Outstripped by the unprecedented blazes, along with more destructive fire seasons become the new normal, the world wants more sophisticated aerial firefighting systems for its helicopters and airplanes, as such, the industry will continue to be proactive with greater efficiencies in the design of the next generation game-changing aircraft capabilities to push the boundaries of aerial firefighting that is more efficient, lower cost, more effective retardant capacity and safer, including aerial firefighting with air tankers to supplement current helicopter capabilities, all this is geared to improve ability to battle the deadliest wildfire, with a focus on speedy delivery, in order to minimize time spent in transporting between water and fuel sources, and maximizing time spent at the fire
Wildfires are burning everywhere, from Greenland to Australia, while wildfires are now a regular theme in many states in the US and Canada. They are getting longer too. There were similar cases right across the Mediterranean Basin. In 2017, scorching temperatures swept through southern Europe. France, Macedonia, Italy, Portugal and Spain were hit the hardest, with Bosnia, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey all suffered too. Most recently, the dangerous and destructive wildfires in the state of California, USA, erupted on 8 November 2018, is a strong case to highlight the outrageous results of wildfires, destructive and difficult to control that led to many fatalities and total destruction. Across Asia Pacific region, every January through March, vast numbers of small fires spring up across the countryside in Southeast Asia. Those months usually bring cool, dry weather—perfect conditions for burning, contributing to hundreds of fires burning in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Wildfires consume up to six million square km of land around the world every year, while in Vietnam, forest fires burn several thousand hectares of vegetation every year. Many of these fires have had negative impacts on human safety, health, regional economies and global climate change. Against this development, the conference provides a timely platform to share best practices and innovation in aerial firefighting solutions to combat wildfire threats, with a focus on speedy delivery. Currently, aerial firefighting makes use of helicopters and airplanes to transport firefighters and smokejumpers, provide reconnaissance on new fires, and to drop fire retardant. As such, during the conference, discussion will review water drop precision and operational flexibility, as well as designing new aircraft with increased flying capacity, that will no longer be restricted to 12 airborne hours per day, as well as to endure the unrelenting physical stresses demanded of the aerial firefighting to battle the deadliest wildfires, including fire detection, reconnaissance, command and control missions.