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2018 - A Year in Review DECEMBER 2018
Air Tractor Europe Trains Jordan’s ATN E W S P A P E R 802 Military Pilots
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2018 N E W S P A P E R A G A V I A T I O N ’ S M A G A Z I N E
Winter 2019
P.O. Box 850 • Perry, GA 31069 USA 475 Myrtle Field Rd. • Perry, GA 31069 USA PHONE: 478-987-2250 FAX: 478-352-0025 aau@agairupdate.com • agairupdate.com
04 From the SEAT 06 Thrush 510G Switchback Firefighter Wins FAA Certification
PUBLISHER: Bill Lavender - bill@agairupdate.com
08 Air Tractor Europe Trains Jordan’s AT-802 Military Pilots
ACCOUNTING: Sandy Lavender - accounting@agairupdate.com
10 Aerial firefighting leader grows as demand increases for modernized wildfire approach
ADMINISTRATION: Casey L. Armstrong - casey@agairupdate.com
EDITOR: Graham Lavender - editor@agairupdate.com
ADVERTISING: Ernie Eggler - ernie@agairupdate.com Melanie Woodley - melanie@agairupdate.com
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12 Air Tractor Europe company: We want to sell our fire-fighting planes to Serbia Mac e heavy donian AT &16 Aerotex Aviação Agrícola firefighting madonates inten -802R$45,000 ance Fire Boss s R to the Cancer Hospital of Rio Verde R e E d in Cro P e B A atia en follow The A ull Air Rac E W S P N S ing ir TraNew eRegistration G ’ Montenegro Newest AT-802 Shows N18 ctor A newest s G H T I ta T-802 A Fire r: Boss
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agairupdate.com | AFF 3
AIR FIRE FORESTRY
FROM THE SEAT marc@agairupdate.com
One for the Books
T
he 2018 fire season is now officially in the history books. It will go down as one of the most destructive and costliest fire seasons ever. The 8.5 million acres that was scorched surpassed the tenyear average of acres burned by more than 2.5 million acres. At the same time, the number of wildland fires across the country remained close to the ten-year average of around 50,000 fires. This means fires are larger and more difficult to control and contain. Someone coined the term “Mega Fires�, which includes those that exceed 100,000 acres. These are now the norm, not the exception. As fires grow in size, so does the cost of battling them. I remember when the national budget for firefighting was one billion dollars. Over the last two seasons more than three billion dollars was spent in California alone for each season. The firefighting aircraft fleet has also grown, yet the number of Exclusive Use Contracts has shrunk being replaced by On Call Contracts, which are the most expensive of the two. This is especially true in a busy year such as this year. For the last two years all SEAT contracts have been On Call. Bids are out now for what the Department of Interior refers to as a Hybrid Contract for SEATs. It contains properties of both. The bidding process is overly complicated and at least four protests have already been filed. We will have to wait and see
AFF 4 | agairupdate.com
where this finally ends up. There is a trend developing to use more aerial assets to fight fires. Several government agencies have already initiated programs with helicopters. Now, there are discussions of equipping fixed wing aircraft with Night Vision Goggles (NVGs) and other sensory equipment. Aerial firefighting is dangerous enough in daylight; night operations will add another level of risk. Current federal contracts contain restrictions for night operations that vary with aircraft type. The fire season in the Southern Hemisphere has kicked off. A minimum of six Large Air Tankers and several Type One helicopters from the U.S. are either already in place or on their way to Australia. The number of aircraft are up from those deployed in years past. This illustrates the value our friends Down Under place on these aerial assets. Off season training programs are gearing up and I would encourage all to share your knowledge and experiences with others. Be safe and maybe I will see you in the mountains one day.
Marc
AIR FIRE FORESTRY
This is my everything There’s a lot riding with this Air Tractor. My livelihood, my reputation—my life is in this airplane. When lives and property are at stake, I want the total package. Safety. Airframe. Engine. 24/7 support. A champion for my way of life and a supporter of this industry. The stakes couldn’t be higher. So I need everything. With Air Tractor, I get everything. JESSE WEAVER CHIEF PILOT, 802F FIRE BOSS AERO SPRAY, INC.
