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U.S. can muster only third of worn-out big air tanker fleet this fire season
- Thread starter PeteCO
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propsarebest
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FN FAL
Freight Dawgs Rule
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I think this A-10 warthog guy is onto something...
http://insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_2664367
The government is keeping the warthogs for reasons of national security...what would that be? In case they need them here in the states to quell uprisings? The A-10 is a great ground support plane, but I think it's day is coming to a close.
http://insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_2664367
The government is keeping the warthogs for reasons of national security...what would that be? In case they need them here in the states to quell uprisings? The A-10 is a great ground support plane, but I think it's day is coming to a close.
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The fleet is not worn out, and never has been. The current situation is purely political.
The A-10 pipe dream is another long, story that's fallout from another long story.
Contracted single engine tankers haven't increased substantially, but the call-when-needed list has. The biggest problem is lack of qualified pilots, and due to the new carding system that's been in place the last few years, adding pilots after the schools have been held at the start of the year is difficult.
Nobody is likely to contract the Bierev at it's acquisition cost. H&P had announced plans to bring seven on line, but everything is being sold off, there. Aeroflite has added canadair CL-215 equipment. The BAE-146 isn't going anywhere until the government is willing to offer some security on the matter.
A fleet of adequate aircraft is already available.
Politics is still preventing it's use. The call this year was for 20 heavy tanker contracts.
The A-10 pipe dream is another long, story that's fallout from another long story.
Contracted single engine tankers haven't increased substantially, but the call-when-needed list has. The biggest problem is lack of qualified pilots, and due to the new carding system that's been in place the last few years, adding pilots after the schools have been held at the start of the year is difficult.
Nobody is likely to contract the Bierev at it's acquisition cost. H&P had announced plans to bring seven on line, but everything is being sold off, there. Aeroflite has added canadair CL-215 equipment. The BAE-146 isn't going anywhere until the government is willing to offer some security on the matter.
A fleet of adequate aircraft is already available.
Politics is still preventing it's use. The call this year was for 20 heavy tanker contracts.
moving2vegas
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propsarebest
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moving2vegas
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414Flyer
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Air Tanker Crashes in Northern California
COHASSET, Calif. (April 21) - Rescue crews early Thursday reached the site of a downed air tanker that crashed in a remote region of Northern California while on a training flight, sparking a small fire.
It was not immediately known whether any of the three crew members survived.
The P-3 Orion air tanker crashed just before 7 p.m. Wednesday in a rugged area of the Lassen National Forest, officials said. The crash site was about 30 miles northeast of Chico in the north-central part of the state.
Rescue efforts were hampered by the rugged terrain, which made it difficult for Tehama County search and rescue crews to reach the crash area, Leona Rodreick, spokeswoman for the Lassen National Forest, said Thursday.
Search and rescue teams headed in on foot after the steepness of the terrain prevented a California Highway Patrol helicopter from landing at the crash site.
"It's a fairly remote spot, and it took them a while to find a route in," Rodreick said. "There are no roads or trails. They had to hike in two or three miles."
She said she had no information about whether those aboard survived. The crash sparked a ground fire that had burned two acres by late Wednesday, she said.
The plane was owned by Aero Union, a Chico-based company that provides aerial firefighting equipment. The P-3 Orion air tanker is used for retardant drops during wildfires. It was not on contract with any government agency at the time of the crash, Rodreick said.
Aero Union CEO Terry Unsworth said Thursday he was still awaiting word from search and rescue officials and declined to release the names of those involved in the crash until their fate is known. He told the Chico Enterprise-Record that he believed the aircraft was "a total loss."
On Monday, the National Interagency Fire Center said it had approved contracts to return 10 air tankers to the federal firefighting fleet. That included seven contracts awarded to Aero Union for P-3 Orions.
Last May, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Interior terminated contracts for 33 large air tankers, citing concerns with public safety and airworthiness after two planes broke up in midair in 2002.
Aero Union fought the government's move, arguing that it was unfairly lumped in with a Wyoming firm responsible for most of the catastrophic accidents.
Both of the deadly 2002 accidents involved aircraft operated by Hawkins & Powers Aviation Inc. of Greybull, Wyo. Both planes lost their wings in mid-flight while dropping fire retardant.
An Associated Press investigation found Hawkins & Powers had a long history of crashes and safety problems. By contrast, air tanker pilots, industry experts and a government inspector said Aero Union maintained high standards while competing for government low bids.
Federal officials later agreed to return some large tankers to service if operators could prove the aircraft were safe to fly. Last summer, eight P-3 Orions were returned.
COHASSET, Calif. (April 21) - Rescue crews early Thursday reached the site of a downed air tanker that crashed in a remote region of Northern California while on a training flight, sparking a small fire.
It was not immediately known whether any of the three crew members survived.
The P-3 Orion air tanker crashed just before 7 p.m. Wednesday in a rugged area of the Lassen National Forest, officials said. The crash site was about 30 miles northeast of Chico in the north-central part of the state.
Rescue efforts were hampered by the rugged terrain, which made it difficult for Tehama County search and rescue crews to reach the crash area, Leona Rodreick, spokeswoman for the Lassen National Forest, said Thursday.
Search and rescue teams headed in on foot after the steepness of the terrain prevented a California Highway Patrol helicopter from landing at the crash site.
"It's a fairly remote spot, and it took them a while to find a route in," Rodreick said. "There are no roads or trails. They had to hike in two or three miles."
She said she had no information about whether those aboard survived. The crash sparked a ground fire that had burned two acres by late Wednesday, she said.
The plane was owned by Aero Union, a Chico-based company that provides aerial firefighting equipment. The P-3 Orion air tanker is used for retardant drops during wildfires. It was not on contract with any government agency at the time of the crash, Rodreick said.
Aero Union CEO Terry Unsworth said Thursday he was still awaiting word from search and rescue officials and declined to release the names of those involved in the crash until their fate is known. He told the Chico Enterprise-Record that he believed the aircraft was "a total loss."
On Monday, the National Interagency Fire Center said it had approved contracts to return 10 air tankers to the federal firefighting fleet. That included seven contracts awarded to Aero Union for P-3 Orions.
Last May, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Interior terminated contracts for 33 large air tankers, citing concerns with public safety and airworthiness after two planes broke up in midair in 2002.
Aero Union fought the government's move, arguing that it was unfairly lumped in with a Wyoming firm responsible for most of the catastrophic accidents.
Both of the deadly 2002 accidents involved aircraft operated by Hawkins & Powers Aviation Inc. of Greybull, Wyo. Both planes lost their wings in mid-flight while dropping fire retardant.
An Associated Press investigation found Hawkins & Powers had a long history of crashes and safety problems. By contrast, air tanker pilots, industry experts and a government inspector said Aero Union maintained high standards while competing for government low bids.
Federal officials later agreed to return some large tankers to service if operators could prove the aircraft were safe to fly. Last summer, eight P-3 Orions were returned.
propsarebest
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