Night-Flying Program

By

Dick Friend

Flying firefighters wearing “Buck Rogers-like” goggles and helicopters equipped with electronic devices that permit them to operate in the dark may now be able to help fight mountain brush fires and aid in rescues at night.

Action by combined forces of the Los Angeles County and City Fired Departments kept the blaze from consuming the entire studio.

An experimental night-flying program is underway between the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the U. S. Forest Service, the California Division of Forestry, and the Aerospace Corporation. Project leader is Herbert J. Shields of the Forest Services’ San Dimas Equipment Development Center.

Although helicopters can operate at night over populated areas using light on the ground for flying reference, it has been unsafe and virtually impossible to operate over dark, rugged terrain, especially during turbulent fire conditions.

Paradoxically, nighttime often is best for brush fire attack: the winds usually diminish, temperature rise and humilities decrease. But fire commanders have had to restrict or curtail the use of large helicopters used to carry manpower onto the fire lines or to drop water or chemical retardants.

With infrared scanners and night-vision goggles, Los Angeles County Fire Department pilots may be able to operate as in daylight. Light from the stars is all that is needed to provide safe flying conditions.

“This represents a major break-through,: said County Fire Chief Richard H. Houts. “It is possible because of the support of local Congressmen who provided the $500,000 funding for the project.”

The U. S. Army has loaned a turbine-powered UN-1M helicopter to the project, and this is being tested by County Fire Department pilots. It has been modified to receive the electronic installations needed for night vision capability.

Systems under evaluation are:

1.	Forward Looking Infrared. This relies on forward-looking scanners to transmit radiant energy to display scopes in the cockpit, producing “daylight” pictures through smoke or darkness.
2.	Low Light Level TV. This is an electro-optic light amplification unit designed to detect very low levels of starlight reflected from objects on the ground. To amplify the reflected light up to 45,000 times, and to present a daylight-bright picture of the terrain on the display screen for the pilots.
3.	Night Vision Goggles. Similar to binoculars, these are worn by the pilots and provide each eye with a tiny picture similar to that displayed on the larger ‘copter-installed system. They amplify existing starlight or moonlight 10-15,000 times and permit the pilots to operate as in daylight without artificial illumination. The Army’s UH-1M helicopter was received by the U. S. Forest Service in December and pilots have been familiarizing themselves and testing equipment.

With the use of the special goggles, pilots repeatedly have flown large County Fire Department aircraft into dark canyons and landed, using only amplified starlight for guidance.

Lending strong support to the Forest Service Aerial Fire Suppression Program have been Reps. Barry Goldwater, Jr., Robert Lagomarsino, Jerry Petis, John Rousselot, John G. Schmitz, Bob Wilson and Victor Versey.

Los Angeles County Fire Department now operates 4 large helicopters, each capable of carrying 10 or more firefighters, and 525 or more gallons of water or chemicals.

“our initial attack on brush fires is with at least two of these ‘copters,” said Houts, “along with five fire trucks, a bulldozer, battalion chief, and three fire crews. This is in excess of 100 men.”

“Now we envision that our night attack can have the same punch.” The Chief said, “and night fires are common during adverse weather conditions.”

“The project is of nationwide significance,“ said Houts, “in that it represents an important cooperative effort between the military, various levels of government, and private industry in attempting to provide solutions to wildland fire fighting problems.”

“Also important is the use of helicopters during night rescue missions, flying paramedics into remote, dark areas, and searching at night for persons lost in the mountains,” stated the Chief. “The night-flying capability now available to these large helicopters makes them even more valuable as a fire fighting and rescue tool.”

This cooperative program is under the over-all administration of the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station in Berkeley. All systems presently being evaluated for fire and rescue use were developed by the military.

If test prove successful, the Pacific Southwest Station and other agencies plan for a network of helicopters equipped with night vision systems to be located at strategic fire locations throughout California.

Reprinted with permission from the Los Angeles County Firemen's Benefit and Welfare Association. This appeared in Straight Streams, Vol. LXXIV June 1974 No. 6.