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agairupdate.com | AFF 5
AIR FIRE FORESTRY
Thrush 510G Switchback Firefighter Wins FAA Certification Revolutionary firefighting aircraft will provide ag pilots with wildfire attack capability.
AFF 6 | agairupdate.com
AIR FIRE FORESTRY
A
The Thrush 510G Switchback has been granted full certification by the FAA. In a matter of minutes, the Switchback can convert from agricultural spray operations to highly capable firefighter – with the ability to precisely deliver some 500 gallons of water or fire suppressant in less than two seconds.
lbany, GA— Hurricane Michael did its best to alter the landscape in South Georgia earlier this month – but today, things are decidedly brighter here as the Federal Aviation Administration has just granted full certification to the industry’s newest firefighting aircraft, the Thrush 510G Switchback. The Switchback is designated as a Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) aircraft. Thanks to its size, speed and maneuverability, it has the ability to deliver 500 gallons of water, retardant or fire suppressant with pinpoint accuracy – all while operating in tight environments. What makes the Switchback incredibly unique, however, is the aircraft’s ability to switch from agricultural spray duties to firefighting capabilities in a matter of minutes – thanks to its unique fire gate delivery system built by Transland. When in firefighting mode, Transland’s gatebox allows the Switchback to deliver a full 500-gallon salvo drop in less than two seconds while providing an excellent, narrow drop pattern for an effective fire line. Combined with the superb visibility, light control response and high degree of maneuverability that are hallmarks of every Thrush – the Switchback provides SEAT pilots nationwide with the quickest, most cost-effective initial attack platform in the battle against wildfires. And, within minutes, the Switchback can convert back to agricultural spray operations, allowing operators to keep the aircraft working and generating revenue, both in and out of fire season – unlike other firefightingonly aircraft. In addition, the Thrush 510G is available in both single and dual cockpitdual control configurations, allowing operators even greater mission flexibility – from spray operations, to firefighting, to training and observation. The first two 510G Switchbacks have been delivered to the Georgia Forestry Commission where they are being put into service for fire detection, rapid response firefighting and training. Both aircraft feature advanced avionics for navigation and situational awareness, as well as to provide the pilots with numerous options for delivery of materials when making a firefighting drop. Another key capability of the 510G Switchback is its ability to land on unimproved surfaces closer to a wildfire. This allows the aircraft to reload and be back in the air over a fire in a matter of minutes, rather than the much longer turnaround time required by larger aircraft. Rapid response suppression is a critical tool for frontline fire control, as is rapid fire detection, which can sometimes make all the difference in being able to contain a wildfire, versus having it become uncontrollable. Thanks to its flexibility, its revolutionary new gatebox, and its proven durability, the Thrush 510G Switchback is the first aircraft that excels in both fire detection and suppression – as well as in its mission as a highly capable aerial application aircraft for the agricultural industry. About Thrush Aircraft Company—Headquartered in Albany, Georgia, Thrush Aircraft manufactures a full range of aerial application aircraft used in agriculture, forestry and firefighting roles worldwide. Founded in 2003, Thrush is well-known for building the most durable aircraft in the aerial application industry, as well as the best flying – from both pilot and operator perspectives. All Thrush models provide superb visibility, light control response, and a high degree of maneuverability and speed, along with superior efficiency and low direct operating costs. Today there are more than 2,400 Thrush aircraft operating in some 80 countries around the world. agairupdate.com | AFF 7
AIR FIRE FORESTRY
Air Tractor Europe Trains Jordan’s AT-802 Military Pilots by Igor Bozinovski
According Arceo, the training syllabus lasts six days for each group - one day is dedicated to aircraft flight manual review and emergency procedures theory.
