Queensland company Helitak revolutionises worldwide aerial firefighting
Queensland company Helitak has emerged a global leader in aerial firefighting, revolutionising the industry with its innovative designs.
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A company that started 16 years ago in the founder’s garage has emerged as a global leader in aerial firefighting equipment, revolutionising the industry with its innovative designs.
Helitak, founded by CEO Jason Schellaars, sells its range of helicopter fire tanks to international government agencies, military organisations and civilian helicopter operators.
The company’s retractable fire tanks, protected by intellectual property rights, have gained widespread recognition, including winning the Advanced Technologies category at the Premier of Queensland Export Awards.
“My career started as a commercial helicopter pilot and I used aerial firefighting equipment before deciding I could design a better equipped and more efficient firefighting unit for the helicopters,” Mr Schellaars said.
“I started off building one, flooded the garage a few times, then progressively sold one a year, working on designing it better and so forth.
“In last five years, we ramped up producing and developing, really dialling in each unit as we progressed. Now we’ve got a design that’s literally around the world fighting fires.”
THE INNOVATIVE DESIGN
What Mr Schellaars developed was a retractable water tank with two key advantages.
Its innovative design enabled faster water release, improving drop patterns and coverage for diverse fire scenarios.
Additionally, Helitak’s tank expands below the landing gear when full, maximising the aircraft’s load capacity, improving effectiveness.
Central to Helitak’s success is its focus on providing pilots with complete control during firefighting operations.
“We actually put a full integrated computer system into the tank that gives a whole lot of parameters for the pilot to set,” Mr Schellaars said.
“So they can do a four-second drop and basically put out a massive tree out or 20-second drop, for a grassfire, for instance.
“From a pilot’s point of view, it gives you great controllability of the water drops, that’s what we really tried to push with our equipment is make that drop the most efficient drop possible.”
BLACK HAWK BREAKTHROUGH
A breakthrough for the Noosa-based manufacturer came with its introduction of an underbelly-style water tank to suit Black Hawk helicopters.
This achievement reached new heights in 2021 when the Helitak FT4500 Black Hawk fire tank gained certification from the USA Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), making it the sole approved fire tank worldwide for the Black Hawk airframe.
“It’s about a half-a-million-dollar process to make that happen,” Mr Schellaars said.
Mr Schellaars estimated about 500 Black Hawks had recently reached the public market – having seen out the end of US military service – increasing demand for the units.
“Probably the greatest thing about the Black Hawk is it has a really large payload, you can pick up four-and-a-half tons of water,” he said.
“This year, we put something like seven million litres of water on the floor, internationally.”
In addition, Helitak secured FAA certification for their Airbus Super Puma fire tank, setting a new record for water capacity within this airframe.
Recognised globally as a top-tier agricultural water dispensing apparatuses, the Helitak aerial firefighting tank has played a vital role in protecting agribusiness and infrastructure assets worldwide. Notably, it was instrumental in combating the destructive wildfires in California’s Napa Valley.
SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESS
With 80 per cent of its tank components sourced from local Queensland suppliers, Mr Schellaars said Helitak was committed to fostering strong relationships with fellow businesses in the region.
“We’ve got a couple of really good tight little companies that support us and for about three of them, we probably make up about 20 per cent of their turnover,” he said.
“And certainly us supporting them and them supporting us has helped us grow.”
CHALLENGES
Despite its remarkable success, the company faces unique challenges. Helitak’s equipment needs to meet stringent aviation standards, which vary from country to country, and can be a time-consuming and complex process.
“Probably for us, that’s our biggest hurdle to cross,” Mr Schellaars said.
“We can build tanks quite easily, design them and build packages but when you’re dealing with some government agencies around the world, those wheels turn a little bit slower than us.”
He said changing weather patterns – with the transition from El Nino to La Niña, a drier-than-normal season was predicted – presented increased demand for Helitak’s aerial firefighting equipment and required continual evolution of their product.
“It’s always evolving. We’re always doing field research and making sure that all the equipment is right,” Mr Schellaars said.
EXPORT AWARDS
Helitak’s recognition in the Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards – the state’s highest export honour – was a game-changer for the company.
“The export awards opened a whole new network for us … and a lot of government authorities around the world recognise that as well,” Mr Schellaars said.
“If anyone’s looking at going in the export awards, I think because you’re on the on the international platform from Australia, people really recognise that.”
Last year, Queensland’s $145 billion export industry disbursed more goods by value than NSW and Victoria combined, contributing to the state’s appeal as world-class exporters.
Trade and Investment Minister Cameron Dick said Helitak’s innovative design was a Queensland solution tackling a global challenge.
“Their unique water tank has been instrumental in the protection of agribusiness crops and infrastructure in key regions across the world,” he said.
“Queensland exporters like Helitak are world class and succeeding globally, and the Export Awards provide a platform to unlock greater opportunities, taking businesses further, faster.”
Applications for the 2023 Export Awards are now open. Visit tiq.qld.gov.au
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