Helicóptero of the Quito Firefighters. Last March, the Fire Department of the Metropolitan District of Quito, becameó in the first Ecuadorian city to acquire a helicopteróptero intended for rescue and firefighting tasks. The first AgustaWestland isá already operational and at the service of removeñand Ecuadorians.
Through call púwar and in accordance with artíass 3 of the General Regulations of the Organic Lawáunique of the National Contracting Systemón Pública (RGLOSNP) and of the Resolutionón of the National Contracting Serviceón Púpublic RE-SERCOP-2016-000007, the 31 august 2016, The Quito Firefighters started the contest púwar for the acquisitionón of an aircraft (helixóptero) with the purpose of offering the citizeníIn general, a new tool designed for safety and prevention.ón, facing a panorama of a growing city and with each dayíto greater needs in terms of rescues and especially fire control, that in the úlast toños and with the experience of what was experienced in Chile between February and March of this yearñO, make the need to have one's own aircraft essential for the city and thusí support these unfortunate events with our own resources, usually provoked.
Within the hiring processón pública, I determineó an estimated budget of two million dóhomes ($2.000.000,00) which include all expenses and taxes required for the executionócontract no.. The charactersístics míspecifications of the aircraft required for the future tasks to be entrusted were: helixónew or used ptero manufactured no earlier than 1990 and with availability to flyón of 50 monthly hours, independentíto of 2 hours or más, 2 propulsion enginesón míYOU 730 SHP, míYOU 7 capacity passengers with 1 pilot or 6 passengers with 2 pilots, undercarriage, aviónica occidental, operationón in hover at least 15.000 feet of altitude, scope of 430 miles náUticas, flight capability and certificationón VFR, cruising speed míYOU 130 knots, installation capacityón the grúto and bambi bucket, Capacity for 1 O 2 camillas, cut wires, certificationón FAA/FAR or EASA/JAR among other requirements.
Within this detailed context and requirements, Several aircraft were seen, but only one birthdayó with all requirements and availability prápractically immediate to operate in the countryís. The helixópterus with matríHC-CRE cylinder and until then belonging to the company dedicated to rotary wings and their maintenance, Aeromaster, was the winner of this contest to provide Ecuador with the first propellerófire truck, but not the first aircraft, since in the city of Cuenca the institutionóIt doesn't have an avión Flight Design CTLS matrícula CB07CT for prospectsófire n and búsqueda.
About AgustaWestland
Founded in theñO 2000, this Italian-British companyáonly dedicated exclusively to the manufacturingón of helixópteros, results from the fusionón by Agusta and Westland Helicopters. Later in the 2004, the biggestíto shareholdingó to the Italian and growing company Leonardo-Finmeccanica and its divisionón of helixópteros.
Among its products, the Marine One and its VIP EH101 variant stand out., helixócustom made US presidential ptero and others 19 models and their respective variants, where some have had collaborationón con Bell y Boeing.
The AgustaWestland AW1
Built like a helicólight ptero, with 2 engines and multi-propósite, the one previously called until before the mergerón between both companies as A109, entró for the first time in service in 1976 and since then this helicóptero has playedñI love a symphíprop no.ósites such as personnel transport, aerom evacuationsétips, búsearch and rescue and even military use. Thank you to your 2 motors has managed to position itself as a safe and better performing alternative to other competitors in the same segment.
Among its main characteríStatic features are its high speed with up to 145 knots, 2 redundant engines, operating capacityón in height and high temperatures and a designñor special that makes it más stable in complex landings and adverse weather.
Within the development program of this successful helicopteróptero have existed 25 versions, each with a propódifferent sites, from military use with the installationón of cañones of 20 mm or the verseón chosen by the Quito Firefighters, el AW-109K2, versionón especial para operationón in high and complex areas and alsoén in high temperatures, with the characteríspecial feature of having fixed landing gear, no retráctil, diseñspecially designed for complex landings and difficult terrainíduring rescue missions.
HC-CRE
Previously belonging to the Ecuadorian company Aeromaster S.A and registered as HC-CRE, this is a helixóptero was manufactured in 1998 with exclusive specifications for the well-known Swiss salvage company Rega, which operates in one of the environments más complex to realizeón de búsearch and rescue, the Swiss Alps themselves and in Liechtenstein, where the altitude and climate conditions fríor lead to límeasures the capabilities of the aircraft that ahí They rescue hundreds of people annually.
Within this context and taking into account the needs of the institutionón and geographic complexityástays in Ecuador, this is a helixóptero has all the equipment and characterískills necessary to carry out similar tasks in Quito and alsoén support in the país.
The missions that have been initially designated to qualified personnel for the operationón de is AW109 son: búsearch and rescue, transfer of personnelédic and institutional, transfer séteaching and fire fighting.
For this one úlast point, the pilots performán their training in the use and operationón of the known bambi bucket in México, priority for the Quito Firefighters before the prómaximum summer season in the city.
The operations of this propelleróptero come trueán from its new base, located in the north of Quito, in what was previously the Old Mariscal Sucre Airport in Quito and where the aerial firefighters operated at that timeáuticos, now a new civilian fire base, that add to their services this aircraft that hopes to serve the Quiet dailyños, for which a heliport has been adapted, direct refueling and hangar for maintenance, what to beá carried out by Aeromaster as part of the agreement between both institutions.
The interview
We spoke exclusively with the Head of Operations AéQuito Firefighters Areas, the captainán Eduardo Valencia, who, con más de 3000 hours of flight at the command of a propellerópteros in their passage through the Ejército of Ecuador, tells us a little about the missions and characterístatics of this new aircraft.
NL: ¿Whaté characterísticas has this propelleróptero?
CEV: The helixóptero is an AgustaWestlan AW109K2 with 2 1K1 turbines with 771 horsepower, diseñused precisely for operationsón height. can operate with 1 pilot and 7 passengers or with 2 pilots and 6 passengers, everything depends on the missionón and needs of the moment. It has an autonomyíApproximate flight time of 2 hours and 35 minutes secún high or low altitude conditions, with a speed of 145 knots, limitado para nuestra operationón in height up to 135 knots.
NL: ¿Whaté external equipment can use?
CEV: East á enabled to useílong line for rescue, for example in ravines, we have a specialist already certified for it, bambi bucket against fire and alsoén has the possibility of using grúa for lifting stretchers from the floor up to 150 kilograms of weight.
NL: ¿CuáThey are the missions to carry outá initially?
CEV: It will cover evacuation missionsón aerométip, transportation of personnel and cargo, búsearch and rescue, reconnaissance and surveillance, radio relay, firefighting and support to other institutions that request it after prior coordination.óOn-site fueling, being able to operate throughout the national territory.
NL: CuéTell us about your flight experience.
CEV: I am a former Air Force soldier.ón they Ejérecite, I have flown the propellersópteros Lama, Gazelle, Puma, Súfor Puma, Bell 412, Bell 212 and now the AW109, with approximately más de 3000 flight hours in command.