AFF 8 | agairupdate.com
T
he al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya al-Urduniy (Royal Jordanian Air Force, RJAF) has began sending pilots of its Air Tractor AT-802 twin-seat, singleengine turboprop attack aircraft to Spain for a normal and emergency procedures operational training at the Valencia-based Avialsa E-ATO-245 training organization. Operated by Air Tractor Europe (ATE), it is the world’s only AT-802 tailored training organization that under same roof unifies certified AT-802 training courses, double-seat AT-802 planes, highly-experience instructors and examiners and the world’s only AT-802 FTD Level II flight simulator. “We already had two groups of Jordanian military pilots pass through our training organization during October with an additional three groups to follow by the end of the year. The key focus is on making the pilots aware of AT-802 limitations and preparing them for the proper executing of emergency procedures, especially during take-off and landing and while operating at high altitude over high seas. Also, very special attention is given to night flights, challenging weather conditions and IFR [Instrument Flight Rules] conditions using, among others, landscapes that are familiar to Jordanian pilots,” said ATE’s sales manager Hugo Arceo. According Arceo, the training syllabus lasts six days for each group - one day is dedicated to aircraft flight manual review and emergency procedures theory. Another day, pilots familiarize with the aircraft systems and the remaining four days are for simulator training. “Each pilot effectively accumulates 8 flight hours in our unique simulator, a time that is accumulated during four daily sessions of 2 hours each. In addition, 16 more hours of theoretical knowledge is provided to each pilot,” Arceo explained. Arceo stated the training of RJAF pilots turns
a new page in the history of ATE that has never before trained pilots of combat-configured AT802s, despite it has years of significant experience in training Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo (Croatian Air Force) as well as Cypriot, Macedonian and Montenegrin AT-802 government pilots for executing aerial fire-fighting missions; the original design for the AT-802. “Our AT-802 training portfolio includes pilots from all over the world; Italy, Israel, South Africa, United States, Canada and even Australia,” Arceo emphasized. Apart from pilots, two groups of RJAF technical personnel is also expected to arrive in Spain soon and attend AT-802 maintenance training course with ATE’s Paterna-based ES.147.016 technical personnel training organization. The maintenance training will focus on scheduled and non-scheduled maintenance of the AT-802 and its Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop engine, Hartzell propeller, fuel and electrical systems, fixed landing gear and brakes and installed avionics.
Arceo stated the training of RJAF pilots turns a new page in the history of ATE
AIR FIRE FORESTRY
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agairupdate.com | AFF 9
AIR FIRE FORESTRY
Aerial Firefighting Leader Grows as Demand Increases for Modernized Wildfire Approach
D The solution to today’s intensifying wildfire threat doesn’t live with any one company or type of aircraft.
AFF 10 | agairupdate.com
auntless Air, an aerial firefighting company deeply dedicated to protecting people, land and property from the devastation of wildfires, announced it has added two AT-802F Fire Boss aircraft to its fleet. The addition brings the company’s total owned and operated aircraft to 13 Fire Bosses and one wheeled AT-802F aircraft. Each Dauntless aircraft features leading firefighting technology that makes it a highly effective initial attack tool in the war against wildfires. Brett L’Esperance, CEO, Dauntless Air, commented, “We have added two more Fire Bosses to our fleet in direct response to the growing demand for a modernized approach to aerial firefighting. In states like Washington, Idaho, Alaska and Minnesota we’re seeing that a technology-enabled network of economical initial attack aircraft on the front lines can better contain fires, keeping threats small and reducing
