Photos of Cal Fire Firehawk 301 was posted on SoCalAirOps yesterday!
Cal Fire Firehawk 301 for Hemet.
N486DF - 704048 = Test Flights in Colorado - Copter 301 for Hemet-Ryan Helitack

- N486DF-CalFireFireHawk301.jpg (60.7 KiB) Viewed 21185 times

- N486DF-CalFireFireHawk-301.jpg (67.93 KiB) Viewed 21185 times
https://twitter.com/SocalAirOps/status/ ... 6515426305
From: FlightAware Alerts
Date: February 18, 2021 at 12:26:17 PM PST
Subject: N486DF arrived at CFO from APA
Today was the first flight in 2021.
Last time it was logged was December!
N486DF arrived at Colorado Air and Space Port (CFO) at 13:22 MST from Centennial (APA) after 0:40 en route
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N48 ... /KAPA/KCFO
N487DF - Data logged on Wednesday February 17, 2021
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N487DF
Photos of N486DF Copter 301 for Hemet-Ryan Helitack posted above...
Cal Fire Firehawk facts - (PDF)
https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/urel2st4/ ... s70i-2.pdf
_______________________________
Looks like it’s on the way to California this week!
It’s taking the southern route to California!
This is the helicopter Copter 301 Firehawk for Hemet Base.
Not sure where it’s flying to this week to California. Find out in the next few flights!
(Delivered in California on March 11, 2021)
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N486DF
—————————————————
Cal Fire’s New Hawk
BY DAN MEGNA | MARCH 10, 2021
https://verticalmag.com/features/cal-fires-new-hawk/
The advanced capabilities of the Firehawk are allowing Cal Fire to begin working toward an exciting new program. Once all of the new aircraft are in service and crews have become comfortable, there are plans to begin training for night vision goggle (NVG) operations.
Five of the state’s 10 helitack bases will be designated as “night capable,” while the other five will remain “day mission only.”
While it seems Cal Fire may be closing the chapter on their UH-1 Hueys, their ultimate fate is still unclear. In the near future, they will remain in service with the agency as they are still valuable resources for the ever-present threat of wildfire. After 2022, however, that’s still up in the air.
“As we receive the new aircraft, and once we do the training for each individual base, and they transition from the Huey into the Cal Fire Hawks and are responding with the new aircraft, only then may the Hueys be removed from the active fleet,” Rapp said. “At this moment, their future remains undetermined.”
—————————
Video of N486DF (Copter 301) & N487DF (Copter 104) taking off from the airport in California.
Horsepower for the 2021 Fire season, in transit from Colorado yesterday, Hemet Ryan’s (Riverside Co.) and Boggs Mountain (NorCal) new S70i Firehawks stopped at Columbia Air Attack Base for fuel enroute to Sacramento.
https://twitter.com/SocalAirOps/status/ ... 9559770112
More rotor wing help arrives in California
Two new CAL FIRE Sikorsky S-70i Firehawk helicopters flew from the Denver area to Sacramento Wednesday and Thursday of last week. The aircraft were converted for wildland firefighting by United Rotorcraft in Englewood, Colorado.
The two helicopters left Centennial Airport southeast of Denver Wednesday at about 10:40 a.m. MST and arrived at Sacramento McClellan Airport at 4:08 p.m. PST on Thursday. On the seven-leg trip they stopped for fuel at Alamosa, CO; Cortez, CO; Page, AZ (where they stayed overnight); Bullhead City, AZ;, Tehachapi, CA; and Columbia, CA.
According to Flight Aware the helicopters flew at 130 to 150 mph.
The two helicopters were 301 (N486DF) which will be based at Hemet, and 104 (N487DF) destined for Boggs Mountain. It is likely to be weeks or months before they finish their final inspections and outfitting and arrive at their new homes.
https://fireaviation.com/2021/03/16/mor ... alifornia/
_______________________________________________
The new FireHawk is headed to Hemet
Look up! Copter 301, a new S-70i Firehawk is on its way to SoCal! It will be permanently based at Hemet-Ryan in Riverside Co where it will be replacing the UH-1F Huey. It will be arriving in approx 1 hour for those that are interested in taking a look!
