United Aerial Firefighters Association (uafa)

What United Aerial Firefighters Association (uafa) does

UAFA is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit trade association founded in 2022 and publicly launched in February 2023, dedicated to serving as the unified advocacy voice for the U.S. aerial firefighting industry. The association represents companies that own or operate aircraft, UAVs, and drones, as well as providers of aerial-delivered suppressants and retardants under federal and state contracts, alongside OEMs, insurers, and federal agencies. Its core products include advocacy and lobbying services in Washington, DC, the annual UAFA Conference, Congressional Hill Days, and structured member participation in the Government Industry Advisory Committee (GIAC), Membership Committee, and asset-specific committees.

The association's technology footprint is minimal and focused on industry support rather than product development. UAFA operates a Data and Analytics Committee that applies data and mapping technology to better understand aerial firefighting response times, fleet needs, and industry standards. There is no disclosed proprietary software, AI/ML platform, or technology product offering; the association's primary deliverables are policy influence, networking, member benefits (including discount programs with partners such as AirTera, Cirro Air Suite SMS, and OroraTech), and event programming.

UAFA generates revenue through tiered annual membership dues structured by member company revenue (Corporate tiers from $1,500 to $40,000; Affiliate tiers from $2,500 to $5,000; Partner members at no cost for nonprofits and government agencies) plus conference and event registration fees ($300-$750 per attendee). The organization operates as an independent nonprofit with no external investors or funding rounds, governed by a Board of Directors drawn from member companies including Firehawk Helicopters, Dauntless Air, Neptune Aviation Services, Perimeter Solutions, 10Tanker, and Billings Flying Service. Its go-to-market is primarily direct member engagement, event-driven, and advocacy-led, with active coordination across six federal agencies (USFS, DOI, BLM, FAA, OMB, SBA) and 20+ wildfire policy groups.

Name

United Aerial Firefighters Association (uafa)

Legal name

United Aerial Firefighters Association

Website

https://uafa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

United Aerial Firefighters Association (UAFA) is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit trade association founded in 2022 that advocates for the aerial firefighting industry, representing over 100 member companies including aircraft operators, OEMs, fire retardant suppliers, and federal agencies through membership dues, annual conferences, and Congressional Hill Days.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

S Central Washington Co

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: UAFA generates revenue through annual membership dues paid by corporate, affiliate, and partner members. Dues are tiered based on company revenue levels.
2. Conference and Event Fees: Revenue from conference registration fees for both members and non-members attending annual conferences and Congressional Hill Days.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UAFA is a nonprofit trade association providing advocacy, representation, and membership services for the aerial firefighting industry. It coordinates policy with federal agencies and Congress, runs committees (GIAC, Membership, asset-specific), hosts annual conferences and Congressional Hill Days, and supports members on contracting, safety, and standardization matters.

Product overview

UAFA is a trade association providing advocacy, representation, and networking services for the aerial firefighting industry. The organization does not offer a traditional product but provides membership-based services including participation in Government Industry Advisory Committee (GIAC), Membership Committee, and asset-specific committees, along with access to resources shared by member companies, annual conferences, and Congressional Hill Day events. UAFA also offers member discount programs with partner companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trade Association Membership Services Membership-based advocacy and representation services for aerial firefighting companies, OEMs, insurers, and government agencies, including policy advocacy in Washington DC, GIAC participation, and access to shared industry resources.
• Annual UAFA Conference Annual multi-day industry event uniting aerial firefighting industry leaders, executives, government officials, and innovators for networking, collaboration, and policy shaping. Held in Boise, Idaho.
• Congressional Hill Day Washington DC advocacy event where members engage directly with representatives and agency staff to build relationships and influence legislation on aerial firefighting industry matters.
• Member Discount Program Members-only discounts on services and products from partner companies including AirTera, Air Charter Safety Foundation, Cirro Air Suite SMS, Flying Eyes, and OroraTech.

