KEVIN FREDRICKSON

Experienced Utility, Firefighting & Training Helicopter Pilot

Professional contract helicopter pilot specialising in aerial firefighting, utility operations, vertical reference longline work, and operational training across Australia and the world.

FIREFIGHTING

Kevin has completed 12+ fire seasons across Australia, with additional firefighting experience in New Zealand and Indonesia. His operational experience includes firebombing with tanks and longline buckets, aerial ignition, air attack, and aerial observer roles.

VERTICAL REFERENCE LONGLINE

Vertical reference longline operations are a major part of Kevin’s career, with approximately 2,500 hours across precision external load placement, construction support, production logging, infrastructure work, remote resupply, and utility operations in mountainous and remote environments.

AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCE

Kevin’s flying experience spans light, medium, and heavy utility helicopter platforms, including R44, MD369, Bell 206 series, AS350, UH-1, and UH-60/S70 Black Hawk.

UH-60 Black Hawk captain

Kevin qualified as a UH-60/S70 Black Hawk Captain in 2025, adding heavy Type 1 helicopter capability to his existing operational background across utility, firefighting, external load, and remote area aviation.

Bell Mediums EXPERIENCE

Kevin has extensive medium utility helicopter experience, including UH-1 operations across firefighting, utility, remote area support, external load work, and demanding operational environments.

Instructing and proficiency check flights

Kevin brings strong experience in pilot training, operational checking, mentoring, and utility pilot development. He holds instructor ratings across single-engine helicopter operations, aerial application, low-level operations, and sling operations, with experience delivering longline and operational training in Australia and New Zealand.

30+

Years of Experience

9000+

HELICOPTER FLIGHT HOURS

4

Countries of operation

Experienced Across Aircraft, Borders and Operations

Kevin qualified as a UH-60/S70 Black Hawk Captain in 2025 and brings broad operational experience across light, medium and heavy utility helicopter platforms, including UH-1, AS350, Bell 206 series, MD369 and more.

He holds Commercial Pilot Licences in New Zealand, Australia and the United States, and has worked alongside government agencies, commercial operators and private contractors across Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia.

Airborne Contracts is built on professionalism, adaptability, clear communication and practical operational experience, with strong working partnerships at the centre of every deployment.

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Military helicopter on tarmac with clear blue sky overhead.

ABOUT KEVIN

Person standing in front of a black helicopter outdoors on a clear, sunny day.

Kevin Fredrickson is an Australian-based contract helicopter pilot with more than 9,000 helicopter flight hours and extensive operational experience across utility aviation, aerial firefighting, vertical reference longline operations, and operational training roles.

Raised on a dairy farm in New Zealand, Kevin joined the New Zealand Army in 1991 before transitioning into helicopter aviation after leaving military service in 1996. Over the next two decades, he built extensive experience across agricultural aviation in both New Zealand and Australia before progressively transitioning into full-time utility, firefighting, and longline operations.

Kevin remains passionate about operational flying, continual learning, and mentoring the next generation of utility pilots, with a strong focus on professionalism, safety culture, and practical industry knowledge.

contact kevin
A helicopter flying over a forested mountain area.

    • Aerial firefighting operations

    • Firebombing and bucket operations

    • Aerial ignition operations

    • Vertical reference longline operations

    • Precision external load placement

    • Remote area utility support

    • Infrastructure and construction support

    • Powerline and asset operations

    • High altitude and mountainous operations

    • Remote staff and equipment transfers

    • Pilot training and operational checking

    • Utility and sling operation instruction

    • Air attack and aerial observer roles

    • 12+ fire seasons across Australia

    • Over 1,000 hours of firefighting operations

    • Approximately 2,500 hours of vertical reference longline operations

    • More than 5,000 hours of low-level agricultural operations

    • Extensive operational experience in remote and demanding environments

  • Light utility helicopters:

    • R44

    • MD369

    • Bell 206 series

    • AS350 platforms

    Medium utility helicopters:

    • UH-1

    Heavy Type 1 helicopter:

    • UH-60/S70 Black Hawk

Vertical Reference Longline Operations

Vertical reference longline operations are a major part of Kevin’s career, with approximately 2,500 hours of experience across precision external load placement, utility work, remote resupply, infrastructure support and demanding operational environments.

