July 2012 - California Fire Pilots Association

CFPA
NEWS
July
2012
The California Fire Pilots Association newsletter
Air Attack 505, OV-10D, a new «tool» in the tool box .(ph Jerome Laval)
Forewords
Hint and tips
Safety
BFM on Leadplanes
Pilot assignments
Ukiah AAB
Tributes...
SEAT drop, 19 55 (coll Santa Rosa AAB)
An Airtanker history overview
N°1/2012
July 2012
F
irst, I would like to express
my appreciation to the pilots
for their flexibility in meeting
the schedule changes and aircraft
assignments.
2nd, I would like to remind the
pilots that they are expected
to be able to operate all of the
avionics equipment that is installed
in the aircraft. I know that it is a rare
occurrence that requires a change
in the tone for a frequency, but
the Command Channels do not
have tones assigned and the pilot
must be able to enter a tone on the
transmit side.
Chief Bill Payne
AMU
CAL FIRE Aviation Program
T
hank you to everyone for the
hard work and dedication that
was displayed during training. It
was a bit of a transition in the tankers
this year and I saw no degradation
in the training performance. Also,
wanted to give Chuck Lees a big “attaboy” for stepping right in and taking
over as the Lead Tanker Instructor.
door is always open if you have any
comments, concerns, suggestions
or just want to talk (in many cases, I
should say the my phone is usually
available).
Thanks & stay safe.
It appears that we are headed for yet
another fire season without much
Fed support. Please continue to
utilize your training and experience
to stay safe at the beginning (or
middle if you are in Hemet/Ramona)
of the season.
Jeff Cavarra
Program Manager
DynCorp International, LLC
CAL FIRE Aviation Program
5509 Price Avenue
McClellan, CA 95652
Office: 916.561.3318
Mobile: 916.812.1931
Fax: 916.561.3324
e-mail:
[email protected]
Despite some rumors to the contrary,
I GREATLY appreciate what each
of you do every day. As usual, the
Regards,
FOREWORDS
I
want to wish each of you a very
happy Fourth of July!! I also want
to thank each and every one of you
for your dedication to our program.
I know it is very difficult to be away
from your families for extended
periods of time. I know the toll it takes
upon you and the price you and your
family members pay, especially on
holidays. Thank you for your sacrifice.
I would also like to thank each of you
for doing an excellent job so far this
season. I have not heard, nor do I
know of, any major complaints this
year. This can only be attributed to
your great effort and performance. I
deeply appreciate all that you do!
With the flight crews we have
lost this year, and so early in the
season, please continue to keep your
priorities in the proper order and
remember what is truly important.
Our job is to go home every night.
The rest is gravy.
Thank you again. I do appreciate it.
Again, Happy Fourth Of July!!
Todd Deline
Lead Air Tactical Pilot
NEWS
- I.A Carded Captains : Congratulations to Jimmy Ferreira and Jason Carter, good
job ! (Cameron, be patient, you’re next.)
- Tanker trainees : Dan Rieger and David Kelly Jr. Have a good training.
- New hire : Erik Hakenen. Welcome aboard.
Editor : Jerome Laval, Editor
Graphic Design : Cyril Defever
Please forward your pictures and articles to:
e-mail : [email protected]
2
L
es Kohler retired before
spring training after 22
years. Enjoy retirement Les
and keep in touch.
CFPA news
SAFETY
c
D
F
F
irst of all I would like
to thank all
of you for your support to the CAL FIRE Aviation
Safety program while as was in the position of the
Aviation Safety Officer. I hope that I was able to provide
at least a small contribution to improve the Aviation
Safety program during my tenure in that position and
that you were able to see some benefits. I am currently
enjoying the challenges and new opportunities that
have come with my new position as the Fixed-wing
Program Manager and am looking forward to working
with all of you even closer. I would also like to introduce
and welcome Glenn Galbraith as the new Aviation
Safety Officer. Glenn comes to us from CalStar where
he served as both an EMS helicopter pilot and in their
Regional Aviation Safety position. Glenn has been
flying helicopters for the past 32 years and has a wealth
of experience that he brings to the table.
This newsletter is coming out on the heels of a very busy
and tragic beginning to the 2012 fire season for much of
the U.S. The tragic losses of Tanker 11 and MAFFS 7 plus
the loss of Tanker 55, (fortunately just the airframe and
not the crew) will add additional scrutiny onto all of the
airtanker programs including our own, and will almost
certainly add additional pressure on our existing fleet in
order to make up for the loss of the Federal resources in
California. I do not know where the future will take the
HINTS AND TIPS
by Colin Rogers
Federal Agencies and their aerial firefighting programs,
but I do believe that we have a very solid program with the
finest fleet, maintenance and flight personnel that there
is. I also feel that our training program is hands down the
best available and that you as pilots are all well trained and
disciplined for the missions that you fly. However you fly
in a very unforgiving environment, at very low altitudes,
with very little room for errors or unexpected changes. If
conditions are such that you are not comfortable with the
risks involved in a particular mission or individual drop run
then it is expected that you will exercise your authority as
Pilot in Command and decline the assignment or suggest
an alternative that you feel can be done safely. Your skills,
knowledge and experience are unmatched anywhere;
please use them to provide yourself and others the safest
working environment possible. As the State’s wildland
firefighting agency, it is a high priority for us to provide
protection to life and property for the citizens and visitors
to California, but remember all of you coming home safely
from every fire or rescue mission is our number 1 priority.
Thanks,
c
D
F
Dennis W. Brown
CAL FIRE Fixed-Wing Program Manager
Take a look at a couple of screen
shots of an iPhone app that others
with iPhones may find useful.
It’s called Time Calcs, and it has a
number of different time calculator
functions. One lets you put in your
out and in times, and tells you your
elapsed time for that leg.
Another enables you to keep a
running total of all of your legs for
the day. I know, I can do this in my
head as well... pretty easily at the
start of the day. But after lots of legs,
my mind starts to fumble with the
numbers, and this makes it nice and
easy all day long. A well spent $1.99
in my eyes.
Colin
July 2012
3
SAFETY
T
he California Fire Pilots Association extends our condolences to the families and friends of the crews of
Tanker 11 and Maffs Tanker 7. Our best wishes to the survivors of Tanker 7.
We are also extremely happy that Mike Lynn, Lead Bravo 05, is still with us to lead another day!
After the tragic start to the 2012 fire season it’s more important than ever that we be extra vigilant in all of our
operations and band together to support each other!
In an attempt to better educate ourselves, the following is an example of causal factors in an accident. I highly
recommend further reading on Loss Aversion. I can easily think of several scenarios in the aerial firefighting business where loss aversion
could influence us. The two that quickly come to mind are firefighter’s or homeowner’s lives on the ground being threatened and our
action’s to help.
Knowledge and the ability to identify any of these chains or behaviors could make the difference in our survival.
Anatomy of An Accident-Taking off at Tenerife
An excerpt from SWAY, The Irresistible Pull of Irrational
Behavior
By Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman
The following excerpt examines how as humans we can
become negatively influenced by Loss Aversion.
