ex USN 153579

ex USN 133251

Four of the 16 Sikorsky S-70i Firehawks (N492DF, N484DF, N451DF & N478DF) ordered by Cal Fire to replace 12 Bell UH-1H Super Huey helicopters. The first Cal Fire S-70i was delivered in Oct. 2019 and represents a major upgrade in wildfire firefighting capability. The S-70i's are built in Poland, completed by United Rotorcraft in Colorado, and fitted with a Kawak 1,000 US gal. belly tank. Cal Fire has 10 helicopter bases: Kneeland, Bieber, Vina, Howard Forest, Boggs Mountain, Moffett, Columbia, Hollister, Prado and Hemet Ryan. Two bases were still flying Bell UH-1Hs in early 2024.

Built in May 2021 with test registration SP-YVL, N476DF shown here is number 9 of 12 Firehawks initially ordered by CAL Fire (a follow-up order for 4 additional Firehawks has since been placed). The heli briefly carried fleet number 305 (for Prado Helitack base) but has since received # 608, as all CAL Fire Firehawks are getting a 6XX fleet number. The reason is that they will be moved around between the various Helitack bases throughout California for operational and maintenance reasons, and will not be assigned to a fixed base like the UH-1 Huey's they replace.

ex USN 133224

ex USN 133224

One of 16 Sikorsky S-70i Firehawks ordered by Cal Fire to replace 12 Bell UH-1H Super Huey firefighting helicopters. The S-70i's are built in Poland, completed by United Rotorcraft in Colorado and outfitted with a 1,000 US Gal. Kawak belly tank. Cal Fire has 10 helicopter bases with two still flying the UH-1H in early 2024. The helicopter bases are in Kneeland, Bieber, Vilna, Howard Forest, Boggs Mountain, Moffett, Columbia, Hollister, Prado and Hemet Ryan, with spares at McClellan. Cal Fire also has 14 air tanker bases (four shared with USFS, which has air five tanker bases of its own in CA)

This aircraft is ex US Coast Guard serial 1708 and has registration N464DF reserved (previously assigned to a Cessna 337 Skymaster), but no civil registration is worn at the photo date. It flew with the US Forest Service as "Tanker 116" during the 2017 fire season and was reported to become N116Z eventually, a registration reserved by the US Forest Service since 1997. However, there is no proof that this registration was ever carried by this aircraft, which was handed over to CAL Fire after a 2018 US Forest Service decision to abandon its Hercules fleet.

This 2018 built S-70i was the 1st of 12 Firehawks ordered by CAL Fire. It initially carried fleet number 903 but has since been renumbered to 611. Seen here resting at the Prado Helitack base (adjacent to a prison facility) south of the city of Chino. The base is to become CAL Fire's main helicopter hub in Southern Californina. A follow-up order for 4 additional Firehawks is currently being exercised. The fleet of 16 Firehawks will allow to keep enough in service, while a few will either serve as back-up or undergo maintenance.

Pictured parked on the ramp at KHMT.

This Huey was preserved at KHMT as a ground instructional trainer. This frame is sometimes incorrectly given as N490DF.

Sitting at readiness during the summer wildfire season at Ukiah Fire Attack Base. Originally built as a Grumman S-2F Tracker for the US Navy, 153579. Converted to turbine power by Marsh as an S-2F3AT in 2000, joining the USDA Forest Service. Then operated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention as firebomber "90".

Seen here, readied for deployment on active service during the wildfire season, at the Aero Union base on the municipal airport at Chico. Built for the US Navy as S2F-1 BuNo 133224, later redesignated TS-2A. Previously carried the CDF tail number "71". Withdrawn from use by late 2006 and retired to the Pacific Coast Air Museum in Santa Rosa, California where it was put on static display.

CDF O-2A viewed from the Forestry Operations Tower

CAL FIRE 301 S-70i with a practice approach to runway 32

Former US Army UH-1H 69-15858 was converted to an EH-1H before released for para public operations. The helicopter was registered N491DF in May 1999 for California Department of Forestry - CDF / Cal Fire.

Ex N447DF