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Center for UAS
in Public Safety

Coordinating drones with helicopters for wildland firefighting

Wildfire operations in Australia combine changing fire behaviour, rugged terrain and crowded emergency airspace. State fire services, police, contractors and the Royal Australian Air Force may all fly over one fireground. Drones add flexible observation, but only when crews share an operating picture and clear separation rules.

A manned helicopter carries people, water and heavy sensors, with endurance set mainly by fuel and weather. A drone launches quickly, inspects tracks and smoke columns, and costs less to operate. Coordinating drones with manned helicopters for wildland firefighting therefore requires assigned roles, not merely permission for both to fly.

Australian agencies need a method covering incident command, flight safety, CASA compliance, privacy and community confidence. The same protocol can support metropolitan edge fires around Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth or Sydney, and remote bushfires where communications and satellite coverage are limited.

A shared air picture

The incident commander should maintain one operational map showing aircraft, crews, fire edges, access routes, hazards and assigned tasks. Position reports should use GDA2020 coordinates, common call signs and a shared clock so information recorded by a drone operator can be transferred directly to helicopter crews.

Capability Manned helicopter Drone Coordination focus
Observation Wide-area view with crewed sensors Rapid, repeatable inspection of tracks and hotspots Assign separate search sectors
Fire attack Water, foam and crew deployment Target identification and situational awareness Do not substitute drones for suppression aircraft
Endurance Fuel and weather dependent Battery and wind dependent Plan battery reserves and relief teams
Communications Voice, crew and heavy payloads Cameras, data links and possible relays Maintain separate aviation and incident channels

Each aircraft should receive a clear task, operating area and reporting frequency. The UAS coordinator can update the shared map while the helicopter coordinator manages crew, fuel, payload and flight-risk priorities. Any change to those assignments should be transmitted through the agreed command channel.

Command roles and controlled airspace

The incident commander sets priorities, while a dedicated UAS coordinator manages the drone team and an aviation coordinator manages helicopter movements. When military or contracted aircraft are present, representatives from each organisation should confirm who controls each airspace sector and who authorises entry.

Operations near Sydney, Melbourne, Perth or other controlled areas may require approval and coordination with Airservices Australia or the relevant air traffic service. Pilots should not assume that an emergency on the ground removes the need for aviation coordination. Notices, flight restrictions and temporary closures should be checked immediately before launch.

Lateral boundaries, altitude limits and entry points should be drawn on the common map. A drone should never approach a helicopter’s manoeuvring area unless both pilots receive an explicit clearance from the aviation coordinator. Standard phrases for holding, diverting and returning are safer than improvised instructions.

Flight paths and ground support

Drone tasks may include checking containment lines, identifying spot fires, mapping smoke movement and inspecting road access. Helicopters may conduct heavier search, water-bucket or tanker operations, transport crews and deploy specialist equipment. Matching each task to the appropriate platform reduces duplicated flights and pilot workload.

Weather checks must cover wind at flight altitude, visibility, temperature, smoke movement and the forecast for the operating period. Rotor wash, turbulence and confined-space hazards require larger margins around helicopters. A drone should also have a predetermined lost-link behaviour and an accessible recovery point away from aircraft and public areas.

Ground personnel should prepare batteries, payloads, high-visibility markings, communications equipment and a launch area with appropriate spectator separation. They need a clear method for reporting position, battery state, task completion and unexpected hazards. Support staff must not launch or recover a drone until the aircraft coordinator confirms the area is safe.

Training and readiness checks

Joint exercises should include a changing wind, a communications failure, an unexpected helicopter arrival and a task that requires immediate reassignment. Pilots and observers need practice using the same map, call signs and reporting language. The Centre’s coverage of public-safety drone flying offers a useful starting point for confidence-building events that can be adapted for agency training.

Readiness reviews should verify equipment, software, credentials, insurance and contacts before an incident. Exercise findings should be converted into a written protocol, then validated during a live or simulated flight with helicopter crews.

Before deployment

During operations

Privacy data and public trust

Residents around Australian cities frequently fly recreational drones in parks, on farms and near bushland interfaces. A public-safety aircraft may therefore be mistaken for a private drone, while mission flights can place cameras over backyards. Agencies should explain why collection is necessary and avoid capturing more personal information than the task requires.

The Privacy Act 1988 and Australian Privacy Principles generally guide public agencies handling personal information, although state and territory laws may also apply. Victoria’s Surveillance Devices Act, for example, can affect the use of video and surveillance technology. Crews should receive clear rules about filming homes, roads, vehicles, identifiable residents and people affected by the emergency.

Recorded material should have named access controls, retention periods and deletion procedures. Exact live positions of crews, incident commanders or residents should not appear in public updates. Where community trust matters, a plain-language explanation of the flight purpose, data handling and contact point can reduce confusion without revealing sensitive operational details.

CASA rules and the Australian market

CASA regulations, including Part 101, govern most unmanned aircraft operations. Commercial work normally requires an operator certificate and appropriately licensed remote pilots unless the flight occurs under an approved agency procedure. Operations close to uninvolved people may need specific authorisation, and airspace restrictions apply around some major CBDs and other sensitive locations.

State fire services, police agencies and local councils must also comply with relevant privacy, trespass, filming and workplace-safety laws. During a declared emergency, standard operating procedures may provide the approval framework, but commanders should confirm their coverage before deploying a new aircraft or changing the mission.

The Australian market combines local systems integrators with international aircraft, sensors and communications suppliers. Procurement should account for local support, battery availability in heat, secure storage, insurance, operator training and the ability to obtain spare parts quickly. The centre is not merely the purchase of a drone; it is the combination of aviation compliance, trained teams and dependable support.

From readiness to responsible action

Appoint a named UAS coordinator and aviation liaison, and place their details in every incident action plan. Give crews one map, one set of task priorities and one lost-link procedure, then exercise those arrangements with helicopter crews before the next elevated fire-risk period.

Publish the local protocol, conduct a joint tabletop and live training day, and contact your state fire service, police aviation unit, council and relevant CASA office to confirm permissions and airspace arrangements. A signed coordination agreement gives incident commanders a dependable way to request useful drone support without creating competing air traffic.