For example, the 2017 average daily rate for large federal call when needed air tankers was 54 percent higher than aircraft on exclusive . Courtesy Photo/USFS. Look at the LATs this year. Besides the cost for the new equipment will be passed on the FS through the increase in Daily Availability rates. All senior leadership, including Squad Leaders and higher must be able to read and interpret the language of the crew as well as English. Uzbekistan: a discreet but powerful air force. The most spectacular heavy-duty helicopters have long been the Erickson AirCrane, the CH-54 refurbished by the Oregon-based company that has developed for them a constant-rate and controlled-release airdrop that is considered one of the most efficient and reliable. - R1 Overdue/Missing Aircraft Protocol, DOI AMD-23E Instructions for USFS National Type 1 & 2 Call When Needed (CWN) Contract Helicopters hired for DOI Incidents. What can replicate the performance of a UH-1H with a -703 as a bucket bird? Candidates include the Bell 429, Airbus/Eurocopter H135 or H145 or other light twins on the market. flight time rates. Calfire is seeing right now how much NOT an upgrade they really are and how they are just too big for some things. They may also be federal agencies such as Indian Affairs or the Bureau of Land Management, who are responsible for natural areas that must be fought against forest fires. National Exclusive Use Helicopters (Large Fire Support/Initial Attack) Less publicized than the Tanker, US Forest Service helicopters are front-line aircraft with an essential and fundamental mission. Thats discouraging as it suggests that the customer really isnt listening and just providing the perception of doing so.your point of just not choosing to submit if an operator doesnt like it is incredibly insensitive and uninformed. Most aircraft manufacturers provide a document illustrating the operating costs for each of their models but it's hard to tell how accurate their estimates are (they are trying to sell you a helicopter after all). 2023 US FOREST SERVICE AIRTANKERS - SCHEDULE OF ITEMS (April 26, 2023) Next Generation Airtankers 2.0 Next Generation Airtankers 3.0 CWN Activations. Maybe in talking to a 3rd party lender the FS would learn more about these challenges that industry is facing due to the well intended, but poorly delivered solicitation requirements? endstream endobj 11 0 obj <> endobj 12 0 obj <> endobj 13 0 obj <> endobj 14 0 obj <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/ExtGState<>>> endobj 15 0 obj <> endobj 16 0 obj <> endobj 17 0 obj <>stream You must be USFS this sounds exactly like the Q&A session Language will remain as written. Always use the applicable contract, CO/COR for specific contract administration information. Video of two Type 1 helicopters reloading with retardant, 41 Companies on $1B Forest Service Helicopter Support Contract, Updates on Nob Fire and WatchDuty is looking for help, North Carolina: Great Lakes Fire burning in footprint of 2012 fire. %PDF-1.4 % They can transport up to nine firefighters at one time. SD3-60 Sherpas;Avionics; Maintenance When the SMEs include pilots who had a previous career in the military, also Aviation Maintenance Inspectors who previously worked as mechanics in industry and the military, I do not think the label of career beaurocrart quite fits. 34 Type 2 helicopters awarded contracts - Fire Aviation Mission: Designed to carry out close-air support at low altitude and low speed. N/A = Not applicable It has been lightly edited. Access to the U.S. Forest Service Contracting, Incident Support Branch, DOI SharePoint Page must be granted individually. A 407 isnt a twin, even tho a 407hp will outperform all the above as a type III. To meet this commitment, we continue to monitor and update our content to make sure our documents meet these standards. The Huey will soon give way to the S-70 FireHawk, a model close to the aircraft operated in the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which will be a clear progression of air assets for the state of California. The banker looks at your household income and job stability. Home | About Office: (208) 387-5610 Mobile: (208) 867-5073, Tonya Campbell,Contracting Officer Forest Service says there's not enough time to issue new helicopter Aviation Safety Management System, IAT Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park . If the income is lower and lower due to LPTA and the job security is year to year with no guarantee, most lenders will tell you to try another house to mortgage your house. 553 0 obj <>stream In addition the Logistics Branch provides procurement support for eleven National Cachesfor wildland fire suppression and prevention, as well as other emergency incident response activities. 