CFPA NEWS August 2014 The California Fire Pilots Association newsletter (Sunset over Hollister, photo Jimmy Ferreira) Around the Bases News Sweden on fire CAL FIRE air attack management school Drones and fires PLANES 2 : Fire & Rescue (Copter 202 during an ATGS training session, photo Barry Smith) N°2/2014 >August 2014 Chico Mudslingers 2014 Three Jimmys at Hollister photo Jimmy Ferreira Editor : Jerome Laval. Redaction and graphic design : Cyril Defever Please forward your pictures and articles to: e-mail : [email protected] 2 CFPA news The Pilots at the Columbia Air Attack Base would like to Chico Mudslingers 2014 nominate Mike Silva for the Mechanic of the Year Award. His work ethic and unmatched attention to detail are truly incredible. He spends HOURS EVERY DAY inspecting, greasing, and fixing even the most minor items regardless if the temperatures are over 100 degrees in the middle of the afternoon. The guy just never seems to stop or run out of energy!!! It's not an exaggeration to say he inspects our aircraft with a flashlight and a mirror, or is continually checking our planes as we hot-load, or spends late hours The "I like Mike" shirts are a by the Columbia Airbase Pilots until he is absolutely satisfied it is small proud token of appreciation Rich Schlink perfect. His unwavering energy for all that he does without Dan Rieger and constant care give us the recognition every day. He was truly Tom Voorhees Erik Hakenen confidence to know we are flying embarrassed and just thinks he is an impeccably maintained and doing his job, yet he we know he safe aircraft, so we can focus on definitely goes way beyond what is the job. expected. We like Mike!!! August 2014 3 Aero Flite News anker 160 and 161 were Coulson Aviation declared operationnal by News Tthe US Forest Service at the end of July. Aero Flite and Conair choose the RJ85 from British Aerospace to adapt the 3 300 US Gallons constant flow tank inspired by the one used on Sécurité Civile Dash 8. The maiden flight occured on september 2013. The cells are longer and the engines are more efficient than older BAe 146. The aircraft can cruise 380 kt allowing quicker dispatches. Tanker 160 and 161 were already activated and sent to Redding where they fought heavy fires north of California and Oregon. A third RJ 85, Tanker 162 was used on fires in British Colombia. At the end of July, T162 moved to Moses Lake ATB, WA, where it logged around 60 hours in two weeks. (photos Jerome Laval) NEWS 10 Tanker Air Carrier News third DC-10, Tanker 912 has been converted by 10 A Tanker Air Carrier in July 2014 and arrived to new 10 Tanker's headquarters in Albuquerque in August. The company moved from Victorville to their new base in 911 iand 910 are on exclusive use stairladder while taxiing at Moses New Mexico in october 2013, to contracts for USFS. Lake ATB on july 22nd. It was back be more US centered for aerial Tanker 910 suffered minor in service on july 28th. firefighting operations. Tanker wing damages, strking a mobile ( photo 10 Tanker LLC) 4 CFPA news Coulson Aviation News New C-130 Next Gen Airtanker Press Release Date : August 14, 2014 Coulson Aviation (USA) Inc. of Oregon announced today it has secured a second C-130 from Lynden Air Cargo, LLC of Alaska for firefighting operations. Chief Executive Officer, Wayne Coulson, said: “We are excited to increase our capacity by adding a second C-130 to our firefighting fleet and will bid opportunity in the fourth exceeded expectations. start the upgraded 4,800 USG quarter of 2014, and we want We are committed to providing Coulson RADS XXL tank install to be ready to participate in the our customers with the most conversion into the new aircraft bid process. Our current C-130Q cost effective firefighting aircraft during November 2014. firefighting aircraft has been and will continue to invest in It is our understanding that the performing extremely well, and technology to enhance their USFS will have a “Next Generation both the aircraft and the 4,000 performance.” II” Air tanker USG RADS XL tanking system have (artwork Steve Whitby, photo Jerome Laval) NEWS August 2014 5 photo Mickael Parson /TT by Frédéric Marsaly photo Jens L'Estrade/ Expressen.se On July 31st, a forest fire broke out in overwhelmed. Swedish Coast Guard sent Sweden, in Sala area, 50 miles northwest one of its Coast Guard Dash 8, FLIR equipped, of Stockholm. After five for fire mapping. days, the fire was still On August 5th, two uncontrolled and burned French Agency Sécurité about 24 000 acres to Civile CL-415 (Pélican 32 become, so far, the worst and 37) with a Beechcraft fire incident in recent 200 King Air, to be Swedish history. The