The Pilot
The passengers aboard KLM Flight 4805 didn’t know it, but
they were in the hands of one of the most experienced and
accomplished pilots in the world. Captain Jacob Van Zanten’s
attention to detail, methodical approach, and spotless record
made him a natural choice to head KLM’s safety program. It
was no surprise, then, that the airline was keen to show him
off. One magazine ad featuring the smiling captain captured
it all: “KLM: From the people who made punctuality possible.”
The Scenario
On the flight deck of the 747, en route from Amsterdam to
Las Palmas Airport in the Canary Islands, Van Zanten must
have felt a sense of pride. Today’s trip was moving along with
the smooth precision that had become his hallmark. The
schedule was straightforward: land in Las Palmas, refuel, and
transport a new set of passengers back home to Holland.
But then Van Zanten received an urgent message from airtraffic control. A terrorist bomb had exploded at the airport
flower shop, causing massive chaos on the ground. Las
Palmas would be closed until further notice.
The captain knew that at times like this the most important
thing was to remain calm and proceed with caution. He had
performed drills preparing for this kind of situation countless
times. In fact, Van Zanten had just returned from leading a
six-month safety course on how to react in exactly this kind
of situation.
Following standard procedure, the captain obeyed orders
to land fifty nautical miles from his original destination, on
the island of Tenerife. There, at 1:10 pm his plane joined
several others that had been similarly diverted.
With his plane safely parked at the edge of the runway, the
4
captain checked his watch. Seeing the time, he was struck with
a worrisome thought: the mandated rest period.
After getting in touch with HQ and performing some quick
calculations, Van Zanten figured the latest he could take off was
6:30. Flying after the start of his mandated rest period was out
of the question. But taking the rest period would open its own
can of worms. There would be no replacement crew to take
over at Tenerife. Hundreds of passengers would be stranded
overnite. This delay would cause a cascade of flight cancellations
throughout KLM. A seemingly minor diversion could easily
become a logistical nightmare.
Enter Stress
It’s easy to imagine the stress that Van Zanten was experiencing
and why he became so determined to save time. It seemed that
for every action he took to stay on schedule he was conspired
against. He kept the passengers on the plane so he could leave
quickly and began refueling. As the aircraft was being refueled,
word came from the tower that the Las Palmas airport had finally
reopened. But it was too late to stop the 35 minute refueling
process.
Finally, just when it looked like the plane was set to go,
nature threw its own wrench into the plan: a thick layer of fog
descended upon the runway.
Kicking himself over his decision to refuel, Van Zanten became
even more intent on getting under way. With the fog growing
thicker, visibility dropped to just 300 meters-so poor that gazing
out the cockpit window the captain couldn’t see the end of the
runway.
Van Zanten knew that every moment the fog got worse made
it that much likelier that the Tenerife tower would shut down
the airport. It was now or never-time to go.
But what the captain did next was completely out of character.
Van Zanten revved up the engines, and the plane lurched
down the runway. Wait a minute, “Van Zanten’s copilot said in
confusion. We don’t have ATC clearance.”
“I know that,” replied the captain as he hit the brakes. “Go
ahead and ask.”
The copilot got on the radio and received airway clearance, but
the tower said nothing about the vital takeoff clearance. And
yet, determined to take off, Van Zanten pushed the throttles to
full power and roared down the foggy runway.
CFPA news
The Accident
The jumbo jet was gaining momentum when, seemingly
out of nowhere, the scariest sight Van Zanten could have
imagined appeared before him. A Pan Am 747 was parked
across the runway, and Van Zanten was approaching it at
take-off speed.
There was no way to stop or swerve. Instinctively, Van
Zanten knew that his only chance was to take off early.
“Come on! Please!” the captain urged his plane. He pulled the
aircrafts nose up desperately, dragging its tail on the ground
and throwing up a blinding spray of sparks.
The nose of Van Zanten’s plane managed to narrowly clear
the parked 747. But just when it looked like he was in the
clear, the underside of Van Zanten’s fuselage ripped through
the top of the Pan Am plane.
The KLM plane burst into a fiery explosion as it hurtled
another five hundred yards down the runway. Van Zanten, his
entire crew, and all of his passengers were killed. In all, 584
people lost their lives that day.
The aeronautical community was stunned. It was by far the
deadliest airplane collision in history. An international team of
experts descended upon the Tenerife airport. It was clear that
the other plane on the runway had missed a taxiway turnoff
and ended up in the wrong place. The thick fog contributed
to the disaster.
Despite all these factors, though, the tragedy would
never have occurred if Van Zanten hadn’t taken off without
clearance. Why would this seasoned pilot, the head of safety
at the airline, make such a rash an irresponsible decision?
Loss Aversion
A growing body of research reveals that our behavior and
decision making are influenced by an array of psychological
undercurrents and that they are much more powerful and
pervasive than most of us realize. These undercurrents and
forces include loss aversion (our tendency to go to great
lengths to avoid possible losses).
We experience the pain associated with a loss much more
vividly than we do the joy of experiencing a gain. Essentially,
we overreact to perceived loss for no apparent logical reason,
and this aversion to loss plays out in our own decision making.
The losses that Van Zanten was trying to avoid were all the
downsides of the mandated rest period: the cost of putting
up the passengers, the chain reaction of delayed flights, and
the blot on his reputation for being on time.
Van Zantens’s desire to avoid a delay started out small
enough. At first he simply wanted to keep passengers on
board to save time. But as the delay grew
longer, the potential loss loomed larger. By the time
an overnite delay seemed almost inevitable, Van Zanten
was so focused on avoiding it that he tuned out all other
consideration and, for that matter, his common sense and
years of training.
http://www.awesomestories.com/assets/klm-captain-jacob-vanzanten
Bryan Combs
California Fire Pilots Association
Safety Officer
Phone: 209-890-5677
E-mail: [email protected]
July 2012
Tactical Air Operations
Standardization
T
his year is already proving to be more active than
the past several years. More over the fuels and
predicted weather patterns seem to be indicative
of us having a busier fire year. Although our aircrews
are well trained and our maintenance is second to none,
it will be important for us all to maintain our diligence
to operations and safe practices. I truly believe our
aviation successes stem from the working relationships
we have forged between our pilots, mechanics and
agency personnel. Sometimes doing the right thing
does not make it the easy thing to do, and as difficult
as it may be sometimes, I challenge everyone to do the
right thing. We look forward to supporting you.
Safe flights,
Division Chief Dan Reese
FOREWORDS
O
ver the past three years strides have been taken
to standardize many of the daily operations
being conducted at our Air Attack and
Helitack Bases. Aircraft dispatching was one of them.
