Promote your company to the global vertical aviation industry through the VAI Member Spotlight, a free benefit for VAI member companies. Want to be featured? If you’re not already enjoying the many benefits our members receive, join VAI today! VAI Member Spotlight: IMS, New Zealand The maker of the Cloudburst Fire Bucket supports helicopter operators across various sectors, including firefighting, construction, agricultural support, and emergency response. By Jen Boyer IMS of Hawke’s Bay, North Island, New Zealand, is a family-owned organization with solid roots in the engineering and aviation industries. The company specializes in custom-engineered tools for aerial firefighting, construction, agricultural support, and other aerial helicopter operations. Firefighting Developed in 2005, IMS’s flagship product, the Cloudburst Fire Bucket, has become one of the key water-carrying devices on the market today. Made from urethane-coated PVC, the corrosion-resistant bucket can hold a variety of water types, including fresh, salt, and chlorinated. Key features include a “Monsoon Valve” that enables multiple drops; a water-volume and spread-pattern control function; and an optional foam injection system. The bucket also features rapid valve actuation and compatibility with shallow-fill pumps. To support its line of buckets, IMS developed Cloudburst Long Lines. Available in a variety of sizes, the longlines are pre-stretched and heat-set to reduce elasticity and minimize vibration during flight. The company also offers a fire lighter, also slung under the helicopter on a longline. Agricultural Support For the agricultural industry, IMS manufactures a line of helicopter-flown ground-effect spreading products, which include spreading buckets for lime, seed, bait, and granulated and liquid fertilizer. The spreading buckets feature a hopper and spinner design to deliver an even spread and full release of the material. The buckets come in various capacities, with custom options available by motor type, materials, valve operation, and more. IMS also developed a trailer-based loading system that helps reload agricultural spreaders between applications. Construction IMS’s Ground-Effect Spreading Bucket line includes concrete and gravel skips to deliver wet cement and gravel from a helicopter. Operators can choose manual or pneumatic door options for material release. Crafted from steel or aluminum, the skips are available in a variety of sizes and configurations to meet different needs. Emergency Response IMS has also developed a series of emergency support products, including Cloudburst Dams, which are portable containment tanks to carry and store water and fuel. The dams come in several sizes, including custom options, and can include accessories such as carry bags, ground sheets, and various inlet/outlet fittings. The company offers numerous support products, including longlines, swivels, remote hooks, carousels, slings, strops, and cargo nets. In addition, IMS can provide in-house design and customization to meet specific customer needs. The company also provides a 24/7 global customer support network. Jen Boyer is a journalist and marketing communicator specializing in aviation. She holds commercial, instrument, flight instructor, and instrument instructor ratings in helicopters and a private rating in airplanes.
