Coastal Air Strike

What Coastal Air Strike does

Coastal Air Strike is a privately held aerial firefighting contractor that provides initial-attack and sustained wildfire suppression services to U.S. state and federal government agencies. The company operates a 12-aircraft fleet evenly split between Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs — Air Tractor AT-802F platforms) and Single Engine Scoopers (SES — AT-802F equipped with amphibious floats capable of scooping 800 gallons from nearby water sources in approximately 15 seconds). Each SES is outfitted with proprietary on-board mixing systems for water-enhancing retardants and infrared cameras enabling pilots to identify hot spots before a drop, while SEATs deliver 800 gallons of retardant per sortie at ferry speeds up to 200 MPH. Operational technology is anchored by a culture-driven Safety Management System (SMS) implemented through Vocus SMS, a Mission Flight Risk Assessment Tool (MFRAT) delivered via the MyFirePlane app, and an Office 365 SharePoint-based electronic document binder for 24/7 policy access.

The company's go-to-market is exclusively enterprise field sales to government buyers, secured through both exclusive-use contracts (aircraft dedicated to a specific jurisdiction for the fire season) and call-when-needed contracts. Coastal Air Strike currently holds the Oregon Department of Forestry's first-ever exclusive SES contract, exclusive-use agreements with New Jersey and Arkansas, call-when-needed awards in Minnesota (four SES at Brainerd), Texas (four AT-802F at Gillespie County for Texas A&M Forest Service), Colorado, Wisconsin, and Florida (National On-Call for Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve), plus nationwide coverage through Department of the Interior contracts including Alaska provisions. Revenue is generated through contract fees for firefighting services; during off-season months, aircraft are deployed for agricultural missions to maintain pilot proficiency and supplement income. The business was originally founded in 1996 by Michael Hutchins as Custom Air (an agricultural/aerial firefighting operator in Arkansas), expanded into dedicated firefighting beginning in 2010 with the first AT-802 acquisition, and was restructured in 2020 following the acquisition of Florida-based Fletcher Flying Service into the current Coastal Air Strike brand to reflect coast-to-coast operations.

Michael Hutchins, who has logged more than 21,100 flight hours since 1996, remains President and sole owner of the founder-led business. The company is headquartered at 195 Airpark Blvd., Immokalee, Florida, with operating bases in Labelle (Florida), Fredericksburg (Texas), and Brainerd (Minnesota), and serves tribal nations including the Osage Nation. There is no evidence of external institutional investment, public listing, or significant debt capital; the company has been bootstrapped through operating cash flow and the 2020 acquisition of Fletcher Flying Service.

Name

Coastal Air Strike

Legal name

Coastal Air Strike

Website

https://coastalairstrike.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Coastal Air Strike is a privately held aerial firefighting contractor operating a 12-aircraft fleet of Single Engine Air Tankers and Scoopers under exclusive-use and call-when-needed contracts with U.S. state forestry departments, the Department of the Interior, and tribal governments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Labelle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Firefighting Contracts: Coastal Air Strike generates revenue through government contracts at state and federal levels. These include exclusive use contracts (where aircraft are dedicated to a specific jurisdiction) and call-when-needed contracts. Contracts cover multiple states including Oregon, Minnesota, New Jersey, Colorado, Wisconsin, Texas, and Florida, plus nationwide coverage through Department of Interior contracts.
2. Agricultural Missions (Off-Season): During months when the wildland fire scene is relatively quiet, pilots are kept in the air honing flight skills and gaining valuable flight time experience by providing agricultural missions. This provides revenue during off-season while maintaining pilot proficiency.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Coastal Air Strike provides aerial firefighting services for wildfire suppression and initial attack using a fleet of Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) and amphibious Single Engine Scoopers (SES). Services are delivered exclusively to state, federal, and tribal government agencies under exclusive-use and call-when-needed contracts. The fleet enables rapid scooping of water from natural sources, retardant delivery, and 3+ hour airborne firefighting missions.

