AerialFire Magazine - Fall 2016

agairupdate.com FALL 2016

Living the dream

Australian eyes in the sky New aerial firefighting company calls Fort Morgan home Hellenic Air Force suffers its second CL-215 crash of the year

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keep turning… in this issue VOLUME 34 NUMBER 9| FALL 2016

A special section devoted to aerial firefighting and forestry

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From the SEAT Living the dream Avialsa treats more than 400 fires by mid-season Australian eyes in the sky A new mission for Valley Air Crafts Kawak Aviation Technologies introduces three new bucket pump models for heavy helicopters

preparations for 2016 wildland fire season

AFF-25 Simplex Fire Attack™ system destined to become a mainstay

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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 Scan this QR Code with your smart phone.

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AFF-22 The scoop on Aero Spray AFF-23 New aerial firefighting company calls Fort Morgan home AFF-24 Oregon Department of Forestry and GelTech Solutions finish

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of the aerial firefighting industry

AFF-26 Hellenic Air Force suffers its second CL-215 crash of the year

PUBLISHER: Bill Lavender - bill@agairupdate.com EDITOR: Graham Lavender - editor@agairupdate.com ACCOUNTING: Sandy Lavender - accounting@agairupdate.com ADMINISTRATION: Casey L. Armstrong - casey@agairupdate.com ADVERTISING: Ernie Eggler - ernie@agairupdate.com Michael Conner - michael@agairupdate.com CLASSIFIED ADS: classifieds@agairupdate.com Melanie Earl - melanie@agairupdate.com PRODUCTION: Deborah Freeman - aau@agairupdate.com CIRCULATION: Melanie Earl - melanie@agairupdate.com Tera McNeil - tera@agairupdate.com subs@agairupdate.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Carlin Lawrence - carlin@agairupdate.com Alan McCracken - mccrackenalan@yahoo.com Robert McCurdy - robert@agairupdate.com Tracy Thurman - thurmantracyt@yahoo.com LATIN AMERICAN REPS: Victoria Blanc Chalking - vblanc@charleschalkling.com Ernesto Franzen - ernesto@agairupdate.com Gina Hickmann - gina@agairupdate.com Pat Kornegay - pat@svatx.com © Copyright 2016 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.

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On the cover: T-809 on the ready in Ronan, Montana. See story page 14AFF

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Marc Mullis marc@agairupdate.com

from the SEAT

Getting the job done By the time you read this, the 2016 summer fire season will be just a few short weeks from being over. Overall, the season has been very slow with both acres burned and the amount of fires well below the 10-year averages.

It is hard to show that it is slow in fire aviation where hours flown are up from previous years. An aggressive approach to initial attack may be part of the reason.

Neptune Aviation, the largest heavy air tanker contractor, say their flight hours are up from last year which was record setting in the number of acres burned.

The SEAT world has seen an uptick in usage through longer missions and more sharing between contracting agencies.

The SEAT program has truly matured and is a valuable tool that is here to stay.

At the beginning of the third year of a five-year contract, the Department of Interior announced that it would be canceling the Exclusive Use SEAT Contracts after the season ends this fall. A new solicitation for bids will be issued in November. In a way, this is good because current contracts contain requirements and wording that

evidently was inserted by folks that haven’t a clue to how operations are conducted in the field.

crews. I will miss the smoke and sound of those old round engines firing off. It is truly the end of an era.

For instance, one requirement is that a written record be kept for thirty days of how much fuel is onboard for each flight. In my opinion, this serves no purpose and only creates another task for an already busy pilot. Personnel from Aircraft Management also told me about new wording about company mechanics that will be unworkable and place a significant financial burden on the contractor and do nothing to improve safety. The people that run the SEAT program have squeezed the contract prices to the minimum yet pile on costly regulations that have no value to the overall program. I think the programs’ safety record speaks for itself, and the contractors should be rewarded and not priced out of business.

I have written before about the shortage of pilots in our industry and it just keeps getting more acute. I get calls weekly from experienced pilots that want to get in, but after being told all the requirements they must meet they decide to pursue another career. The ones that do take the plunge find out that they have to spend one year of their career just getting ready for fire duty and then some that do complete everything decide that this is just not the lifestyle for them.

Shortly, there will be no more piston engine powered aircraft in the U.S. aerial firefighting fleet. I am thankful for the years that I got to fly with these classic machines and their brave flight

It has been a safe fire season so far with no fire-related accidents or major incidents. Hopefully, this trend will continue. I hope you are having a profitable season and that I will see you in the mountains one day.

Marc Fall 2016

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Living the dream The Northern Rockies of Western Montana

by Marc Mullis Often, I am asked, “What is it like to be a SEAT pilot?” My reply usually is, “I have the best job in the world”. Believe me when I say that this life is not for everyone. Extended periods of time are spent away from home and often one wakes up in the morning and has no idea where the they will sleep the next night. When on a federal contract many aspects of your life are controlled by the government; where you work, what hours you work and your one day off per week are all decided by fire management officials. In this article, I will attempt to reconstruct a year in the life of a fire pilot.

We will begin in late September of 2015. I had just been released from a 100-day exclusive-use contract that had been extended at the option of the government to 120 days. The majority of this contract had been in Nevada - with short assignments into Idaho, Oregon and California. On the day that I was relieved of my duty, I was in Winnemucca, Nevada and low clouds and fog prevented me from starting on the long flight to West Texas, where our company aircraft are based in the small town of Fort Stockton. After a couple days of watching the weather and bumming rides to and from the airport, I was finally on my way to my next fuel stop in Richfield, Utah. The last portion of this leg was in deteriorating weather conditions as I caught up with the system that had held me in Winnemucca. After waiting out the weather in Richfield for two days, I finally completed the trip to my home in Texas.

