Courage under fire: Inside daring bushfire rescue operations

These are the extraordinary images from inside a Taipan Military Support Chopper as the ADF and RFS team up for daring bushfire rescue missions across the Blue Mountains National Park.

Rural Fire Service employee, Mr Allen Madden prepares to be winched down in the Lithgow area by Petty Officer Aircrewman Jason Wickman from an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter over the Grose Valley bushfire in the Blue Mountains National Park. Picture: ADF

1/27Rural Fire Service employee, Mr Allen Madden prepares to be winched down in the Lithgow area by Petty Officer Aircrewman Jason Wickman from an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter over the Grose Valley bushfire in the Blue Mountains National Park. Picture: ADF

Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Ben Nixon of 808 Squadron, assesses the Tianjara Fire in the Moreton and Jerrawangala National Parks out of an MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

2/27Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Ben Nixon of 808 Squadron, assesses the Tianjara Fire in the Moreton and Jerrawangala National Parks out of an MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

3/27Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Brendan Menz on the 808 Squadron Flight line at HMAS Albatross, Nowra. Picture: ADF

4/27Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Ben Nixon of 808 Squadron, assesses the Tianjara Fire in the Moreton and Jerrawangala National Parks out of an MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

5/27Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Ben Nixon of 808 Squadron, assesses the Tianjara Fire in the Moreton and Jerrawangala National Parks out of an MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

6/27The Grose Valley fire in the Blue Mountains area of Lithgow and Blackheath, New South Wales. Picture: ADF

Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman, Petty Officer Jason Wickman assesses the Grose Valley bushfire in the Blue Mountains National Park during a sortie on an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

7/27Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman, Petty Officer Jason Wickman assesses the Grose Valley bushfire in the Blue Mountains National Park during a sortie on an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

8/27Rural Fire Service employee, Mr Allen Madden prepares to be winched down in the Lithgow area by Petty Officer Aircrewman Jason Wickman from an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter over the Grose Valley bushfire in the Blue Mountains National Park. Picture: ADF

Rural Fire Service employee Mr Allen Madden assesses the Grose Valley bushfire in the Blue Mountains National Park during a sortie on an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

9/27Rural Fire Service employee Mr Allen Madden assesses the Grose Valley bushfire in the Blue Mountains National Park during a sortie on an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

Rural Fire Service employee Dwyane Graham and Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Brendan Menz on the 808 Squadron Flight line at HMAS Albatross, Nowra. Picture: ADF

10/27Rural Fire Service employee Dwyane Graham and Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Brendan Menz on the 808 Squadron Flight line at HMAS Albatross, Nowra. Picture: ADF

11/27Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Ben Nixon of 808 Squadron, assesses the Tianjara Fire in the Moreton and Jerrawangala National Parks out of an MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

12/27Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman, Petty Officer Jason Wickman assesses the Grose Valley bushfire in the Blue Mountains National Park during a sortie on an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

13/27The Grose Valley fire in the Blue Mountains area of Lithgow and Blackheath, New South Wales. Picture: ADF

Members of the Tytherleign family are escorted from the HMAS Albatross 808 Squadron Flight line by Leading Seaman Aircrewman Ben Nixon and Rural Fire Service employee Dwyane Graham after being evacuated from their property near the Tianjara bushfire. Picture: ADF

14/27Members of the Tytherleign family are escorted from the HMAS Albatross 808 Squadron Flight line by Leading Seaman Aircrewman Ben Nixon and Rural Fire Service employee Dwyane Graham after being evacuated from their property near the Tianjara bushfire. Picture: ADF

Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Ben Nixon of 808 Squadron, assesses a potential landing zone out of an MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

15/27Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Ben Nixon of 808 Squadron, assesses a potential landing zone out of an MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

Rural Fire Service employee Dwyane Graham prepares for another sortie on an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter at HMAS Albatross, Nowra. Picture: ADF

16/27Rural Fire Service employee Dwyane Graham prepares for another sortie on an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter at HMAS Albatross, Nowra. Picture: ADF

Mr Warren Usher thanks Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Brenton Menz of 808 Squadron, after the evacuation from his remote rural property located in the east of the Moreton National Park. Picture: ADF

17/27Mr Warren Usher thanks Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Brenton Menz of 808 Squadron, after the evacuation from his remote rural property located in the east of the Moreton National Park. Picture: ADF

18/27The Grose Valley fire in the Blue Mountains area of Lithgow and Blackheath, New South Wales. Picture: ADF

19/27A MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter on the 808 Squadron Flight line at HMAS Albatross, Nowra. Picture: ADF

(l-r) Rural Fire Service employee Dwyane Graham and Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Brendan Menz view the Tianjara bushfire to the west of HMAS Albatross on an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

20/27(l-r) Rural Fire Service employee Dwyane Graham and Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Brendan Menz view the Tianjara bushfire to the west of HMAS Albatross on an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

21/27Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Ben Nixon of 808 Squadron, assesses the Tianjara Fire in the Moreton and Jerrawangala National Parks out of an MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

Mr Frank Delaney of Yalwal, NSW, is assisted from an 808 Squadron MRH90 Military Support Helicopter after being evacuated from his remote rural property to the east of the Moreton National Park. Picture: ADF

22/27Mr Frank Delaney of Yalwal, NSW, is assisted from an 808 Squadron MRH90 Military Support Helicopter after being evacuated from his remote rural property to the east of the Moreton National Park. Picture: ADF

Mr Frank Delaney and Mr Warren Usher of Yalwal, NSW is assisted from an 808 Squadron MRH90 Military Support Helicopter after being evacuated from his remote rural property to the east of the Moreton National Park and in the direct fire front of the Tianjara Fire burning north through ten thousand hectares of national park and bushland. Picture: ADF

23/27Mr Frank Delaney and Mr Warren Usher of Yalwal, NSW is assisted from an 808 Squadron MRH90 Military Support Helicopter after being evacuated from his remote rural property to the east of the Moreton National Park and in the direct fire front of the Tianjara Fire burning north through ten thousand hectares of national park and bushland. Picture: ADF

24/27Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman, Petty Officer Jason Wickman assesses the Grose Valley bushfire in the Blue Mountains National Park during a sortie on an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter. Picture: ADF

Royal Australian Navy Pilot Lieutenant Commander Nick Grimmer, RN, in an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter over the Grose Valley bushfire in the Blue Mountains National Park. Picture: ADF

25/27Royal Australian Navy Pilot Lieutenant Commander Nick Grimmer, RN, in an 808 Squadron MRH90 Taipan Military Support Helicopter over the Grose Valley bushfire in the Blue Mountains National Park. Picture: ADF

26/27Mr Frank Delaney and Mr Warren Usher of Yalwal, NSW is assisted from an 808 Squadron MRH90 Military Support Helicopter after being evacuated from his remote rural property to the east of the Moreton National Park and in the direct fire front of the Tianjara Fire burning north through ten thousand hectares of national park and bushland. Picture: ADF

27/27Royal Australian Navy Aircrewman Leading Seaman Brendan Menz on the 808 Squadron Flight line at HMAS Albatross, Nowra. Picture: ADF

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/courage-under-fire-inside-daring-bushfire-rescue-operations/image-gallery/132191cc43f60758f530986b4120b060

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