Our common interest was basically helicopters and surfing, he said. Mr McDermott started out in aviation as an aircraft engineer with Ansett Airlines. He took up flying aeroplanes for a hobby in 1976. I was backpacking through Europe in 1977 and I watched a helicopter spraying grape vines along the Moselle River and I said that s what I wanted to do and that s how it started, he said. Noosa Surf Club has just run the Shirley Strachan Memorial Swim in honour of the Skyhooks legendary lead singer. He met Strachan after the late Skyhooks lead singer Strachan moved to Noosa. Strachan had been flying a Bell 47G helicopter near Mt Archer in August 2001 when air turbulence caused his fatal crash.
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Three trailblazing Sunshine Coast companies are changing the way bushfires are detected and defeated in an emergency response where minutes can make a world of difference.
Fireball International, Helitak and McDermott Aviation have linked up to put world-first technology to use.
Fireball International uses a series of artificial intelligence systems that collect and analyse data of ground based sensors, cameras and satellites to detect and report bushfires in less than three minutes after they start.
Founder and CEO Christopher Tylor said every minute counted when it came to bushfires.
“Currently, it takes approximately 45 minutes for a bushfire to be reported so our technology will significantly reduce the notification time in areas where our system is installed,” Mr Tylor said.