agairupdate.com FALL 2018
Portuguese
Fire Bosses
deployed to
SWEDEN
Single Engine Air Tankers — first strike Montenegro Ministry of Interior receives new AT-802 firefighting aircraft
keep turning… in this issue Fall 2018
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São Paulo firemen train with ag operators for firefighting operations
6
Portugal’s at-802 deployed to Sweden
9
Trotter Controls obtains tank system STC
10 Tom Carlson joins Wipaire, Inc. as Services & Components Sales Manager 12 Kawak receives STCs for new CH-47 Chinook Internal firefighting tank system 15 Montenegro Ministry of Interior receives new AT-802 firefighting aircraft 16 Single Engine Air Tankers — first strike 19 Wildfire Training Solutions introduces their flagship product, Lorby Wildfire Response
PUBLISHER: Bill Lavender - bill@agairupdate.com EDITOR: Graham Lavender - editor@agairupdate.com ACCOUNTING: Sandy Lavender - billing@agairupdate.com ADMINISTRATION: Casey L. Armstrong - casey@agairupdate.com ADVERTISING: Ernie Eggler - ernie@agairupdate.com Melanie Woodley - melanie@agairupdate.com CLASSIFIED ADS: classifieds@agairupdate.com Melanie Woodley - melanie@agairupdate.com PRODUCTION: Deborah Freeman - aau@agairupdate.com CIRCULATION: Mary Jane Virden - maryjane@agairupdate.com subs@agairupdate.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Carlin Lawrence - carlinlawrence@yahoo.com Alan McCracken - mccrackenalan@yahoo.com Regina Farmer - regina.farmer@chem-man.com Tracy Thurman - thurmantracyt@gmail.com LATIN AMERICAN REPS: Ernesto Franzen - ernesto@agairupdate.com Gina Hickmann - gina@agairupdate.com Ivan Parra - ivan@agairupdate.com Noelia Burgeus - noeliburgues@gmail.com Pat Kornegay - pat@svatx.com © Copyright 2018 AgAir Update retains all rights for reproduction of any material submitted, to include but not limited to articles, photographs, emails and bulletin board posts. All material remain the copyright of AgAir Update. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or whole, without the written consent of the publisher. Editorial published do not necessary reflect the views of the publisher. Content within AgAir Update is believed to be true and accurate and the publisher does not assume responsibility for any errors or omissions. Unsolicited editorial manuscripts and photos are welcomed and encouraged. We cannot be responsible for return unless submissions are accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Advertising deadline is 12 noon, on the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. AgAir Update (ISSN 1081-6496) Published monthly by Blue Sky Investments, Inc., 475 Myrtle Field Road, Perry, GA 31069 for $39 USD for one year in the U.S.; International rates are $39 USD for one year. Periodical postage paid at Springfield, MO and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to P.O. Box 850, Perry, GA 31069. AgAir Update, a multiple-award winning publication, is a tabloid newspaper 12.25” deep by 10” wide on a 2.25” 4 column format. Contract rates are available upon request.
On the cover and this page: Portugal answers the call from Sweden to fight fires using its Fire Bosses. See story on page 6AFF. &
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São Paulo firemen train with ag operators for firefighting operations August 14th was a training day on firefighting operations using ag aircraft for firemen and ag pilots in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The activity involved ag operations Imagem Aviação Agrícola, in São José do Rio Preto and Pachu Aviação Agrícola in Rio Claro, along with almost 200 firemen. The state of São Paulo is following the operational model of California, having now one of the best systems in Brazil for the use of aircraft against wildfires. For that, the state government cotracts ag companies through a bidding process by fire departments and Defesa Civil (the state disaster management agency), the operators on contract being responsible for fighting fires in their respective areas. In São José do Rio Preto, the training was made in Imagem Aviação Agrícola’s base, as that company is on contract for that area since last year. It was the 2nd Training Course on Fighting Fires in Vegetation Areas with the Use of Aircraft, promoted by the 13º Grupamento de Bombeiros and involving also firemen from the cities of Araçatuba, Ribeirão Preto and Presidente Prudente. The firemen trained how to work safely around aircraft on the ground with engines on, practicing how to load and refuel, and even how to rescue a pilot in case of a crash. The exercise included air support call protocols and fire area operations procedures. Imagem operator and pilot Rodrigo Fernandes said that the company keeps a pilot team on readiness standby for emergencies during drought periods.
