About Coulson Aviation

Throughout the company’s 60+ years as an organization, the mission has remained the same: to protect the world from forest fires. Our organizational capabilities allow our team to provide simultaneous aerial support across numerous continents.

As a leading supplier to county, state, and federal governments, Coulson focuses on developing a next generation, multi-mission fleet utilizing sustainable, in-production aircraft. Working in partnership with OEMs and leveraging the latest technology allows Coulson to provide superior all-hazard response aircraft.

THE COULSON AVIATION FLEET

Coulson Aviation is the only aerial firefighting company that operates both large fixed and rotary wing aircraft. The fleet is geared for mobility — fuel tankers and aircraft maintenance service vehicles staffed with qualified engineers are deployed alongside our aerial assets.

Coulson Aviation is a pioneer in aerial firefighting, environmental technology, and logistics. Established in 1960, the Coulson organization is family-owned, privately held, and currently supports operations via a diverse fleet of day and night aerial assets. Coulson’s roots in aviation, combined with the company’s proprietary technology, a wide array of aircraft types, and well-trained attack crews, allow simultaneous aerial fighting support around the globe.

ADVANCING AERIAL FIREFIGHTING SUPPORT
The Coulson organization remains committed to innovation, not imitation. Our team tirelessly designs, maintains, and operates a wide range of aircraft types that support critical aerial support missions. Beyond aircraft, Coulson offers comprehensive, robust training programs to ensure local crews are trained to the highest standards prior to conducting aerial firefighting missions. This holistic approach allows Coulson Aviation to stay ready to battle a blaze anywhere in the world.

RADS TANKING SYSTEM
The Coulson Retardant Aerial Delivery System is a well-known powerhouse of a product line, flying for over 30 years while continuously advancing to meet the latest aerial firefighting operational needs. RADS is available for installation on most C-130, B737, and CH-47 aircraft platforms and is the most widely used, highest-volume tanking system for both LATs and Helitankers currently operating worldwide. For Helitankers, our RADS-L 3,000 USG tanking system provides the lowest weight, largest and constant flow, and is the only tanking system with field-proven long linear doors. For LATs, the 4,000 USG capacity provided by RADS-XXL is half the cost and one-sixth the weight of competing systems. Each RADS product requires no additional crew or equipment, provides real-time flow rate and superior drop zone coverage, and reduces overall pilot workload.

NIGHT VISION (NVG) FIREFIGHTING
Wildfire is a threat - day or night. To properly battle a blaze under the cover of night, Coulson Aviation developed innovative, industry-changing nighttime fire suppression protocols that support our ongoing nighttime missions. The combination of our thousands of flight hours utilizing NVG technology, a complete ecosystem of nighttime aerial assets, and continuous procedural innovation provides unmatched reliability in aerial fire suppression during night flight.

HEAVY LIFT OPERATIONS
Coulson Aviation’s heavy lift capabilities support multiple mission profiles operating in both urban and rural locations - logging, power line construction, humanitarian support, and emergency extraction. The unsurpassed maneuverability, safety, and serviceability of Coulson’s fleet provide industry-leading heavy lift capabilities.

SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AND CREW

All of Coulson Aviation’s aircraft are operated and supported by our specialized crews. A standard flight crew includes:
• IA (Initial Attack) Captain or Captain
• First Officer or Co-Pilot
• Flight Engineer/Flight Mechanic

The maintenance crew, which always accompanies a Coulson Aviation fleet asset, includes a crew chief, an assistant crew chief, and a mechanic and/or flight mechanic based on the aircraft type. Additionally, Coulson provides support trailers for the maintenance crew, RVs, a fuel truck, and a parts trailer or shipping container in some cases.