Cyprus now has 18 fire extinguishing aircraft. This is the largest number in the history of the country. 14 units of aviation are involved in extinguishing a fire in the mountainous part of the Limassol region. The main volume of water is transferred by aircraft ατ-802 Air Traactor, which fly in groups of four. Sikorsky aircraft is involved in the fire helicopters in extinguishing. How do the aircraft and helicopters in the fight against fire are used?
The main task of aircraft and helicopters is to quickly deliver and discard the large volume of water or a special flammable mixture to the fire of the fire in order to slow down the spread of flame and make it possible to work firefighters on the ground.
Types of aircraft
Fire aircraft there are several types. Amphibia, such as Canadair CL-415, can take water directly from the surface of the sea. Flying over the reservoir at low altitude and speed, they fill their tanks with a volume of 6-12 tons in 10-20 seconds. Other aircraft (already mentioned ατ-802 Air Traactor) are filled with water or a mixture at the airfield.
How to stew
During the extinguishing, the plane flies low above the focus of the fire, usually at an altitude of 30-60 meters, and drops water or fire foam. The mass of the discouraged liquid cools the fire zone and partially knocks down the flame, and additives to water help prevent re -ignition.
Helicopters use external suspended tanks that gain water by immersion in the sea. Such containers contain from 500 liters to 5 tons of water. In some helicopters, for example, some KA-32 modifications that helped extinguish fires in Cyprus in the past have internal tanks located in the case of the machine. Helicopters are maneuverable than aircraft and can work in hard -to -reach areas - in the mountains, gorges or in small meadows, which is very relevant for the island. They allow aimed to dump water on specific foci.
What is stewed
For extinguishing, ordinary water, foaming mixtures are used, which create a film and isolate fire from air, as well as special chemical compounds-referents of red. The latter are more often used to create protective stripes that slow down the spread of fire in large areas.
Aviation almost never extinguishing the fire on its own. More often it is used to localize and contain fire to facilitate the work of firefighters on the ground and create conditions for the final elimination of the fire.
Story
The first aircraft were acquired by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1965 and 1967. The planes were single, single-engine, such as Piper-25. Although they had the opportunity to spray water, they were not used in the fight against fire. The main task then was the air spraying of grain crops on the plain of Mesoria, vineyards and olive groves.
In 2007, the Forestry Department, with the assistance of the Civil Aviation Department, began to create a flight unit. In 2009, the department was bought by Air Traactor 802F, also American production, with a capacity of 3107 liters of water/sprayed material.
For a long time, two aircraft remained on the balance sheet of the forestry department. If necessary, additional aircraft were rented from British bases and partner countries. This continued until 2025, when the air park was expanded to 11 units. Five more are provided by the National Guard, Police and British bases.
On the eve of the summer of 2025, the Ministry of Defense leased two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The European Union provided two Air Traactor aircraft for the period from June 15 to October 31. Brussels covers the costs of the flight of these machines to the island and 75% of operating expenses.
The text was prepared based on the materials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Politis and Kathimerini