In Rio Preto, activities involved 115 firemen of the 13º GB (Fire Group) along with Imagem Aviação agrícola (photo: Cláudio Correa/Campo Aberto)
Contract Debut
The training session in Rio Claro begun one day before, involving 80 firemen. There, the training exercise was due to Pachu’s contract debut, on a new air firefighting area created by the state, in the 42 cities area served by the 16º GB. The first day was dedicated to a familiarization with fire corps equipment by the ag operation personnel. On Tuesday, it was the firemens’ turn to train for pilot rescue (in case of an accident), to learn about safety zones around an aircraft with its engine on and how to load it with water. “We also did loading and launch exercises”, says Pachu operator Marcelo Amaral. “It was a very good training session. The firemen got the hang of our operation and we felt like part of their corporation”, he added. The company has a base in Catanduva, where it stands in readiness to serve the area. The use of ag aircraft for fighting wildfires, in partnership with state fire corps and emergency management agencies was presented last year, in the SINDAG Mercosul and Latin American Ag Aviation Convention, held in Canela, Rio Grande do Sul. In that event, fire corp major Rodrigo Thadeu de Araújo, who coordinated the training session in Rio Claro, emphasized that thanks to their speed and load capacity, tanker planes are essential for the direct combat and control of fires, even protecting ground firemen.
In Rio Claro, the training session involved Pachu Aviação Agrícola and 80 firemen from the 16º GB, in a new area in the state now served by aerial firefighting.
(Source: SINDAG website, http://sindag.org.br/bombeiros-de-sp-e-aeroagricolas-treinam-para-operacoes-com-avioes-contra-incendios/)
Fall 2018
AFF-3
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Marc Mullis marc@agairupdate.com
from the SEAT
Struggling to keep up After getting off to a rather slow and uneventful start, the 2018 fire season has exploded into an affair that will be remembered for unfilled resource orders and massive manpower shortages. In late July, the National Preparedness Level was raised to the highest value of five indicating that assets are in short supply while large wildfires in California and the Great Basin are competing for resources that in some cases are simply unavailable. Hot, dry and windy conditions are exasperating the situation and as of early August there is no change in weather patterns in sight. It has been reported that the dust from the Sahara Desert which was transported five thousand miles across the Atlantic Ocean and into the North American Continent has put a cap on any tropical storm formation in the Atlantic.
These storms often bring relief from or put an end to fire seasons in some regions. As of the first of August, there were 106 large fires burning in the United States with more than 28,000 federal firefighters assigned. Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) have become an integral and necessary part of the nation’s aerial firefighting fleet. For years the government placed a cap of 75 SEATs in the fleet. That cap has now been lifted and although I am unsure of the exact number working on contract it is well over ninety. Some regions of the country have come to prefer SEATs over Large Air Tankers (LATs). Often they can reload closer to the incident and when used in groups they can deliver more retardant on target. It appears that seven Lockheed C-130s that
were to be transferred from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to the United States Forest Service (USFS) will now be going to the State of California. After the USFS decided they did not want them, legislation was introduced in the United States senate that would facilitate the transfer to the states. A batch of legal issues would have arisen if the federal government had attempted to operate them as firefighting aircraft. Texas has just surpassed its 200th day of spring/summer fire season. The drought that is gripping the region is strengthening and record heat during the month of July exacerbated the situation. As of this writing, there were four retardant reload bases spread across the state staffed by nine SEATs, one Large Air Tanker, plus associated Air Attacks and Lead Planes. Abilene is staffed as a full service tanker base, while the other three are portable and can be located to wherever the need arises. There is no end in sight for the Texas fire season and unlike other areas out west the advent of winter months does not signal an end. Hopefully, all are having a safe and prosperous season. Things will certainly begin to wind down soon and we can have time to spend with family and loved ones. Fly on and I hope to see you in the mountains one day.