associated devastation. By giving ground crews the aerial support they need to put out blazes more efficiently, shorter suppression missions free up valuable funds and allow resources to be funneled back into forest health initiatives that reduce the wildfire threat not just for a single season, but for decades to come.” Washington state has proven what’s possible when you commit to a strategy targeted to attack fires when they are small. The state leads firefighting efforts with smaller, cost-effective assets like Fire Bosses, and state-owned type 3 helicopters. Leveraging these assets across the state since 2016, Washington’s initial attack strategy has kept more than 92% of all wildfires below 10 acres. Due to their size, cost and capability, Fire Bosses and other smaller aerial assets can be widely distributed and positioned at small regional air bases closer to fire-prone areas in the
AIR FIRE FORESTRY
wildland-urban interface. The aircraft’s 800-gallon capacity allows the Dauntless Fire Boss to operate in closer proximity to firefighters on the ground and complete precise and continuous drops that cool the fire environment, helping to reduce the danger and challenge faced by wildland firefighters working to protect the public from an intensifying wildfire threat. At the Annual Meeting of the National Association of States Foresters (NASF), two Dauntless Fire Bosses were showcased completing numerous scoops and drops for an audience of approximately 200 senior-level decisionmakers who drive the nation’s forest management, urban forestry, and wildland fire management activities. “The solution to today’s intensifying wildfire threat doesn’t live with any one company or type of aircraft, but rather in a broad industry commitment to implement a progressive wildfire response strategy that aggressively attacks fires and keeps them small,” said L’Esperance. “Reducing the dollars spent on wildfire suppression efforts will enable savings to be funneled back into fuel management tactics that create healthier forests that are less prone to megafires from the start. At Dauntless, we are committed to making this vision a reality.” For more information on the Dauntless Fire Boss fleet, visit: https://www.dauntlessair.com/our-fleet/.
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agairupdate.com | AFF 11
AIR FIRE FORESTRY
Air Tractor Europe: We Want to Sell our Firefighting Planes to Serbia by Petar Vojinovic, Chief Editor Tango Six, petar.vojinovic@tangosix.rs
T
Macedonian AT-802A Fire Boss / Photo: Air Tractor Europe
AFF 12 | agairupdate.com
he recently held Serbian-Spanish business forum in Belgrade also had its small aviation element. “On the margins” of this event, a Spanish company, Air Tractor Europe, representing the world reknown American aeronautical company, Air Tractor, for production of multi-purpose and firefighting planes met with several representatives of aeronautical entities from Serbia that it sees either as operators of Air Tractor AT-802 or as a support for possible purchases by Serbia. For the occasion, Tango Six received an exclusive interview with Francisco Broseta, a representative of Air Tractor Europe. The company plans to activate its sales capacities and persuade Serbia that it’s time, just like its neighbors, to acquire something more serious than a helicopter when it comes to fighting fires. After a recent
success in Montenegro, the Spaniards believe Serbia is finally ready to buy something more concrete. The number of recently announced purchases of new and used aircraft in Serbia has surely inspired them.
Do you see Serbia as a user of Air Tractor aircraft? Air Tractor Europe (ATE) as an exclusive dealer of US-made Air Tractor planes for Europe, Africa and the Middle East in the past decade. When it comes to aerial fire-fighting assets, ATE has sold over 80 Air Tractor AT-802 firefighting aircraft to the governments of Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Cyprus, Israel, Spain, Portugal, France and Italy. It continuously provides them with logistical support. The success of the AT-802 in the firefighting role is undoubted and we predict more sales in Greece, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Albania,
AIR FIRE FORESTRY
Francisco Broseta met with several domestic aeronautical companies / Photo: Petar Vojinović, Tango Six
and Turkey as well as to some quite surprising nations that have shown to be prone to forest fires, like Sweden for example. The EU and its Civil Protection Mechanism are also looking into the AT-802 as part of their wider strategy to secure a reliable aerial firefighting force for the EU member and associated nations. The fact that Serbia established a Ministry of Environment is a clear sign that your nation is committed to the protection of the nature, forests and the harmonization to European standards in this field.
