An aerial fire suppression system mountable to a helicopter fuselage is provided. The system having a tank divided into at least two compartments by a barrier. The base of each compartment having an outwardly opening door. The system also having a retractable snorkel unit attached to the tank for transferring liquid from a liquid source into the compartments. An inflatable seal minimizes the leakage of the liquid from the compartments at the junction where the outwardly opening door engages the tank. A modified cyclic controls the operation of the tank and the components thereof. Also described is a method of suppressing a fire using the aerial fire suppression system.