Battling blazes after dark: Korea deploys nighttime helitankers to fight forest fires
When dusk fell across Korea's rugged mountainous landscape, aerial firefighting fleets were historically forced to land, leaving ground crews to battle encroaching blazes against the cover of darkness. That tactical gap is now closing as forestry authorities embrace specialized night operations. The Andong Regional Aviation Office, under the Korea Forest Service, said it has qualified two pilots…
As the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness descended upon Korea's mountainous terrain, forest firefighters faced a new challenge - battling blazes at night. Traditionally, aerial firefighting operations were limited to daylight hours, as ground crews struggled to contain encroaching flames without the advantage of the sun. However, a shift in strategy is underway as forestry authorities embrace specialized night operations.
The Andong Regional Aviation Office, part of the Korea Forest Service, has taken a significant step forward by qualifying two pilots for night vision goggle (NVG) operations aboard the S-64E Skycrane, a heavy-lift helitanker designed for aerial firefighting. This marks the establishment of a dedicated nighttime firefighting capability centered in North Gyeongsang Province, an area historically prone to destructive seasonal blazes.
The certification of these pilots represents the result of an intensive training program that ran from late May through early August. Trainees underwent rigorous ground instruction, flight-simulator exercises, and drills to prepare them for the unique challenges of nighttime flying. Once they had mastered the basics, they progressed to advanced tactical night flights using NVGs, which allow pilots to see in low-light conditions.
Central to the preparation were high-intensity exercises conducted around Andong Lake and Imha Dam. These training scenarios simulated real-world firefighting situations, giving pilots invaluable experience in navigating the darkened landscape while delivering water to the fires.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