Marc credit: NIFC, August 1, 2018
Fall 2018
AFF-5
Portuguese
Fire Bosses
deployed to
SWEDEN
by Igor Bozinovski
Europe will remember the summer of 2018 by the continent-wide heatwave that brought drought and wildfires to places where no one expected: Sweden! While many were surprised by the Swedish wildfires, those with good memory remembered this nothing new, as only four years ago the Nordic nation survived a similar disaster when the Västmanland wildfire burned 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) and with one fatality. That fire, the largest in 40 years caught Sweden totally unprepared for fighting the disaster, especially in regards to the nation’s capability to organize and conduct serious
On approach for another water scoop from Lake Nora with locals watching.
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aerial firefighting operations. Fortunately, in 2014 Italy and France provided firefighting aircraft after an appeal had been dispatched through European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism. Many expect that punctual Swedes would have learned the lesson and would be well prepared for fighting wildfires. Unfortunately, that was not the case! This year, the nation faced the hottest July for the past 250 years and consequently more than fifty large wildfires appeared raging throughout much of Sweden, covering in total 250
km2 (100 square miles). With many of the fires raging, Sweden initially requested help from neighboring countries but when disaster went completely out of control a help in firefighting aircraft was requested via the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism with responses being received from France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Norway and Portugal. Clearly, recognizing the effects of wildfires, Portugal is a nation that is still healing from the wounds of last year’s terrible and massive wildfires that claimed 115 lives across the
Fires burning in the Orebro region of Sweden.
Heading to the Swedish fire after scooping water at Lake Nora. nation. So, it was not a surprise that Lisbon was among the first that responded to Stockholm’s distress call. Portugal’s National Authority for Civil Protection (ANPC) dispatched to the Nordic wildfire zones two of its Air Tractor AT-802A Fire Bosses that were operating in Portugal under contract with the local, Tondela-based company Agro-Montiar. Fire Bosses, registered EC-MML (c/n 802A0649) and EC-MRA (c/n 802A-0690), were piloted by four very experienced pilots; José Galiano, José Luis Domínguez, Éder Navacerrada and Vítor Araujo. The deployment to Sweden required five stops along the route with the fire bombers arriving at Örebro, a city located some 160 km west of Swedish capital Stockholm, on 25 July. With logistics provided by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (Myndigheten för Samhällsskydd och Beredskap, MSB), the Fire Bosses started operations on 26 July and were actively involved in fighting wildfires with 30 July the last day of operations. During that time, the aircraft scooped water mainly from the nearby Nora Lake, but also from others lakes available in the wider area around Örebro. For the purpose of refueling, the Härjedalen airport was used.
Bosses every hour of firefighting operations. The Portuguese Fire Bosses deployment to Sweden was successfully completed on 1 August when the pair of aircraft departed Örebro and promptly returned home to join aerial firefighting operations over the Iberian Peninsula. By that time the crisis in Sweden was under control with help from rains that extinguished most of the fires. This, obviously, did not solve Sweden’s chronic shortage of aerial firefighting assets that certainly should not be ignored, especially if predictions of the World Weather Attribution group scientists estimating that due to
climate changes a similar heatwave will affect southern Scandinavia on average once on every 10 years. Being much smaller than the twin-engine CL-215/415 Canadair water-bomber with its 6,140-liter capacity, the PT6-powered AT-802 remains the largest single-engine turbine aircraft in the world with its 3,104-liter capacity. The aircraft departs the production line in Olney, Texas with tricycletype tail-wheel landing gear in either the AT802A single-seat or the AT-802 dual cockpit configuration. When the airframe is stripped of its classical landing gear configuration
Portugal’s National Authority for Civil Protection (ANPC) dispatched two of its Air Tractor AT-802A Fire Bosses to the Nordic wildfire zones.
Maintaining 100% fleet operational readiness, a total of 46.5 hours flight time was logged during the three days of operations (26, 27 and 30 July). Twenty-seven flight hours were direct firefighting operations that resulted in 356 water drops and 1,068,000 liters of water delivered over Swedish wildfires. The statistics show on average, a Fire Bosses dropped over 3,000 liters every 4.5 minutes achieving an impressive 13 drops per hour. That rate equaled to over 39,000 liters of water delivered by the Agro-Montiar Fire
Fall 2018
AFF-7
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With an impressive capacity of 3,104 liters of water and the capability to use highly effective firefighting foam and retardant, the FRDS computer system for selection of fire bombardment mode, and with a relatively small financial input needed for its procurement and ongoing operational use and maintenance, more than 750 Air Tractor AT802s have been produced since 1992, becoming the aerial firefighting standard for most wildfires-prone European countries. As a result, apart from Portugal, approximately 80 firefighting AT-802s are in operation in Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Cyprus and Israel. The AT-802 is also used in firefighting operations in Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Australia and the U.S.