used as an Air Attack Stockholm’s government aircraft, took off from called the European Union Marseille -Marignane Emergency Response Airport for a 1200 miles Coordination Centre for trip to Vasterås Airport, help. Their firefighting where they landed in assets consisting of 15 civilian and military the evening after a stopover in Groningen, helicopters with bambi-buckets, were Nederland. photo Jens L'Estrade / Expressen.se photo Lisa Mattisson / Expressen.se 6 CFPA news The next day, two CL-415 from Italian State Agency Vigili del Fuoco (Italian fire fighters) also arrived from Roma. On the first morning, smoke and low clouds grounded the aircraft but later that evening, operations started and the four Scoopers made 120 drops in three hours. This great productivity was possible due to numerous nearby scoop able lakes. The next four days, the four aircraft flew intensively. The Swedish government wanted to keep the aircraft active until photo Suvad Mekonjic / Expressen.se august 15th but on august 10th, the fire was contained. The The Italian team returned aircraft and their crews were home on august 11. They released and flew back home. overnighted in Strasbourg, About 1500 drops were made, France, and landed in Roma the 843 by Italian Scoopers and day after. The French delayed 687 by French Scoopers. The their return flight to because Bombardier 415 is a 1500 US of some meteorological issues. Gal water bomber, that means They took off on 12th august that about 2 250 000 US Gal of in the morning to Gröningen, water or foam were dropped on Netherlands for another the fire in this short period of stopover. They were back in time. The difference of figures Marseille later that day. between Italian and French The fire burned about 37000 crews comes from that each acres, destroyed about 20 French pilot being restricted houses. Sadly, a Swedish driver to 60 drops a day while Italian lost his life and another man crews don’t have this limitation. was slightly burnt. photo Suvad Mekonjic / Expressen.se Aerial Assets: Vigili Del Fuoco (Italy) : CL-415 : I-DPCQ n°12, I-DPCV n°15 Sécurité Civile (France) : CL-415 : F-ZBFS “Pélican” 32 (with 50th anniversary paint scheme), F-ZBFV “Pélican” 37 Beechcraft 200 King Air : F-ZBFK “Bengale” 96 Kustbevakningen (Sweden Coast Guard) : DHC-8-300 : 501 SE-MAA Swedish civilian and military helicopters water-bomber AS-315B, AS332 (Swedish Air Force), AS-350B3, Hugues 369, UH-1… photo Swedish Coast Guards August 2014 7 TRAINING THE ATGS CAL FIRE AIR ATTACK MANAGEMENT SCHOOL or thirty years, Cal Fire has Text and photos of 18 students, nine from Cal Fire been training air tactical and nine from the U.S. Forest Fgroup supervisors (ATGS) at Service or other federal or local an annual school held each May agencies (this year Los Angeles at McClellan Field in Sacramento c County Fire Department sent a D and Redding Air Attack Base. The F representative). school is two weeks long and The first week is classroom includes lecture, flight simulator training which covers basic time, and flight time in air attack aviation topics, aerial firefighting aircraft during simulated fire by Barry D. Smith terminology, fire traffic area scenarios. Each class is made up procedures, principles of retardant usage, and strategy and tactics for aerial firefighting. The first week also includes work in the Aerial Firefighting Simulator at McClellan. Developed by the US Forest Service, it is used to practice and train on aerial coordination over a fire. It is not a motion-based simulation system, but multiple users can see and interact as if over a real fire. Role players can include several tankers, helicopters, a lead plane, and an ATGS. The ATGS students communicate with the other aircraft, coordinate the ▲The elements are ready to simulate the Backhorn incident. airspace, and direct them on how to fight the fire. 8 CFPA news During the evenings of the first week, the students take orientation flights in the OV-10 to get a feel for the aircraft, visibility, and where the radio panels are located. They also get training on how to program the aircraft radios, how to describe ground targets to the other aircraft, and how to use GPS to communicate locations to both air and ground units. The second week begins with more classroom topics such as helicopter strategies and tactics, target description training and classroom practice application, and smokejumper operations. The students spend a majority of the second week in the air using the Redding Air Attack Base. They CAL FIRE AIR ATTACK MANAGEMENT SCHOOL begin by pairing up in OV-10 Bronco’s. One role plays the tanker and the other is the air attack ship.