DC-10 Tanker 911, July 2, 2012 on the Shingle fire in Utah. Photo by Scott G. Winterton (Click to see a larger version.)
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 .
CL-215 and CL-415 air tankers scoop water from Snowbank Lake while working on the 2011 Pagami Creek fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota. Photo by Kristi Marshall for the Superior National Forest
The RAND Corporation has released their long-delayed report that that U.S. Forest Service commissioned on air tankers. The company completed the study in August, 2010, but the USFS refused to release it even after receiving a Freedom of Information Act Request, saying “…the report is proprietary and confidential Rand business information and must be withheld in entirety under FOIA Exemption 4″. Their refusal letter went on to say: “The data, analysis, and conclusion in this report are not accurate or complete” and that the USFS wanted “to protect against public confusion that might result from premature disclosure.”
In April we compiled a history of the $840,000 RAND report. This was the fifth study on air tankers since 1996. A sixth one is underway now, commissioned, again, by the USFS, but paid for, again, by the U.S. taxpayers.
But RAND released the study today, which includes a heavy emphasis on scooper air tankers which can fill their tanks with water while skimming over a lake. RAND recommends “15 to 30 scoopers to be used in conjunction with two to six air tankers and a comparable number of 2,700-gallon helicopters”.
A summary of the report is below. The entire report can be found on their web site.
U.S. FOREST SERVICE SHOULD CONSIDER A DIFFERENT MIX OF AIRCRAFT TO FIGHT WILDFIRES, RAND STUDY CONCLUDES
The U.S. Forest Service should upgrade its large airborne firefighting fleet to include more amphibious scooper aircraft, with air tankers and helicopters in a supporting role during the initial attack of fires before they become large, according to a new study from the RAND Corporation. Continue reading “RAND releases their air tanker report”
Three U.S. Senators have introduced a bill that would transfer 14 surplus C-27J Spartan aircraft from the Department of Defense to the U.S. Forest Service to be used as air tankers. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) introduced legislation on Wednesday known as the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 2012 (S. 3441) “to help replenish the agency’s aging airtanker fleet”.
A news release from Senator McCain said:
The Forest Service says the C-27J Spartan would become a vital component of its overall airtanker modernization strategy. These aircraft would provide a modern, flexible, and extremely efficient Type 2 platform specifically designed to operate in challenging conditions.
“The Forest Service needs to modernize its entire airtanker fleet,” said Senator John McCain. “We have an opportunity to take the C-27J, an aircraft the Pentagon no longer wants, and give it to the Forest Service to enhance aircraft safety and lower existing maintenance costs. The C-27J should be kept in the service of the American people to help our brave fire crews, rather than sit in an airplane boneyard.”
The U.S. Air Force has ceased operating the aircraft in Afghanistan and plans to retire its fleet of 21 C-27-Js no later than fiscal year 2013 which begins in October. The only operator of the C-27J inside the United States is the Air National Guard.
The C-27J looks like a baby brother of the C-130J and uses two of the same turboprop engines that are used on the larger four-engine aircraft.
If converted to an air tanker, at only four years old they would be by far the youngest large air tankers being used in the United States. The P2Vs that currently comprise 8 of the 9 large air tankers active on exclusive use contracts today are over 50 years old. Even Tanker 40, the newish jet-powered BAe-146 operated by Neptune, is 26 years old.
In 2007 the Department of Defense awarded a contract for the acquisition of 78 new C-27J Spartan aircraft at a cost of about $26 million each, but according to one report only 52 have been built. It has sold to other buyers, new, for as much as $53 million. The United States received its first C-27J on September 25, 2008. The aircraft cruises at 362 mph, has a service ceiling of 30,000 feet, and a minimum control speed of 121 mph.
If it were converted to an air tanker, airworthiness compliance and adding a tank could cost around $2 million. The C-27J can carry a 25,353-pound payload, which could translate to a retardant capacity of 2,000 to 2,500 gallons; perhaps more if the interior was stripped. This would not meet the preferred USFS target of 3,000 gallons for a next-generation air tanker, but could be a valuable addition to the firefighter’s tool box. However, it would carry about twice as much as the S-2Ts being used extensively, and successfully, by CAL FIRE.
We have written previously about the possibilities of this aircraft serving as an air tanker, HERE and HERE.
There is one little dark cloud hovering over this announcement. It was just 11 days ago that the entire U.S. fleet of C-27Js was grounded following a mechanical failure of one aircraft’s flight control system. Few details were disclosed by the Air Force, who characterized the grounding as a “precautionary measure” that is under investigation by the Air Force and the C-27J manufacturer, Alenia Aermacchi. Groundings like this for aircraft are not uncommon and are frequently resolved in a matter of weeks.
Should we do this?
I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that the 55-year experiment of contractor-owned, contractor-operated air tankers should come to an end. We need to move to a government-owned, contractor-operated system. Well over 100 air tanker pilots have lost their lives during that period flying aircraft that have been discarded by the military decades before. Their age leads to frequent engine, air frame, and other mechanical problems that contribute to crashes, deaths, and down time for these aircraft which should be seen in museums and air shows, not diving into steep canyons, low and slow. The new next generation contracts will be bringing us converted passenger airliners that have been retired by their owners. While this may be better than 50-year old maritime patrol P2Vs, it is not a great solution, but is what the contractor-owned system is producing. Contractors can’t afford to purchase new C-130Js, C-27Js, or CL-415s at $25 to $90 million each.