Kevin has worked across a broad range of longline operations, including construction support, production logging, remote area utility work, equipment transfers and operations in mountainous and hard-to-access locations. His experience is grounded in practical, real-world flying where accuracy, communication and operational awareness matter.

Airborne Contracts provides VRLL support for operators and organisations requiring an experienced contract pilot who can integrate into existing teams, communicate clearly and bring a calm, capable approach to complex external load work.

Heavy helicopter in flight for contract aviation and utility operations VRLL

Aerial Firefighting Operations

Aerial firefighting has been a significant part of Kevin’s operational career, with more than 12 fire seasons across Australia and additional firefighting experience in New Zealand and Indonesia.

Kevin has accumulated over 1,000 hours in firefighting operations, including firebombing using tanks and longline buckets, aerial ignition, air attack and aerial observer roles. His experience spans demanding operational environments where clear communication, sound judgement and practical decision-making are essential.

Airborne Contracts provides aerial firefighting support for operators, agencies and contractors requiring an experienced pilot who can integrate into active fire operations and contribute safely, professionally and effectively.

Contract aerial firefighting pilot supporting emergency response operations

Agricultural Operations

Kevin’s aviation career includes extensive agricultural flying experience across both New Zealand and Australia, forming a strong foundation for his later work in utility, firefighting and longline operations.

With more than 5,000 hours of low-level agricultural operations, Kevin brings practical experience in precision flying, terrain awareness, aerial application and operating safely in changing environmental conditions. This background has contributed to his strong low-level flying capability and practical approach to demanding operational work.

VRLL helicopter pilot conducting external load utility operations

Training and Operational Standards

NZCAA CPL(H): 48360
CASA CPL(H): 570422
FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate (H): 4825708

Flight Instructor Rating (Australia)

CASA Flight Instructor Rating – CLR SEH
Qualified Instructor for:

  • Aerial Application Training (Helicopter)

  • Sling / Long Line Operations and Proficiency Checks

  • Fire Operations Training and Operational Proficiency Checks

Flight Instructor Rating (New Zealand)

NZ Category D & E Flight Instructor Rating

Kevin holds Flight Instructor Ratings on his Australian licence in the Single Engine Helicopter (SEH) class and is authorised to conduct training for operational ratings, including Aerial Application and Sling Operations.

With more than 30 years of experience in agricultural aviation, aerial application, external load operations, and long-line flying, Kevin has operated throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia in a wide variety of terrain, environmental conditions, and operational settings.

His extensive industry experience provides students with practical, real-world knowledge that goes far beyond the minimum training syllabus. Kevin is passionate about developing the next generation of helicopter pilots and believes that low-time pilots should have access to the lessons, techniques, and safety knowledge gained through decades of operational flying.

His goal is simple: to help pilots enter specialised operational roles with the highest possible standard of training, professionalism, and safety.

Current Qualifications Development

Kevin is currently undertaking a Flight Examiner Rating with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for:

  • Aerial Application

  • Fire Operations

Upon completion, he will be authorised to conduct applicable ratings, assessments, and annual proficiency checks within these operational disciplines.

Heavy helicopter pilot with UH-60 and S70 Black Hawk operational experience

Training Philosophy

"Experience only has value when it is passed on. My aim is to provide pilots with the practical skills, judgement, and safety mindset developed over more than three decades of operational flying, so they can build successful careers while operating as safely and professionally as possible."

Operational Experience Where It Counts

Airborne Contracts is a helicopter pilot contracting business based in New South Wales, Australia, providing professional operational support across aerial firefighting, utility, vertical reference longline, and training operations. Led by highly experienced pilot Kevin Fredrickson, Airborne Contracts brings more than 30 years of industry experience and over 9,000 helicopter flight hours across low-level operations, external load work, aerial application, remote area utility operations,
and firefighting roles.

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