Coulson Aviation Introduces CFR HALO, a Long-Term Fire Retardant Engineered for Modern Aerial Firefighting

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Postmedia has not reviewed the content. by Business Wire Coulson Aviation Introduces CFR HALO, a Long-Term Fire Retardant Engineered for Modern Aerial FirefightingAuthor of the article: You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Coulson Aviation has introduced CFR HALO, a next-generation long-term fire retardant engineered specifically for modern aircraft, tank systems and wildfire missions. It is designed with mission-optimized viscosity and flow characteristics to improve drop cohesion, reduce airborne drift, and support more accurate placement within the intended target area. CFR HALO is currently advancing through independent qualification programs with CEREN in France and the USDA Forest Service for inclusion on the Qualified Products List (QPL). These programs will evaluate its performance, environmental profile, and operational suitability. Business WireFirst Coulson EmberWorks product is undergoing qualification in France and evaluation for inclusion on the USDA Forest Service Qualified Products ListTHIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountTHERMAL, Calif. — Coulson Aviation today introduced CFR HALO, a next-generation long-term fire retardant engineered specifically for modern aircraft, tank systems, and wildfire missions. It is the first product from Coulson EmberWorks, the company’s research and development division dedicated to advancing aerial firefighting technologies.Developed through four decades of aerial firefighting operations and collaboration with firefighters, pilots, engineers, and agency partners, CFR HALO has advanced from formulation and internal validation into formal external qualification.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againCFR HALO is undergoing testing with the Centre d’Essais et de Recherche de l’Entente Valabre, known as CEREN, as part of the French qualification process. In parallel, it is advancing through the USDA Forest Service qualification process for inclusion on the Qualified Products List, or QPL.Together, these programs will independently evaluate CFR HALO’s performance, environmental profile, and operational suitability through two of the world’s leading aerial firefighting qualification systems, building a technical foundation for agency acceptance in Australia and key South American markets.“Wildfires have changed. The aircraft have changed. The retardant hasn’t kept up,” said Britt Coulson, President and COO of Coulson Aviation. “Many legacy formulations trace their origins to an era before today’s airtankers and precision delivery systems. We cannot keep fighting today’s fires with chemistry designed for yesterday’s aircraft. As operators, we had to step in and build what the industry needs next. CFR HALO is engineered for modern airtankers, with environmental performance built in from the start and a formulation designed to keep more of each load where firefighters need it.”CFR HALO uses mission-optimized viscosity and flow characteristics designed to improve drop cohesion, reduce airborne drift, and support more accurate placement within the intended target area. The formulation can be optimized for different aircraft, terrain, weather conditions, and mission requirements while maintaining the long-term fire-retarding performance agencies depend on.CFR HALO is also designed to integrate with existing retardant mixing, loading and application infrastructure without requiring agencies to replace established delivery systems or materially change operating procedures.CFR HALO is grounded in Coulson’s direct operational experience. Over four decades, the company has seen the growing scale and intensity of wildfire response firsthand. In 2026 alone, Coulson’s fixed-wing and rotary-wing fleet has already delivered more than 10 million gallons of water and wildfire suppressant to fires worldwide.CFR HALO extends Coulson’s integrated aerial firefighting model beyond aircraft and tank systems to the formulation delivered to the fireline. It is the first of several technologies in development through Coulson EmberWorks, including intelligent sensing, mission systems, and next-generation aerial response capabilities.Coulson EmberWorks is the research and development division of Coulson Aviation, dedicated to advancing aerial firefighting through operationally driven innovation.Built by operators, engineers, scientists and aviation professionals, EmberWorks develops practical technologies across suppression chemistry, intelligent sensing, mission systems, and next-generation aerial response. Every program has one objective: helping firefighters operate more safely, effectively and with better information.Coulson Aviation is the world’s largest private aerial firefighting company, built on more than 60 years of operational heritage and four decades of aerial firefighting experience.Operating across North America, South America, and Australia, Coulson supports national, state, provincial, regional and local government agencies worldwide. The company operates an advanced mixed fleet of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft supported by proprietary retardant delivery systems, intelligence platforms, training and mission support.By investing ahead of operational demand and focusing on sustainable, in-production airframes and continuous innovation, Coulson is helping set the standard for the future of aerial firefighting.View source version on businesswire.com: This advertisement has not loaded yet.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.