McDermott Aviation founder and president John McDermott has declared his company's heart remains in Australia as six Bell 214s have been recovered from an international deployment firefighting in Greece.
A Boeing 747 offloaded two Bell 214ST helicopters at Toowoomba Airport last Friday, then flew to Perth to deliver four 214Bs to be assembled for firefighting operations in WA.
Four of McDermott's aircraft remain in Greece on SAR operations.
“McDermott Aviation operates globally, but our heart is here in Australia,” McDermott said. “After supporting firefighting efforts across Europe, some of our crews and aircraft have returned home to strengthen our capability as we prepare to protect Australian communities this bushfire season.”
The return of the helicopters came as authorities across several states prepared for heightened bushfire activity, with early forecasts indicating dry conditions and above-average temperatures in many regions.
“The return of these aircraft has bolstered our assets, allowing us to position them across Australia so that we are ready to respond wherever we are needed most,” McDermott said.
McDermott Aviation has also extracted two 214ST airframes from long-term storage in Australia and despatched them to Alabama for refurbishment to expand the company's operational fleet.
McDermott Aviation, headquartered on the Sunshine Coast, has a fleet of over 50 helicopters, including a large collection of Bell 214 series aircraft. McDermott operates 15 Bell 214Bs and 14 Bell 214STs, and owns the type certificates for both the Bell 214B and 214ST series.
The company is also preparing to start production of its modified Utility 214ST model.