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Aerial Ignition is a critical firing technique used during the management of prescribed and natural fire. It is also one of the most dangerous activities that is performed with helicopters. The fight ... Aerial Ignition is a critical firing technique used during the management of prescribed and natural fire. It is also one of the most dangerous activities that is performed with helicopters. The fight profile used during this mission is low and slow, flying just above the tree tops in some cases and with very little forward air speed. In aeronautical performance charts, this combination of elevation and airspeed is referred to as the Deadman’s curve, and leaves little margin of safety in the event of an aircraft emergency. As a result, in order to manage risk to the extent possible, we must remain in this profile for as little time as possible. The aerial ignition mission involves the delivery of spheres through an approved device mounted in the helicopter. The operator of the device is completely exposed to environmental influences as his/her door of the aircraft is removed during the mission. There are generally 2-3 other people in the aircraft, including the Pilot, all of whom are exposed to this complex flight profile. The objective of an aerial ignition mission is to ignite wildland fuels on the ground over large areas which would be too time-consuming for available resources, or in area where fuels and topography make ground ignitions unsafe for firefighters. In order to ensure the aerial ignition platform is operating in the Deadman’s curve for as little time as possible, while meeting mission objectives, it is critical that we achieve as close to 100% sphere ignition (in a receptive fuel bed) as possible. After tens of hours every year bench testing the PSD machines using both Premo and other proposed candidate ignition spheres at the same hours delivering spheres from the aircraft. We have found that, on the Prescott National Forest, at the elevations, temperatures, and humidity that we generally operate in, the Premo fire aerial ignition sphere is superior to other alternatives in percentage of spheres which successfully ignite on the ground. Utilization of spheres other than the Premo fire brand leads to more spheres having to be dropped in the same area, leading to more time spent in the Deadman’s curve, significantly increasing risk to occupants of the aircraft. This is entirely a safety and risk management issue. The mixing of different sources inventory is also a safety issue since the products have slightly different chemistry. This requires the helicopter to land, recalibrate the glycol quantity, delivery timing and test fire the different product before flight. Adding to further safety concerns.