BLOOMFIELD, Conn. — Built in Bloomfield and battling wildfires well beyond; the specialized helicopter known as the “K-Max” is currently fighting the Canadian wildfires that have even brought smoke and haze to the skies of Connecticut.
The K-Max, a dual rotor copter that operates with just one pilot is known for its heavy-lifting abilities – in the case of fighting wildfires, the K-Max can help carry water buckets to douse flames with precision.
“Three of our operators are in Canada fighting fires actively right now,” said Casey Penn, the manager of K-Max customer support
Kaman has customers all over North America and Europe that use the K-Max for disciplines from fighting fires to logging tasks.
“The K-Max uses buckets, large expandable buckets they fill with water and they use it to control the fires to reduce how much they can spread," Penn added.
Penn said that during the summer season, they find that their K-Max customers are always busier.
“She’s a unique aircraft, she is designed to lift… and she can lift six thousand pounds.” “It hits home that the company is helping,” said Greg Lachenmeyer, a Kaman instructor pilot said of the K-Max.
“(The K-Max) is integral to firefighting and it’s well known in the firefighting community for what it does and how well it does it,” said Penn.
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