Although past department policy outlined what was
to be covered it was often not delivered to bases in a
consistent and complete manner. Last summer saw
the roll-out of a standard dispatch form, the CAL FIRE
FC-106 and subsequent dispatch script. Both Region
dispatch centers (GACC’s) now deliver the needed
dispatch information as per the FC-106 form. Every
pilot should be receiving the information outlined
on the form from their base of dispatch. I would also
encourage keeping a copy with you in your aircraft to
utilize on a divert. Communications as you know are
one of the biggest faults found with aircraft incidents or
potential incidents. Be sure to leave with all information
on the form filled in. Your base managers can help you
receive this form electronically or hard copy.
Fly safe,
BC Garrett Sjolund
5
Basic flight manoeuvring on leadplanes
By Joe Satrapa
BFM on Lead Planes
Several indications that Basic Flight Maneuvering on Lead Planes
and terminology need be reviewed: If a Tanker Pilot requests a Lead
to slow down in a turn in order to close nose to tail, or asks him to
increase speed to open, it demonstrates a lack of understanding of
Basic Flight Maneuvering.
After conferring with the finest Lead Plane Pilots in the business,
(Bob Coward, Lynn Flock, Rick Haagenson, Bill Buckley, Mike Lynn)
a short expose` on voice procedures and BFM (on a Lead Plane)
follows. It is merely meant as a refresher on what Lead Plane pilots
expect the Tanker pilot to know and do.
2. Prior to turning final, tankers may vary their nose to tail on the
lead by.. “lead or lag pursuit” on the projected trail position they
desire behind the lead. Slight vertical changes in altitude can be
used to enhance lead or lag pursuit: i.e. modified high or low yoyo’s: modified ¼ chandelles while crossing the trail airspace aft of
the Lead to acquire the desired nose to tail. Very minor
3. power corrections are necessary. Figures 1 & 2 pertain.
1
1
Fig 1
2
2
1
2
1
Fig 2
2
1. Inbound,, monitor the tactical frequency as early as possible
so you have SA on arrival. Next tanker up after preceding
tanker dropped and is clear, is expected (for left turns) to be at
assigned altitude aft and slightly right of lead plane for next
drop. This is called “the perch”. Maneuvering to this position
on the Lead is BFM. When cleared by the Lead, decent to a
position slightly high at his six O’clock at the desired nose to
tail distance, is approved.
4. If the topography is too tight or the visibility is marginal, mild
slides to outside or minor cuts to inside to maintain a comfortable
trail position on the lead might be difficult/unsafe.. ask for a show
me and fly the profile yourself… if you saw the last tanker drop
ask if he wants you to extend, or tie into last drop. It will not be an
issue with the lead. They are only there to help.
5. Ask if the lead is flying the wind correction or if you will determine
the offset: This is a legitimate question. Lead planes on final, fly
about 80ft to100ft above the highest terrain in order to give us
some look down and diminish parallax when they mark the drop
zone. (do not gauge your drop altitude by the lead plane) he is
lower for the above reason.
6. Overrun and under runs on the lead are not acceptable. If you
overrun the lead high, you must broadcast, “overrun high,
lost sight breaking right/left” ! Under runs…same important
info: These two events should ‘Never’ happen: Inattention to
deteriorating visibility is usually the cause.
7. Unless otherwise briefed, the Lead Plane usually hugs the terrain,
turns left and has received acknowledgement from the Tanker
pilot that he will be exiting in a right climbing turn. The lead
expects to look up aft and right during his exit and see the
tanker. Any deviation from the understood exit strategy must be
broadcast by the deviant.
8. If further Lead Plane /Tanker clarification is desired: The Interagency
Supervision Guide, Chapter 9, Tactical Aircraft Operations, Rev
2009…. specifically pertains… with online access.
An ounce of gauge is worth a pound of knowledge!
Vr Satrapa Joe
6
CFPA news
2012 Cal Fire Air-Tac & Airtanker Deployment Schedule
BASE
TYPE
N
TAIL #
CREW
Start
END
Day Off
Relief
Base Mech.
& Day Off
ROHNERVILLE
OV10
N413DF
A120
Stefanie Kudar
6/16
10/15
Fri
Lee Donham
Tim Huber
FOT
S2T
N440DF
T96
Jerome Laval
7/1
10/15
Sun/Mon
Jim Cook (12/2)
OV10
N421DF
A240
Del Schulte
6/16
10/15
Thu
Lee Donham
REDDING
S2T
N442DF
T94
Tim Daly
6/16
10/15
Thu
Jim Cook
RDD
S2T
N448DF
T95
Charlie Jones
6/16
10/15
Wed
Jim Cook
Bob Coward
6/16
10/15
Fri
King Air
ATGS Trainer
CHICO
OV10
N402DF
A210
Patty Wagstaff
6/16
10/15
Sat
Jimmie Bryant
CIC
S2T
N450DF
T93
Brad Baker
6/16
10/15
Sat
Colin Rogers
UKIAH
OV10
N410DF
A110
Bob Devinny
6/16
10/15
Sat
Lee Donham
UKI
S2T
N434DF
T90
Jason Carter
6/16
10/15
Wed
Bill Buckley
S2T
N428DF
T91
John Butts
6/16
10/15
Tue
Bill Buckley
SANTA ROSA
OV10
N414DF
A140
Erik Hakenen
6/16
10/15
Wed
Lee Donham
STS
S2T
N433DF
T86
Bob Valette
6/16
10/15
Thu
Bill Buckley
S2T
N438DF
T85
Jim Barnes
6/16
10/15
Fri
Bill Buckley
GRASS VALLEY
OV10
N408DF
A230
T Haagenson/R Haagenson
6/16
10/15
Sun
Jimmie Bryant
GOO
S2T
N426DF
T88
Jimmy Ferreira
6/16
10/15
Mon
Colin Rogers
S2T
N425DF
T89
Joe Satrapa
6/16
10/15
Sun
Colin Rogers
OV10
N401DF
A440
Brian Combs
6/16
10/15
Mon
Jimmie Bryant
COLUMBIA
S2T
N422DF
T82
Duane Cornell
6/16
10/15
Thu
Phil Johnston
O22
S2T
N424DF
T83
Jim Dunn
6/16
10/15
Wed
Phil Johnston
HOLLISTER
OV10
N415DF
A460
Ray DiLorenzo
5/7
10/31
Tue
Jimmie Bryant
CVH
S2T
N445DF
T80
Rich Schlink
5/7
10/31
Thu
Vito Orlandella
S2T
N449DF
T81
Craig Hunt
5/28
10/31
Wed
Vito Orlandella
PORTERVILLE
OV10
N400DF
A410
Cameron Douglas
5/7
10/31
Wed
Lee Monson
PTV
S2T
S2t
N436DF
N431DF
T76
T78
Ted Mundell
Bruce Wickert
5/7
5/28
10/31
10/31
Mon
Tue
Phil Johnston
Phil Johnston
OV10
N418DF
A340
Mark Donnelly
5/7
10/31
Thu
Lee Monson