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AFF-8
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Trotter Controls obtains tank system STC This year, two new customers for Trotter Controls (TCI) obtained STCs for their tank systems and have been doing a great job fighting fires throughout the US. TCI provided turnkey controls and hydraulics for the 10Tanker DC-10 project, as well as helped them obtain IATB/FAA certification for the VLAT tank system.
DataVault advanced telemetry systems (ATUs) are also used on many other aircraft types. Keep an eye out for other new offerings from Trotter Controls in the near future.
TCI also worked with Kawak to provide a new internal tank and controls platform with telemetry for the Billings Flying Service CH47 now operating on fires. Both systems feature state of the art constant flow controls as well as advanced telemetry reporting features. TCI now has firegate controllers being used on Air Tractor’s AT802F, 10Tanker’s DC-10, and the BFS CH-47 platform. Our
Fall 2018
AFF-9
Tom Carlson joins Wipaire, Inc. as Services & Components Sales Manager South Saint Paul, Minnesota – The Wipaire, Inc.® sales team has been further expanded and enhanced with the addition of Tom Carlson as the services and components sales manager. Tom brings a unique blend of experience from entrepreneurial ventures to Fortune 500 corporations, including two masters’ degrees and a commercial pilot certificate with multi-engine and instrument Tom Carlson privileges. Tom’s responsibilities will cover consulting and advising aircraft owners and operators on services like maintenance, paint, avionics, and interior refurbishments, in addition to serving as the point of contact for Wipaire’s surplus parts inventory.
understands how all of the pieces fit together,” noted Clint Clouatre, Wipaire’s Vice President of Marketing & Sales. “Tom has the hands-on background as an experienced pilot with over 3,000 hours of flight time, along with the technical background of managing complex proposals and products. His enthusiasm and customer-centric nature will make him a great asset for our current and future customers.” Tom added, “Having spent most of my career in the large commercial airline sector, I’m really excited to be part of a 3rd generation familyowned business like Wipaire that’s so deeply rooted in innovation and entrepreneurship. In the short time I’ve been here, it’s clear this company is genuinely committed to its customers and employees alike – a company culture I believe is fundamental to growing our portfolio of services and fostering long term relationships with aircraft owners, operators and pilots. What I enjoy most is finding solutions for our customers – whether it’s an avionics upgrade, a paint & interior refresh or maybe just a really rare Turbo Beaver part they’re trying to find, I want them to leave with a uniquely personal customer experience that they remember as being “Wipaire” - not found elsewhere!”
“Wipaire’s diverse customer base, broad range of services, and variety of aircraft supported demand a well-rounded team member who
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AFF-10
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Fall 2018
AFF-11
Kawak receives STCs for new CH47 Chinook Internal firefighting tank system
Billings CH47D flight testing new Kawak hover refill system
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Billings CH47D flight testing internal liquid dispersal system
BEND, OREGON – Kawak Aviation has received FAA Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for its CH-47D Chinook aerial liquid delivery system (ALDS) and auxiliary hydraulic system. Working with customer Billings Flying Service of Billings, Montana, Kawak has achieved a more effective internal tank firefighting system. The 2,500-US gallon (9,463-liter) tank fills in under 40 seconds and can release a full load of water in 3 seconds. The key to the success of this new system is the fully independent 50hp hydraulic system, all new refill pump, and unique water tank door design. “The fully independent hydraulic system provides more than enough power for the firefighting system and doesn’t interfere with aircraft functions necessary for flight. This type of modular system provides performance, safety and also ease of maintenance,” said Andrew Sawyer, director of marketing at Kawak Aviation. Using their existing refill pump technology as a starting point and
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
2500-gallon tank installed in Billings Flying Service CH-47D Chinook Kawak CH-47D firefighting system auxiliary hydraulic gearbox Kawak CH-47D firefighting system test rig Kawak assembling first 2500-gallon riveted tank Kawak CH-47D firefighting system drop test Test fitting first 2500-gallon riveted tank prior to final riveting
