial capability continues to expand.”

During the 2022-23 bushfire season, RFS aircraft managed by Coulson Aviation completed over 340 missions and rescued 113 people.

The RFS’s 737 ‘Marie Bashir’ was deployed 41 times, dropping over 600,000 litres of retardant.

The fleet also supported other emergency services such as flood rescues.