PASO ROBLES
S2T
N439DF
T75
Bob Pixton
5/7
10/31
Mon
Vito Orlandella
PRB
S2T
N444DF
T74
Anouk Lebris
5/28
10/31
Tue
Vito Orlandella
Todd Deline
TBA
King Air
ATGS Trainer
HEMET
OV10
N429DF
A310
Lynn Flock
4/23
11/30
Tue
Lee Monson
HMT
S2T
N435DF
T72
Deen Oehl
4/23
11/30
Mon
Bob Forbes
S2T
N437DF
T73
Mike Venable
5/7
11/30
Sun
Bob Forbes
RAMONA
OV10
N409DF
A330
David Gregg
4/23
11/30
Mon
Lee Monson
RNM
S2T
N427DF
T70
Billy Hoskins
4/23
11/30
Sat
Bob Forbes
S2T
N432DF
T71
Doug Baker
5/7
11/30
Fri
Bob Forbes
S2T
N441DF
T100
SPARE
OV10
N407DF
A430
SPARE
OV10
N403DF
A500
SPARE
McCLELLAN
MCC
Airtanker
Airtanker Lead
Chuck Lees
Air Tac
Air Tac Lead
Todd Deline
TRAINEES
TYPE
BASE
START
END
Day Off
Dan Rieger
S2T
STS
6/16
7/31
Thu
UKI
8/1
8/14
Tue
GOO
8/15
9/2
Sun
O22
9/3
10/15
Wed
Dave Kelly
S2T
HMT
10/16
11/9
Fri
RNM
11/10
11/30
Wed
O22
6/16
8/1
Wed
GOO
8/2
8/16
Sun
STS
8/17
10/15
Thu
As
Available
UKI
July 2012
RNM
10/16
11/7
Wed
HMT
11/8
11/30
Fri
Tue
John Sortomme
Mon
Bill Burnard
Sun
Pat Brown
Thu
Toby Anderson
Tue
Ed LaManna
Sat
Mike Silva
Fri
Kim Myers
Sun
Giovani
Maduena
Fri
Frank Vasquez
Wed
Travis Bailey
Wed
Rick Schondel
Mon
RELIEF PILOTS
Lee Donham
Jimmie Bryant
Lee Monson
TYPE
OV10
OV10
OV10
BASES
FOT-RDD-UKI-STS
CIC-GOO-O22-CVH
RNM-HMT-PTV-PRB
START
6/16
5/7
4/23
END
10/15
10/31
11/30
Day Off
Mon
Fri
Fri
Jim Cook
Colin Rogers
Bill Buckley
Phil Johnston
Vito Orlandella
Bob Forbes
S2T
S2T
S2T
S2T
S2T
S2T
FOT(12/2) - RDD
CIC-GOO
UKI-STS
O22-PTV
CVH-PRB
RNM-HMT
6/16
6/16
6/16
5/7
5/7
4/23
10/15
10/15
10/15
10/31
10/31
11/30
Fri
Wed
Sat
Sat
Sat
Wed
7
CDF Ukiah Air Attack Base Historical Events
By Battalion Chief Terry A. Guerrero MEU
Part 1 : 1949- 1965
“I was recently asked to write an article about the
folks here at CDF Ukiah Air Attack Base and what
we do; but upon looking at some of the previous
history around the base here I thought it would be
more important to give you a historic view of
where our program comes from”.
there were a lot of bomber and fighter pilots
looking for work, and our timber and natural
resources had a significant value placed on them
at a national level.
Long before CDF Ukiah Air Tanker Base was
established there was the Co-operative Fire
Patrol. Co-operative Fire Patrol (CO-OP) was a
semi-private organization in co-operation with
then Division of Forestry, Mendocino and local
Mendocino land owners for the early detection of
wildfires. It began its first year of service in 1949.
The aircraft that was flown was a 1948 Stinson
Station Wagon.
In 1949 Mendocino Ranger Unit had 327 fires
for 23,832 acres. Lonnie Pool was the
contractor that provided the CO-OP Fire Patrol
services in the early days. Prior to CO-OP the
U.S. Military was responsible for providing aerial
detection of fires from 1940 until CO-OP started
in 1949. Of interest is the 1945 fire season; there
were 184 fires for 101,192 acres in Mendocino.
On August 19, 1951 a lightning storm moved
through and again another on September 16th.
A total of 129 fires were started by the lightning
within the confines of our Unit; 59% of the fires
were detected initially by the CO-OP Fire Patrol.
Almost all of the fires detected by CO-OP
were contained on average at 2 acres less then
other fires reported by lookouts or other sources.
This is attributed to early detection and CO-Ops
ability to quickly direct ground resources in and
provide them direction on how to best attack the
fire. In 1951 CO-OP reported a total of 81 fires;
19 fires were reported by lookouts.
The post WWII years really brought forth an
interest in aerial fire suppression techniques as
[1]
8
CFPA news
Between1954 and 1957, CDF used several
small air tankers on a call-when-needed basis.
These were primarily agricultural spray airplanes
converted for use as firefighting aircraft. In 1958
CDF first contracted for air tanker services with
private aviation companies. This became Ukiah
Air Attack Base’s first year of operations as a
permanent tanker base. That year contracts were
let for three N3Ns, four Stearmans and four TBM
air tankers. The N3Ns and Stearmans were
World War II biplanes used for pilot training and
converted for use as agricultural spray planes.
They were capable of carrying up to 200 gallons
of fire retardant chemicals. The TBM, a World
War II torpedo bomber, could deliver 600 gallons.
drops, provide intel to the ground troops, and
report Þre potentials. Additionally a CWN
Helicopter was used that year to recon Þres and
shuttle men and equipment to Þres in remote
areas of the county.
In 1958 Gene Glavich (late husband of
Barbara Glavich) was the Unit’s Aerial Patrolman
assigned to the CO-OP plane. The CO-OP plane
paired with the fire fighting expertise of the Aerial
Patrolman became an irreplaceable and valuable
adjunct to the air tanker operations. This was the
Þrst year that air tankers were widely used for
initial attack on Þres in Mendocino Unit. The
Aerial Patrolman working out of the CO-OP
airplane became the Ôair tanker drop leaderÕ and
planned and coordinated the aerial assault on
initial attack Þres before the arrival of ground
troops. When I Þrst came on the job in 1983 the
ÔLegends of Gene GlavichÕ were well known. In
retrospect Gene Glavich was Mendocino Units
Þrst Air Attack OfÞcer. The CO-OP plane ßew on
91 Þres the summer of 1958 and provided
assistance to the ground forces with the help of
the Aerial Patrolmen on board to direct tanker
Early Air Tanker
@ Covelo AAB 1963
Covelo ‘Air Attack Base’ 1963
[2]
July 2012
9
The practice of making maps and dropping them to the ground in 1958 became a standard
practice until the advent of the OV-10 Bronco.
As a Þre Þghter in the early 1980s I can still remember being directed by my Captains to go out
into the green or burn and retrieve the maps that had been tossed down in a canister with a
streamer attached to it from the CDF Cessna O-2 Air Attack plane.
