CHI Aviation and our affiliate company, Helimax Aviation, are global leaders in heavy lift aerial fire suppression. We support the US Forest Service and various other federal and state agencies in the US and support international firefighting operations as well. CHI Aviation and Helimax have the experience and capability to set the standard for heavy lift aerial fire suppression.
Learn more about our fire suppression capabilities.
Next-Generation Aerial Firefighting Technology
The Helimax Airborne Suppression Technologies (AST) Tank represents a major advancement in helicopter firefighting systems. Its patented spade gate system ensures smooth, laminar water flow for precise, high-impact drops — outperforming traditional gated or hydraulic tank designs. Built from ultra-light carbon fiber with an all-electric actuator and snorkel system, it delivers exceptional efficiency, safety, and performance.
Key Highlights:
Helimax has supported the USFS since 1997 with the UH-1B, Bell 214B1, Bell 206L4, Bell 205 A1++, Bell 212HP, and Sikorsky S58T. In 2015, Helimax made the decision to focus solely on Heavy-Lift (Type I) support, choosing the CH-47D as the proven leader in this category.
