Transcript Aviation Update
Aaron Schoolcraft PNW/AK Regional Aviation Officer Office: 503.808.2359
Cell: 202.302.4518
Kurt Kleiner BLM OR/WA State Aviation Manager Office: 503.808.6593
Cell: 971.338.3091
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Hiring Regional Aviation Group One (1) Aviation Maintenance Division Manager One (1) Aviation Safety Inspector – Airworthiness Three (3) Airplane Pilots One (1) Helicopter Program Manager One (1) Air Attack Group Supervisor Program Coordinator ◦ ◦ Forest and District Hiring Two vacant UAO’s, another one vacant this fall Facilities- base infrastructure improvements needed at many locations
◦ ◦ ◦ PNW/AK Aviation Program Consolidation PNW Primary Mission: Fire Alaska Primary Mission: Transportation Implement Alaska Road Map ◦ ◦ ◦ PNW/AK Aviation Strategic Plan Five (5) Year Plan Safety Management Systems Approach Aviation Programs Budgets Aircraft Composition Oversight
◦ ◦ Partnerships Forest Service/DOI/Cooperators New members of PNWCG Aviation Working Team ◦ ◦ Program and Preparedness Reviews DOI/BLM Program Evaluation (May13-17) BLM National Fire Preparedness Review OR-WA ◦ Aerial Supervision Plan for 2013 and beyond ◦ Helicopter Extraction Plan for 2013 and beyond
◦ Rotor-Wing Assets Rotor-wing similar to 2012 R6: Additional Type 1 in Grants Pass ◦ Fixed-Wing Assets Light fixed-wing assets should stay the same in 2013 No change in PNW/AK ◦ Airtankers potential for change
◦ Lakeview District Type 2 helicopter and crew, 1 exclusive use SEAT ◦ Burns District Type 3 helicopter and crew (new contract) ◦ ◦ Vale District Type 3 helicopter and crew, 1 exclusive use SEAT Air Attack (Commander 690) with ATGS (& trainees) BLM National SEAT Fleet- 18 additional exclusive use aircraft, managed in pairs (contract not yet awarded)
◦ ◦ ◦ Type I Helicopters (Forest Service) ◦ ◦ ◦ 34 Exclusive Use 5 Exclusive Use in Region 6 57 Call-When-Needed Type II Helicopters (Forest Service) ◦ 33 Exclusive Use ◦ 6 Exclusive Use in Region 6 ◦ 78 Call-When-Needed Type III Helicopters (Forest Service) 59 Exclusive Use 4 Exclusive Use in Region 6 171 Call-When-Needed
Helicopter Night Operations (HNO) ◦ Contract one (1) helicopter in Region 5 (2013) ◦ HNO Study recommended missions: Water and retardant drops using a ground-filled fixed tank Aerial supervision Aerial ignition with Plastic Sphere Dispenser (PSD) Emergency Medical Transport (EMT) using a hoist ◦ Aviation Business Case (ABC) ABC supports purchase of two helicopters
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Airtanker Contracts Current Contract (9 Line Items) Extended until April 22, 2013 Legacy Contract (8 Line Items) Going through award process Next Generation Contract (7 Line Items) Under Protest Call-When-Needed Contract 2 DC-10
◦ Next Generation Contract Plan to award Seven (7) Next Generation Airtankers over the next five (5) years.
C-130Q BAe-146 BAe-146 RJ-85 RJ-85 MD-87 DC-10
◦ ◦ ◦ Additional Airtankers Up to 8 Convair-580s (Canadian and AK contracts) Up to 8 MAFFS (if requested) Up to 6 (Oregon Department of Forestry) BAe-146 RJ-85 MD-87
◦ ◦ ◦ Very Large Airtankers (VLATS) 2 DC-10s on CWN Contract Can take up to 24 hours to initially mobilize Moses Lake is the only approved VLAT bases in the PNW.
RJ-85 MD-87
C-27J
◦ U.S. Senate passed National Defense Authorization Act Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act (amendment) will give priority to Forest Service to acquire aircraft Amendment is at the House of Representatives ◦ Air Force identified an excess of 21 to 38 nearly new C-27J fixed-wing aircraft ◦ Possible Missions: Smokejumper Platform Airtanker Troop/Team Transport C-27J
Emergency Helicopter Extraction (EHE) ◦ Priority to evaluate and determine path forward ◦ An exclusive use shorthaul-capable helicopter contract will be awarded this year to Mount Rainier Nat. Park with trained crew of SAR Rangers staffing the ship ◦ BLM will only support an extraction program that complies with current DOI policy which is the “Helicopter Short-Haul Handbook-351 DM 1” (Feb. 2010) ◦ Region 5 Law Enforcement and Investigators are approved for Short-Haul ◦ Source List: http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/aviation/av_library
Aerial Supervision ◦ Forest Service Aerial Supervision Steering Committee Develop and establish a Forest Service National Aerial Supervision Program which includes : Air Tactical Group Supervision (ATGS) Aerial Supervision Modules (ASM) Lead Plane Helicopter Coordinator (HELCO) Working Groups: Management Operations Technology Training
Aerial Supervision (contd.) ◦ The Safety Impact Analysis identified 39 hazards and 137 mitigations ◦ Next generation airtankers out-fly current fleet of King Airs, and arrive at fires well ahead of aerial supervision BLM is studying alternatives for faster ASM aircraft ◦ Interagency SME’s are revising refresher training and currency standards for ATGS position ◦ Where will technology take the program in the future?
Cooperator Aircraft ◦ Continue to work with cooperators on aircraft inspection standards and the flight profiles for which they are dispatched and utilized ◦ Better training/communication is needed for dispatchers on cooperator aircraft policies ◦ FS and DOI approval process is effective and efficient
Regional Aviation Safety and Management Plan ◦ Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service will have separate plans in 2013 ◦ Kurt Kleiner is updating the OR/WA BLM Aviation plan Completed and posted on SORO Library Format will remain as second tier to National plan ◦ RASMP Working Group completed Forest Service Regional plan Format is second tier to National plan
◦ Total Flight Hours (Forest Service) 70,000 ◦ Total Flight Hours (Rotor-Wing) 41,000 ◦ Total Flight Hours (Light Fixed-Wing) 25,500 ◦ Total Flight Hours (Airtankers) 3,500
◦ Total Flight Hours (Region 6) 6,160 ◦ Total Flight Hours (Rotor-Wing) 3,534 ◦ Total Flight Hours (Light Fixed-Wing) 2,448 ◦ Total Flight Hours (Airtankers) 178 11% of Total Flight Hours
◦ Total Spent in Aviation (Forest Service) $370M ◦ Total Spent Rotor-Wing $270M ◦ Total Spent Light Fixed-Wing $39M ◦ Total Spent Airtankers $47M ◦ Total Spent Other $14M