0000074247 00000 n I am concerned that it will reduce resources in a way that will harm the communitys we generally get to help. Maybe all of the experienced aviation folks you mention are part of this have never actually had to buy a multi-million a/c, maintain it, crew it and ensure that its operable? National Interagency Aviation Committee Publication Library, BLM For an operator to be competitive in the LPTA world, you need to amortize the cost of the a/c over 10 years or more. These helicopters can support firefighters on the ground by delivering up to 300 gallons of water to thefirelinein a bucket or tank. Helicopters are used for firefighter and cargo transport, water or retardant application, fire reconnaissance, aerial ignition operations, search and rescue, law enforcement missions, short-haul, sling loads, and seeding. Sounds like a great schedule to buy a next gen helicopter. Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Bob. Robinson Helicopter Operating Cost Calculator Aircraft operating cost estimates. PDF 2023 US FOREST SERVICE AIRTANKERS - SCHEDULE OF ITEMS (April 26, 2023) These may be local governments seeking to preserve a territory, but also counties or even states. Its logical that the USFS move to a more modern helicopter fleet. 10 21 United States Department of Agriculture-Forest Service Guide . agency that, more and more, is becoming its own worst enemy, as well as ours! 0000001330 00000 n CWN Helicopter Procurement Comparison NOTE: The procurement (USFS or DOI) is determined by which agency has jurisdiction over the fire, project or lands. Ordering instructions contained within each contract or agreement should be followed. Category 2 is that of aircraft with 6,000 to 12,500 pounds at take-off and having a water carrying capacity of more than 300 gallons. Thanks for giving us a voice. %%EOF It just will. Fire managers recognized the value of helicopters to rapidly transport personnel and cargo to a fire, especially in remote locations. On the other hand when your not spending your own money you can afford an almost $25 million firehawk. 0000002454 00000 n PDF National Geographic Area Coordination Center Website Portal Initial attack/can be broken up into squads, fireline construction, firing to include burnout. This change will be a double edged sword..as operators cannot meet requirements or afford changes they will shut their doors and then already limited resources will be permanently removed for fire. All perpetuated by the Gov. For aircraft in the first two categories, fire-fighting equipment consists of efficient and versatile ventral kits or a Bambi Bucket. Setting the forest on fire on purpose | AspenTimes.com Type IIs? Normally both are higher with a CWN. These helicopters can strategically drop thousands of gallons of water or retardant with pinpoint accuracy, while working closely with ground personnel and other firefighting aircraft. The companies willing to make adjustments will do just that and end up with contracts. The S-70 could work but again, at what cost? Some of these aircraft are even qualified for night dropping, a capacity which is now rare but which could revolutionize the art of fighting fires. Hows about an STC for personal electronic devices, only available from one company, nobody else in the industry even knows what the hell the STC is or is for! Southern Area Regional Coordination Group Operating Plan. Type 1 helicopters are the largest, fastest flying and the most expensive helicopters used on wildland fires. Maybe the PM, HS and the CO should talk to some a/c financing companies/banks to better understand the reality of upgrading or buying new equipment? Disclaimer | Contact Very Large Airtankers (VLAT)are capable of delivering over 8,000 gallons of fire retardant to support firefighters on the ground. Call-When-Needed (CWN) Airtankers 2.1 ). NIFC Operations (Photographer/Videographer Services), Chris Kirk,Purchasing Agent And then everything over 4 hours is paid too obviously. I remember seeing N1168U on the LP & Southern Sierras in the 80s! Bill wrote 3 sentences without even putting his opinion in, the overwhelming response is that the only people happy or satisfied with this RFP are the people who wrote it. Anyone who served in the military knows that Uncle Sam Air is the most inefficient airline in the world, and having worked there is in no way a guarantee that you are the best subject matter expert on anything. None of these administrations have their own resources and they must therefore go through contracts, often seasonal, to have means of intervention. Buying a/c is a lot like buying a house. If the income is lower and lower due to LPTA and the job security is year to year with no guarantee, most lenders will tell you to try another bank to mortgage your house. Visualizer - Convert Coordinates, Airtankers, Helicopters, Long-term Retardant Contracts, FAA The Chinooks were mainly operated with a Bambi Bucket but three companies, Helimax, Columbia Helicopters and Billings, now use internal bunkers developed by subcontractors, including Simplex, a well-known manufacturer of HBE kits, which allows these aircraft to have a higher intervention speed while taking up to 12,000 liters of water internally. 