The antenna in the foreground is #DSS36. “This was made possible due to the strong and ongoing partnership between the Australian Defense Force and Emergency Management Australia.”. Embracing Family | Firm Handshake | Resilient Spirit Celebrating over 25 Years of Aerial Firefighting NSW RFS photo. Having the LAT based at East Sale will mean reducing the turnaround time for refueling and loading of retardant or water. The overnight stops en route between Canada and Australia proved interesting at best in the new COVID-19 world. Your email address will not be published. One of the team’s stops on the journey was Honolulu, Hawaii. The 737 air tanker that was delivered to the NSW RFS two months ago has been busy during much of the Australian winter, completing 60 missions and delivering 237,000 gallons of water and retardant. March 19, 2015, Victoria, B.C. Conair’s crews are what makes these long complicated international flights possible. The ability to do quick turnarounds and strong performance at the fire with its excellent maneuverability, high rate of climb and turning performance. In late September, the RJ85 aerial firefighter heads south, taking off to battle bushfires in the southern hemisphere until February. Photo by Jeff Bough. #NSWRFS @NSWRFS @troygrant @DubboCouncil @DubboAirport pic.twitter.com/efpmPOh9Hi, — Shane Fitzsimmons (@RFSCommissioner) November 5, 2018. RJ85, T-165  (Aeroflite/Conair via FieldAir) based in Sydney (Richmond)  –  already in place; C-130Q, T-134 (Coulson) based in Sydney (Richmond) – already in place. Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. Conair Group Inc. of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, formerly known as Conair Aviation, is a company specializing in retrofitting firefighting aircraft, maintaining customer and company-owned aircraft and aerial firefighting.Conair currently [when?] The equivalent Avro variants were RJ70, RJ85 and RJ100. Jan 5, 2021 | Aerial Fire News, Feature Stories, International Operations, LAT, Print Editions. This season one Type 1 helicopter (a Coulson S-61) based at Ballarat, Victoria and one Type 2  helicopter (a Kestrel Aviation Bell 412) based at Mangalore, Victoria will have a Night Vision Imaging Systems or Night Vision Goggles (NVIS/NVG) for water dropping. Fire Fighting Plane Extreme Near Miss (Almsot Crashes Into Ridge) The four-engine jet aircraft has excellent low-speed and high-speed performance capabilities, making it ideal for almost any terrain, whether in an Initial Attack capacity or supporting sustained suppression missions. Video: Moment a fire-fighting plane nearly crashes into a mountain ridge after its distracted pilot became fixated on putting out the flames . The SEATs can also be supplemented by other aircraft on Call When Needed (CWN) arrangements if required. RJ85, T-165  (Aeroflite/Conair via FieldAir) based in Sydney (Richmond); B-737,  T-137 (Coulson)  based in Sydney (Richmond) – subject to  regulatory approvals; RJ85, T-166  (Aeroflite/Conair via FieldAir) based in Sydney (Richmond)/Dubbo; C-130Q, T-134 (Coulson) based in Sydney (Richmond); RJ85, T-163  (Aeroflite/Conair via FieldAir) based in Melbourne (Avalon); C-130Q, T-131 (Coulson) based in Melbourne (Avalon). As soon as Hunter returns from its Canadian commitments, tanker 166 is towed into the hangar. Continue reading “Aussies set the summer lineup for their firefighting aircraft”. employs over 250 staff and has a fleet of aircraft that are broken down into two categories; air attack (a.k.a. Flying from Canada to Australia is a stretch for the RJ85 at over 20 hours of flight time. First of its kind: new firefighting aircraft in Montana. They can operate from Avalon, Mildura and now Sale. According to Aero-Flite, a converted Avro RJ85 can carry 11,355 litres (3,000 US gallons) of fire retardant and the aircraft’s high speed performance along with its load carry capabilities make it the ideal aircraft for aerial fire fighting. While exiting the area the aircraft flew closely over a ridge stirring up dust on the ground. The police and health authorities that greeted the group and worked with them through the process were all keen to make the experience as painless as possible under the circumstances. Near the end of the 2017-2018 bushfire season the Aussies experimented with dropping water from helicopters at night in Victoria. Aircraft types: P2V, HC-130H, BAe-146, MD-87, C-130Q, RJ85, 737 and USAF C-130H/J equipped with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS). In early to mid-December the MAPs for two other large airtankers will begin for another C-130Q and a RJ85 from Coulson and FieldAir/Conair, respectively. “If required this LAT will continue the work the other LATs and night helicopter firebombing operations have had on the Rosedale fire since Friday in support of ground crews.”