USFS Operational Loads Monitoring
Appareo Systems is currently providing the United States Forest Service (USFS) with equipment and expertise to assist in their Operational Loads Monitoring program. This program analyzes the performance of the USFS’s widely varied fleet of aircraft for airborne firefighting.
Due to the high cost and limited availability of purpose-built firefighting aircraft, the USFS relies mainly on refurbished surplus military aircraft retrofitted with large tanks to deliver fire retardant to forest fires. Because these aircraft are being used in a manner that is significantly different than their intended purpose, the Forest Service must ensure that they are not being stressed beyond acceptable limits and is now utilizing Appareo technology to do so.
Appareo has designed hardware that can easily be configured for virtually any aircraft operated by the USFS, from large tankers to small scouting planes and support helicopters. In addition to recording flight data for later analysis, this hardware also monitors the strain placed on critical aircraft components during the accelerated flight cycles experienced in aerial firefighting. The flight and stress data gathered by our hardware will be analyzed and used to help ensure the continued safety and success of USFS airborne firefighting efforts across the nation. |