The first few days after being released from the contract must involve the same emotions that are experienced when one has been let out of jail. It takes time to realize that you are free to go and do as you please. My newfound freedom was short lived.

After only two days at home, I received a resource order from the Texas Forest Service to report for duty in Fredericksburg, Texas, a small touristy town northwest of San Antonio. It is the best-kept secret in the SEAT world. The Hangar Hotel is right on the flight line and the bar in the hotel, sans alcohol, serves

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as the ready room for the flight crews. Over the next couple of weeks, numerous small fires were fought in the surrounding Texas Hill Country. Mid-morning on October 13, I received at the time what was just another fire dispatch. As soon as I got in the air, I knew this was not another small fire. The smoke column was visible from over one-hundred miles away. It would become the Whispering Pines Fire and before it was brought under control, it destroyed more than 40 homes.

The Texas Forest Service immediately set up a reload base at Giddings, eight miles from the fire. I was joined by three other SEATs and we delivered more than 170 loads of retardant to the fire over the next four days. By the fifth day, there was just a little smoke coming from the interior. A complex weather system moved across the Lone Star State and helicopters assigned to the fire went from dropping water buckets on the fire one day to performing high water rescues the next day.

The remainder of 2015 was spent flying on herbicide applications in West Texas. A steady progression of wet weather fronts kept the danger of wildfires at a low-risk level until after Christmas.

A series of hard freezes had cured all the fuels to the point that parts of Texas were again under extreme fire danger. By early February, I received another resource order to report to Amarillo in the northern Texas panhandle. Winter fire season has its onset of problems - equipment often has to be drained at night to prevent it from freezing. The fires do not know it is cold, so we fought fire in heavy winter clothing and sat in the service truck with the heater running when we were not flying.

Area-wide moderate snowfall put an end to this wintertime mini-fire season and once again we were headed home for another short break.

The next call came in mid-March, a resource order for Abilene in central Texas. The state had assembled two portable air tanker bases (PABs), along with a couple of tanker trucks to haul in

liquid concentrate retardant. It takes about two hours to set up or breakdown a PAB, which gives them the ability to quickly move to any part of the expansive state. Ironically, most of the fires we flew out of Abilene were up in the panhandle near Amarillo. Springtime in Texas brings with it lots of wind and the wind driven fires often run for miles before they are caught.

After two weeks in Abilene, another widespread rain event moved over the area and once again put us out of work. While working in Texas, we are under an On Call Contract. On Call Contracts allow the governing agency to call you when needed and release you when the need is no longer there. Exclusive Use Contracts start in early summer and guarantee at least onehundred days of availability and an option to extend longer, which they often do. We knew when we would be going back to work. We just did not know where.

Billings, Montana Air Tanker Base

On Call Contracts allow the governing agency to call you when needed and release you when the need is no longer there.

Pilot hangout in Ronan, Montana In early May, I received a Notice to Proceed requiring me to report to Billings, Montana and be ready for duty the morning of June 13th. It had been many years since I had been to Billings and I was excited to be going back. I immediately set about putting together a flight plan and searching for suitable accommodations.

On the morning of June 6, my driver headed out for Montana in the service truck while I planned on leaving two days later.

We had plenty of time to get there, as well as take a day off before our duty started. My first fuel stop was Tucumcari, New Mexico, then on to Akron, Colorado. I overnighted in Gillette, Wyoming to keep from exceeding my eight-hour flight time limitation. The next morning I finished the relatively short flight into Billings.

A typical lightning caused fire in eastern Montana

A Sherpa smoke jumper aircraft in Miles City, Montana

Fall 2016

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The Billings Air Tanker Base was not open when I arrived.

So, I found an out of the way place to park the aircraft for the next few days. As I was securing the airplane, my loader driver pulled up to the gate in our service truck; the timing could not have been better. We loaded up and headed downtown to check into our hotel. Billings is a big city and we had the next few days to explore and learn our way around. We found a better deal on a hotel and enjoyed some of the fine restaurants in town.

Billings is a full-service tanker base. “Full Service” means heavy air tankers and SEATs can be loaded there. Contract loading crews take care of all aircraft servicing. Our first two weeks

there were rather uneventful with only a handful of fires to extinguish.

One morning upon reporting for duty, I was handed a dispatch to a fire 260 miles to the west. After a two-hour flight, I arrived in Ronan that is located in a beautiful valley surrounded by the Mission Mountains. It sits in the middle of the Flathead Indian Reservation and is on the south end of Flathead Lake.

Glacier National Park is just to the north and the scenery is breathtaking. The fire was fifteen miles south of the base making for really short turnarounds. I was joined by an On Call SEAT out of Missoula and we hammered the blaze all afternoon. By dark, everything was looking pretty good.

call us for your next S.E.A.T. aircraft

A week later the weather forecast for western Montana called for heavy precipitation. The decision was made to move me back to Billings where the fire weather would not be impacted so much.

About forty miles out, I spotted several columns of smoke. I radioed dispatch and reported their rough location and by the time I landed the base was a buzz of activity. We flew the rest of the afternoon on what turned out to be three fires.

Within a week, the weather system had reached Billings and again I was moved farther east to Miles City.

Miles City sits on the Yellowstone River out in the plains. Soon, more SEATs were assigned and by midJuly we were flying on a daily basis. As I write these words, I am halfway through my contract at Miles City and can only wonder when I will see home again.

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Avialsa treats more than 400 fires by mid-season VALENCIAN REGION (SPAIN)-based Avialsa T-35 S.L. has participated in over 280 forest fires during this summer season in Valencia region as of mid-July. From fire bases in Siete Aguas, Enguera, Mutxamiel, Castellón, Vistabella and Benagéber, nine Air Tractor AT-802s of which two are Fire Bosses were on-call.