N486DF - Hex: A5FF34
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a5ff34
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N486DF
https://twitter.com/heli15firehawk
https://twitter.com/SocalAirOps/status/ ... 6212066305
Copter 301 Firehawk Video
https://twitter.com/heli15firehawk/stat ... 2038030336
Copter 301 Firehawk Photos
https://twitter.com/heli15firehawk/stat ... 9983305729
—————————-
Should be tracking two more Cal Fire firehawks from Colorado in May :)
Unknown tail numbers yet.. it should be N480DF and N482DF
Update on CAL FIRE’s firefighting aircraft program
https://fireaviation.com/2021/03/25/upd ... t-program/
CAL FIRE expects to pick up two more at the end of May at Air Methods/United Rotorcraft in Englewood, Colorado
Another is being painted now in Texas before it flies to Colorado for the conversion. The next one in the chain recently arrived on a barge in Texas after being shipped from Sikorsky’s production facilities in Poland where two others are still being built for CAL FIRE. Unfortunately COVID-19 is slowing work on the helicopters in Poland.
—————
More FireHawks nearing completion in Colorado
The CAL FIRE helicopter, Helicopter 106, N477DF, is stenciled with “Moffett”, and may be destined for Moffett Field in California.
https://fireaviation.com/2021/04/15/mor ... -colorado/
ADS-B heart beat from N480DF today in Colorado.
No flight yet..
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N480DF
————
The next Cal Fire Firehawk being delivered this week. Left Colorado today.
N480DF departed Centennial (APA) at 07:41 MDT
N480DF arrived at Grand Junction Rgnl (GJT) at 09:22 MDT from Centennial (APA) after 1:40 en route
N480DF departed Grand Junction Rgnl (GJT) at 10:05 MDT
N480DF - A5E8EA - SIKORSKY S-70I 704081
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N480DF
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=A5E8EA
________________________________________________
First flight today in Colorado!
June 30, 2021
N482DF Cal Fire Firehawk departed Centennial (APA) at 15:32 MDT
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N48 ... 2132Z/KAPA
——————
N482DF Copter 101 Cal Fire Firehawk on the way to California from Colorado
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N482DF
N482DF departed Centennial (APA) at 09:37 MDT
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N48 ... 1537Z/KAPA
The FlightAware photo says it’s “Copter 101 , Howard Forest”
Howard Forest Station is a CAL Fire station and emergency command center (ECC) in Mendocino County, California, located along U.S. Route 101 and 5 miles (8 km) south of the city of Willits.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Forest_Station
The trip route from Colorado to California
APA - DENVER, CO - THU 08-JUL-2021 09:37 MDT
TEX - TELLURIDE, CO - THU 08-JUL-2021 11:07 MDT
1h 30m total travel time
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N48 ... /KAPA/KTEX
TEX - TELLURIDE, CO - THU 08-JUL-2021 12:02 MDT
PGA - PAGE, AZ - THU 08-JUL-2021 12:34 MST
1h 32m total travel time
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N48 ... /KTEX/KPGA
PGA - PAGE, AZ - THU 08-JUL-2021 13:55 MST
HND - LAS VEGAS, NV - THU 08-JUL-2021 15:35 PDT
1h 40m total travel time
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N48 ... /KPGA/KHND
HND - LAS VEGAS, NV - FRI 09-JUL-2021 08:17 PDT
MMH - MAMMOTH LAKES, CA - FRI 09-JUL-2021 09:53 PDT
1h 36m total travel time
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N48 ... /KHND/KMMH
MMH - MAMMOTH LAKES, CA - FRI 09-JUL-2021 10:38 PDT
MCC - SACRAMENTO, CA - FRI 09-JUL-2021 12:03 PDT
1h 25m total travel time
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N48 ... /KMMH/KMCC
—————————————-
The next Calfire Firehawk did the first flights today in Colorado
N477DF
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N47 ... /KCFO/KAPA
Cal Fire newest Firehawk leaving Colorado and on its way to California. September 24, 2021
N477DF - A5DB6C - SIKORSKY S-70I 704088 - Copter 106 - “Moffett”
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N477DF
_______________________________________________
First flight this year in Colorado today on May 10, 2022.
The next Cal Fire Helicopter coming soon to California.
N476DF Firehawk
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N476DF