Reflections on the Huey Helicopter for wildland firefighting

When I decided to devote this blog to aerial wildland firefightings and related concerns back in January 2009, I began by writing about the UH-1H super Huey helicopters (Bell Helicopters) service for wildland firefighting. I don't quite recall why I started with Huey's. It might of been as simple as my friend aviation historian friend and former airtanker pilot suggesting that I start by writing about Huey helicopters. But I think it is safe to say that I was probably already vaguely familiar with the Huey, if for no reason then I had heard the Huey's were used in Vietnam.

I have seen a couple Huey's up close and personal, two through visit to two airbases of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) who flies two Huey's (Delta 5 and Delta 6) with 300 gallon (approximate) bambi buckets. On a 2011 visit to San Diego, I took a drive to CAL Fire's Ramona air attack base where I was able to get up close with their Huey.

I know from reading Bill Gabbert's Fire Aviation site that CAL FIRE, is in the process of getting new Firehawk helicopters, see for example his October 2019 post on a Firehawk arriving in Sacramento. So it stands to reason that the site of a Huey working a fire in California will be a memory in a couple of years. To the best of my knowledge the NJFFS Hueys are remaining in service. Other states currently have or have had Huey's in service fighting wildfires, such as North Carolina.

Huey's will always be special to me because they were they were the first firefighting aircraft that I wrote about and because I have seen at least three, possibly more up close and personal. There is a certain elegance in watching helicopters work a fire. Because they can go to a water source to dip and fill their buckets they are an important aerial resource to support the wildland firefighters on the ground. They can make quite a number of drops on a fire, and the closer the water sources is to the fire the more drops they can make.

Enjoy these three videos showcasing Huey's working a fire.

North Carolina


Direct link to video


New Jersey


Direct link to video


CAL FIRE (16 minutes)


Direct link to video