“With the heat wave, we must be even more prepared to react as soon as possible and get an early arrival to the forest fires,” points Mr. Lucio Conejos, head of Avialsa’s ground operations. This year, from its main base in Viver Spain, Avialsa participated in two forest fires, one in March in Segart inside Sierra Calderona (a protected mountainous area) and July 6 at Benafer. “In less than 30 minutes, we were fully operative at Viver airfield. Thanks to a five-minute rotation per plane, the forest fire was quickly controlled without any consequences,” details Mr. Conejos.

Also, from May 1 to October 31, Avialsa operated in the Catalonian town of Igualada. All year long, Avialsa has had two AT-802s in Sabadell (Catalonia). A total of four Air Tractor AT802s participated in over 100 forest fires missions in Catalonia.

Avialsa renewed in June the contract for aerial forest fire protection in the region of l’Hérault (France) for the summer season of 2016. Starting June 15, two Air Tractor AT-802s worked from Beziers airport and starting July 15 another one from Candillargues. In France, since the summer fire season has started, Avialsa has flown over 20 forest fires.

During this summer fire season as of mid-July, Avialsa aircraft have flown over 1,000 flight hours and participated in more than 400 forest fires in Valencia, Catalonia and France. The Avialsa teams of pilots, mechanics and ground personnel are under alert 24/7 year round to offer the best aerial firefighting service possible.

Avialsa is a 100% Valencian-owned company that offers aerial services since 1965. The company is located in the technological park of Paterna with more than 100 people working year round with an increase in personnel during forest fire season.

Turbine Installation, LLC

5017 Aviation Way Caldwell, ID 83605

208-455-9350

www.turbinesllc.com tim@turbinesllc.com

Air Tractor AT-802 Powered by Honeywell TPE331-14GR 1650 SHP 4500 HSI/9000 CAM Fall 2016

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Australian eyes in the sky Learjet showing the customised pod.

Powered by a 1600 HP Pratt & Whitney Engine

Air Affairs Australia has been providing Airborne Bushfire Reconnaissance services in Australia since 1994 and Chris Sievers, Managing Director, and his team have not stopped developing new firefighting technologies since then.

Starting out with a hired Learjet 35A aircraft configured with a Daedalus 1268 Line Scanner, the system was utilised by the NSW Rural Fire Services providing a capability in large area intelligence gathering not available in NSW prior to that time.

The service became an integral tool for the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) over the years providing state-wide coverage in uncontained fire monitoring and during extreme fire periods.

Over 70 Operating Worldwide

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The Line Scanner systems have been extensively upgraded since 1994, providing high quality, accurate imagery, which is rapidly available. The combination of sensors utilised on the scanners are optimised for maximum sensitivity and definition over active bushfires, providing detail in fire front locations and intensity, combined with accurate post-burn definition.

Imagery is produced through thick smoke when visibility is totally compromised during both day and night flight operations.

Imagery is produced through thick smoke when visibility is totally compromised during both day and night flight operations.

The image data is transmitted directly from the aircraft via high speed Satellite Communication Systems in a format compatible with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) used by the state fire authorities. The image data requires no further processing by the fire authorities and is available for immediate use.

Firescan sample images.

Due to the dependence on the service capability, Air Affairs was chosen by the NSW RFS to continue providing under a term contract arrangement. This contract facilitated the acquisition of a dedicated aircraft (Beechcraft B200T VH-LAB) which was purpose modified for the Line Scanner system. The aircraft was modified with a pressure dome system to facilitate line scanner operations at high altitude, providing clear-air imaging from the scanners sensor head, whilst maintaining full cabin pressurisation.

Over recent years, a customised pod system (AIRPOD-101) was developed by Air Affairs to facilitate line scanner operations on the companies multiple Learjet aircraft. With access to aircraft modified with external wing stores carriage capabilities (usually for high-speed target towing operations), the Line Scanner capable Airpod was designed to interface with existing wire sub-systems fitted to the aircraft. This enables the rapid configuration and de-configuration of the aircraft into the surveillance role, without dedicated aircraft airframe modifications.

2016) on 5 and 6 September in Adelaide, South Australia where information on all other Bushfire Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance can be provided. For further information on AFF APAC 2016, please contact Julia Guy at jguy@tangentlink.com.

A King Air Firescan aircraft.

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All company aircraft configured for Bushfire Reconnaissance flight operations are fitted with a Broadband Satellite Communication system (Satcom). The Satcom operates on the Inmarsat BGAN system and provides a high speed data link (via internet), both nationally and internationally if required. High-speed data communication is a vital element in bushfire reconnaissance flight operations, in particular during extreme events.

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Air Affairs Australia also provide firefighting support services under a Call When Needed (CWN) system. The CWN system operates on a national database of aircraft / service providers for Australian Fire Authorities. The database is controlled by the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) and offers access to capable providers in Aerial Firefighting, Airborne Reconnaissance, and ground support equipment to all state fire authorities.

Air Affairs Australia continue to explore further improvement and enhancement on the overall intelligence gathering for Bushfire Reconnaissance flight operations capability and, consideration to implementing Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) systems and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), in combination with the line scanner is currently underway.

Chris Sievers, and members of his firefighting team, will be exhibiting at Aerial Firefighting Asia Pacific 2016 (AFF APAC

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Fall 2016

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A new mission for Valley Air Crafts Exclusive Air Tractor Dealer for California

(559) 686-7401

www.thevalleyaircrafts.com

Valley Air Crafts is the exclusive authorized Air Tractor dealer for California. Mike Schoenau and his team of highly qualified aircraft mechanics have been providing aircraft maintenance, parts and service to aerial applicators since 1984. As an experienced mechanic and pilot, it is common practice for Mike to jump into one of his aircraft or service trucks for a trek across the state to conduct an inspection, complete a repair, or change an engine to keep his AG customers working.