Product overview

Coastal Air Strike is an aerial firefighting company operating a fleet of 12 aircraft, evenly split between Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) and Single Engine Scoopers (SES). The SEATs use Air Tractor AT-802F aircraft to deliver 800 gallons of fire retardant per drop, while SES aircraft equipped with amphibious floats can scoop water directly from natural sources. The company operates coast-to-coast under contracts with multiple state agencies and federal departments including the Department of Interior, providing critical aerial support to ground firefighters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aerial Firefighting Services Rapid response wildfire containment services delivered across North America to government agencies, including initial attack support, retardant, gel and water drops, and water scooping operations from natural water sources.
• Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) Operations

Quantifiable outcome

• SES scoops 800 gallons in 15 seconds from nearby water sources
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Oregon Department of ForestryflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOregon Department of Forestry awarded Coastal Air Strike the state's first-ever exclusive contract for Single Engine Scoopers (SES). The company has two FireBoss aircraft on contract with ODF for wildfire suppression operations in Oregon. Coastal Air Strike pilots participate in annual Burn Boss training with ODF employees and firefighters.
• Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoastal Air Strike has four SES aircraft stationed at the Brainerd Air Tanker base in Minnesota under contract with MNDNR. Pilots Aaron Vince and Colby Smith discuss aircraft capabilities to protect Minnesota during spring fire season. Under MNDNR contract, two FireBoss aircraft were sent to Ontario to battle Canadian wildfires.
• Department of the InteriorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoastal Department of the Interior has nationwide contracts with Coastal Air Strike including provisions for Alaska operations. This represents a significant federal government partnership.
• Texas A&M Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoastal Air Strike provides four AT-802F aircraft at Gillespie County Airport under contract with Texas A&M Forest Service. Aircraft are on call 24/7 for wildfire response in Central Texas. Crews include pilots Bryan Daniel and Nathan Higgenbottom with crew chief Samuel Guillen.
• Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National PreservecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoastal Air Strike operates under National On-Call contract to provide firefighting support for Florida's Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.
• Osage Nation Wildland Fire Management DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoastal Air Strike provides aerial firefighting support for Osage Nation. Chief Pilot Aaron Vince attended when the Eighth Osage Nation Congress commended the Nation's Wildland Fire Management Department for their work protecting the Nation, its people and structures.
• Gillespie County AirportminorOthersGillespie County Airport in Fredericksburg, Texas serves as the base of operations for Coastal Air Strike aircraft supporting Texas A&M Forest Service. Airport Manager Tony Lombardi coordinates operations at the facility.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Air Tractor: Air Tractor is the dominant US manufacturer of the AT-802 SEAT/SES platform that forms the backbone of Coastal Air Strike's fleet; although operating in the manufacturing tier, it is the structural equipment supplier to Coastal and similar operators.

Direct peers

• Neptune Aviation: Neptune Aviation Services is one of the largest US aerial firefighting operators, flying BAe-146 large air tankers under federal and state exclusive-use and call-when-needed contracts, comparable to Coastal Air Strike in business model and customer base.
• 10 Tanker Air Carrier: 10 Tanker Air Carrier operates retrofitted DC-10 and Boeing 747 supertankers exclusively for very large wildfire suppression missions under US government contracts, a direct fixed-wing aerial firefighting peer at the high-payload end of the market.
• Bridger Aerospace: Bridger Aerospace is a publicly traded aerial firefighting services operator using Super Scoopers, water bombers, and surveillance platforms under US federal and state contracts, directly comparable to Coastal Air Strike in business model and customer profile.
• Aero Flite: Aero Flite is a US aerial firefighting operator using SEATs and large air tankers under government contracts, with similar fleet scale and platform mix to Coastal Air Strike's SEAT/SES operations.
• Coulson Aviation: Coulson Aviation is a large aerial firefighting operator providing fixed-wing air tanker and helicopter wildfire response under government contracts across North America and Australia, directly comparable to Coastal Air Strike's mission profile and customer base.

Others

• Minden Air Corporation: Minden Air Corporation designs, manufactures, and installs water scooper kits and retardant delivery systems for fixed-wing aerial firefighting aircraft including the AT-802 platform used by Coastal Air Strike, making it a key equipment supplier in this ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/coastalairstrike
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coastal-air-strike
• Instagraminstagram.com/coastal.air.strike

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coastal Air Strike