STEVE CANYON
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- Mar 20, 2002
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http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=58476
June 17, 2003
Fire season sparks debate over fire fighting air force
Last year's deadly crashes put the forest service at a crossroads.
After a series of investigative reports by KATU and findings from a panel ordered by congress that revealed serious maintenance issues with the fire fighting air force, the agency grounded 11 planes reducing it's fleet by a quarter.
Among the planes sitting as fire season begins are aging C-130's and PB4Y's - they were planes so old that contractors had trouble replacing parts.
"Certainly if we get into a season like last year we're going to be stretched," said Jon Rollens from the U.S. Forest Service.
To compensate, officials are trying to find newer airplanes for its fire fighting air force.
Among the strong contenders in the short run might be single engine planes from a Texas company that said it could supply dozens of the smaller fire retardant planes. These small aircraft are similar to crop dusters.
The forest service is also pressing more helicopters into service and said it may use around 400 as the fleet is forced to expand.
But for the long-term officials are looking toward a larger solution.
Cargo giant Evergreen of McMinnville is planning to test the biggest aerial retardant plane ever conceived this summer.
"Really it was a vision that Mr. Smith had," said Penn Stohr of Evergreen Aviation.
Officials said company CEO Del Smith wanted to fit aerial retardant tanks into a 747.
"We've been working on this a year, it's really going to be exciting," said Stohr.
The exciting part will be when they test it sometime this summer in Arizona.
"There are naysayers that say that a big plane with a gigantic wing span has some limitations and indeed it does," said Stohr. "But my background experience is acceptable for this type of an airplane. The biscuit fire for example last year - that type of terrain is acceptable to this airplane."
Evergreen officials said that a 747 fitted with tanks that will carry some 24,000 gallons can drop a line of fire retardant 5 miles long, which is eight times longer than the largest fire fighting aircraft in operation.
At least one other company is working on plans to use jets to get to fires faster and drop more retardant than the aircraft currently in use.
June 17, 2003
Fire season sparks debate over fire fighting air force
Last year's deadly crashes put the forest service at a crossroads.
After a series of investigative reports by KATU and findings from a panel ordered by congress that revealed serious maintenance issues with the fire fighting air force, the agency grounded 11 planes reducing it's fleet by a quarter.
Among the planes sitting as fire season begins are aging C-130's and PB4Y's - they were planes so old that contractors had trouble replacing parts.
"Certainly if we get into a season like last year we're going to be stretched," said Jon Rollens from the U.S. Forest Service.
To compensate, officials are trying to find newer airplanes for its fire fighting air force.
Among the strong contenders in the short run might be single engine planes from a Texas company that said it could supply dozens of the smaller fire retardant planes. These small aircraft are similar to crop dusters.
The forest service is also pressing more helicopters into service and said it may use around 400 as the fleet is forced to expand.
But for the long-term officials are looking toward a larger solution.
Cargo giant Evergreen of McMinnville is planning to test the biggest aerial retardant plane ever conceived this summer.
"Really it was a vision that Mr. Smith had," said Penn Stohr of Evergreen Aviation.
Officials said company CEO Del Smith wanted to fit aerial retardant tanks into a 747.
"We've been working on this a year, it's really going to be exciting," said Stohr.
The exciting part will be when they test it sometime this summer in Arizona.
"There are naysayers that say that a big plane with a gigantic wing span has some limitations and indeed it does," said Stohr. "But my background experience is acceptable for this type of an airplane. The biscuit fire for example last year - that type of terrain is acceptable to this airplane."
Evergreen officials said that a 747 fitted with tanks that will carry some 24,000 gallons can drop a line of fire retardant 5 miles long, which is eight times longer than the largest fire fighting aircraft in operation.
At least one other company is working on plans to use jets to get to fires faster and drop more retardant than the aircraft currently in use.