43 aircraft are under exclusive contract with the USFS in 2018. If it aint broke, dont try to fix it. Office: (208) 387-5665 Mobile: (208) 616-5549, NIFC Operations Support Forest fire contracts are also an economic windfall for operators and manufacturers, yet they are a tiny portion of the $ 3 billion that the fight against forest fires cost in 2017! So given these facts, what do you think they are trying to achieve in ultimately reducing the number of a/c in a time when we need more of them? There is no cost, and in case you change your mind each email has an unsubscribe button. As I indicated, Im very interested in more reporting on this from the customer side of the table, IE the USFS as well as industry. These standards assign typing designations based on measurable capability and performance criteria. For aircraft in the first two categories, fire-fighting equipment consists of efficient and versatile ventral kits . Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Guide to customs clearance for a Helvetian aircraft, Bell unveils industrialists on the Invictus program. Several vendors opted for EU contracts with states instead of the USFS. To request access to this page, submit request to FS-FS AQM ISB. Maybe they could have figured out a better transition, maybe not. TFRs List/Map, Nat'l xb``b``Vg```+g@L@,&@ PDF 2016 Standard Cost Components Each year, DNR works ahead of the fire season to improve its access to professional equipment and services for fire suppression. 0000010826 00000 n And now this year before we head into fall contracting with the MATOC still looming they have changed how they pay us. Forest Service Aviation Management. Ncncf Great Lakes - Great Lakes Daily Update, April 30, 2023 | InciWeb 0000003543 00000 n NWCG is the sole source for the publication. Apart from a few military helicopters mobilized occasionally and only as reinforcement, most of the air assets used to fight fires in the US are the work of countless more or less specialized aerial work companies, who each have very varied means. We've identified seven states where the typical salary for a Helicopter Flight Instructor job is above the national average. Agency Logo. Resource Library (Handbooks, Guides Incident Contacts . Helicopters with buckets can pull water from water sources that are deep enough for the buckets. Under contract this season there are 28 heavyweights, including Kaman KMax, CH-46, CH-47, S-70, CH-54 and S-61 from a dozen companies. These CWN have a number of day to end of termination clause. Todd thanks for chiming in. Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. The Q&A period is a nicety, but rarely ever provides valuable responses to industry. Large Airtankers (LATs) can deliver from 2,000 to 4,000 gallons of fire retardant to support firefighters on the ground. Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Bob. Of course, the US Forest Service is not the only organization to have helicopter water bombers. National Helicopters (Large Fire Support, Initial Attack, Call-When-Needed) I say all you vendors simply BOYCOTT the USFS. They claim that 2 times throughout the 1/9 year parent contract, they will allow onboarding of new vendors/equipment. Note:Certain aircraft are specialized and will not fit this classification. So this all begs a question how do we bridge the gap here? Cargo Ordering - How To, BLM Helicopter Rental Rates Helicopter Rental Rates 2023.docx/Jaz F (Prot) Page 1 February 2023 Operator Information Company Name: Address: Day Phone #: Taxpayer Identification #: . Avian Aviation Biologist. They are versatile fire management tools. Say goodbye to the 205 and 212, its brand new 412EPXs or nothing. List of air tankers on USFS contracts - Fire Aviation 0000007535 00000 n These proposed contract changes have made working for USFS impossible for most all operators especially restricted categories that will all be phased out when the new 2000 or newer requirement takes affect. Flight Rate Hourly Daily Availability # OF UNITS TOTAL COST Exclusive Use Helicopters Type 1 HEL1 $ 4,290 $ 13,950 Type 2 HEL2 $ 1,760 $ 5,030 Type 3 HEL3 $ 1,050 $ 2,325 Call When Needed Helicopters Type 1 HEL1 $ 4,200 $ 26,600 Type 2 HEL2 $ 1,960 $ 7,150 . In other locations they would just shrug their shoulders and walk away. PDF www.fs.usda.gov These are basically short term Exclusive use contracts and I expect will be moved around at such per fire danger needs, and will