In 2014, Mike significantly expanded the scope of his Air Tractor dealership by delivering the first of eight new Air Tractor AT-802AFs to a new aerial fire-fighting customer based in Chico, CA. Air Spray USA, an offshoot of its parent company, Air Spray (1967), Inc. from Alberta, Canada, purchased some of the assets from Aero Union and hired a significant number of former employees from the now defunct air tanker operator.

Air Spray USA has secured several federal and state contracts for its current fleet of six amphibious AT-802AF Fire Bosses and two AT-802AF SEATs. Mike has recently submitted a proposal to the LA County Board of Supervisors and the County’s Fire Chief offering the AT802AF Fire Boss as a cost effective alternative or supplement to the LACFD’s rotary wing fleet and leased CL-415s from Quebec.

Mike has patiently watched fire agencies in California struggle with severe fire conditions and extended fire seasons. “There are more than 300 AT-802s and 80 Fire Bosses in fire service around the world. Over 75 of those AT-802s and 11 Fire Bosses are currently on contract across the United States. Given the worldwide success of the AT-802 and the amphibious scooper Fire Boss as wildland-urban interface fire-fighters, it is time for fire agencies in Southern California to seriously consider the AT802AF as another “tool in the toolbox” that will enhance their rapid initial attack capability while saving millions of dollars in aircraft operating costs, fire losses and total suppression costs”.

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Kawak Aviation Technologies introduces three new bucket pump models for heavy helicopters BEND, OR—Kawak Aviation Technologies introduces a new high capacity refill system for heavy helicopter firefighting buckets. The product was developed in response to operators desiring a simplified, more reliable and faster filling system.

With Kawak’s new line of “JetPump” or “JP” series products, bottom-filling buckets can fill to capacity in streams, ponds, and tanks as shallow as 16”, thus allowing more flexibility in dip sites and with a fill rate that reduces cycle times. The refill system is a derivative of Kawak’s proven refill pump technology that is used in fixed tank applications around the world.

This new line of products, called JP1150, 1600 and 2500, provide operators with a high-volume, lightweight powered fill option that can be configured with 28vdc, 400hz, or hydraulic power options.

The initial application of the new pump was designed to integrate into 1060-gallon and larger Bambi Buckets with 27” valves and provide fill rates between 1150 and 2500 gallons (4354-9464 litres) per minute, depending upon the power source. The modular design of the pump system requires no modification to the bucket.

Its size is half the weight and requires only one pump instead of four, as is the case with the original refill system.

“The development of the JP series solves the current problems with the mechanical issues, complexity and reliability and as a result it allows us to provide our customers better value to their customer” said Mike Reightley, Kawak president. In the competitive arena of fire contracts, better value means you win, meet and keep contracts. With a Call When Needed contract, it means you’re the first to get called to the fire and the last to leave. Mike adds, “Many of our current clients are using our electric motor and hydraulic variations for tanked operations.

Now we can offer them a fully supported, reliable, plug and play high performance option for large buckets.”

about Kawak: 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.

Fall 2016

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The scoop on Aero Spray Aero Spray, Inc. of Appleton, Minnesota entered into the aerial fire-fighting world in 1999 with a MN-DNR “call-whenneeded” contract for its AT-802A. Owner John Schwenk quickly discovered that the AT-802 was a highly cost effective spray and fire-fighting aircraft that significantly enhanced Aero Spray’s productivity and bottom line.

In 2007, Aero Spray became the first U.S. operator of the amphibious water scooping AT-802A known as the Fire Boss.

Wipaire, Inc. of South St. Paul, Minnesota had designed, built and certified its 10000 amphibious water scooping floats for the AT-802 in 2001-2003. Aero Spray was the obvious choice to become the first Fire Boss operator in the United States given the company’s success with the 802 in Minnesota (the land of 10,000 lakes). In 2009, Aero Spray’s fire team of Chief Pilot Jesse Weaver, Ground Support Supervisor Ivan Moe and Business Development Consultant Jamie Sargent embarked on a strategy to expand the company’s fire business. Aero Spray currently operates seven Fire Bosses equipped with infrared cameras and on board foam and gel blending systems. The fleet is busy for the entire fire season on exclusive and on-call-contracts with federal and state fire agencies across the country.

In 2015, the MN-DNR replaced its two aging CL-215s with four Fire Bosses and two SEATS contracted from Aero Spray.

According to Bill Schuster, Wildfire Aviation Supervisor, “… this change and our “early callout” strategy have contributed to the creation of a very effective statewide aerial fire suppression program that allows the MN-DNR to respond to hundreds of fires, save millions of dollars in property and resources and reduce program costs by over $1 million each year. We are impressed with the Fire Boss’ accuracy, maneuverability and quick turn-around times. Aero Spray’s pilots and aircraft have proven their worth through their ability to respond in a timely manner and with great precision.”

John Schwenk attributes Aero Spray’s success to a strong team, several innovative fire managers and the AT-802 and Fire Boss technology developed respectively by Leland Snow and Bob Wiplinger.

Aero Spray, Inc.

Appleton, MN 56208 Telephone: (320) 289-1601 Email: aero@fedteldirect.net Check us out on Facebook

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New aerial firefighting company calls Fort Morgan home In June firefighting aircraft took to the skies just outside of Fort Morgan Colorado. The five pilots and two aircraft were participating in the annual aerial firefighting training hosted

by CO Fire Aviation, just in time for the busy summer wildfire season. The training was conducted by Mark Bickham, of Salvo, L.L.C., a consultant who is one of the nation’s top consultants in Fire Aviation Studies and Advisory Services.

