After a very convoluted bidding process which took many months and cost vendors hundreds of thousands of dollars, it appears there will be no Exclusive Use SEAT contracts for the upcoming fire season.
The Bureau of Land Management had hoped to issue around thirty-five of the one hundred-day contracts, but protests by two vendors over the process led to the cancellation of all contracts.
This means all SEATs on fire duty this summer will operate under the On Call Contract at a much higher cost to the government. I had written previously about how complicated the bidding process had become. Maybe this will lead to simplification of the system in the future.
The BAe 146/Avro RJ-85 series have become very popular as heavy air tankers that now dominate the fleet of those size fire bombers. It appears there will be about twenty of them in service by year’s end.
A surplus of airframes and spare parts means they will probably be around for a long time to come. The RJ-85 aircrews really appreciate the performance, flight characteristics and drop pattern on fires looks to be first class. Noticeably absent from fires last summer were the Erickson MD-87s.
It is my understanding that when McDonnell-Douglas certified the aircraft, they chose not to examine the stall characteristics with the flaps extended and the landing gear retracted as they did not foresee the aircraft being operated in that configuration.
With no data from the manufacturer, it is impossible to calculate proper air speeds while serving as an air tanker. At this time, it is unclear what the future holds for these ex-airliners. The United States Forest Service has begun taking delivery of the Lockheed C-130s that are being transferred from the United States Air Force.
The first one has completed the inspections and air tanker conversion by the USAF and is in possession of the USFS where it is being used for crew training in Sacramento, California. Recently, an issue arose when the USFS announced they would be operating air tankers as public use aircraft. This means they would not be subject to Federal Aviation Administration regulations as are contracted tankers, which they are in direct competition with. This does not seem fair and I am sure protests will be filed and lawsuits served.
The USFS also announced the C-130s will be restricted to fires within 500 miles of Sacramento where their support equipment is located. Conversely, contracted aircraft can be dispatched anywhere in the nation and the vendor must follow them with support equipment. Florida and southern Georgia have had an unusually active spring fire season.
One day in late April, Florida had 90 fires burning with 32 greater than 100 acres. Crews from around the nation are there helping, along with numerous firefighting aircraft.
The dense vegetation in this part of the country will carry these fires until Mother Nature delivers a soaking rain. In parting, heavy winter precipitation out West means lots of fuel for the upcoming fire season and a forecast for above normal fire activity. I hope you all have a very safe and prosperous season and maybe one day I will meet you in the mountains.
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