The DC-10 Very Large Air Tanker has been activated again. The crew is returning to their base at Victorville, California and will fly the aircraft to Boise to be activated on Saturday.
The fire season in Montana is heating up and today’s Situation Report showed six new large fires in the state. On Thursday a cold front with very strong winds moved across the area and undoubtably had a significant effect on the existing fires.
The DC-10 can carry 11,600 gallons of retardant, about six times more than the P2V air tanker which comprises 8 of the 9 large air tankers currently active under long term contracts. The ship worked on fires for several weeks, receiving very good performance evaluations, before being released from active duty on June 16.
The DC-10 has only been offered a call when needed contract by the U.S. Forest Service, rather than a full-time exclusive use contract. The agency expects the aircraft to be available when they need it, but its owner, 10 Tanker Air Carrier, has said that after this year they will have to shut it down permanently if it is not awarded an exclusive use contract or activated on a regular basis .
Yep the USFS handing an operator another “we’ll keep you in mind scenario.”
Hopefully Tanker10 LLC finds some contracts overseas like Macedonia, Israel and the Med areas.
When the cry goes up…we need , we need, we need…
Well Mr Hatton and crew are making dinero somewhere else and IF the USFS “neeeeds” …
Well…they get to pay the freight back to the US.
This is the VERY reason you probably “ain’t” getting any US manufacturer to build purpose built aircraft UNLESS there are VERY specific guarantees that an operator or manufacturer is going to get some renumeration back for the real work of building and maintaining aircraft
I am sure myself and others will continue this mantra until the LMA’s come to the FULLL realization….” no mon, no fun, your son……. will always exist!
Go to Walmart and use an item and then take it back after utilizing it, then wonder why it isn’t available next year. Invest in the tool and have it available when you need it.
Oh, the analogies are so easy… Here’s one. Buy something. use it for a few weeks. Then take it to a pawn shop, knowing well and good that you still need it. Let it sit…. And then come back like a “recovering” tweeker, and get it back for more money….. But????? keep that pawn shop address. Yes, keep it handy.