The two ex-military Black Hawk helicopters used to fight the Crater Lakes fire are the first to make their way onto the Australian Register.

The Black Hawks were purchased from the United States by firefighting and agricultural spraying company Aerotech for use in South Australia.

Aerotech Chief Pilot Danny Allen said this was the first year the company had Black Hawks in South Australia.

“They will stay in the country the whole year whereas all the other ones have been bought across from America and returned during the winter,” he said.

“It is a pretty new concept and it is really good because they are fast and can lift as much as the bombers while travelling about the same speed.”

However, where bombers have to land to refill the Black Hawks can carry up to 4000 litres which they can collect by hovering over a water source such as the Valley Lake.

The helicopters are kept at Parafield with roughly 75% of the company’s pilots living and working in the state.

“They are a good utility that can be sent down to Mount Gambier or anywhere in the state to a response, if need be,” Mr Allen said.

“The Mount Gambier fire was a perfect type of job for the Black Hawks because they come into their own in that sort of environment.

“It has been a success keeping the Black Hawks in South Australia because they seem to be working great and we are receiving great results with them.”