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Vertical Mag • ATSB Press Release

ATSB survey report surfaces key themes from aerial firefighting operations

The ATSB’s May 13, 2026 report identifies the main themes emerging from its aerial firefighting survey, highlighting operational and safety factors relevant to aircraft and crew participating in wildfire response missions. The findings are intended to support future risk reduction across aerial firefighting activity.

2026-05-13T07:09:29.729411-07:00

Vertical Mag

Wisk Aero’s second Generation 6 autonomous aircraft enters flight testing with a May 4 Hollister, Calif., sortie

2026-05-04T09:36:35.049503-07:00

SpaceNews.com

OroraTech delivers Greece’s Hellenic Fire System: four wildfire-monitoring satellites plus a 13-satellite Europe rideshare

2026-05-04T06:50:40.398431-07:00

Vertical Mag

ATSB flags situational awareness and misunderstanding in helicopter–firebombing close encounter over Victoria

2026-05-05T06:34:44.723584-07:00

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Vertical Mag

ATSB survey report surfaces key themes from aerial firefighting operations The ATSB’s May 13, 2026 report identifies the main themes emerging from its aerial firefighting survey, highlighting operational and safety factors relevant to aircraft and crew participating in wildfire response missions. The findings are intended to support future risk reduction across aerial firefighting activity.

2026-05-13T07:09:29.729411-07:00

ATSB survey report surfaces key themes from aerial firefighting operations

Vertical Mag

ATSB flags situational awareness and misunderstanding in helicopter–firebombing close encounter over Victoria The ATSB report examines a loss-of-separation incident over Victoria involving a helicopter and a firebombing aircraft, attributing the event to misunderstanding and inadequate situational awareness. The findings point to breakdowns in how crews perceived and managed the fireground airspace during the encounter.

2026-05-05T06:34:44.723584-07:00

ATSB flags situational awareness and misunderstanding in helicopter–firebombing close encounter over Victoria

Vertical Mag

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Wisk Aero’s second Generation 6 autonomous aircraft enters flight testing with a May 4 Hollister, Calif., sortie Wisk Aero has completed the first flight of its second Generation 6 autonomous air taxi aircraft, flying the test platform from Hollister, California on May 4. The company says it put two Boeing-backed certification aircraft into simultaneous flight testing, doubling the pace of its Gen 6 certification flight program.

2026-05-04T09:36:35.049503-07:00

Wisk Aero’s second Generation 6 autonomous aircraft enters flight testing with a May 4 Hollister, Calif., sortie

SpaceNews.com

❗️

OroraTech delivers Greece’s Hellenic Fire System: four wildfire-monitoring satellites plus a 13-satellite Europe rideshare OroraTech says four satellites for Greece’s Hellenic Fire System were launched and deployed May 3, creating what it calls the world’s first national satellite system dedicated exclusively to wildfire detection and tracking. Separately, 13 European satellites reached orbit on the same rideshare launcher to support Italian and Greek monitoring programs, alongside CubeSats testing connectivity.

2026-05-04T06:50:40.398431-07:00

OroraTech delivers Greece’s Hellenic Fire System: four wildfire-monitoring satellites plus a 13-satellite Europe rideshare

Via Satellite

Canada cancels WildFireSat constellation contract with Spire Global Canada has terminated its contract with Spire Global for the planned WildFireSat constellation of wildfire-monitoring satellites. The cancellation halts Canada’s effort to build a space-based wildfire observation capability under that procurement program, shifting future monitoring plans to other approaches and providers.

2026-04-29T14:53:06.240095-07:00

Canada cancels WildFireSat constellation contract with Spire Global

helicoptersmagazine.com

DART Aerospace gets Transport Canada STC for Fire Attack System Model 304 enhancements on Bell medium helicopters DART Aerospace has received a new Transport Canada STC (SH26-18) covering enhancements to its Fire Attack System Model 304 for medium Bell helicopters. The approval applies to Bell 205, 212, 412, AB412 and UH-1H variants and advances certified upgrade pathways for fire-attack configurations.

2026-04-29T12:05:31.794005-07:00

DART Aerospace gets Transport Canada STC for Fire Attack System Model 304 enhancements on Bell medium helicopters

Vertical Mag

Firefighting helicopter missions hinge on a sustained MRO “maintenance battle” Aerial firefighting helicopters can’t perform without a parallel ground effort: maintenance teams managing airworthiness, component wear, and rapid turnaround pressures created by repeated sorties, harsh operating conditions, and mission-specific configurations.

2026-04-29T09:00:44.924110-07:00

Firefighting helicopter missions hinge on a sustained MRO “maintenance battle”

AerialFire

Tabula and Helitak form a real-time data-sharing partnership to integrate aerial firefighting systems Tabula and Helitak have partnered to “close the loop” on aerial firefighting operations, integrating their equipment and enabling real-time data sharing. The agreement is positioned as an end-to-end capability for aerial firefighting crews operating in international environments, improving how aircraft-related firefighting data flows across the mission.

2026-04-23T06:25:18.757502-07:00

Tabula and Helitak form a real-time data-sharing partnership to integrate aerial firefighting systems

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Aerial Firefighting News

ATSB survey report surfaces key themes from aerial firefighting operations

Wisk Aero’s second Generation 6 autonomous aircraft enters flight testing with a May 4 Hollister, Calif., sortie

OroraTech delivers Greece’s Hellenic Fire System: four wildfire-monitoring satellites plus a 13-satellite Europe rideshare

ATSB flags situational awareness and misunderstanding in helicopter–firebombing close encounter over Victoria

News Timeline