Fire Academy gets $85,000 trainer Published Jan. 31, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Michael Smith 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- -- Fabricators from Randolph Air Force Base, Texas installed a new $85,000 helicopter trainer at Louis F. Garland Fire Academy, here, Jan. 25. The new burn trainer, used to simulate a small aircraft fire, should be operational and ready for testing next week. According to Army Sgt. 1st Class Fabian Montano, 344th Military Intelligence Battalion instructor, deteriorations of the old helicopter trainer made it necessary for it to be replaced. The hull of the trainer began to form jagged edges due to constant heating and cooling, which became a safety hazard for the students. Constructed using heavy gauge COR-TEN steel, the new trainer is estimated to last 15 years compared to five years of use from the old trainer. The newly installed trainer also burns propane vapors, which will result in 30 to 45 percent cost savings in fuel versus the old trainer, which used liquid propane. The trainer, which was fabricated specifically for the fire school, gives students the basic feel of fighting an actual helicopter fire. Fire fighters break into two separate teams. One team tackles the aircraft's interior fire while the second team concentrates on the exterior fuel spill fire. Courses are arranged into a stair step operation by having students work their way up from small to large frame trainers. Students have to get up close and personal with the trainer while it burns at around 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The trainer is used by students in the sixth block of training.