Quantifiable outcome

• Analyzed 40+ wildfire bills and shaped key legislative measures in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency responsible for coordinating wildland fire management. UAFA coordinates with USFS on aviation policy, contracting, safety standards, and airworthiness programs for aerial firefighting operations.
• Department of the Interior (DOI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal department overseeing multiple land management agencies including BLM. UAFA coordinates on wildland fire policy and aviation resource planning.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal land management agency that manages federal lands and wildland fire response. UAFA addresses BLM Type 2 EU RFI and coordinates on aviation resource planning.
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency regulating aviation including Part 108 regulations affecting aerial firefighting operations. UAFA engages on regulatory matters impacting the industry.
• Office of Management and Budget (OMB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency overseeing budget and regulatory policy. UAFA coordinates on FAR rewrite and policy initiatives affecting federal contracting.
• Small Business Administration (SBA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency supporting small businesses. UAFA Small Business Task Force addresses standards, limitations, future growth and industry positions for small business members.
• Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission (WFMMC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBipartisan commission established by Wildland Fire Management and Mitigation Commission tasked with developing recommendations to address the wildfire crisis. UAFA provided input and support for the commission's final report submitted to Congress.
• Vertical Aviation International (VAI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association representing vertical flight companies. UAFA featured in VAI member spotlight and collaborates on industry standards and advocacy.
• Alliance for Aviation Across AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition advocating for aviation industry interests. UAFA Board President featured in member spotlight and collaborates on policy initiatives.
• National Wildfire Suppression Association (NWSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association for wildfire suppression. UAFA collaborates on industry standards and represented in conferences and publications.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Aerial Fire Magazine / Air Attack Magazine (industry publications): Industry publications that regularly feature UAFA leadership and shape narrative around aerial firefighting. These media outlets are adjacent ecosystem participants that amplify UAFA's policy positioning without directly competing for membership.

Direct peers

• National Wildfire Suppression Association (NWSA): NWSA is a trade association for the wildfire suppression industry, directly overlapping with UAFA's member base on ground-based and aerial contractors. UAFA already collaborates with NWSA but competes for the same operator members and policy influence on federal wildfire contracting.
• Vertical Aviation International (VAI): VAI represents the vertical flight industry globally, including helicopter operators like Firehawk Helicopters who are also UAFA members. UAFA and VAI both advocate on FAA Part 108 and helicopter firefighting policy, creating overlap in members and policy agenda.
• Alliance for Aviation Across America: Alliance for Aviation Across America is a coalition advocating for general aviation interests. UAFA's Board President has been featured in the Alliance's member spotlight and the two collaborate on policy, making it a direct advocacy counterpart in the same aviation-policy space.

Broad incumbents

• General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA): GAMA represents general aviation manufacturers and is involved in FAA regulatory and certification policy affecting fixed-wing aerial firefighting aircraft. GAMA competes with UAFA on broader aviation policy while overlapping on OEM members like those serving UAFA.
• National Business Aviation Association (NBAA): NBAA is a major aviation business trade association with extensive federal advocacy infrastructure that occasionally intersects with charter and Part 135 operators serving aerial firefighting. UAFA competes with NBAA for attention from larger aviation employers who may also hold UAFA corporate memberships.
• Helicopter Association International (HAI): HAI is the largest international trade association for the helicopter industry, with a broad commercial and safety mandate that subsumes helicopter-based aerial firefighting. HAI competes with UAFA for dues from helicopter operators engaged in firefighting contracts.
• International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC): IAFC represents fire service leadership across the U.S. and engages on wildland fire policy at the federal level. IAFC overlaps with UAFA on wildfire response policy but represents a broader fire service membership rather than aerial operators specifically.

Emerging players

• Air Charter Safety Foundation: ACSF focuses on aviation safety standards and audit programs for charter operators, including those serving aerial firefighting. ACSF appears in UAFA's member discount program, indicating partnership rather than direct competition, but they overlap in serving the same operator base on safety issues.

Regional players

• National Association of State Foresters (NASF): NASF represents state forestry agencies that are major counterparties and sometimes members of UAFA. NASF is the state-level public-sector counterpart to UAFA's aerial operator community and competes for policy influence on federal-state wildfire coordination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/uafa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-aerial-firefighters-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about United Aerial Firefighters Association (uafa)