How would Serbia use this aircraft taking the specifics of our territory into account? The AT-802 has shown to be an extremely successfully firefighting aircraft that is ideally tailored for first attack aerial firefighting missions. It is relatively inexpensive for procurement, very affordable for maintenance and extremely efficient to attack and extinguish any wildfire before it ➤ grows and turns into a disaster. Even then, few planes can really hit the fire hard and so its 3,104 liters water
capacity is really significant, especially when multiplied by three or four aircraft doing continues “bombardments”. The concept of first attack firebomber bases on cost-effective summer patrolling over routes are statistically proven as wildfire-prone to be successful. While doing so, an immediate attack on the forest fire with 3,104 liters of water, foam or retardant while the fire is still small, benign and easily controllable is the only right thing to do. This has been perfectly mastered in Spain and Croatia. These nations are indeed an example of how an AT-802 should be properly used. Appropriately, this concept is now accepted and implemented by aerial firefighting units around the globe. Of course, because of this, we see Serbia as a future user of our planes.
What are the experiences of our neighbors in using this type of aircraft? The Balkans is for sure a wildfire-prone area and things will not get any better in the future. There will be more and more fires every year. Experience and statistics
show that cyclically there will be really disastrous years every five to seven years. So, nations in the region need to prepare and some are already heavily investing in firefighting planes. In Spain, we have hot summers with huge and terrible wildfires that, unfortunately, also claim lives. Portugal wildfire tragedies of 2017 are just an example of Iberian troubles with forest fires. In that sense, I would take the freedom to say we in Spain are most likely one of those who know how wildfires should be extinguished. It is simple: apart from prevention, we have undividable trio: firefighting planes and helicopters in the air and firefighters on the ground. Each of these has its role and altogether creates an excellent and efficient firefighting combo. In this sense, helicopters are excellent for pinpointing and extinguishing fires and transporting personnel to critical areas and evacuating people in life-treating situations. But, without fast and highcapacity planes, like the AT-802, the success is never assured. This trio-concept works almost perfectly in Greece and Croatia with agairupdate.com | AFF 13
AIR FIRE FORESTRY
six AT-802s. Macedonia and Montenegro (each operating three AT802s) are also good examples and rarely need foreign assistance. Macedonia, for example, uses its AT-802s as the primary firefighting tool with military Mi-17s rarely coming in for support. However, 2017 was disastrous for Macedonia and Montenegro. Both requested foreign assistance and were reinforced by Israeli AT-802s.
Serbia is buying new aircraft, however, now they are primarily helicopters. Are you ready to convince our leadership that such aircraft are a reasonable cost?
Top: Montenegrin dual cockpit AT-802 “4O-EAD”. / Photo: Igor Božinovski Bottom: Maintenance of PT6 engine on an AT-802. A powerplant that Serbia has a lot of experience. / Photo: Air Tractor Europe
We are glad to see that Serbia will invest in new helicopters, as this is really good and a step closer to building an efficient trio system for protecting forests from wildfires. However, the system would not be complete without the capacity provided by firefighting aircraft like the AT-802. We believe the land-based AT-802 is an excellent, affordable, cost-effective and really efficient solution for Serbia. Our company estimates AT-802 planes will be ideal for protecting central and southern Serbia and also help neighboring nations when they need assistance. Serbia is a big nation and should be able to protect itself and also assist its neighbors. Building an AT-802 fleet is not something that is expensive. How affordable the investment in AT-802 is shown by the simple fact that for one new Mi-17 helicopter that has a firefighting capacity of 2,000 to 2,500 liters, a total of 5-6 brand-new land-based AT-802 planes can be procured that would come with a combined capacity of an impressive 15,500-18,600 liters. And, yes, the AT-802 can
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operate from existing airports like Belgrade, Niš, Kraljevo but also from sport club airports seen all over Serbia.
