Page 6 - Volume 11 Number 4

Firefighters rely on aviation resources for a number of critical functions when protecting lives, property and valuable natural and cultural resources from the 71,000 annual wildfires each year. Two roles the King Airs fill are air tactical group super- visor, which functions as the air traffic controller for fires, and lead plane, which guides airtankers on where to drop fire retardant so that it lands ahead of the moving fire or along
its edge. Rather than a fire extinguisher, the retardant slows progress to give firefighters on the ground time to reach
the area. (PHOTO BY KARI GREER)
King Air B200. For the peak season, they get additional support by contracting two King Airs, which they operate with agency pilots.
As Flight Operations Manager, Bell oversees BLM’s four pilots, is fleet manager and is a pilot in command on lead plane missions. He started his career as a firefighter and became a smokejumper, then he became a pilot and eventually put the two skills together to work for the U.S. Forest Service for 20 years and joined BLM in 2011.
BLM started flying the 1990 King Air B200 in 2015 after acquiring it through an interagency transfer from the Bureau of Reclamation. The airplane had been sitting for awhile and needed maintenance and paint. BLM also upgraded avionics to Garmin 650/750 and installed a smoke system, which is similar to systems used by airshow performers. The aircraft has 14,000 total hours, including
about 670 hours BLM flew over the first two seasons of operating it.
BLM uses their King Airs for two missions: lead plane and air tactical, also known as air attack.
“The air tactical or air attack is up above all the other aircraft that are flying around the fire; it’s like an air traffic controller for fires, guiding aircraft as well
TOOLS IN THE AIR MANAGING FIRE ON THE GROUND
Here are the roles airplanes play in wildland firefighting:
Lead Planes guide airtankers to their drop zone. They communicate with firefighters on the ground and with airtankers, releasing white smoke to show where the retardant should go.
Example aircraft types: Beechcraft King Air 90 and 200
Air Tactical Group Supervisor or Air Attack planes provide coordination of aerial resources over a wildland fire. They provide vital eyes in the sky for firefighters on the ground, and ensure safe aviation operations.
Example aircraft types: Beechcraft King Air 90 and 200, Twin Commander 500 and 690
Smokejumper aircraft deliver smokejumpers and cargo by parachute to remote locations for initial attack and extended support of wildland fires. Typically, one aircraft will carry eight to 12 smokejumpers and their initial supply of gear.
Example aircraft types: DeHavilland DH-6 300 series Twin Otter, Shorts Sherpa C-23A, Dornier 228, CASA 212
4 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
Single Engine Airtankers (SEATs) can deliver up to 800 gallons of retardant to support firefighters on the ground. These small airplanes can reload and operate in areas where larger airtankers cannot.
Example aircraft type: Air Tractor AT-802
Large Airtankers can deliver from 2,000 to 4,000 gallons of fire retardant to support firefighters on the ground. Example aircraft types: Lockheed P2V, Lockheed HC- 130H, British Aerospace BAe-146, McDonnell Douglas MD-87, Lockheed C-130Q, Avro RJ85
Water Scoopers are amphibious aircraft that skim the surface of a body of water and scoop water into an onboard tank and then release it on a fire.
Example aircraft types: Bombardier CL-415 and Air Tractor Fire Boss
Very Large Airtankers (VLATs) are capable of delivering more than 8,000 gallons of fire retardant to support firefighters on the ground.
Aircraft type: McDonnell Douglas DC-10
APRIL 2017