CENTENNIAL, Colo. — A Colorado company is playing a key role in the fight against wildfires. United Rotorcraft, based at Centennial Airport in Arapahoe County, transforms military Black Hawk helicopters into aerial firefighting units known as Firehawks. The aircraft are outfitted with massive water tanks and a snorkel system designed to suck up water.
Jeanette Eaton, now United Rotorcraft’s vice president of strategy and business development, was part of the team in the early 1990s that pioneered the conversion process. At the time, she was an electrical engineer working for Sikorsky Aircraft, the manufacturer that produces military Black Hawk helicopters.
“Los Angeles County approached Sikorsky and said, 'Our Hueys cannot keep up with the pace of wildfires. We need something bigger and better and stronger to do it,” Eaton said.
It took several years of working with fire experts to understand the specific needs of firefighting missions to develop the Firehawk.
"Firefighting is a battle, and the Black Hawk was made for the battlefield," Eaton said.
The partnership between Sikorsky and United Rotorcraft formed as it began commercializing the Firehawk concept.
For Eaton, the work is deeply personal — rooted in a love of flying that grew into something much larger.
“I'm very passionate about it because you're out there. You're making a difference in people's lives,” she said.
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Three decades later, the Firehawk’s legacy continues to grow at United Rotorcraft's Centennial Airport facility. The company produces around 10 to 12 Flight for Life aircraft and aerial firefighting units per year, with each unit creating around 50 to 60 jobs.
Every helicopter is custom-built to fit a county or state agency's needs.
"We look at their mission requirements. We look at where they want to operate. What are the altitudes they want to operate? What is the mission? Do they do swift water rescue? Maybe not, but maybe they need to do high-mountain flying and search and rescue. So the aircraft is really tailored to the customer," Eaton said.
Philip Fleming, avionics lead at United Rotorcraft, is among the experts who carry out the complex transformation work.
"I like building stuff. I like making things go from nothing to something," Fleming said.
Fleming said the nature of the work often surprises people unfamiliar with the Centennial facility.
"When I talk to people, they tend to get a little, oh my gosh, I can't believe that's what you do here," Fleming said. "I think the thing that to me that's really important is knowing that what we do here matters.”
The company's output represents a significant part of Arapahoe County's aviation economy. On-airport activities, such as those at United Rotorcraft, account for 87% of Centennial Airport's $2.4 billion in total revenue, according to the latest numbers from CDOT.
The work fits right into Centennial Airport’s reputation as a vital lifeline hub, supporting medical evacuation, air ambulance flights, and humanitarian missions delivering aid.
According to Denver South, the region’s aerospace and aviation industry added over 1,600 jobs in the past five years, outpacing US growth by about 3 percent.
United Rotorcraft has supplied 32 Firehawks to California, with three more on the way. Colorado purchased the state’s first two Firehawks in 2022.
The Arapahoe County-based company is now expanding internationally — giving Denver7 a first look at the first of two Firehawks being built for the Colombian air force.
More than 7,300 wildfires were recorded in Colombia in 2024, burning around 716,000 acres.
"This has been my baby for over 30 years. So it's really exciting to see it now go internationally to other parts of the world," Eaton said.
For Fleming, the stakes of the work are never far from his mind.
"If I just put in the extra time, that may help save a life. May help save some property," Fleming said. "That helps make me get up in the morning and want to come to work. You know, it could be my house tomorrow. So you know, it's something I put in perspective.”
