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"Having been involved in Aerial Fire Fighting since it was first bought to Eastern Australia by the (now defunct) NSCA(Vic)" ...........
From my memory the NSCA got there first helicopter around 1980, I know there were many aircraft involved in Aerial Firefighting before then.
Freddo did have a pretty neat Infra Red camera and pretty yellow helicopters (as well as subs, gliders, yachts, dogs ....) but the boys from Skyfarmers, Alpine, Superspread to name just a few had been firebombing for many years before Thunderbirds showed up on the scene!