In 1958 two tankers were assigned to Ukiah Tanker Base and two at Hoberg Airport (between
Cobb and Lower Lake) in Lake County. Covelo was also used as a reload base and could support
tankers ßying in the more remote portions of the Unit or on the Mendocino National Forest. Borate
or Sodium Calcium Borate was the retardant used at the time, henceforth the term Ôborate bomberÕ
that you will still hear the general public or media use occasionally to describe an air tanker.
Lumber companies and local Þre departments tended to provide the personnel for the reload
base at Covelo when the base was needed to support air attack operations. Tankers at Ukiah ßew
on 54 Þres in Mendocino Unit in 1958. The tankers were a N3N and a Stearman. The N3N carried
180 gallons of Borate and the Stearman 120 gallons. The 1958 season ended with 320 Þres for
5,202 acres burned in Mendocino Ranger Unit.
PBY and F7F Airtankers at Ukiah Air Attack Base
[3]
10
CFPA news
1960 was marked by the stafÞng of an
on Cow Mountain. The Aerial Patrolman
by Ukiah to serve Þres in the Unit. 50,000
1959
notes
another
Ukiah Tanker
The Arial Patrolman in the CO-OP plane was now
initial
attack
helicopter
at Prattlandmark
Mountain inat located
the lost hunter and the information gallons alone were used on Horse Pasture
base; the
first 3 Itday
Observers
School’
referred to as the ‘Drop Coordinator’. 1960 fire
Southern
Humboldt.
was‘Aerial
staffed by
our
was passed on to the Ukiah City Fire
Ridge east of Covelo in one 8 hour period
very
“Mr.inHelitack”
RickOur
Patterson.
Rick
wasown
held
Ukiah.
forefathers
in Ukiah set
season ended with 257 fires for a total of 3053
Department. This is the Þrst historical
on August the 7th. Average turn around
was my Helitack captain in 1986 at
the bar for District 1 (Old Region 1) and the rest
acres.
Howard Forest and later promoted to State record I have of our air patrolmen
time for reload at the base was 2 minutes.
of theRanger
state.1 (BC)
I believe
a Rick
torch
was lit at that time
Forest
at UAAB.
was
1965
signifies781
another
bench
thethat
conducting a search and rescue.
The
reloads were
donemark
out of to
Ukiah
the
person
to inspire
me into
andÞrst
has
been
passed
down through the
Units atAir
Program.
Timothy
Huff and
Robert
helicopter was up and running
Howard
year.
Broad acceptance
of the
utilization of
becoming
an ATGS
(air tactical
generations.
Ukiah
hasgroup
consistently
provided
McNamee
were
the
Air
Patrolmen,
Jerry
Hall
supervisor). Rick was instrumental in
Forest. Helitack crews had established fuel air tankers for Þre suppression was
some
of
the
most
notable
air
attack
officers
in
the
developing the state wide helicopter
and
DavidFSS,
CubitofÞcially
were declared
the Helitack
foremen,
and
caches at Booneville FFS,
Laytonville
state wide.
1966 ended
state that
always
been
proactive
and willing
program
and have
had been
involved
from 1958
Louis
(Lee
Roy)
Zwicky
was
the
air
attack
base
Covelo officers
Airport, Eden Valley Ranch,
with 167 Þres for 7163 acres.
at
He developed
programs
toAlder
helpPoint.
mentor
and teach
new air attack
manager.
Tim
huff
is still well, living in Laytonville
such
heli-jumping.
This is
where theof theRockport
peak, and
theirasnew
jobs. The
purpose
schoolAirstrip,
was toGualala
and
has
a
son
who
retired from RRU recently. Of
helicopter would come to about a 15 to 20 Hopland FFS. The Copter
assigned that
provide
in the techniques
of aerial fire
foot
hover training
and crew member
would jump
the
160
hours
CO-Op
flew that year, 40 hours
year was a Bell 47G3B supplied by
detection,
mapping,
message
out
and downobservation,
through the brush
in garb
were spent directing tanker drops. By 1965 COWestern
Helicopters of San Bernardino. It
very
similar toand
whatutilization
todayÕs smoke
dropping,
of jumpers
the public
address
OP and the Aerial Patrolmen had detected 502
wear. Later he helped develop heliwasBell
noted
that the Helicopter Foremen
system
on
the
airplane.
A
helicopter
47G
fires. This represented a total of 56% of all fires
stepping or hover-stepping. Rick was
shouldat
actHoward
as liaison with the Fire Boss
(460Lbs payload)
also on contract
instrumental
in assistingwas
Ron Thomas
detected by CO-OP from all sources while COand opposed
act as a Òhelicopter
managerÓ and to
(Mouse)
Sonoma
Attack fire
Basefighting
with
Forestatfor
initialAir
attack
as
to
OP was on patrol from 1949.
the
development
of
Þxed
wing
aerial
closely
coordinate
copter
retardant drops
incident support from the prior year. A two day
surveillance techniques used today with
on personnel
spot Þres and hot spots. The 1964
Helitack school was provided to key
Cal Fire. Also the California Department of
July 17, 1965 a control burn was swept out of
ßoods
hadfirst
destroyed a lot of rural roads
on
operational
plans
for
the
helicopter
the
Justice aerial surveillance program was
control and CO-OP was first to report the escape.
mirrored
Ron Retardant
and Ricks training
and thewas
helicopter was utilized heavily to
week ofafter
July.
used this year
On July 24-25 a severe lightning storm moved
program.
The Arial
Patrolman
in the
CO-and ashuttle
access Þres.
Bentonite.
There
was a
N3N
Twinpersonnel
Beach into limited
through the area and generated 39 fires
OP plane was now referred to as the ÒDrop
stationed at1960
Ukiah
with 200
and
300
1965
season ended with 195 Þres for
CoordinatorÓ.
Þre season
endedgallons
with The
throughout the County. On August 28 the COgallons
capacity
respectively.
19593967
closed
acres.with
257
Þres for
a total of 3053
acres.
OP with Aerial Patrolman on board was
requested to help locate a lost hunter on Cow
In 1966
our current Mountain.
building was The Aerial Patrolman located the lost
1965
signiÞes
bench
to
1960
was another
marked
by mark
the staffing
of
an initial
established
and dedicated.
Infra-Red
the
Unitshelicopter
Air Program. at
Timothy
and
attack
PrattHuff
Mountain
in Southern
hunter
and the information was passed on to the
Polaroid
Film
was
used
on
a
200City
acre Þre
Robert
McNamee
were the
Air Patrolmen,
Humboldt.
It was
staffed
by our very own ‘Mr.
Ukiah
Fire Department. This is the first
near
Hopland
for the Þrsthistorical
time in CDFÕs
Jerry
Hall and
DavidPatterson.