. This is 8 less than in 2018/2019. The airframe of the aircraft and many other key areas were … The skies were empty save for the odd cargo flight. Click here. Unlike the European air forces, participating in exercises never happens, which means working together is difficult and dangerous. Victoria also has a surge capacity of up to 100 aircraft that can supplement the core fleet when needed. (map). There will be six large air tankers from North America working in New South Wales and Victoria this summer. Preparations for Hunter’s ferry flight to Australia annually is an exercise in coordination and communication between all Conair departments to ensure every facet of the trip and subsequent 4-month firefighting role locked down for overseas operations. In Honiara, the crew was transferred to and from the hotel in a hospital van, complete with a flashing light escort, and was on full lockdown in rooms overnight. In the video below is the C-130Q. Conair painters remove and replace all tail numbers and apply nose and cowling decals appropriate to Australian requirements. The recent tender process for SEATs has not yet been signed off, but Mr. Alder expects there will be about 45 on national exclusive use contracts plus another six contracted directly to state government agencies. CityJet Avro RJ85 By Aidan Nolan Laying a line of retardant on the Eight Mile Fire - Idaho, USA Photo by Melissa Kimsey Aero-Flite Avro RJ85 Airtanker. They form part of Victoria’s core aerial fleet of 49 aircraft available for the summer season which includes a mix of water bombing aircraft, air supervision, and aerial intelligence gathering aircraft. Required fields are marked *. Conair partners with Australian aerial firefighting and aviation specialist Field Air Group, who provides a support staff of 50 to assist during the aircraft’s operational season.. Albury, in NSW can also accommodate the LATs if required. As Australia moves into their summer and enters the traditional beginning of their bushfire season the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) in finalizing the lineup of firefighting aircraft for the 2019-2020 season. Posted by Ryan Mason | Jan 5, 2021 | Aerial Fire News, Feature Stories, International Operations, LAT, Print Editions | 0 |. All photos are by the Canberra DSN. Partnering in the cockpit with Ray is Anthony Ussher as First Officer and on the ground is Ed Da Silva and Steve Daechsel, expert Maintenance Engineers. There will be 77 Helicopters of all types for a variety of roles across the country. “At this stage”, he continued, “it is anticipated that night firebombing will only occur on fires where the aircraft crew has operated during the day – so at this stage there won’t be any initial attack at night.”. We are catching up on some photos sent in by our readers. Four engine reliability providing excellent short field performance along with multiple system redundancy. For it to be used in Australia it must first receive their regulatory approvals. In addition to aircraft systems instruction and RJ85 simulator training in fire suppression tactics, pilots learn about the mechanics of fighting fires, from strategy to fire behavior, fire weather, and human factors such as fatigue. Parts required are either shipped or carried on board the aircraft. In Europe, each country has its own fleet of aircraft – some are civil and some military and each have their own standard operating procedures. The extensive planning and proactive response from all Conair’s teams translated into a seamless trip south! Victoria’s Large Air Tankers are state strategic assets that are based at Avalon Airport but can be deployed across Victoria according to need and the identified risk. “The updated seasonal outlook confirmed the forecast of an above normal fire risk in East Gippsland. Amazing flying skills as aircraft tankers drop water on the Pierces Creek fire front. Together with our Australian partner, Field Air, Flight Operations managed the logistics of the crew schedules for the entire stay in Australia, working through ferry flight planning details and coordinating routes along with fuel and overnight technical stops. The aircraft was offered in three