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Fall 2018
AFF-13
analysis software they designed an all new refill pump to meet the fill time requirements of this new system. Rather than swinging doors to drop the water Kawak designed doors that slide. “Unlike swinging door designs our sliding doors provide an unbroken ribbon of water that exits the tank with less wind break up providing a better drop pattern. In short, more water reaches the fire for a more effective drop,” says Andrew. This system includes a secondary 128-US gallon tank that can add retardant as the main tank is filled depending on fire contract requirements. Kawak worked with subcontractor Trotter Controls of Fort Worth, Texas, to develop the door controls for the tank. One key aspect of the system is the live telemetry functionality which
automatically records how much water is taken on, how much is dropped, and where it was dropped. This information is then transmitted to the agency managing the fire to assist in analyzing utilization of resources. Having completed flight testing and received STC, Billing’s Flying Service began fire operations this summer. Kawak Aviation Technologies Inc. based in Bend Oregon, designs, certifies and manufactures products for helicopter firefighting, forestry, aerial agriculture, government and commercial markets, as well as consigns special engineering and certification projects for the aerospace industry. STCs range from turbine engine installations to auxiliary hydraulic systems and accessories for helicopters and turbine airplanes. For detailed product information, contact Kawak Aviation Technologies at 541-385-5051 or email sales@kawakaviation.com.
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Carbon overflow tube installed in Billings Flying Service CH-47D Chinook
Montenegro Ministry of Interior receives new AT-802 firefighting aircraft by Igor Bozinovski
The Montenegrin Ministry of Interior Aviation-Helicopter Unit (Aviohelikopterska jedinica Ministarstva unutrašnjih poslova Republike Crne Gore) has further increased its aerial firefighting fleet by introduction into service one twin-seat Air Tractor AT-802 firefighting aircraft in configuration with classical, tailwheel-type landing gear.
Montenegro MoI Air Tractor AT-802s at PodgoricaGolubovci airport (photo’s by Igor Bozinovski)
Being procured brand-new from the Spanish company “Air Tractor Europe S.L.U.”, the aircraft wearing Spanish delivery registration EC-MRV (c/n 8020711), was handed over to its new operator at Podgorica-Golubovci airport on 10 July. Under the procurement agreement, training for two Montenegrin pilots was also organized and conducted in Valencia, Spain. Produced in 2017, the newest Montenegrin aircraft is equipped according to the latest production standards of Texas-based Air Tractor Inc. - the plane features Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67F turboprop engine delivering 1,600shp, the latest Generation II FRDS (Fire Retardant Delivery System) and an AmSafe inflatable airbag system. Being the fourth AT-802 to join Montenegrin Ministry of Interior since 2008, the latest addition is indeed the first twin-seat AT-802 to enter service in Montenegro. This aircraft is expected to get Montenegrin civil registration 4O-EAD. Montenegro’s legacy with AT-802 began in 2009 when a pair of amphibian-configured, floats-equipped Air Tractor AT-802A Fire Boss aircraft became part of the AviationHelicopter Unit. One was lost on 21 July 2015 in a non-fatal accident that occurred when due to pilot error the plane landed on Skadar Lake with extended landing gear, flipped over and remained under water. The pilot safely escaped the cockpit. It took 24 hours for the aircraft to be pulled out and subsequently declared a write-off as a result of sustained damages.
The AT-802A was replaced with the procurement of one single-seat Air Tractor AT-802A in configuration with tailwheel-type landing gear. This attritionreplacement aircraft landed at PodgoricaGolubovci airport on 15 December 2016. In the spring of 2017 Montenegro unified its AT-802 fleet by removing the floats from one aircraft and turning it into a landconfigured aircraft.
With impressive water capacity of over 3,104 liters, capability to use highly effective firefighting foam and retardant and with relatively small financial funds needed for its procurement, operations and maintenance, the Air Tractor AT-802 has became the standard for small countries in Europe - apart from Montenegro, some 80 firefighting AT-802s are now in regular use in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Croatia, Macedonia, Cyprus and Israel.