Cubit were the Rick was
Helitack’
Rick
my
Helitack
record I have of our air patrolmen
history.and
Aerial
Patrolmenconducting
were able for the
Helitack
andatLouis
(Lee Roy)
captainforemen,
in 1986
Howard
Forest CDF
later
a search and rescue.
timeat
to see terrain that was otherwise
Zwicky
was the
attackForest
base manager.
promoted
to air
State
Ranger 1Þrst
(BC)
smoke. Because
of extreme
Tim
huff is Rick
still well,
living
in Laytonville
and toobscured
UAAB.
was
the
first person
inspirebyme
The
helicopter was up and running at Howard
weather for the Þrst time
since COhas
son who retired
RRU (air
recently.
intoa becoming
anfrom
ATGS
tacticalÞregroup
Forest.
Helitack crews had established fuel
OPÕs
inception
the
ßight
cost
per
acre
rose
Of
the 160 hoursRick
CO-Op
ßewinstrumental
that year, 40
supervisor).
was
in developing
caches at Boonville
FFS, Laytonville FFS, Covelo
to over
2 cents.
A letter was
writtenEden
by theValley Ranch, Rockport Airstrip,
hours
were spent
tankerprogram
drops.
the state
widedirecting
helicopter
and
had
been
Airport,
to the subscribers
explaining
the and Hopland FFS. The Copter
By
1965 CO-OP
the Aerial
Patrolmen
involved
fromand
1958
at Alder
Point. Chairman
He developed
Gualala
peak,
circumstances
increased
contributions
had
detected such
502 Þres.
represented a This
programs
asThis
heli-jumping.
is wherefor
the
assigned
that year was a Bell 47G3B supplied by
to maintain
patrols. The Western
subscribersHelicopters of San Bernardino. It was
helicopter
tobyabout
to 20 foot
total
of 56% ofwould
all Þrescome
detected
CO-OPa 15
unanimously
continued
hover
and crew
would
jump
out andagreed thatnoted
thatpatrols
the Helicopter Foremen should act as
from
all sources
whilemember
CO-OP was
on
downfrom
through
the17,
brush
garb very
similar
were
neededto
and contributed
thewith the Fire Boss and act as a ‘helicopter
liaison
patrol
1949. July
1965 aincontrol
whatwas
today’s
smoke
jumpers
wear.additional
Later he
funds. Subscribers
were and to closely coordinate copter
manager’
burn
swept out
of control
and CO-OP
helped
develop
assigned blocks of numbers
that would
be on spot fires and hot spots. The
retardant
drops
was
Þrst to
report theheli-stepping
escape. On July or hover-stepping.
Rick
was
instrumental
in
assisting
Ron
Thomas
1964
floods
stenciled on their vehicles roof tops. A had destroyed a lot of rural roads and
24-25 a severe lightning storm moved
at Sonoma
Air
Attack
Base
with themaster
development
thethehelicopter
was utilized heavily to shuttle
list was created so
Aerial
through
the area
and
generated
39 Þres
of
fixed
wing
aerial
surveillance
techniques
used
personnel
into
limited access fires. The 1965
Patrolmen
could
identify
the
subscriber,
throughout the County. On August 28 the
today with
by Cal
Alsoonthe
California
Department
ended with 195 fires for 3967 acres.
ranch
or land owner andseason
what person
CO-OP
AerialFire.
Patrolman
board
of
Justice
aerial
surveillance
program
was
would normally be driving that vehicle.
was requested to help locate a lost hunter
mirrored after Ron and Ricks training
program.
600,000
gallons of retardant were pumped
329 fires for 14,088.
to be continued...
[4]
July 2012
11
(compo Tom Janney)
L
inc W. Alexander was a tanker pilot in Canada and USA for 37
years. He flew a large variety of air tankers as the Stearman,
TBM Avenger, Grumman Tracker, A-26 Invader, F7F Tigercat
and finished his long career flying graceful Conair Douglas DC-6.
As a pioneer of aerial fire fighting aviation, he has suffered the
lack of knowledge about strategy and tactics to use and make this
special kind of aviation as efficient and less dangerous for pilots
as can be. After first ten years spent in this business, he published
his first book “pilot’s notes for fire bombing” ;
notes from his own experience to give his
fellow pilots keys he missed when he started
his fire fighting career. Some years later, in
1972, he published the definitive edition of his
book, larger and more accurate version; “Air
Attack on Forest Fire” where he reviewed all
techniques useful for pilots to understand
their job, and more… Now a very rare book,
well-respected as «bible» book about aerial fire
fighting. Despite some improvement today as
far as aircraft being used, all the tactics and
techniques explained in the book are still valid today. Retired as a pilot, he published his memoirs
in 2010 “Fire Bomber into Hell” . This summer,
Linc was distingued by the Guild of Air Pilot
and Air Navigator being awarded by “Sir
James Martin Award” for his constant action
for the improvement of air safety belong his
career and after.
He worked to a brand new and updated
edition of his main book.
Thanks Linc for all your inspiring books and
great career. We miss you.
by CFPA News Team
Godspeed T-11 Farewell Todd and Ron !
J
une 3rd 2012 / IRON
COUNTY, UT. -- Two
firefighters working
for the Bureau of Land
Management were killed
Sunday in a plane crash just
east of the Utah/Nevada
border.
The plane was piloted by
Capt. Todd Neal Tompkins
and First Officer Ronnie
Edwin Chambless, both of Boise, Idaho. (photo highsierraspotters.com)
The crash happened around 1 p.m. in Iron County, Utah.
The National Interagency Fire Center says the two were in a
P-2V Tanker 11 aircraft working with the Ely division of the
BLM, assigned to help put out the White Rock Wildfire, which is
burning about 20 miles north of Caliente in Lincoln County.
The plane crashed in rocky terrain, just across the Nevada state
line. According to the Iron County Sheriff’s Department, the
plane had approximately 1,600 gallons of fuel on board and over
2,000 gallons of fire retardant. The plane was nearing the fire
when it crashed.
by CFPA News Team
12
CFPA news
Tanker 11 on Sheep fire. (photo Nathan Addison/ airattackimages).
MAFFS 7 Accident
The United States Northern Command and the U.S. Forest Service have released
more information about July 1st South Dakota crash of a C-130 aircraft outfitted
with a Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS), enabling it to function as
an air tanker.
The USFS said there were two survivors and four fatalities. Yesterday Black Hills
FOX News reported that the two survivors were picked up by helicopter from the
crash site and flown to the Custer airport. From there one was flown by a life flight
helicopter to a hospital in Rapid City and the other went by ground ambulance to
the hospital.
The C-130 was identified as MAFFS #7 from the North Carolina Air National
Guard’s 145th Airlift Wing based at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and
was working on the White Draw Fire about five miles northeast of Edgemont
in the southwest corner of South Dakota. The accident, which occurred at 6:00
or 6:30 p.m. MT, is, of course, being investigated, and the cause has not been
released, but the USFS provided some information:
A BLM ASM [Air Supervision Module] platform was also engaged as a lead
[plane] with the C130 when the accident occurred. The ASM/Lead experienced a
severe downdraft while approaching the intended retardant drop zone with the
C130 in trail. This is being investigated by the USFS as a separate Incident With
Potential.
