The Firehawk helicopter may soon tackle California wildfires without a pilot on board

Sikorsky’s Firehawk helicopter is one of the most important resources California has during wildfires.

It has helped tackle the natural disasters for over four decades.

Recently, research has been conducted that could change the nature of wildfire rescue forever.

Because Cal Fire has partnered with Sikorsky to see if the Firehawk can tackle wildfires without pilots on board.

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California wildfires could be tackled without a pilot

In case you are unaware, California has a lot of struggles with natural wildfires.

Just this year alone, the Golden State has had to battle over 15 major wildfires.

It has also lost over 350,000 acres of wilderness to these wildfires.

Of course, battling the elements requires having first response resources to tackle them.

For decades now, a combination of boots on the ground and helicopter support has done this.

It has worked in tandem to try and limit the damage of these natural disasters.

Firehawk helicopter could eventually fly pilotless

But it now appears that the state of California is potentially changing its approach.

Autonomous helicopters have been all the rage in the aerospace industry for the past couple of years.

However, it has proven to be so promising that it has caught the attention of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

The organisation is partnering with helicopter brand Sikorsky to look further into these possibilities.

It will focus on whether the S-70i Firehawk helicopter can be sent autonomously to tackle wildfires.

This joint venture will reportedly last for around five years to explore the possibility.

The Firehawk helicopter is directly derived from the S-70 that has existed since the 1970s.

Sikorsky’s Firehawk was purpose-made to tackle wildfires, but also to deal with rescue and medical evaluations.

Cal Fire already owns and operates a fleet of 16 Firehawk helicopters to tackle California wildfires.

This twin-turbine helicopter is capable of flying at speeds of up to 178mph.

It is capable of flying at altitudes of 10,000ft, and it can sustain high winds.

Of course, it is also fitted with a retractable snorkel and can carry a 1,000-gallon water tank.

What do you think of the plans for the Firehawk helicopter to fly autonomously?