Projected federal air tanker fleet for the United States

Now that we have summarized the evolution of the federal large air tanker fleet over the course of 2014, it’s time to look at what is in store for 2015. There could be between 14 and 21 large air tankers on exclusive use contracts this year. Jennifer Jones, a Public Affairs Specialist with the U. S. Forest Service in Boise, told us that the list should include these aircraft:

  • 1 DC-10, 10 Tanker Air Carrier
  • 1 C-130Q, Coulson
  • 2 RJ-85s, Aero-Flite
  • 2 MD-87s, Erickson Aero Air
  • 1 BAe-146, Neptune
  • 6 P2Vs, Neptune
  • 1 C-130H, U.S. Forest  Service

In 2014 a DC-10 and three more BAe-146s were brought into service as “additional equipment” on a 1-year temporary basis under exclusive use contracts awarded in 2013. Due to a change in Department of the Interior procurement policies, this will not be done again in 2015.

The USFS expects to award another “next generation” contract for up to 7 more air tankers in 2015. We will be watching to see how long it takes the agency to advertise and award the contracts. Last time it took 555 days.

The USFS will also have one CL-415 water scooping air tanker on contract this year. And, eight military C-130s equipped with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) are expected to be available if needed.

Last year the Department of the Interior funded 33 exclusive use Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) as national shared resources. Randall Eardley, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Land Management, said their contracts are not firmed up yet for 2015, but they expect to have about the same number of SEATs as last year.

SEATs at Chester

Chester air attack base sign

Yesterday we stopped by the air tanker base at Chester, California where Terry Grecian, the manager, was kind enough to allow us out on the ramp to talk with one of the pilots.

Since it rained heavily a couple of days ago it has been less hectic at Chester. Earlier in the week they had Single Engine Air Tankers, Large Air Tankers, and several helicopters working out of the airport. On Wednesday there were just two SEATs and one Type 2 helicopter parked there.

Pilot Fred Celest and air tanker 873
Pilot Fred Celest and air tanker 873 at Chester, Calif. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

Fred Celest is the pilot for Tanker 873, an Air Tractor 802-F. He has previously flown crop dusters, private jets and P2V air tankers. He likes flying air tankers better than corporate jets, he said, because with air tankers he travels less. While talking with him we detected a bit of an accent, and it turns out that he is French and German, but is a United States citizen.

Mr. Celest felt it was important to point out that the 800-gallon aircraft has a 1,650 HP Garrett-14 engine. The air tanker is under contract through New Frontier Aviation out of Fort Benton, Montana. The company also operates 550-gallon M-18 Dromader SEATs.

Air Spray acquires two SEATs

Air Spray has received a new Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) and will be getting a second one in a few weeks. The Air Tractor 802 holds 800 gallons of fire retardant and can get into narrow canyons that are more of a challenge for the larger 3,000 to 4,000 gallon “next generation” air tankers.

Air Spray has a contract for one of them with the State of Oregon and will be seeking employment for the other one.

Air Spray mobile retardant base
Air Spray mobile retardant base. Photo by Air Spray.

They have a mobile retardant base installed on a large trailer which will be heading to Oregon with the AT 802.

Air Spray mobile retardant trailer
Air Spray mobile retardant base. Photo by Air Spray.

Their effort to convert two BAe-146 jet-powered airliners into air tankers is going slower than they expected. When we visited their project at the Chico, California airport in March and talked with Ravi Saip (Director of Maintenance/General Manager) and Paul Lane (Vice President and Chief Financial Officer) they said they hoped to have most of the work done by the end of the summer, then they would begin the testing, tweaking, improving, and certification phases. In an article in the Chico ER, Mr. Saip was quoted as saying they now expect one of the BAe-146s to be ready for the 2015 fire season, and “They took longer to modify than we expected”. Other air tanker companies converting BAe-146s have found that much of the aircraft’s infrastructure in the belly has to be worked around and/or relocated in order to install an internal tank and door system as they are doing.

Air Spray executives
Ravi Saip and Paul Lane of Air Spray, March 21, 2014, in front of one of their Lockheed Electras at Chico, California, which is under a CWN contract with CAL FIRE. It will be in Chico again beginning in August, 2014. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

Colorado’s plan for aerial firefighting resources for 2014

Colorado’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control has provided a few more details about their aerial firefighting resources for this year. According to their 2014 Wildfire Preparedness Plan, dated April 24, 2014:

  • They will “procure and operate two fixed-wing multi-mission aircraft”, in order to provide an incident assessment for every fire within 60 minutes of the report or detection.
  • They will “procure and operate four multi-mission rotor-wing aircraft”. The helicopters will be able to transport helitack crews and carry water or retardant.
  • The state will increase the number of contracted Single Engine Air Tankers from two to four.