The annual training course covers fire behavior, safety and methods of aerial suppression to control fires through both classroom work and practice flights in the aircraft over three days. Aerial firefighting pilots have to demonstrate their abilities to maintain communications, identify the correct drop site, assess drop site conditions for any ground crews or obstacles and then make a fire suppression drop before returning to base to reload.

Aerial view of the Fort Morgan Airport. All aircraft pictured are Air Tractor brand for aerial application and/or firefighting operations.

Trainer Mark Bickham takes to the skies in a separate aircraft, where he can watch all training flights and drops with an eagle eye. Bickham picks out terrain where the imaginary fire is burning, then radios the location and the type of drop that should be made to the firefighting pilot. The pilot must then identify the correct terrain and perform the requested drop before returning to the airport to reload. Each pilot is training in the Air Tractor 802 model.

CO Fire Aviation currently has a seventy-five day exclusive use contract in Oregon for one aircraft and call when needed contracts in Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Washington and Alaska.

The day also included three demonstration drops of an enhanced water/fire suppression product called FireIce. FireIce is used as a short term fire retardant. The product is environmentally benign, is 10% of the weight of full retardants, and lays down a homogenous mixture for better penetration of vegetation canopies. For the demonstration, each pilot was tasked with dropping a load of FireIce product in a straight line. Once the first line was laid the following pilots had to connect the line and then extend that line of FireIce to suppress a fire just like a real fire scene. The product is red so it was very easy for Trainer Bickham to see if the task was completed correctly.

Bickham evaluates each flight, radio communications and drop accuracy before providing each pilot with a debriefing on their performance. All five of the pilots participating in the course did very well and will soon be off fighting real fires across the country.

CO Fire Aviation owner’s Chris Doyle and Kyle Scott opened the hangar doors on the firefighting business during the fall of 2014. Scott also owns and operates an aerial application company out of the Fort Morgan Airport. Co-owner Chris Doyle has extensive experience in aerial application work and aerial firefighting from around the world. The Air Tractor aircraft are made in Texas and used around the world for aerial application and firefighting work.

For more information about aerial application operations, call the Colorado Agricultural Aviation Association at (970) 2175293, or email us at coagav@gmail.com.

Tanker 860 piloted by Chris Doyle became the calendar cover photo for FireIce. The image was captured by Douglas Forest Protective Association during work on wildfires in Oregon during 2015.

CO Fire Aviation training graduates from left to right: pilot “Oscar”, owner/pilot Chris Doyle, owner/pilot Kyle Scott, pilot “Hamster”, pilot “Stitchy”.

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Oregon Department of Forestry and GelTech Solutions finish preparations for 2016 wildland fire season JUPITER, FL—GelTech Solutions, Inc. (otcqb:GLTC), an innovator in the use of environmentally-friendly polymers for fire suppression and protection, in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Forestry, announces the completion of two new fixed air tanker bases at the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport in The Dalles and at the Roseburg Regional Airport. With single-engine airtankers (SEATs) operating out of these bases, ODF is prepared for both quick initial attack of wildfires threatening to get out of control as well as extended attack on large fire operations. ODF has purchased enough FireIce for 160,000 mixed gallons to begin the season, and the agency can procure additional product

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in short delivery windows when needed.

The fixed air tanker base equipment provided by GelTech Solutions provides high capacity, reliable and instant loading capability of the agile SEATs. With 3,000 gallons of mixed FireIce HVO-F on hand and the capability to mix nearly 500 gallons per minute, the tanker bases can support as many as five air tankers at a time. Product is all delivered to tanker bases out of GelTech’s Pacific Northwest warehouse located in Vancouver, Washington.

“We are continuing to develop the ODF single-engine air tanker program, which was proven to be successful last year with

the use of FireIce on initial and extended attack operations,” said Neal Laugle, ODF aviation manager. “With GelTech Solutions building and supporting these new fixed tanker bases, we will be able to support more aircraft with greater efficiency on both large and small fires.”

“Our new FireIce fixed tanker bases provide these agencies with highend equipment capable of mixing and loading FireIce HVO-F faster and with greater capacity than ever before,” said Matt Struzziero, GelTech’s director of sales and strategic operations. “Our team in the Pacific Northwest region will help support and maintain these bases, providing the fire agencies with the

ability to fight fire more efficiently and cost effectively. ODF is a great partner, and we are very excited to be working with them again this year.”

Both regional airports held events surrounding the opening of the new tanker bases. In coordination with the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport in Dallesport, Washington, FireIce was used for the second annual Dallesport Fly-In Fundraiser on June 18 as part of fire season commencement. News media attending the opening of the Roseburg base on June 24 were able to observe

the new mixing equipment. Both events included several drops made by the SEATs. In addition to the two fixed tanker bases in The Dalles and Roseburg, ODF operates three other FireIce SEAT bases that use a mix of agency-owned and vendor-owned mixing equipment in Prineville, Salem, and the Walker Range Forest Protection Association in Gilchrist. The wildland fire season in Oregon typically lasts from July to late September.

Simplex Fire Attack™ system destined to become a mainstay of the aerial firefighting industry PORTLAND, OR—Simplex Aerospace’s newest and largest Fire Attack™ System, the Model 347 for the CH-47, successfully fought its first fire in early May. After an impressive 21 water drops in one fuel cycle, the tank was able to extinguish a 100acre fire in northern Minnesota.

