Recently, HeliOps magazine took to the skies with New South Wales (NSW) National Parks and Wildlife Sevice’s Flight Unit, “ParkAir”, attending their annual training and checking cycle at Griffith, NSW, in Australia, to examine how this specialized unit addresses the concepts of continual learning and annual currency.

Here, during the quiet of the shoulder season, away from the immediate demands of fire or pest control, pilots and crews gather for a week of practical flying activity to sharpen their skills, ensuring that every operation, whether routine or emergency, is executed with precision and safety.

ParkAir believes that the annual training is not a mere regulatory requirement or routine exercise; it is the cornerstone of operational readiness. From advanced hover exits to navigating low-level flights over dense bushland or executing precise firebombing and winching operations in remote forests, pilots and aircrew are trained and assessed to meet the unpredictable demands of operating over the sprawling lands of the National Parks of NSW.

The Imperative of Training

ParkAir’s training program is rooted in the requirements of Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations, specifically Part 61 and Part 138. However, this annual training program is intended to extend beyond mere compliance by including enhancing operational readiness in aerial firefighting and conservation. As Grant Simpson, HOFO (Head of Flight Operations)/HOO (Head of Operations), explains, "Regulatory compliance is just the baseline. We ensure all required checks, including aerial application and firebombing, are conducted annually, even if several only require checks every two years."

The primary challenge in such operations is not limited to external threats like fire or adverse weather but includes the risks associated with complacency. Simpson underscores this by stating, “We fly these missions all the time; one of our biggest risks here is complacency.” To mitigate this, they have implemented a rigorous annual training cycle designed to maintain and elevate pilots’ technical proficiency through both routine check flights and real-world scenario evaluations.

This training framework serves a dual purpose: ensuring regulatory adherence while striving for operational excellence. Tasks such as low-level flying require precision, as the success of missions often hinges on the pilot’s ability to navigate complex and unpredictable terrain.

The curriculum includes specialized competencies such as firebombing, requiring proficiency in aircraft systems and a deep understanding of fire dynamics, wind patterns, long line work, and water deployment techniques. These assessments are not superficial; they are intended to be in-depth evaluations of a pilot's ability to execute under real-world pressures.

ParkAir requires its pilots to be competent and current. "We like to get on top of everything every 12 months," Simpson explains. “Precision dictates the mission success.”


Annual training is also designed to enhance decision-making under stress, ensuring pilots are prepared to respond correctly when faced with the unexpected. Scenario-based training is used to push pilots to operate the aircraft while making critical mission decisions.

The Annual Pilgrimage to Griffith

The unit’s annual training cycle is strategically scheduled for July, during the shoulder season between land management operations and the onset of the fire season. This timing serves the dual purpose of allowing personnel with young families to have a couple of weeks of flexible training time with some time off and ensuring a couple of weeks of focused training without disruptions by active missions.

The relocation of training operations to Regional NSW was deliberate, investing in rural communities while avoiding weather challenges posed by previous locations, such as Glenbrook and Mittagong, where weather frequently disrupted training. "In 2019, half the practical week was lost to rain," explained Simpson, choosing Griffith for the 2023 and 2024 events. “Griffith not only offers more stable weather conditions but also logistical advantages, including its close proximity to Cocoparra National Park,” which provides an excellent operational environment for training. This location also supports critical training, including access to a runway for emergency drills and nearby accommodations for the entire team,

The Griffith program is regarded as more than a standard training session; it is more a comprehensive operational boot camp, where downtime is minimized, and practice and training are always the order of the day.

While at Griffith, aircrews transition from classroom-based theory to practical, scenario-driven exercises. Enabling hands-on skill development and assessment under conditions that closely replicate actual missions, the benefits of this immersive approach are further bolstered by leveraging of an environment that seamlessly integrates theoretical learning with practical application.

Low-Level Flying and Firebombing Proficiency

Low-level flight operations require precise power management, particularly when navigating the varied terrain of the NSW National Parks. Much of this training is conducted on the northern end of Cocoparra National Park. Although there are almost no “known” hazards when flying this type of profile in this area, the training reinforces best practices, ensuring all appropriate checks are conducted before descending to operational heights.

Firebombing exercises are also conducted. These evolutions simulate real-world mission profiles with the added complexities of load handling during water or retardant drops. "We conduct combined firebombing exercises with ground firefighters as well, to ensure smooth integration with other firefighting units,” Simpson emphasizes, “This practice also helps to re-hone the skills of our pilots and bombardiers as the ground crew calls out for them to attack specific targets with the water drops.” ParkAir considers these skills perishable, generally in activities the crews have not performed within the preceding few months.