The term “procure” is vague, and could mean they will either purchase or contract for the use of the aircraft. Previous information led us to believe they would purchase the two fixed wing multi-mission aircraft and contract for the four helicopters.

[UPDATE, May 15, 2014: One of our loyal readers, Bean, talked to with Paul Cooke, director of the Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control, at a meeting recently, and Director Cooke confirmed that they expect to purchase the two fixed wing multi-mission aircraft and contract for the four helicopters and the SEATs.]

On May 12 Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed the legislation recently passed by the House and the Senate that authorizes the Colorado Firefighting Air Corps (CFAC) to acquire a fleet of helicopters and air tankers to fight wildfires. 

The complete text from the section of the 2014 Wildfire Preparedness Plan that covers aerial firefighting is below.

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“Aerial Firefighting Resources

DFPC will develop and manage the Colorado Firefighting Air Corps (CFAC) that will provide for availability of appropriate aerial firefighting equipment and personnel at times of both high and fire risk to respond to a wildfire.

The 2014 plan for CFAC aerial firefighting resources will be based on wildfire risk and need, as well as available funding, and may include any number of potential arrangements. To the degree practicable and possible, the minimum deployment of CFAC aerial firefighting resources will be:

Multi-Mission Fixed-Wing Aircraft – In order achieve the goal of generating an incident assessment for every fire within 60 minutes of report or detection of a wildfire Colorado should procure and operate two fixed-wing multi-mission aircraft.

These aircraft should be equipped with modern sensing, processing, and communication systems to allow for the gathering and dissemination of real-time wildfire information. The multi-mission aircraft should be integrated into the state’s wildfire information management system to allow all data to be immediately available to wildfire managers across the state.

Rotor-Wing Multi-Mission Aircraft – In order achieve the goal of providing the appropriate aviation suppression resources to every fire within 60 minutes of the request Colorado should procure and operate four multi-mission rotor-wing aircraft.

These aircraft should be capable of operating in Colorado’s high altitude and hot temperature environments. The rotor-wing aircraft should be capable of delivering wildfire suppression personnel (helitack crews) to remote locations to facilitate initial attack missions. The rotor-wing aircraft should also be able to carry water or retardant to remote locations in order to support ground-based suppression teams.

Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) – In order achieve the goal of providing the appropriate aviation suppression resources to every fire within 60 minutes of the request and to increase the effectiveness of the SEAT program, it is proposed that Colorado increase the exclusive-use SEAT contract to four aircraft in 2014.

For the past several years, Colorado procured SEATs on an annual exclusive-use contract basis during the wildland fire season. Typically, the contract has been for two SEATs with an option for a third if needed. SEATs are very effective in lighter fuel types such as grass and brush and are most effective during initial attack operations if used as a quick response resource. The efficiency and effectiveness of SEATs is increased if they are located in close proximity to the incident and integrated with ground resources as a support tool.

DFPC will also ensure the maintenance of process for ordering and dispatching aerial firefighting equipment and personnel that is consistent with, and supportive of, the statewide mobilization plan prepared pursuant to Section 24-33.5-705.4, C.R.S. DFPC will provide the technical assistance and program management that identifies local, county, and state resources; their qualification to national standards; and their listing in interagency zone dispatch centers and in the Colorado Statewide Resource Mobilization System.

Principal funding for CFAC will be from the Colorado Firefighting Air Corps Fund created in Section 24-33.5-1228 (3) (a), C.R.S. The estimated total program costs for 2014 are $19,670,000.”
Thanks and a hat tip go out to Bean.

New SEAT base at Chadron, Nebraska

SEAT base dedication at Chadron
SEAT base dedication at Chadron, NE. South Dakota Wildland Fire Div photo.

A new base for Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) was dedicated at the Chadron Municipal Airport in Nebraska on Saturday, April 16. Thanks to the Nebraska legislature’s passage in 2013 of the Wildfire Control Act, three SEAT bases are now available in the northwest part of the state. Last year a contracted SEAT came on duty July 15. Other bases managed by the Nebraska Forest Service (NFS) are at Valentine (see photo below), and Alliance. A fourth base is scheduled for construction at North Platte Regional Airport later this year.

 

SEAT base in Valentine Nebraska. Nebraska Forest Service photo.
SEAT base in Valentine. Nebraska Forest Service photo.