The Model 347, which received a Federal Aviation Administration Supplemental Type Certificate in December 2015, includes an array of cutting-edge features, such as US Forest Service Type One compliance and pilot controls that can be configured to show both water and ground refilling volume. These features, in conjunction with the system’s under four-second water evacuation, customizable drop patterns, and demonstrated firefighting prowess, establish the Model 347 as

a menace to wildfires worldwide. “The CH-47 Fire Attack™ System was designed with regulations for both the U.S. and Australia in mind,” explained Simplex President and CEO, Mark Zimmerman. “The system’s 11,500 liter (3,050 gallon) capacity combined with the CH-47’s superior flight speeds, allow the Simplex Model 347 Fire Attack™ System to deliver substantially more water to the fire than any other Type 1 rotorcraft in existence.” With such unprecedented assets, it is inevitable that the Model 347 will soon take the aerial firefighting industry by storm.

The Simplex Model 347 Fire Attack™ System is filled at the site of a fire.

Columbia Helicopters CH47D helicopter lifts off with the Simplex Model 347 Fire Attack™ System inside.

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Hellenic Air Force suffers its second CL-215 crash of the year

Hellenic Air Force CL-215 identification number 1112 (photo MA Collection, hafcsphotos.cs.net) The status of Greece’s aerial fire-fighting armada is in crisis after the Hellenic Air Force endured its third major CL-215/415 disaster since 2014. On June 26, 2016 at 11:09 GMT, the pistonengine, fire-fighting aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force, the Canadair CL-215, crashed close to the village of Stefani, near the

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Dervenochoria area, approximately 30 km northwest of Athens.

The accident occurred while the aircraft was performing fire fighting operations with five helicopters and seven other planes.

Prior to the accident, the airborne fleet were battling a large wildfire that began the night before and had spread rapidly as a result of strong wind gusts. It had been reported the accident happened when an engine lost power as it flew over the wildfire with a load of water. As a result, the plane’s pilots performed an emergency landing within a largely wooded area. Fortunately, no serious injuries were sustained and the crew was able to abandon the broken plane on foot prior to it becoming engulfed by fire. Two pilots involved in the crash were sent to the 251 Air Force General Hospital in Athens for a medical examination as a measure of precaution.

The crash of the 26-year old CL-215 mirrors the accident of another Greek CL-215 one year earlier. In that incident, a former Yugoslav Air Force plane, along with a Serbian civil aircraft, experienced a technical glitch during a fire-fighting operation of their own, crashing near the village of Faraklo, 170 km southwest of Athens. That crew also successfully escaped

Between 1999 and 2004, 10 new turbine-powered fire-fighting aircraft - the Bombardier CL-415GR/MP - debuted in service with the Air Fire Fighting Squadron (383 MEEA), as well as the Hellenic Air Force 383 Special Operations, currently located at Mikra air base, close to Thessaloniki. Now that they have had two major accidents, one of which resulted with two casualties, the 383 MEEA now operates eight CL-415GRs planes. Only five of them are prepared for a firefighting mission at a moment’s notice.

with minimal injuries. Their crashed aircraft was damaged beyond repair. One year before that, on May 5, 2014, Greece lost a more modern fire-fighting plane in a non-fatal crash - a Bombardier CL-415GR flipping over attempting to land on the water 20 km southwest of Thessaloniki. That aircraft was not able to be salvaged.

These two most recent CL-215 accidents are the latest in a total of nine CL-215 major disasters the Hellenic Air Force has endured over the last 39 years. Of those accidents, four of them were fatal and a total of 10 Hellenic Air Force aviators have lost their lives. Even though airborne fire-fighting procedures are one of the most difficult and deadly missions of the Hellenic Air Force, the rising amount of CL-215 aircraft accidents in Greece speaks volumes about the aging CL-215 fleet being deployed for such rescues. Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias stated in 2014 the physical shape of Greece’s aerial fire-fighting armada is “critical”. Even though the Air Force constantly takes measures to keep the planes in operational shape, these aircraft are lacking modern technology and are showing their wear and tear over years of use.

Among the financial barrier problems they are pressured with, the Hellenic Air Force also desperately needs to update its gradually decreasing inventory of fire-fighting aircraft.

The first concern is the CL-215. Replacing it with the highly costly CL-415 is not a financially feasible option. An expensive alternative is to replace the engine on the remaining Cl-215s, converting those aircraft into turbine-operated CL-215Ts, which will give them stronger high-and-hot functionality. A much more affordable approach would be to replace all of the CL-215s with amphibian Air Tractors, aka AT-802 Fire Boss, that have already been used for years to extinguish wildfires in the Mediterranean nations of Cyprus, Israel, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Montenegro and Croatia. With a 3,100-liter capacity, the PT6-powered water-bomber is able to perform various forest and agricultural spraying duties. The AT-802, manufactured in Texas, may also be a worthy substitute for outdated Hellenic Air Force agricultural and fire-fighting planes, such as the PZL-18 Dromader and the Grumman G-164 Ag-Cat.

Pen & Ink Drawings

By Richard C. DeSpain

After joining the Hellenic Air Force in 1974, 25 different kinds of CL-215 models have served Greece. Of those, 20 are owned by Greece. Sixteen were obtained new and the other four belonged to the former Yugoslav Air Force. In 1997, 13 extra engines and additional spare parts were acquired from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for $24.4 million USD. As well, five Canadian-registered CL-215s were leased by Greece between 1998 and 2000. At that time, transfers of recentlypurchased CL-415s had not yet begun, justifying the option to lease the planes.

Presently, the Hellenic Air Force owns 11 piston-powered CL215-1A10 planes - one was built in 1974, three in 1976, another in 1978, another in 1979, two more in 1980, another two more in 1986 and finally, the last one was manufactured in 1990. Each plane is listed in the inventory of the 355 Tactical Transport Squadron (355 MTM), located at the Elefsis air base, close to Athens. Unfortunately, because the fleet is getting substantially older, concerns about the logistics, in conjunction with ongoing economic barriers, limit the amount of operational CL-215s aircrafts to be used at no more than five.

