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