Fire Fighting - FireNav

The FireNav system is developed by AG-NAV INC to apply GPS Precision Navigation technology to aid the aerial attack on forest fires. With accurate GPS data, FireNav is an active tracking and GPS Navigation system for each aircraft involved in fire fighting. Each pilot is able to constantly monitor:

• The positions of all other aircraft involved in the operation.
• The location of the target.
• The locations where previous drops have been made.

Besides the visual monitoring, GPS Navigation system also checks for a possible air-to-air collision every second and gives a warning for aircraft proximity. With these features, pilot's lives may be saved and costly damages may be avoided.

This GPS Navigation unit allows the bird dog and air tankers to mark the boundary of the fire, generate target lines and fire points, which are transmitted to all other aircraft so that pilots can see the attack plan and targets. During flight, the pilot is given real time guidance to the target and the countdown time indication when he reaches the target to get him ready to drop the retardant or water at the desired location.

The GPS Navigation system records flight path, water drops, fire areas, target lines and fire points for post analysis. The data can be used for attack replay, strategy review, personnel training and fire analysis. These features will greatly improve the accuracy and efficacy of the air attack.

In general, by using the DGPS, wireless communications and computer technologies, FireNav significantly enhances the safety and effectiveness of air fire fighting. If these issues are your concerns, you should consider FireNav as a required tool for your fleet.

Click here for more information on the FireNav.