Brannhjelp til Hellas fra Down Under - Australian Aviation

 

Bell 214B er en kraftplugg. Typen var i norsk register gjennom mange år og ble brukt mye i anleggsbransjen, men også i brannslukking. Her er "Gabriel" i HS`farger. Tror den kan løfte 3 tonn i kroken. 

Foto: Helikopter Service AS

(Red.)

AN-124 TO DELIVER AUSTRALIAN WATER-BOMBERS TO GREECE TO AID IN WILDFIRE EMERGENCY

written by Hannah Dowling | August 12, 2021

Lenn Bayliss was present as a Volga-Dnepr AN124 arrived at Wellcamp to collect two McDermott Aviation Bell 215Bs (Lenn Bayliss)

An Antonov An-124 has taken off from Wellcamp Airport, loaded up with Australian water-bombing helicopters and headed for Greece to assist with the country’s raging wildfires.

The aircraft was chartered from Russian airline Volga-Dnepr by Sunshine Coast company McDermott Aviation, just days after Greece’s government requested its assistance in combating the nation’s extensive wildfires.

Australian Aviation photographer Lenn Bayliss was onsite to capture the aircraft’s arrival.

The An-124, registration RA-82047, landed at Wellcamp on Wednesday where the first two Bell 214B aerial firefighting helicopters, along with supplies, were loaded.

The Antonov then took off from Wellcamp just after 10:20am on Thursday morning, en route to Perth where it will collect a further two McDermott Aviation Bell 214B firefighting helicopters. From there, the aircraft will head off to Greece, via Sri Lanka, and is due to touch down on Saturday.

Australian Aviation photographer was on the ground to witness the arrival of the AN124 at Wellcamp (Lenn Bayliss)

According to McDermott Aviation, seven crew, which included pilots and engineers, are present to accompany the helicopters in the aircraft, and similarly aid in the overseas firefighting mission.

It is expected that all four helicopters, which will join two others already deployed to Greece by the company, will be reassembled within 48 hours of landing in Athens, and ready to join the firefighting efforts.