Fall 2018
AFF-15
twenty years ago
Single Engine Air Tankers — first strike by Bill Lavender
SAFFORD, AZ — Like most ag pilots who watch CNN, whenever there is coverage of a fire outbreak in the western states and the video “journalist” focuses on the aircraft used to suppress and control the fire, I look for an ag plane. I’ve yet to see an AT-802, Turbo Thrush or Dromader drop a line of fire retardant. Usually, the aircraft are heavy tankers; P-3s, C-130s, DC-3s or DC-4s. Maybe there will be a few helicopters; a Sikorsky S-64 Sky Crane or a few Bell 47s and Jet Rangers; but never a good old ag plane. The fires had been raging during June with lots of news coverage in northern Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. I decided to contact an ag operator that operated in the Southwest who I knew was involved with aerial firefighting. John and Kerry Hunt, a husband and wife team, operate Safford Sprayers out of Safford, Arizona. Safford is a small community located in the southeastern corner of Arizona about 150 miles from Phoenix. You may remember a Pilot Report by Air Tractor that was written about John and Kerry several years ago. John was operating an AT402 and had a small speciality apple farm. He still has the apple farm, however he has replaced the AT-402 with an AT-802 and no longer sprays cotton or other row crops. The company now concentrates fully on aerial fire fighting through the SEAT (Single Engine Air Tankers) program. I first met John at a Mexican ag convention in Puerto Vallerta four years ago. He had taught himself how to speak Spanish by listening to audio tapes in his sleep. Well, maybe not exactly like that, but close. He was kind enough to help me with translations during the trade show and from that a lasting friendship developed. SEAT is a program that started in 1986 through the persistence of John Hunt and the cooperation and help of the Department of Interior’s Dennis Lehman and Al Alvaraz of Boise, Idaho and Dave Hall in the Safford BLM office. John knew if he could have a chance with his ag plane being the first to the fire scene, that possibly millions of firefighting dollars, thousands of acres of land and many homes could be saved. These three men gave the SEAT program a chance. When I contacted John about all the aerial fire bombing on CNN, he explained to me he is in the SEAT program and that his aircraft is classified as a Type IV, less than 800-gallon payload. The aircraft I saw on the TV were heavy air tankers classified as Types I (over 3,000 gallon), II (2,200 - 2,999 gallon), and III (800 - 2,199 gallon) and helicopters. I probably wouldn’t see SEAT aircraft on television. SEAT’s primary job is to be first-strike and prevent the fire before it becomes newsworthy. &
AFF-16
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(L-R) The Hunt SEAT team; John and Kerry Hunt with son Lee. Safford Airport is the home of the first SEAT base servicing the Safford Bureau of Land Management District (BLM) in the southeast quadrant of Arizona. John and Kerry Hunt own the fixed base loading facility for SEAT. They contract with the Department of Interior’s BLM for loading services for the SEAT aircraft. They also contract their AT-802 to BLM for firefighting. The SEAT operation in Safford is managed by Mark Bickham, BLM Fire and Aviation Logistics and SEAT Manager. The program has grown to the point where John has sold his row crop business to focus completely on the aerial firefighting. At Safford, John and Kerry have designed a loading facility they call Mix Monster. The name Mix Monster evolved from Custom Farm Service in Stanfield, Arizona to John and Kerry in Safford. The operation has a 22,000-gallon reserve water tank, a 2,200-gallon Mix Monster and 3-3,000-gallon ready mix holding tanks for the fire retardant. The dry bulk fire retardant is stored in a warehouse at the site. The facility can service three SEAT aircraft at any one time. The way the SEAT program works is the BLM contracts with an operator who has an aircraft that has been “carded” by the Office of Aviation Services, a division of the Department of Interior. The carded aircraft guarantees the BLM that the aircraft and pilot are properly set up and trained for the job. A carded aircraft must have two communication radios that can be used simultaneously. It must be IFR certified, be able to separate a load during a mission, have a 300-gallon minimum carrying capacity, have an ELT and be certified under Part 137. The pilot must be commercial licensed with instrument rating and have a minimum of 1200 hours total time with 100 hours in the last