Before Greece’s current economic crisis started, the country was in the process of modernizing its aerial firefighting armada.

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CONFERENCE AGENDA - Day One MONDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2016 0800 – 0900

Registration & Coffee

0900 – 0915

Chairman’s Introduction Greg Nettleton, Chief Officer, SA Country Fire Service, Australia

0915 – 0930

Opening Address The Hon Peter Malinauskas MLC, Minister for Emergency Services, Government of South Australia, Australia

0930 – 0945

Keynote Address Brenton Ragless, Adelaide News Anchor, Nine Network Australia, Former Media Liaison Officer, SA Country Fire Service (CFS), Australia

0945 - 1000

Five Years of IFAWG Richard Alder, General Manager, NAFC, Australia

1000 - 1030

Refreshment Break & Networking

Geopolitical Issues Surrounding Wildfires & Bushfires 1030 – 1100

FireSat – Global Wildfire Early Warning Network Graham E. Dorrington, Senior Lecturer, RMIT University, Quadra Pi R2E, as Space Act Agreement Partner with NASA JPL, Australia

1100 – 1130

El Nino in the Asia Pacific Rim Dr Agus Santoso, El Nino Researcher, Climate Change Research Centre, University of NSW, Australia

1130 – 1200

tbc Turkish Forest Authority, Turkey

1200 – 1215

Question & Answer Session

1215 – 1400

Buffet Lunch & Networking

(invited)

ASEAN Military Aerial Firefighting 1400 – 1430

Military Aerial Firefighting Support to Civil Authorities in Philippines 505th Search and Rescue Group, Philippine Air Force, The Philippines

(subject to approvals)

1430 – 1450

Militaries Adding Additional Capabilities Wayne Coulson, CEO, Coulson Aviation, Canada

1450 – 1520

Thailand’s Rainmaking Experience 461 Rainmaking Squadron, Royal Thai Air Force, RTAFB Phitsanulok, Thailand

1520 - 1545

(subject to approvals)

Refreshment Break & Networking

Military Aerial Firefighting 1545 – 1615

MRH90 & Buckets 808 Squadron, Royal Australian Navy, Australia

(invited)

1635 – 1705

Military Cooperation in the Delivery of Aerial Firefighting Services Lt Colonel (U) Mohamad Sufian bin Awang Ahmad, Head of Standards Evaluation, Royal Brunei Air Force, Brunei

1705 – 1720

Question & Answer Session

1720 – 1730

Chairman’s Closing Remarks

1730 – 1900

Drinks Reception

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Supported by

CONFERENCE AGENDA - Day Two TUESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2016 0800 - 0830

Registration & Coffee

0830 – 0900

Shuttle bus service to static display

0900 – 1030

Static Aircraft Display

1030 – 1100

Shuttle bus service from static display & Refreshment Break

1100 - 1105

Chairman’s Opening Remarks Greg Nettleton, Chief Officer, SA Country Fire Service, Australia

Preventative Technology in Support of Aerial Firefighting 1105 – 1135

UAS in the Aerial Ignition Mission Mark L Bathrick, Director, Office of Aviation Services (OAS), US Department of the Interior, USA

1135 – 1155

Delivering Airborne Fire Intelligence & Reconnaissance Christopher Sievers, Managing Director, Air Affairs Australia Pty Ltd, Australia

1155 – 1225

Aerial Ignition – Lessons Learned Mark Ashley, Executive Director, Northern Territory Bushfires NT, Australia

1225 – 1245

Sponsor Presentation John Stepancic, Managing Director, BioCentral Laboratories Ltd, Australia

1245 – 1300

Question & Answer Session

1300 – 1400

Buffet Lunch & Networking

Panel Session – Prevention vs Suppression 1400 – 1445

Prevention vs Suppression Greg Nettleton, Chief Officer, SA Country Fire Service, Australia Shane Fitzsimmons, Commissioner, NSW Rural Fire Service, Australia Mike Wassing, Deputy Commissioner, Queensland Fire & Emergency Services, Australia Chris Arnol, Chief Officer, Tasmania Fire Service, Australia Joe Murphy, Chief Officer, ACT Rural Fire Service, ACT Emergency Services Agency, Australia

Safety Management/Standard Operating Procedures/Interoperability 1445 – 1515

Rapid Aircraft Response – a South Australian Perspective David Pearce AFSM JP, Commander, Manager State Aviation Operations, South Australian Country Fire Service, Australia

1515 – 1545

Refreshment Break & Networking

1545 – 1615

Raising Awareness of the Dangers of Drone Operators flying near Bushfire Affected Areas Scott Duffy, Team Leader Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Australia

1615 – 1645

Firefighting Missions in South Sumatera Brigadier General Dato’ Haji Rosni Bin Aziz, Director of Air Operations Branch, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Malaysia

1645 – 1715

Standard Operating Procedures in AFF – Operating together Safely & Seamlessly – AIRCARETM Programme Allan Beck, Member, AIRCARETM Management Committee, New Zealand

1715 – 1730

Question & Answer Session

1730

Chairman’s Closing Remarks & Conference Close 19th July 2016

Supported by

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Aerial firefighting Asia Pacific Adelaide Australia Bushfires are a blight on Australia’s rural communities and are now increasingly threatening city limits, Sydney being recently headlined when in 2013 New South Wales experienced a series of bushfires which swept through an area of 290,000 acres, destroyed 248 buildings and cost A$94 million.

South Australia is no stranger to this phenomenon either and bushfires are well documented to be worsening in the State, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology. Since early 2015, soaring temperatures and high winds have stoked the bushfires across South Australia with more than 30 homes being destroyed including 2,000 hectares of the Barossa Valley causing damage to several wineries in the Adelaide Hills behind the

State Capital. No-one can forget the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983, which left 75 dead.

