Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pump
Winner of the 2025 Coolest Thing Made in Illinois
Congratulations to the NASA Standard Initiator!
Made by Chemring Energetic Devices in Downer's Grove, the NASA Standard Initiator is the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.
Chosen by voters from an initial field of more than 250 entries, the Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pump made by MTH pumps in Plano has been crowned the winner of the 2025 “Makers Madness” contest, earning the title of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois. The Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pump was designed to reduce the refill time of helicopter-based water tanks from over a minute to as little as 30 seconds, increasing the number of water drops that aerial firefighters can place on a wildfire.
2026 Schedule
Nominations Accepted: February 16 – March 8
Nomination Voting: March 10 – 22
First Round (Top 16): March 24 – 29
Second Round (Top 8): March 31 – April 5
Final Round (Top 4): April 7 – 12
Winner Announced: April 15