What are your estimates of the future market for such aircraft in the region but also in Serbia? To whom can you still sell additional aircraft, when saturation will occur? Air Tractor Europe is a company with over 30 years of experience with firefighting planes and we have been present in the Balkans for more than 15 years! We really know a lot about Serbia. What impresses us as a company is that Serbia has done a really great job keeping its precious, over a century-long aeronautical tradition. After many turbulences in the region over several decades, still maintains highly-capable aeronautical education institutions, pro-active scientific base, qualified personnel and capable maintenance, repair and overhaul capacities. This Serbian-Spanish conference was good for ATE and reaffirms Serbia, as well as its commercial entities, are looking into the Air Tractor AT-802 as a highlypotential aircraft that can protect Serbian forests and also be a source of good firefighting business in this part of the region. Our business predictions are that the region holds a potential for at least 20 more AT-802s to be sold in the next five years. That is an excellent opportunity ATE to cooperate with local maintenance, logistics and pilot-producing companies. We are interested in doing business with Serbia. It’s really Serbian institutions and companies that recognize this potential with ATE and the AT-802.
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AIR FIRE FORESTRY
Aerotex Aviação Agrícola Donates R$45,000 to the Cancer Hospital of Rio Verde Brazil
R
ecently, Aerotex Aviação Agrícola donated a check for $45,000R (about $12,500 USD) to the Rio Verde Cancer Hospital (HCRV) in Goiás Brazil on Friday October 26. The donation comes from the services of aerial firefighting on forests hired by producers from southwestern Goiás between September and October. The Aerotex Air Brigade ran from September 1 to the last week of October. The company was the first in Brazil to provide this private service for forest producers. The money transferred to the hospital represented 50% that was collected by the Brigade. The check was delivered by the managing partner AeroTex, Rui Alberto (Beto) Textor, to HCRV
AFF 16 | agairupdate.com
President Gisele Borges Carrer. The ceremony was attended by the president of the Association of Soya Producers of Goiás (Aprosoja Goiás), Adriano Antônio Barzotto, farmers and representatives of the Rio Verde Cancer hospital. The AeroTex Air Brigade carried out 10 firefighting missions in the region with more than 180 launches of water to protect the forests and installations on the farms from fires, as well as protecting personnel. The actions were concentrated mostly in September. Later in October, Goiás had a period of rain that prevented the reoccurrence of fires. The Air Brigade had two pilots, two airplanes and a ground support technician on ready.
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Top: Rui Alberto (Beto) Textor presents R$45,000 check to the president of the Cancer Hospital of Rio Verde, Gisele Borges Carrer. Bottom: Ceremony was attended by representatives of Aerotex Aviação Agrícola, hospital director Gisele Borges Carrer, Association of Soybean Producers of Goias (APROSOJA) and others.
According to Textor, the plan is to repeat the service in 2019 with the Air Brigade starting in July, covering the entire critical drought period. The idea of the Air Brigade was offered in August at a meeting at the Rural Union of Rio Verde with the participation of about 15 farmers and a representative of the Fire Department. According to the Goiás Fire Department, the state has registered more than 3,000 fires in 2018, that included a fatality with a fire in a sugarcane field. The fight against fires in forests and other types of vegetation has for almost 50 years been the prerogative of agricultural aviation (by Decree-Law 917/69 and subsequent legislation). Aerotex’s own team has extensive experience in this type of operations.
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Montenegro Newest AT-802 Shows New Registration by Igor Bozinovski
Montenegro MoI Air Tractor AT-802 Fire Boss 40-EAD at Podgorica airport on 17 Sep 2018 (photo Igor Bozinovski)
T
he Montenegrin Ministry of Interior, Aviation-Helicopter Unit (Avio-helikopterska jedinica Ministarstva unutraĹĄnjih poslova Republike Crne Gore), acquires a dual cockpit Air Tractor AT-802
fire-fighting aircraft as seen here at Podgorica-Golubovci International airport on 17 September. It is the newest firefighting aircraft to join Aviation-Helicopter Unit. The aircraft now wears recently applied Montenegrin civil registration 4O-EAD (s/n 802-0711). The plane was delivered
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to Podgorica on 10 July supplementing the already existing pair of single-seat Air Tractor AT-802A planes 4O-EAB and 4O-EAC.
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