Having finally obtained a contract with the U. S. Forest Service, Tanker 40, Neptune Aviation’s jet-powered BAe-146 air tanker will be departing Missoula today en route to a fire assignment in Texas. According to an article in the Missoulian, the air tanker will be working on a fire near Longview.

Dan Snyder, the President of Neptune, told Wildfire Today on Monday that the aircraft had obtained “interim approval” from the Interagency Air Tanker Board (IATB) and would have a one-year contract during which it would be evaluated by lead plane pilots, ground-based firefighters, and air tanker base personnel. At the conclusion of that period, it would be eligible to be considered for full approval by the IATB. Snyder said he expects it to be approved, after which he would most likely convert additional BAe-146s, eventually replacing some of his much older P2V air tankers.

Thanks go out to Bill, Kelly, Al, and Dick