As sometimes happens after an aircraft accident, the remaining
seven MAFFS-equipped C-130s are on an operational hold.
The fleet will spend the day to get the MAFFS crews together to
“reflect, reset and review,” said Col. Jerry Champlin, 153rd Air
Expeditionary Group commander. “We all need to make sure
our crews and planes will be ready to re-engage in the mission
safely,” he added.
MAFFS #7 was one of four MAFFS ships scheduled to relocate
on Monday from Peterson Air Force base at Colorado Springs
to Wyoming Air National Guard’s base in Cheyenne, in order to
reduce the turn-around time for reloading with retardant while
working the fires in Wyoming and South Dakota.
Bill Gabbert, Wilfiretoday.com
July 2012
13
AIRTANKERS, AN HISTORIC OVERVIEW
Text and photos collection Tom Janney
A
erial firefighting in the State of California can
trace it’s root back as far as the 1919, when the US
Government provided aircraft for patrolling the
wildland areas of the State and in 1921, a “Pony Blimp”
was used on an experimental basis in conjunction with
The US Government and the LA County Fire Department.
Nationwide, since 1916, various methods and ideas for
spotting and aerial firefighting were tried over the years,
including wax paper filled sacks of water, detonating
water filled bombs and wooden – water filled barrels
kicked out of the aircraft. As technology advanced, both
in fire control and aviation, most of these methods were
dropped by 1948 for various safety reasons or lack of effect.
In 1953, several major fires in Southern California
brought the need to re-explore better methods of control
and management. At this point, every fire agency in the
area volunteered assistance in organizing a series of
projects to test out a number of unconventional methods
and ideas. As fighting these fires had also become a
serious problem for civil defense, the Federal Civil Defense
Administration applied sponsorship and six branches of
the Department of Defense gave assistance in various
ways. With this teamwork of resources, an ambitious and
highly successful one-year exploratory project, known as
Operation Firestop, combining field and laboratory tests,
was carried out.
By 1956, aerial firefighting had become a reality. While
it was demonstrated that aircraft were a valuable tactical
resource for crews on the ground, it was also shown that
the aircraft had many limitations as well. By the end of
the 1950s various aircraft, mostly WW2 and Korean War
surplus airframes, had found a new life as aerial firefighters
14
in the State of California.
In this 4 part series, I will highlight the aircraft and the
important advances in aerial firefighting in the State of
California from the 1950s thru the 1980s. In this brief look
back at our history, let’s remember the machines, the men
and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to make the
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection a world
class organization.
Boeing PT-17 Stearman
CFPA news
The Boeing PT-17 Stearman was one of the very first
aircraft used in California for aerial firefighting purposes.
Willows Air Service was also the first contractor for the
California Division of Forestry.
Along with his Stearmans, Cod Jensen fielded a
fleet of Navy built N3Ns from his Willows facility as well.
Grumman TBF-1 Avenger
Hollywood flying legend Paul Mantz installed a plywood
tank in a Grumman TBF for the Firestop series of testing
at Camp Pendleton. The tank doors were released
using electric bomb shackles. Pictured here at Ontario
International Airport in 1957, Stan Reaver and Dick
Munsell taxi in from a testing session.
The Grumman TBM proved to be the initial workhorse
for California. Built to withstand the punishments of
war, it fit into the airtanker role easily. By 1958, a metal
tank had replaced the wooden one and Paul Mantz’s TBF
was the first Grumman Avenger to make a drop on an
actual fire near Lake Elsinore in 1958. Sadly, this aircraft
July 2012
and crew were lost when the load did not release in 1959.
Consolidated PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY was coming on-line by the late
50s and Rosenbalm Aviation of Medford OR was the first
operator to the use of the Catalina in aerial firefighting.
Coupled with it’s loiter time and lift capacity, the PBY
proved to be an excellent platform as an airtanker.
Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer
Another product from the Consolidated line would be the
PB4Y-2. Testing and late introduction into the world of
firefighting, the 4Y would have to wait a few years to see
widespread use and in 1959 , Avery Aviation tanked the first
Privateer.
Aside from the aircraft being used, advances in chemical
retardants was taking place as well. It was clear that
through early testing, that plain water – while good, was
not sufficient for the task at hand. Water drops needed to
be executed perfectly to be effective and the wind more
often than not made this impossible.
The 1950s saw the introduction of sodium calcium borate
mixed with the water. It was discovered that the borate
solutions were sterilizing the soil and causing chemical
burns to those on the ground who came into contact with it.
Another mix used was bentonite, but this was abandoned
shortly due to the excessive weight worsened by the
inability of most of the aircraft of the day to successfully
carry the load. What bentonite loads that were carried,
were small and generally ineffective on larger fires.
To be continued ...
15
S-3B “Viking” Airtanker –
A Joint Industry / Government Effort
Text by Paul Wynns and pictures from Argon ST
F
ire agencies face an ongoing
challenge to fight fires with
scarce airtanker assets tasked
by a combination of local, state,
federal, and DoD commitments.
The complexity and difficulty of the
situation promises to escalate as
global climate change and population
growth accelerate the wildfire threat.
Meanwhile, world-wide military
commitments will continue to place
16
high utilization demands on current
and future C-130E/H/J Modular
Airborne Fire Fighting System
(MAFFS) platforms, which limits their
availability for fire aviation missions.
In 2007, Congress authorized funding
for a “Next Generation S-3B Fixed Wing
Aerial Firefighting Tanker” program
with stipulations that it would develop
dual-use technologies applicable to
both US Air Force Research and US
Forest Service fire aviation missions.
The S-3B, a multi-role maritime strike
aircraft, was retired from US Navy
operational service in early 2009 at
only half its rated service life. Argon
ST Aircraft Systems, now a subsidiary
of The Boeing Company, was awarded
a contract to perform design,
engineering, and manufacturing
tasks in support of the program
in 2008. Phase 1 of the program,
completed in 2009, delivered a 250
page report to the US Air Force and US
Forest Service detailing the suitability,
design approach, costs, firefighting
performance of a S-3B airtanker fleet.
Argon ST, part of a joint Government
and industry team, assembled a
comprehensive engineering and life
cycle analysis of the S-3B airtanker.
The combined body of Government
and industry sponsored work
prepared in the report represents
the most exhaustive and definitive
analysis of S-3B airtanker suitability to
date. It also encompasses a significant
amount of preliminary airtanker
CFPA news
design documentation, which is
available to Cal Fire as Government
Furnished Information at zero
purchase cost.
The most important conclusions of the
report asserted that the S-3B airtanker
is fully suitable for the fire aviation
environment as a Type II (2000 gal. fire
retardant capacity) airtanker, that it
has a superior response time than any
current or future airtanker, and that it
is more cost- and fuel efficient than
larger Type I (3000+ gal.) airtankers or
Very Large Airtankers (VLATs) like the
B747 or DC10.
The S-3B fleet, retired from US Navy
operational service in early 2009
at only half its rated service life,
represents a significant opportunity
for Cal Fire to inexpensively augment
its existing fire aviation resources.