The helicopters utilize 800-liter buckets on a 150-foot-long line for aerial suppression operations. The line length not only allows them to dip in most locations even when surrounded by trees that are sometimes nearly 100 feet tall, but it also provides a more significant buffer for the ground operation by lessening the direct impact of rotor wash on the firefighters below.



Winch Operations

Due to the rugged and remote nature of much of the terrain in the NSW National Parks estate, the unit’s helicopters are often the best way of inserting firefighters close to a blaze while the fire is still small. With the tall trees and steep river valleys found in many remote areas, sometimes a winch is the only way to get the fire crews in and out. Some years, the Unit conducted winching many times throughout the fire season, and during other years, it may only fly a handful of such missions. The unit must be competent at winching operations before it is needed during the season’s first fires.

Winch training focuses on the helicopter’s power envelope and the pilot’s ability to critically assess external variables such as wind, terrain, and stability. This module includes inserting and extracting NPWS firefighting personnel and equipment under controlled but challenging conditions. Simpson stresses the importance of aircrew vigilance and constant crew oversight to avoid unnecessary risks and incorrect assumptions about the aircraft’s capabilities during extreme fire conditions.

Like a dinghy in water, as firefighters are loaded and unloaded via the winch, the aircraft will tip and rock due to shifts in weight and balance. For the pilot and winch operator alike, practising these evolutions in controlled conditions before each fire season provides a welcome refresher for even the most seasoned aircrews. For newly signed-off crew members, these evolutions are a great way to cut their teeth before doing an operational winch mission. The same goes for the NPWS service firefighters participating in the training.

ParkAir’s standard operating procedure is to maintain radio silence during winch operations. This practice was developed due to infrequent, but occasionally encountered, interference with the squib caused by certain radio transmissions. Though communication and squib technologies have significantly advanced, the air unit still observes this practice. Once the crew have risk assessed the mission and been approved to insert crew, the radio silence keeps unnecessary noise and distractions from the many radios interfering with the internal comms of the crew so they can focus on the mission at hand.

Hover Exits

The hover exit is one of the more common insertion and extraction methods for NSW Parks firefighters in remote areas. Also known in other parts of the world as the hover STEP, hover exits require good situational awareness by the pilot and aircraft crew. Nestling the aircraft down between trees and easing one skid to a rock escarpment can be taxing and challenging, even in good conditions.

This phase of direct training is crucial to ensure pilot proficiency and firefighter confidence. Hover exit training challenges pilots to optimize aircraft control and performance in complex and dynamic conditions, placing increased demands on their spatial awareness and decision-making skills. Every site must be properly evaluated on the fly to ensure the safe approach and departure of the aircraft as well as the safest possible movement conditions for the firefighters themselves as they depart the aircraft.

Hover exit training scenarios are designed to hone skills while reducing the risks associated with overconfidence in the helicopter’s hovering and lifting capabilities. The performance of their Airbus AS350-B3s allows the unit to pull off maneuvers that no other “like” airframe would comfortably accomplish. But, as Simpson notes, “Complacency is always a risk; pilots must resist relying solely on their machine's performance and stay properly attuned to environmental factors.”

Advanced Scenario Training

This curriculum also incorporates advanced scenarios that simulate unexpected challenges and integrates the multiple facets of aerial operations in park operations. Realistic scenario-based exercises are designed to mirror real-world challenges. Senior Pilot Rotary Brenden Lindsay explains one such scenario: crews are given “an ignition point" and must coordinate a full-scale operation.

“Given an ignition point, the crews now have a defined location and then that gives them an area to work the fire. Now it’s their turn to solve the puzzle and prosecute the mission.” Lindsay continues, detailing the meticulous planning involved. Crews determine whether to use winching or hovering to safely insert teams and coordinate water drops, all while managing radio communication and aircraft movements.

Lindsay adds, “So they'll go in there, decide on whether or not it's going to be a winch or a hover. Insert the crews. Get them in safely. Add another aircraft to support them with water, talking on the radio, calling in aircraft and drops, putting a pretend fire out, (painted tires)... and conduct typical mop-up work, then extract the team.” These complex holistic scenarios prepare pilots and crews for high-stakes firefighting missions, ensuring they are ready for the unexpected.

Additional Training Topics

Providing airborne logistics and support to NPWS means that the crews must also be competent in flying long-line, sling loads, pest control and aerial ignition missions.

Pest Control is another mission that the unit is called upon to support when not in a fire season. Controlling invasive “pest” species in the parks promotes healthier environments and helps to ensure the conservation and natural longevity of park lands. Pilots and specialist shooters train to safely and efficiently operate near the ground to achieve the policy goals of aerial control of feral animals.

