Aviation UpdateAaron Schoolcraft

PNW/AK Regional Aviation OfficerOffice: 503.808.2359

Cell: 202.302.4518

Kurt KleinerBLM OR/WA State Aviation Manager

Office: 503.808.6593Cell: 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

Aviation Update (Priorities)

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

Aviation Update (Priorities)

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

Aviation Update (Priorities)

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

Aviation Update

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)

Oregon BLM Aircraft

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

Aviation Update

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

Aviation Update

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

Airtanker Program

Next Generation Contract ◦ Plan to award Seven (7) Next Generation

Airtankers over the next five (5) years.

Airtanker Program

MD-87

BAe-146

RJ-85

BAe-146

RJ-85

C-130Q

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)

Airtanker Program

MD-87

BAe-146

RJ-85

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.

Airtanker Program

MD-87

BAe-146

RJ-85

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

Aviation Update

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

Aviation Update

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

Aviation Update

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?

Aviation Update

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

Aviation Update

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

Aviation Update

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

Aviation Update

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

Aviation Update

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

Aviation Update

What Do We Need to Work On?

What Are Your Concerns?

PNW/AK Aviation