DOI contracts for 33 Single Engine Air Tankers

Air Tractor 802 single engine air tanker

The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group announced today that the Department of the Interior is funding 33 exclusive use Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) in 2014 as national shared resources. Historically, SEATs have been funded as primarily a local or regional resource with assigned home bases. The 2014 exclusive use SEAT fleet will not have assigned home bases. They will be treated as national shared resources similar to Large Air Tankers (LATs). Geographic area Coordination Centers (GACCs) can preposition SEATs using the same mechanisms and rationale used for other national resources.

There are three start dates — May 26th, June 5th and June 12th. Based on the number of DOI National Exclusive Use SEATs allocated to their GACC, Bureau of Land Management State Aviation Managers and Bureau of Indian Affairs Regional Aviation Managers will coordinate with fire staff and the Geographic Area Coordinating Group to determine the initial starting location of DOI Exclusive Use SEAT’s.

As National assets, DOI National Exclusive Use SEATs will be moved to areas of greatest need. Within Geographic Areas, Fire Staff on an interagency basis will provide direction to the Dispatch system on the mob/demob of SEATs to meet existing or forecasted fire loads within their jurisdiction. GACCs can preposition SEATs using the same mechanisms and rationale used with LATs.

Below are some of the provisions of the contracts:

  • These are one year Exclusive Use contracts with 4 option years.
  • There are no designated bases under these contracts.
    • Notice to Proceeds will be issued giving the contractor direction on where to report to at the beginning of the contract.
  • The Mandatory Availability Period will be 100 days with three different start dates — May 26th/June 5th/June 12th.
  • The aircraft will be AT-802s with an Interagency Airtanker Board approved gate system.
  • The Level I Pilots will be on a fixed 6/1 work schedule set at the start of the contract.
    • No relief pilot is required.
    • Companies can exchange pilots.
  • The contracts allow for the government to order an additional service truck at a daily flat rate of $500 when needed to augment the existing truck or to utilize the second one at a remote base.

The AT-802 holds 800 gallons of retardant. This compares to the 2,000 to 3,500 Large Air Tankers can carry, or the 11,600 gallons the DC-10 holds. But, SEATs are a very useful tool in the aerial firefighting tool box — a tool box that should have a variety of types and sizes of aircraft with different capabilities and niches.

As the western fire season gets under way, there are nine LATs available on exclusive use contracts, and one Very Large Air Tanker, a DC-10. It is possible that an additional five “next generation” LATs may eventually meet the requirements of the contracts that were issued to them a year ago and could be added to the fleet.

Report: U.S. may give armed SEATs to Yemen

Air Tractor AT-802U
Air Tractor AT-802U

Aircraft that are frequently used as crop dusters and single engine air tankers (SEATs) may be given to the government of Yemen to battle terrorists. BuzzFeed reports that models being considered are the Air Tractor AT-802U and Thrush. The two-seater aircraft would be equipped with laser-guided missiles and high-tech electronic intelligence equipment, as well as armor to protect the crew.

Wildfire Today reported on the armed AT-802U back in 2009 when it was a hit at the Paris Air Show.

The U.S. considered using drones, but they are getting a bad reputation. Officials apparently decided on sending up to ten of the single engine aircraft to Yemen, at least in part because “even poorly trained Yemeni pilots could learn to fly them”.

BuzzFeed reports:

According to a Central Command memorandum dated Feb. 3 and obtained by BuzzFeed, the “Precision Strike” program for Yemen would “greatly enhance counter terrorism (CT) objectives to support action against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.” The U.S. government says AQAP is a Yemeni-based group that has tried to launch terrorist attacks against the U.S., including the infamous failed effort by the “underwear bomber,” Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, in 2009.

One choice for Yemen’s “Precision Strike” plane, according to documents and the sources, is a version of an “Air Tractor” plane called a 802U. It’s a hardy airplane, manufactured in Texas. The fuselage resembles a World War II Spitfire fighter plane, though it flies more slowly.

Asked about the Yemen project, Air Tractor Inc.’s president, Jim Hirsch, said, “I’m not at liberty to discuss that program.” Although the Air Tractor is widely used as an agriculture plane for crop spraying, the company makes a version it says is for “counterinsurgency operations,” and Air Tractor’s website bills it as “a true irregular warfare aircraft.”

The other plane in the running is a Thrush, which looks similar to the Air Tractor and is also usually used as a crop duster. It is manufactured in Georgia by Thrush Aircraft.

Air Tractor AT-802U
Air Tractor AT-802U