A federal agency that has the experience and knowledge of managing aircraft should manage these C-27Js after they are acquired from the military, and they should acquire additional new or nearly new aircraft that have the design and performance criteria necessary for the very demanding task of delivering retardant in the wildfire environment. Then develop specifications for operating these aircraft to include extensive, regular, professional-level training for pilots and mechanics. Contractors would then maintain and operate them, seven days a week, using relief crews to provide days off and enough back home family time to reduce the currently unacceptable turnover rates among these crews.
So the bottom line is, yes, Congress should pass the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 2012 (S. 3441). While a 3,000, 5,000, or 20,000 gallon air tanker would look great flying over and supporting firefighters on the ground, an addition of 14 C-27Js would be a great shot in the arm of the atrophied fleet of air tankers that has declined through neglect and mismanagement from the 44 we had in 2002 to the 9 we have today.
In addition, the bill currently being considered by Congress should appropriate funds to convert the aircraft to air tankers, which could cost more than $30 million. Otherwise, the C-27Js may continue to sit in a boneyard.
We congratulate the three senators, McCain, Nelson, and Feinstein, for showing some leadership toward resolving the air tanker crisis…leadership that has been sorely lacking in the federal land management agencies’ aviation program over the last 10 years. Thanks go out to Jerome and Ken
Tanker 43 and the retardant tanks at Rapid City Air Tanker Base
On Saturday we had the opportunity to visit the Air Tanker Base at the Rapid City Regional Airport. The crew, led by Base Manager Gordon Schaffer, was busy keeping three P2V air tankers reloaded with retardant as they returned from fires, paused on the ramp to get another 2,000 gallons of the red stuff, and took off again.
Tanker 07 arrives, needing another another 2,000 gallons of retardant.
On Saturday the three air tankers working out of the base were from Neptune, Tankers 43 and 07, and 48 from Minden. The staff at the base consisted of the Base Manager, the Ramp Manager, a radio operator/dispatcher/office-assistant, and a 2-person reloading crew. In addition, there were three to four mechanics checking the aircraft every time they reloaded. The mechanics work for Neptune and Minden, the companies that operate the air tankers which are contracted to the federal government. The Minden mechanic said that when the tanker relocates to another air tanker base, which happens frequently, he usually travels with the aircraft, and a chase vehicle with additional mechanics and equipment follows on the ground, sometimes arriving a day or two later.
A mechanic checks the tires and landing gear on Tanker 07 while it is being reloaded.
On Sunday, July 22, two of the three air tanker crews will be on mandatory days off, and another will come off of their days off, resulting in Tankers 45 and 48 being available at the base beginning at 9 a.m.
All of these photos were taken by Bill Gabbert.
Tanker 43 lands at the Rapid City Regional Airport.
Air Tanker 07 reloading with retardant at the Rapid City Air Tanker Base, July 21, 2012. Photo by Bill Gabbert
UPDATE at 5:21 p.m. MT, July 22, 2012:
This afternoon firefighters conducted a large burnout to tie in a fireline on the southeast side of the fire in Cold Brook Canyon, and from there north along Song Dog Road (didn’t this used to be called Shirt Tail Road?). It put up a great deal of smoke and looks bad if you don’t know what’s going on, but I was there on scene and the portion I saw went very well.
No time for more right now. Will post photos later.
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Original article at 8:40 a.m. July 22:
The incident management team assigned to the Myrtle fire in the Black Hills of South Dakota is calling the fire 20 percent contained and 9,075 acres. It is likely that much of the fire received some rain from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday as thunderstorms with a great deal of lightning moved through the Black Hills. The Elk Mountain weather station 1 mile east of the fire measured 0.28″, and the BKF1 Portable weather station 4 miles west of the fire recorded 0.16″.
The most current map the team has provided, below, was current as of 11:56 p.m. June 20.
Myrtle Fire map at 11:56 p.m., June 20, 2012 provided by Hahnenberg’s incident management team. (Click to enlarge.)
An update from the Incident Management Team:
Date: July 21, 2012, at 10:00 p.m.
Current Situation: Firefighters continued to make progress on containment of the Myrtle Fire today. Containment of the fire was increased to 20% this evening with additional containment on the northern perimeter of the fire. Firefighters and crews were able to construct hand line and dozer line on the western perimeter of the fire. Afternoon thunderstorms prevented a planned firing operation to occur this afternoon on the eastern perimeter of the fire. Overnight, firefighters will improve containment lines and patrol the fire perimeter.
On Sunday, firefighters plan to improve and hold containment lines on the northern perimeter of the fire. On the western side of the fire, crews will continue line construction to the south. On the eastern side of the fire, crews are planning to conduct a firing operation that was delayed today due to weather and safety considerations. Public Information Officers will be available for media tours at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday at the staging area in Pringle. A community meeting will be held in Pringle tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. in the community building next to the fire station.
Weather: Scattered thunderstorms developing in the afternoon is anticipated to continue on Sunday and through the first part of next week. Temperatures will be in the 90’s tomorrow with a minimum relative humidity of 30% and increasing in the afternoon with the development of the expected thunderstorms. Winds will be light and variable throughout the day.
Information about the status of evacuations can be found at InciWeb.
A video/slide show of Tanker 07, a P2V, dropping on the Myrtle Fire. All photos were taken near Rifle Pit Road on July 19, 2012 at 8:24 p.m. by Bill Gabbert of Wildfire Today. And no, it did not crash into the trees; it exited the area safely and went back to Rapid City for the night.