variants, the 146-100, 146-200 and 146-300. The image above is by Austin Catlin — an Avro RJ85 working on a fire in Eastern Idaho. To get the aircraft over the Pacific, a ferry fuel system is installed in its body, consisting of five 500 US gallon fuel bags in five dedicated leakproof containers. On arrival in Australia, the Brisbane Approach Controller thanked the crew for “coming out today.” The airport itself was completely empty. PCDU Episode 130: Avalon 2017 – Alpha April 15th, 2017; PCDU Episode 129: Going Back to School February 28th, 2017; PCDU Episode 128: Unprecedented October 30th, 2016; PCDU Episode 127: From the Vault July 17th, 2016 @ACT_ESA Conair’s Q400AT and Q400 MR: A Sustainable Aerial Firefighting Solution. From April to August, “Hunter” works firefighting missions on forest fires in western Canada. The RJ85 dropping a line of retardant. Three other tankers with their primary base at Richmond include a 737 (T-137), a C-130Q (T-134), and another RJ85 (T-165). Conair’s Human Resources team also coordinated with Field Air to ensure all appropriate Australian documents were obtained and that the crew was fully covered for health and welfare for the length of their deployment. In addition to aircraft systems instruction and RJ85 simulator training in fire suppression tactics, pilots learn about the mechanics of fighting fires, from strategy to fire behavior, fire weather, and human factors such as fatigue. This includes six Erickson S-64E Aircranes, as well as five Type 2 /Type 3 helicopters that will be specially equipped for intelligence gathering, with gimbaled sensors and on-board image processing, mapping, and transmission gear. Here is a full list of all PCDU Episodes since #1 back in 2009. To ensure Victoria has protection, a New South Wales-based LAT will move to Victoria during this period. Still, the timely pre-departure COVID-19 test proved to be an essential aspect of the trip, with each touch down requiring proof of a recent negative result from all those on board. The crew was met in Honiara with a hospital van to transport them to a quarantine hotel. On days 2 and 7, they were given COVID tests and confirmed ‘clean.’. The crew has settled into their routines at Dubbo base, regularly performing maintenance and systems checks in preparation for mission call outs. The aircraft was working on a wildfire near Michelago, New South Wales (map). They are tight, supporting each other during missions and while on the ground, forming a small family bubble while away from home for months at a time positioned remotely at bases. So far, Conair have converted eight Avro RJ85 aircraft into the Air Tanker role with the full support of the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), British Aerospace. LATs can only operate at a limited number of Victorian airbases because of their size. Rick MacNevin and his Conair team obtain all the documentation and ensure the weights of the installed components associated with the ferry trip, both temporary and permanent, are tracked and accounted for. Thanks @nascom1 for the video.✈️ pic.twitter.com/4zwXjRSC5U, — CanberraDSN (@CanberraDSN) November 2, 2018. Aero-Flite and Conair Aviation stated the RJ85 has capabilities that are well suited to fire fighting with excellent slow speed flight characteristics and true airspeeds in excess of 300 knots. Like the United States and other fire-prone areas, Australia has been experiencing wildfires during times of the year when traditionally they did not occur in large numbers. The nine Type 1 helicopters under exclusive use contract will include six S-64E Air-Cranes (Kestrel/Erickson) and three S-61s (Coulson). The RJ85 team knows the aircraft inside and out. No other travelers were seen in the terminal as the team was processed through airport COVID protocol and immigration teams. Months before departure to Australia, Conair’s maintenance team identifies qualified aerial firefighting maintenance engineers for the Australian deployment. Click on a title to visit the episode page & download or listen to the episode from there. Safety is paramount in this unique industry. Avalon, Australia - February 27, 2015: Coulson Coulson Aviation Lockheed EC-130Q large aerial fire fighting aircraft N130FF on approach to land at Avalon Airport at sunset. Contracts are in place for four large privately owned large air tankers and nine large Type 1 helicopters. This includes the Planning group’s input to forecast current and future maintenance schedules and from the Purchasing and