The unit is also involved in aerial incendiary operations, such as controlled burns for fuel management and other fire-related tasks, such as lighting backburns. Simpson explains that the team has seen increased requests for drip torch operations, which require specialized training and flying techniques. "Something we've learned as a group is that a drip torch and aerial incendiary need a different check because you have got to fly them differently. Same principles. Keep the fire inside the box. But to operate the equipment and fly the aircraft properly, it's a different profile so we separate training and checks on those missions as well.”

Crew Resource Management (CRM)

The NPWS Capability and Training Unit and ParkAir have developed an in-house training program for CRM in which all operational NPWS members are trained.

CRM training aligns all members onboard the aircraft in communications and on the operational procedures and limits of the helicopter. These real-world training scenarios at Griffith teach the aircrews to collaboratively manage the aircraft’s resources, including power and load capacities, fostering decisions grounded in real-time conditions rather than assumptions or past experiences.

Support Makes it Happen

From the top down, including Deputy Secretary Atticus Fleming and Cameron Chaffey, the Director of the Fire and Operations Branch, the NSW National Park Service is committed to the safety and continued longevity of ParkAir operations. The success of this intensive training program is staunchly supported.

The effectiveness of this training program comes not just from its curriculum or command support but from its roots in the seasoned individuals who drive it. These mentors bring many decades of experience, turning routine checks and evaluations into essential learning experiences.

Myles Tompkins has been a cornerstone in the Unit’s training for many years. He is renowned for his extensive experience in aviation and the specific demands of aerial firefighting. "Myles has been doing this for decades and is one of the very few people that can perform both the ag checks as well as the fire bucketing stuff," Simpson explains. Myles’ role transcends that of an instructor; he's a repository of knowledge, ensuring pilots understand the intricacies of their operations.

There is also, Kevin Ratcliffe. With his extensive background in helicopter EMS operations, Simpson has relied on consulting with him about winch operations over the years. Last year, Simpson invited him out to conduct the training with the Unit. "Kevin has done a couple of ratings for a few of us in the past, like our winch endorsements," Simpson explains “He really knows how to operate, and he's got a really good balance of knowing the rules and how to still maintain a sensible operation as well."

“We also have Andrew Wilson as our rotary check guy, and Tim Dugan as our fixed wing check guy. They're both awesome at what they do. They know their stuff, know the equipment, and both know how to instruct by feel." Simpson continues, describing the team of instructors he has assembled. “We have a massive capability in our unit now.”


These mentors and the unit’s senior pilots have fostered a culture of continuous learning where complacency is viewed as an adversary. They don't just teach; they personalize the learning experience and encourage the pilots to share experiences, learn from each other, and approach each flight with a fresh perspective. This has instilled a culture shift, and now the pilots are sharing their experiences and learning what went right and wrong during training and beyond. Considering this cultural evolution, Simpson states, "That's what I'm looking for. People are talking about their experiences, and there's a positive discussion about it."

Training sessions have gone beyond individual proficiency and have become about building a cohesive team. Through their time at Griffith, pilots and crew engage in scenarios that require trust and communication, the bedrock of safe operations. "We really encourage that," Simpson remarks, emphasizing the importance of pilots learning from each other, and sharing insights. “This open dialogue fosters a team dynamic where every member feels invested in the safety of the mission.”

There’s so much work out there

“There are more than 7.6 million hectares of parks lands we support,” States Scott Williams Manager Flight Business Services. “With only five AS350-B3s and one Cessna Caravan in the fleet, the demand for aerial support in the National Parks goes far beyond the operational capacity of our unit alone.”  Even though the ParkAir fleet is the primary aviation resource for the State and averages more than 3000 hours annually, helicopters from the NSW RFS ‘Call When Needed’ roster of contract aircraft are often called upon to operate in support of NPWS operations both in and out of the fire season.

"That’s right,” Lindsay added, “There's so much more work out there than we can do ourselves." However, as a state-run organization, there currently doesn’t appear to be much interest in expanding ParkAir’s fleet and operations to meet the level of demand. Doing so would require more than just additional helicopters; it would also require more trained pilots, engineers, and support staff. Each additional aspect brings a host of other challenges, not just in terms of funding but also in terms of human resources—and the industry is already dealing with a shortage of skilled personnel.

 “This ‘Call When Needed’ approach allows the state to have access to a broader fleet of aircraft providing additional response capability when fire activity increases .” Added Williams. “This arrangement is beneficial the state, the operators, and the public as well.” This win-win solution results in opportunities for various operators to support the state's needs. It continues to provide ParkAir with the ability to focus on maintaining its skills for the missions it is uniquely suited to provide in support of the NSW National Park and Wildlife Service.