FIREBOMBING helicopters completed a successful initial attack training exercise overnight at Lal Lal last week, in a significant step in the progression of night aerial firebombing in Victoria.
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The successful training exercise was the result of several weeks of planning, which included mapping water points, drop zones and hazards in pre-designated areas before the helicopters - unfamiliar to the area - took to the skies under the blanket of darkness to undertake the exercise.
Related coverage: Night aerial firebombing launched in Ballarat
Previously night firebombing helicopters were required to undertake a day reconnaissance mission in order to map and identify hazards and to locate water sources by air before they could drop water around the region at night.
In the latest training exercise, helicopters were able to simulate the initial attack exercise without having completed the reconnaissance flight by day.
Emergency Management commissioner Andrew Crisp said it was a significant milestone as part of the night aviation program.
"This exercise looked at how we can still make night firebombing operations safe, but without doing a day reconnaissance flight," he said.
While the trial has taken place, he said there was still more work to be done and lessons to come from it.
"By continuing to trial and learn from this experience, we could eventually have helicopters respond to new fire starts in predetermined areas at night," he said.
Night aerial firebombing crews have been stationed and operating in Ballarat since late December. The process involves two aircraft working together - a supervising helicopter guiding the aerial tanker, which then picks up and drops water.
Crews wear cutting-edge night vision goggles and utilise infrared cameras to guide the water bomber.
The night firebombing component of the night aviation trials concludes this week. The next step will be evaluating the program to identify key lessons.
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