Materials departments to ensure the spare parts inventory that might be needed. Routing proved especially challenging due to ongoing changing restrictions from each country as the pandemic evolved. During each maintenance break, its pilots undergo intensive training from Conair’s Training + Tactics Centre, including ground, flight, and line instruction from experts with decades of aerial firefighting experience. Above: A second large air tanker is now operational in New South Wales. The aircraft, affectionately named “Hunter” by Australians, is an AVRO RJ85 that has been custom modified by Conair with a proprietary retardant delivery system (RDS) to become an air tanker purpose-engineered for aerial firefighting. “We aim to continue and extend the helicopter NVIS firebombing trial in Victoria, operationalizing the learnings from the Victorian trial earlier this year, but it will be in small, careful steps” Richard Alder, General Manager of NAFC said. When departure day from Canada came, the two pilots and two maintenance engineers boarded Hunter knowing it was fully fueled, well maintained, qualified, prepped, and ready for the journey ahead. The final touches – the expert cleaners ensure the aircraft is clean and polished. Once everything is installed, Hunter is rolled out for extensive ground runs and fuel system tests, capped off by a post-maintenance and ferry fuel test flight to ensure all systems are in perfect working order. For the past three years, the Conair RJ85 has traveled from its home hangar at Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, to New South Wales, Australia, to support government agency partners and local firefighters in protecting communities and natural resources from wildfires during their summer season. Images Show Aftermath of Massive Fire as Aerial Firefig... Erickson Air Crane “Camille” Burned in Arso... Several Fires Continue Spread in New Mexico, Naval Station Norfolk brings back the ‘Bambi Bucket’ to put out fires, save lives, Blue Sky Network’s Scottsdale, Arizona Facility Receives the AS9100 Certification, Hillsborough County – Leading The Way on Multi-Agency Training, McDermott Aviation Continues to Fight Western Australia Fires, Kestrel Aviation Launches FireHawk 1 in Australia, Combination of ground and aerial reseeding in Wenas Wildlife Area totals over 1300 acres to date. After that, it’s back to Abbotsford’s home base for some needed time off, and another full servicing before it heads back into operation in Canada. They know this multi-million dollar machine intimately, having flown critical and challenging missions at its controls for years. Another 8 SEATs have been contracted directly by State agencies. In the future, as the landscape of aerial firefighting changes, Hunter may be able to stay Down Under year-round, enabling a local crew of pilots and dedicated mechanics to be fully trained over time and mindfully deployed to ensure safely executed missions. In early November the mandatory availability period (MAP) begins for what will be either another 737 or a  C-130Q at Richmond, provided by Coulson. During the coming bushfire season they will have access to six large air tankers and scores of SEATs and helicopters. The crews conduct up to 6 weeks of heavy maintenance tasks, forecasted to ensure no significant maintenance is required during fire contract operations. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Ryan is a former police officer that turned his skills toward the aviation industry. Download wallpapers Avro RJ85, BAe 146, fire fighting aircraft, … The aircraft will join another six Avro RJ85 Type 1 land-based airtankers at Aero-Flite. The RJ85 Heads Downunder. It was just a few years ago that they had no large air tankers, but this season they will have six privately owned large air tankers on contract, including three RJ85s, two C-130Qs, and one 737. The Conair RJ85 fleet is currently the largest and newest single aircraft type Large Air Tanker fleet in the World today. Screenshot from the video below of BAe-146 air tanker. Documenting Hunter’s flight from Canada to Australia in 2020 is Ray Horton, Captain of tanker 166 “Hunter.” Ray has been with Conair for nearly 38 years. A 15,000-litre firefighting plane is to be based in Queensland to combat large bushfires like the blazes that destroyed dozens of homes in the state's south-east over this summer. Another Avro RJ85 air tanker has arrived in Australia for their summer bushfire season. 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