USFS cancels ALL heavy tanker fixed-wing contracts

[troglodytis]

Forest service has imediately pulled all large airplane tanker contracts. They were flying yesterday, not today.


read about it here. seems too many fell from the skys in recent years.

 

[Jhhnn]

The problem is that the govt refuses to release suitable surplus military aircraft for conversion to fire-fighting tankers, and that the ones currently in use are ancient, and often stressed beyond their design ... The last incident here in Colorado involved a b26, iirc, where the wings just folded back whe the pilot tried to pull up from his run...

Lots of talk in the press at the time, no action. Won't matter anyway, when the Bush Admin gets done, the entire West won't have any trees bigger than christmas trees, other than in natl parks and on private property... Cut 'em quick, before they burn...

 

[EagleKeeper]

Read the book FireFlight

Excellent take on the situation