be putting lots of hours on Hobbs meters. The National Interagency Fire Center is committed to making its information and communication technologies accessible to individuals with disabilities by meeting or exceeding the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. The A-10 is built to be highly survivable and can takeoff and land in locations near the front lines. (Y/N) Federal wildland firefighters say they're burned out after years of low What light twin replaces a 407? Smokejumper STC 0000001234 00000 n Office: (208) 387-5279 Mobile: (208) 608-6763, Aviation Safety and Mngmnt Plan Helicopters were first used on wildfires in 1947. If helicopters are widely used in the USA to fight forest fires, they can also be used to burn them. Chattanooga Air Tanker Base Agreement. 0000047667 00000 n Your last sentence is the the nail in the coffin.seeing as that this contract will be LPTA and a year to year option, how do you finance a new a/c that will surely be $2-$4M on the low end? I may be incorrect in this, but I think the less than excited response from industry is based on them providing questions and input to the PM, HS and CO and getting pretty unsatisfactory responses. As for air assets, Tankers dominate the sky. For point-to-point flights, AFF flight following may be used as well. Working together, these partners provide . The table below shows NWCG minimum performance requirements for water tenders. fleet is composed of primarily contractor-owned and operated aircraft but the Forest Service does own numerous helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Modular AirborneFirefighting System (MAFFS) Mechanics What replaces the 212? On May 9 the agency released a list of 14 helicopters for the >1,600 tier. USFS FIRE CONTRACTS. I would be interested to see more reporting on why the USFS is making this transition now and how they made the decisions. They can be fitted with tanks or buckets to deliver water and fire retardant to the fireline. What you all have put out leaves these folks in harms way.you guys ok with that on your souls. People will write their Congressional Reps and lowly GS grade bureaucrats will get mushroom stamped for creating an untenable contracting environment that leads to a massive shortage of rotors when homes are burning. Us | Site Firewatch Cobra (Bell 209/AH-1) Aerial Supervision Helicopter. I can see daily availability rates sky rocketing, which it sounds like is expected. How Much It Costs to Fly America's Military Planes for an Hour Have a fire aviation news tip? Office: (208) 387-5681 Mobile: (208) 866-1610 We dont fly in 58Ts (which I saw on exclusive use contract as an unrestricted as late at 2006) Llamas, etc. There just isnt enough. MOU - Interagency Fire Helicopter Standards Forest Service Agreement # 13IA-11130206-011 . Toggle Dyslexia-friendly black-on-creme color scheme, Aerial wildland fire training taking place this week at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Military aircraft equipped with MAFFS mobilized to assist with wildfire suppression efforts, First Annual National Wildland Firefighter Day Announced, BLM and Maverik Partner to Reduce Human-Caused Wildfires, Aerial wildland fire training taking place in Boise april 25-29, Andrus Center for Public Policy and Partners Seek National Student Congress Address Wildland Fire Management, National Interagency Incident Communications Division, National Incident Management Organization. The Q&A period is a nicety, but rarely ever provides valuable responses to industry. In reality the CWN is the same, many times EU ships roll into a day by day CWN extension of their EU contract after the mandatory availability period is over if there are still fires. The cheapest camera we could find is $10,000. All the experienced aviation folks leading the latest helo RFP need to know that what youre proposing will lead to less a/c and more accidents/deaths. 5765 West Broadway, Missoula, Montana 59808-9361, Automated There is no cost, and in case you change your mind each email has an unsubscribe button. National Maintenance Agreement, Robert Hoffman,Contracting Officer See Full Story. AMD-23E v2.0. Smokejumper Aircraft To put things in perspective, these aircraft perform interventions against US fires which CL-415 water bombers perform at home. Why are only Types III and II legacy helicopters being phased out? Columbia sold to another company last year and with the combined ammount of aircraft they are considered a large company. 0000000923 00000 n So do we get balanced journalism here. Airtankers, Helicopters, Long-term Retardant Contracts. Region 6 Cache Freight Services of Fire Retardant, FAA All types shall meet federal, state and agency requirements for motor vehicle safety standards, including all gross vehicle weight ratings when fully loaded.