The entire pool of US Navy S-3B
assets, stored at Davis-Monthan AFB,
AZ, is immediately available for fire
aviation usage and includes nearly
100 airframes and over $1 billion in
aircraft, tooling, support, and spare
parts assets—all transferrable to Cal
Fire at zero procurement cost.
S-3B Airtanker Basing
Aircraft Systems
Kalispell, MT (GPI)
Coeur d’Alene, ID (COE)
Legend:
Inner ring (orange):
15 min. response
Missoula, MT (MSO)
Moses Lake, WA (MWH)
Outer ring (yellow):
30 min. response
Helena, MT (HLN)
Troutdale, OR (TTD)
Candidate S-3B
airtanker base
Grangeville, ID (S80)
La Grande, OR (LGD)
Mission profile:
McCall, ID (MYL)
-Response times are takeoff
to FTA arrival, one-way trip
Redmond, OR (RDM)
West Yellowstone, MT (WYS)
Boise, ID (BOI)
-All cruise altitudes >10k’
-Climb, cruise, and descent
airpseeds, altitudes in
accordance with FAA
procedures, S-3B flight
manual
Medford, OR (MFR)
Klamath Falls, OR (LMT)
Redding, CA (RDD)
S-3B Airtanker Basing: South
Chester, CA (O05)
Aircraft Systems
Slide 17
Copyright 2009-11, Argon ST, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company
Medford, OR (MFR)
Redding, CA (RDD)
Klamath Falls, OR (LMT)
Legend:
Inner ring (orange):
15 min. response
Chester, CA (O05)
Jeffco, CO (BJC)
Grass Valley (09CL)
Outer ring (yellow):
30 min. response
Minden, NV (MEV)
Candidate S-3B
airtanker base
Colorado Springs, CO (COS)
McClellan, CA (MCC)
Stockton, CA (SCK)
Bishop, CA (BIH)
Fresno, CA (FAT)
Mission profile:
Durango, CO (DRO)
Porterville, CA (PTV)
-Response times are
takeoff to FTA arrival,
one-way trip
West Yellowstone, MT (WYS)
Williams, AZ (CMR)
Lancaster, CA (WJF)
Santa Barbara, CA (SBA)
-All cruise altitudes
>10k’
Winslow, AZ (INW)
Prescott, AZ (PRC)
Albuquerque, NM (ABQ)
Hemet, CA (HMT)
A preliminary design layout for
the S-3B airtanker was assembled
through a rigorous, iterative design
process that considered dozens of
candidate airframe modifications.
Preliminary retardant tank design was
conducted and validated through
numerical analysis of retardant flow
rates, ground pattern performance,
and static structural loads/stress
analysis. Engineering analysis found
that the S-3B airtanker is capable of
carrying 2000 gal. retardant payloads
at speeds in excess of 400 KTS.
A combination of Navy flight data,
engineering analysis, preliminary
design, cost analysis, and development
of an Integrated Airtanker Operations
and Maintenance Concept (IAMC) has
shown that the S-3B airtanker offers
significant benefits over existing
contractor-operated airtankers. S-3B
airtanker response time was found
to be 50% superior to that the fastest
USFS contractor-operated airtanker
with 65% more cost efficiency
July 2012
Ramona, CA (RMN)
Silver City, NM (SVC)
-Climb, cruise, and
descent airpseeds,
altitudes in accordance
with FAA procedures, S3B flight manual
Alamogordo, NM (ALM)
Ft. Huachuca, AZ (FHU)
Aircraft Systems
S-3B Airtanker Basing: East
Slide 18
Copyright 2009-11, Argon ST, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company
Legend:
Inner ring (orange):
15 min. response
London, KY (LOZ)
Outer ring (yellow):
30 min. response
Knoxville, TN (TYS)
Candidate S-3B
airtanker base
Asheville, NC (AVL)
Mission profile:
-Response times are takeoff
to FTA arrival, one-way trip
-All cruise altitudes >10k’
-Climb, cruise, and descent
airpseeds, altitudes in
accordance with FAA
procedures, S-3B flight
manual
Tallahassee, FL (TLH)
Lake City, FL (LCQ)
Copyright 2009-11, Argon ST, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company
measured in terms of dollars per
gallon of retardant delivered. The S-3B
airtanker was also found to deliver
more retardant per day of firefighting
than any existing USFS-contracted
airtanker at lower cost. Preliminary
Slide 19
analysis of the S-3B airtanker versus
Federal C-130 MAFFS platforms
suggested that the S-3B would deliver
an equal amount of retardant per
day of firefighting with significantly
reduced fuel and manpower costs.
17
Structural service life, aerodynamic,
flying qualities, propulsion, and
performance factors were all
considered in an evaluation of the
preliminary S-3B airtanker design
layout. All factors were found to be
fully compliant with Interagency
Airtanker Board (IATB) and FAA
certification
requirements.
A
conservative engineering analysis
was used to substantiate these
findings, and an optional engine
upgrade path was identified for
future performance increases. The
S-3B aircraft’s existing TF34
engines were found to be
fully compatible with
urement
cost
airtanker operations.
The S-3B airframe was found to be
capable of at least 15 years of fire
aviation service at above-average
annual flight hour rates.
clusions & Discussion
tanker:
Overall, the S-3B airtanker was
found to be a very cost-effective,
long-term supplement to—but
not a replacement for—existing
fire aviation assets. Its speed, fuel
efficiency,
payload
carriage
capacity, and robust flying
qualities lend themselves
well to the fire aviation
environment. Its massive pool of
available engineering, tooling, spare
parts, and airframe resources are
available for zero procurement cost.
And perhaps most importantly, it is
a well-cared-for airframe that is the
result of 30 years of continuous Navy
investment with a fire aviation service
life of at least 15-20 years remaining.
Argon ST remains very
interested in supporting
future government and
industry investments to
transition the S-3B fleet—a
national resource valued at
over $1 billion—to future fire
aviation missions.
ng engineering work
ares, engines, and equipment
frame with over 15 yrs. life remaining
p fill” in advance of C-130J platforms
ts VLAT and LAT platforms
egration Directorate and NASA Glenn Research Center; full
subsidiary of The Boeing Company: A
odification provider backed by the world’s
y.
2009-11, Argon ST, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company
Slide 9
Grass Valley during Roberts Fire.
(photo Ryan Coulter).
18
CFPA news
Grass Valley . (photo Jim Ferreira).
July 12th : if you look hard enough you’ll see all seven tankers at Grass Valley. 81, 82, 83, 86, 88, 89, 93. (photo Dave Kelly jr).
July 2012
19
Tanker 72 on Highland fire. (photo Nathan Addison/ airattackimages).
Tanker 73 on Cranston Blackburn fire. (photo Nathan Addison/ airattackimages).
Tanker 96 on Dale fire. (photo Andreas Fuhrmann/ The Record Searchlight, www.redding.com).
20
CFPA news