Aerial firefighting is a powerful weapon in the bushfire-extinguishing arsenal which can, when deployed correctly, stop wildfires in their tracks. Large air tankers, SEAT and helicopters can drop water on the fire front and, in cooperation with ground fire-crews providing controlled back-burning, prove to be a tried and tested solution.

Reduction of bushfires in the future is unlikely and so it is important to maintain connection with the worlds’ aerial firefighting community to remain current and capable. There are many different aerial firefighting solutions

in existence, with new techniques and technologies entering the arena every year. It was in 2011 when Australia last connected with the international aerial firefighting community and its technologies which took place in Melbourne.

The Aerial Firefighting Asia Pacific 2016 conference will address how government organisations and emergency services can challenge and support the aviation industry to begin a journey of continuous improvement and partnership, so that the Australian firefighting community can improve efficiency and dramatically reduce the risks associated with aerial firefighting.

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Registration

Access to Conference

1 = FireBoss LLC

Access to Exhibition

09

2 = Starflight 3 = Reserved for Simplex

01 08

16

02

10

Key

4 = Coulson 5 = Field Air 6 = Australian Heliponents 7 = Global SuperTanker Services 8 = BlazeTamer380 and Chubb

15

11

07

03

14

12

06

04

9 = Reserved for Airbus 10 = FireFlight 11 = International Air Response 12 = TAE 13 = Columbia Helicopters

13

05

14 = Air Affairs Australia 15 = Reserved for Insitu 16 = Available 17 = Reserved for Sikorsky

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How resilient is Australia to disaster?

Australasia’s emergency management sector will convene to discuss the changing role of emergency response agencies, and the importance of creating resilient communities, at AFAC16 powered by INTERSHUTZ in Brisbane this August.

Co-produced by the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC) and the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre, the conference is themed Mitigation – Response – Recovery: Getting the balance right, and will discuss the evolving function of emergency managers in preventing and responding to disaster. It will also highlight the need for the influence of our emergency services in the recovery process, postdisaster, to be bolstered.

Stuart Ellis, CEO, AFAC highlighted the sector’s need to redefine their role in protecting and supporting local communities.

“In the last five years, we have seen catastrophic disasters in our region including the Brisbane floods, bushfires across the country and the Christchurch earthquakes - each event has reinforced the need for emergency managers to think differently about how they respond, and their role in the recovery of the local community.

“AFAC16 will bring together global emergency management experts to share insights on how we can improve the balance of resources across mitigation, response and recovery. It is vital that across Australasia we are resilient in the face of disaster, and it is our emergency managers and researchers who are at the forefront of creating this resilience,” said Mr Ellis.

Across four days, the conference will showcase the latest thinking from national and international experts, with over 80 presentations - including keynotes - across seven core themes, comprising of Disaster Resilience, Transformational Leadership, Predictive

Services, Capacity for Coordination, Partnerships, Building Back Better and Integration, Diversity and Inclusion.

partnership with INTERSHUTZ places AFAC on the global stage for emergency rescue research and development.

Australian and international keynote speakers include: • Katarina Carroll APM, Commissioner, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.

• Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr, Fire Chief Austin (Texas) Fire Department and President IAFC Board of Directors.

• Dr Jeff Kepert, Head of High Impact Weather, Bureau of Meteorology.

• Katherine Jones Deputy Secretary, National Security and Criminal Justice Group, Attorney-General’s Department.

• Dr Anthony Bergin, Deputy Director, Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

• Dr David Henderson, Director of the Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University.

“The partnership between AFAC and INTERSHUTZ brings to Australia the latest thinking, research and technology from around the world to an Australasian audience.

Agencies visiting the exhibition will see products and services from over 150 companies, including 45 international exhibitors, of which over half have not previously exhibited before in Australia.”

For the first time, AFAC will partner with INTERSHUTZ, Europe’s largest trade fair for fire rescue, civil protection and security. The partnership with INTERSCHUTZ organisers, Deutsche Messe, has attracted a number of international companies, many of whom are exhibiting in Australia for the first time. New and returning international exhibitors include: SCANIA, SASGAR, Fraser Fire & Rescue, Hino Motor Sales, ISUZU Trucks, IVECO Trucks, Off Road Trucks, Mercedes Benz and Volvo Group.

Live demonstrations will allow attendees to experience firsthand the latest developments in emergency equipment and technology. Each day of the exhibition, The Australian Road and Rescue Organisation (ARRO) will demonstrate innovative car rescue techniques during a live simulation; plus live product activations from BullEx & HAAGEN – a virtual fire training device and PV Spot – a fire retardant solution that neutralises the risk of the DC Danger Zone created by solar panels during a fire.

“AFAC is the best opportunity for emergency managers from across Australasia to hear from global experts, see live demonstrations of the newest technology and connect and learn from likeminded colleagues,” said Mr Stockbridge.

The conference commences on Tuesday, 30 August with a dedicated Research Forum, highlighting how the latest research and scientific developments into natural hazards will benefit emergency managers. A diverse range of research will be on show, says the CEO of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre, Dr Richard Thornton.

“Emergency and land managers will benefit greatly by engaging directly with researchers on key industry issues.

There is no silver bullet for natural hazards safety, and we must continue to ask the difficult and complex questions to identify what we do not know,” Dr Thornton said.

AFAC16 powered by INTERSHUTZ – emergency management conference will take place at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from Tuesday 30 August – Thursday 1 September 2016, with Post Conference Development Sessions taking place on Friday 2 September.

Harvey Stockbridge, Managing Director of Deutsche Messe in Australia, said the

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