Neptune Aviation’s Tanker 10. Photo courtesy of Colorado DFPC.A large air tanker is on an exclusive use (EU) contract with the state of Colorado. The state’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) has arranged for Neptune Aviation to station one of their BAe-146’s in the state this summer. The 120-day contract began June 24 and the aircraft was dispatched that day to its first fire, the Muddy Slide Fire 22 miles south of Steamboat Springs.
The signing of Senate Bill 21-049 earlier this year provided funds for a State-contracted large air tanker, a Type 1 helicopter, and increased the number of days existing DFPC Single Engine Air Tankers and helicopters are under contract. The legislation also provides additional funding and resources so that DFPC can better support fire departments and counties during the early stages of a wildfire.
The DFPC adopted the recent policy of the U.S. Forest Service, only making the contract valid for one year, with the possibility of four additional one-year periods.
The BAe-146 can hold up to 3,000 gallons of retardant but may have to reduce the loads on hot days in the higher elevations of Colorado.
The aircraft will hosted at Jeffco Air Tanker Base, a US Forest Service facility in Broomfield at the Rocky Mountain Regional Airport. There are five bases in Colorado that can support large air tankers: Durango, Grand Junction, Jeffco, Pueblo, and Colorado Springs.
In 2020 the DFPC had a 75-day EU contract for Air Tanker 23, a P-3 Orion operated by Airstrike. The choice of the aircraft came as no surprise since it was already under a call when needed arrangement with the state.
8 Comments
DFPC has an unhealthy infatuation with thinking that 1 aircraft for the whole State (rotor or fixed) will save the day. They need to buy dozers. Much of Colorado is prime dozer country.
Totally agree ! Dozers are the missing piece when it comes to their plan to protect Colorado !
Inmate hand crews are another missing piece. Colorado needs more state boots on the ground to help local fire districts with wildfires.
LD,
They certainly do. DFPC is an infant agency and I am sure they will eventually evolve their organization beyond talking points, photo ops and fundraising activities.
They’ll never be Cal Fire since they lack the tax base, land ownership and delegations of authority. They’ll never have an air force anywhere near what Cal Fire is able to keep. However; they CAN buy, staff and train Dozers, HEQB’s and dozer operators along with associated low boys etc . This would make them everyones best friend since Colorado (and the front range in particular) has a seemingly ill informed aversion to dozers. Iron catches fires.
Wrong plane for Colorado. The C-130, all day long at 4,ooo gallons.
BAE 146:
4 Hair dryers flying in close formation.
Smurfjet with 5 APU’s.
Fischer Price Starlifter.
A program in its infancy but it is evolving quickly. Jeffco, being Colorado’s primary tanker base, places a BAE, once in the air, probably within 15-30 minutes of most starts in Colorado, similar to CalFire’s response time. And really, the Front Range and its WUI is probably the focus. With its rapid turn-around and its cruising speed I’d say the BAE146 makes for a great IA aircraft. Slap that start right out of the gate! Once a fire is up and running, multiple aircraft will play a role. Then, sometimes it’s a waiting game to get orders filled. So it goes. Dozers are great tools but for IA in terrain such as Colorado’s I can see their initial success in immediate defense of the Front Range’s ever-sprawling tracts of houses.
Jeffco?? Colorados Primary ATB? Hardly.
That honor goes to GJ and then Durango. Both of those bases being on the west slope, where most of the action always is. They both pump 2-3x more retardant than Jeffco does in a “normal” year. We’ll see how the “Super Base” in COS fits into that mix once it finally hits it’s stride but, personally, I think that is an abysmal location for such a facility.
As for DFPC, they are not really a firefighting agency. Probably the most apt description is that of an insurance agency for the local Fire Protection Districts. Until the State of Colorado undergoes a complete perestroika where the County Sheriffs no longer have DPA in there counties (an absurd business model in this day and age of firefighting) DFPC will be relegated to writing reimbursement checks and fighting for relevance.
OK. But isn’t the West Slope primarily USFS & BLM whereas the Front Range has a large amount of private lands, as in population growth? So, don’t you think the Front Range with its expanding megalopolis, its expansive WUI and the bulk of the state’s population is really the focus for this tanker? Plus what a PR booster from a political point of view. During a major fire outbreak I can see this state tanker holding at Jeffco for Front Range IA while the federally contracted big birds and SEATs are flocking towards Grand Junction and Durango. This does have the potential of a mini-CalFire air program. I’d guess a large part of Colorado’s tax base is Front Range? And as you suggest, DFPC seems pretty emasculated. What do you think, Bob? Lone Ranger
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