Protect timber, rangeland, and critical assets with a rapid‑response helicopter team. Edgefield Aviation delivers private wildland fire services for timber companies, utilities, ranches, HOAs, and local governments needing immediate aviation support outside the federal dispatch system. Our principal base of operations in Sandy, OR serves as a wildland fire command base, with onsite dip ponds, and a fleet of dispatch ready tanker trucks that can easily fill any reservoir for incident response, and a team ready to take on the task. 

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Quick Facts

• Mission types: Initial attack, extended attack support, aerial water/foam drops, recon & mapping, patrol/overwatch, sling-load logistics, prescribed fire support, post‑fire assessment.

• Aircraft: Bell OH‑58/206 series (Restricted & Standard Category).

• Loads: 70–140+ gal Bambi buckets; long‑line external load under Part 133.

• Dispatch: 24/7 on‑call during fire season; launch targets in < 60 minutes from alert when pre‑positioned.

• Coverage: Oregon, Washington, N. California, Idaho (pre‑positioning available across the PNW).

• Tracking & comms: Spidertracks flight following, dual‑band VHF/AM/FM as required, GAR/FRAT before each sortie.

• Safety: Part 5-aligned SMS; qualified pilots with utility, long‑line, and fire operations experience.

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Capabilities

Aerial Suppression

• Precision bucket drops (water/foam/gel)* with long‑line accuracy.

• Spot fire knockdown, edge cooling, and hotspot mop‑up guidance for ground crews.

Reconnaissance & Overwatch

• Smoke investigation, perimeter mapping, line scouting, and traffic‑pattern deconfliction.

• Continuous Spidertracks flight following; optional live position sharing with clients.

Logistics & External Load (Part 133)

• Sling drums of water, portable tanks, pumps, hose, and tools to remote sites.

• Establish/refresh remote dip sites; ferry loads to crews to reduce turnaround time.

Patrol & Prevention

• Scheduled patrols during Red Flag periods for early detection and deterrence.

• Asset‑specific patrols (ROWs, timber units, WUI perimeters) with photo/video package.

Prescribed Fire Support†

• Aerial ignition (helitorch/PSD) and burn ops support, coordinated with your burn boss.

• Perimeter recon, smoke monitoring, and contingency bucket coverage.

* Foam/gel subject to product availability and environmental constraints.
† Aerial ignition conducted only with proper authorizations, approvals, and weather windows.

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