Fires......

[DC4boy]

Tanker 21, a P-3, is on at Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Not sure about the other one. Last word for my aircraft was end of may. Contract was supposed to start 01 March.

Gonna be quite interesting.

Whats the latest for the Leads

 

[flyingwildfires]

leads for 2003......

I have heard some rumors about leads, they have varied from 50% of the baron fleet being grounded from that mission, to the latest version, which was an estimate of maybe a third of the fleet being cut out. I don't really know. Last I heard on sherpas was that they would be used but with a look to their second segment climb performance, don't really know if that is for sure or not. I hate to mention rumors but that is all we seem to hear lately.
The national fire forecast says it won't be as wild a year as the last two..... who knows though, except for Big Ernie????
Keep the greasy side down.......

 

[414Flyer]

Well we will see. With a lot of the tankers not flying possibly, and with the bark beetles killing off a lot of trees, could still get hairy.

 

[milwan]

There are seven barons that will be used for leads this year. The rest have over 6000 hours and are grounded

 

[flyingwildfires]

leads, helicopters, tankers, yeah, yeah,

Let's see... the helipukes have been saying for decades that they have seen "the end of the useless fixed-wings", and the fixed wing guys have laughed for years about the efficinecy of helicopters that "can't leave the county without refueling"..... as a (former and current) member of both camps, I'd LOVE to hear the discourse from both sides....... c'mon drivers, which works and which doesn't???

 

[Dan CFI/CFII]

T-26 came into Albuquerque last week. Sure like seeing them fly over the city right now...

On all of the property I take care of, in central NM we've got 80 percent (not a typo) of the trees dead from bark beetles on South facing slopes. It's ugly as all get out. I've burned over 20 gallong of gas in my Stihl, and we're RAF from close to having even defensible space around the house or shop.

Guess it's a good thing I don't have a job right now, least I got time to cut down trees! Luckily you don't have to go too far north for it to get better, Southern CO is around 85 percent of snowfall right now. They also changed the "avalanche danger" signs to "fire danger" signs this week in the San Juans--not a good sign.

Dan

 

[avbug]

Not a good thing? That's a great thing! Job security.

There is room, and need for, all types of aircraft on fires. Helicopters have a place, as do SEATS and various heavy tankers. Leads have a place...there are a number of fires I wouldn't have wanted to be on without a leadplane. Smoke ops certainly have their place with jumpers and paracargo.

Air attack is crucial, and recent events such as Storm King have shown that more, not less air assets are needed (air assets were in use, but better overhead wx and wind info would have played an important role in chaning what happened).

Personally I believe the 4Y's shouldn't have been grounded: they have a firm place in the industry, politics not withstanding.