12 months, 25 hours in make and model and 200 hours of flight time over typical terrain and at low level. Pilots are allowed to work in fourteen-day periods with a minimum of two 24-hour rest periods that are completely away from the aircraft (no maintenance). The pilot can have duty time up to 14 hours per day. During these 14 hours, the maximum he can fly is eight hours, leaving six hours for standby time. The aircraft is not limited by duty time. Therefore, two pilots can work one aircraft. An exceptional fire bombing season is 300 hours. A more typical season is 100-200 flight hours. A contract has provisions for standby pay and flight pay, in some cases depending on the contract, per diem and expenses. The most common way a fire starts is thunderstorms passing through the district setting off fires with lightening strikes. The SEAT base in Safford utilizes a Lightening Detection System to monitor the lightening strikes that may cause fires. Reconnaissance aircraft search for the lightening strikes taking a fix on any fires. Mark Bickman coordinates the fires according to priorities, i.e. proximity to houses and real property, potential of fire and its location relative to Safford. Once the fires are plotted, he contacts John and Kerry to coordinate the AT-802. If more than one aircraft is needed or John is out of the district on another contract, he calls in other Type IV SEAT aircraft and uses the Hunt’s Mix Monster equipment for loading. Kerry coordinates all of the ground loading at Safford for John and any other SEAT aircraft brought in to the Safford base. She also is the liaison between John and the BLM, performing all the paperwork and ground coordinating duties. SEAT aircraft target a 20-minute turn around time from load to target and back. Some of the fires may be as small as a single tree or as large as one with a burn rate of 200 chains per hour (one chain = 66 feet). As many as 50-60 fires may be burning at one time. Multiple fires can be extinguished with one load, depending on the size of the fire and the
(L-R) Mark Bickman and John Hunt stand in front of the Hunt Mix Monster load system for the SEAT program. fuel type (grass, trees, etc.). The busiest part of the fire season begins for the Safford district in mid-May and runs until mid-July, although fire bombing is done throughout the year. During large fire bombing operations involving heavy tankers, SEATs can be called in and stacked with the heavies. The heavy tanker will drop a main fire line followed by a SEAT drop for touch up. A SEAT aircraft can drop a 25’ line from a 40’-50’ altitude. John explains, “The SEAT program is another specialized tool in the firefighter’s box.” John’s AT-802 has a special dump gatebox for fire bombing. Working with Transland of California, John modified the Transland Fire Dispatch gatebox (PN 22538, $4545.) to operate hydraulically. The Transland Fire Dispatch gatebox is twice the size of the standard Air Tractor gate. The gatebox remains 38 inches wide, but is 10 inches deep, double the 5 inches of a standard gatebox. Transland has also designed a 41 inches wide gatebox that is 10 inches deep.
A rear camera shot of the hydraulically operated Transland Fire Dispersal gatebox. The weight of 800 gallons of fire retardant is too great with the enlarged gatebox opening to operate manually. The hydraulic cylinder permits the pilot to open and close the gatebox quickly and at different opening settings.
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In conjunction with John’s hydraulically operated Transland gatebox, Bill Schriner of Pierce Aviation in Buckeye, Arizona has incorporated a computer actuator for the hydraulic gatebox. The computer calibrates the drop by addressing the length of time and amount of opening of the gatebox during the drop. Different categories of drops are programed into the computer. The gatebox works without requiring a change out for the aircraft’s wet and dry systems used in typical aerial application operations. There are three Transland Fire Dispatch gateboxes in service; two at Pierce Aviation and one with John Hunt.
John Hunt makes a fire bomb drop with AT-802.
Each year there is more demand for the accuracy and speed of the SEAT program for fire fighting operations. While I was visiting with the Safford operation a call came in requesting the services of the Safford SEAT in Montana. Although the fires hadn’t yet started, the conditions were right for them to break at anytime. The BLM was preparing for an outbreak by having the SEAT aircraft in position. The potential savings in firefighting cost is enormous. An example is the use of one Sikorsky S-64 Sky Crane for 18 days dispersing 140,000 gallons of fire retardant can exceed $1 million for the use of the helicopter. That calculates into 175 missions in an AT-802. At an average of 20 minutes per mission, that works out to about 60 hours, undoubtedly contracted for much less than $1 million. With those kinds of costs savings, the accuracy of a first-strike drop and the overall flexibility of the SEAT aircraft, the future for SEAT looks promising.
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AT-802 performs a calibration drop at Safford Airport. The Transland Fire Dispersal gatebox is preset for each category drop during calibration.
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