Douglas A/B-26 Invader
Becoming an Air Tanker Pilot
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Douglas A/B-26 Invader Becoming an Air Tanker Pilot |
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
||||
|
|||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
An airtanker, while initially assigned to one operating
tanker base, is considered a National asset. This means that while you may be assigned to Boise, ID as your primary
contract base, the National Interagency Coordination Center could dispatch you to another tanker base if the fire situation
at that area calls for more aerial assets. The relocation could be for an undetermined time depending on fire activity. You may never see your assigned
base again that summer. This is where a crews flexibility and ability to adapt become important. It is essential
that crews remain professional and courteous to the customer throughout the fire season. Flight crew performance and
their ability to satisfy the customer are critical to a companys future efforts to win follow-on contracts.
Airtanker crews work a six-day on, one day off schedule.
The day off is scheduled at the beginning of the contract and generally doesnt change. If you have Wednesdays off, that
typically remains the case throughout the contract period except for a few limited exceptions.
Duty hours are a minimum of 9 hours a day up to a maximum
of 14 hours a day, depending on the fire danger conditions. During the standby hours, you will be at the airtanker base
and ready for dispatch, much like fire engine crews at station houses. Hobbies are encouraged, within reason.
Flight hours are limited to 8 hours a day, but it generally takes all 14 available hours to reach 8 flight hours since crews
usually do not start flying when first reporting in the morning and flight time is lost to periodic refueling, and the reloading
of retardant on each evolution.
There is no guarantee of when (or if) youll go flying or
where youll end up when you do launch. If a dispatch is received, the airtanker is to be airborne to the incident within
15 minutes, not withstanding delays for flight planning for out of the area flights, ATC delays, etc. This mode of operation
drives a couple of lifestyle issues that are sometimes hard for crews to adjust to. For example, a crew may have rented
an apartment or a hotel room, or towed a house trailer to their assigned tanker base. They can be dispatched at any
time to relocate to another base. The assignment may be for a day, week, or indefinite, depending on the progress of
the fire activity in the dispatched area. The schedule can play havoc with plans (and food left in the refrigerator),
and often lead to double expenses (your lodging at your assigned base and your hotel room where you were dispatched).
Additionally, the stress on families from the separation and uncertainty of your location can present challenges.
While the pay and benefits vary between operators, you can
estimate that youll make (gross wages) between $35,000 - $45,000 over an average contract and fire season. Your pay
consists of standby pay and flight pay. The standby pay is fixed, but flight pay can fluctuate greatly based on the
severity of the fire season. Generally the more you fly, the more you make. It is all up to Mother Nature and
beyond anyones direct control. There have been years that many airtankers flew over 300-350 hours. There have
also been years that some airtankers only flew 50-60 hours. Moreover, some airtankers may fly more than others because
of the varying fire danger from one region to the next.
How long will you be a Co-pilot? Generally speaking,
when you get hired in this Industry you start at the bottom and work your way up. Depending on your experience, your
ability and attitude, and the operators need, you should expect to be in the right seat for a minimum of 3-5 years.
The realistic average is probably closer to 8-10 years. There are no guarantees.
The information provided in this short summary of the life
of an airtanker pilot has been realist and straightforward to allow you to make an informed decision on whether this is the
profession for you. The airtanker pilot is one of the most challenging, rewarding, fulfilling flying jobs that exist.
It requires superb aviation skills, dedication and courage. There is no room for hotdogs, thrill seekers or short timers.
If you want a rewarding flying career, the airtanker pilot is where you want to be.
Abort: Used to cancel
an intended manoeuvre.
Accuracy: An assessment
of the drop by the birddog.
Aerial Detection:
A system for, or the act of discovering, locating and reporting wildfires from aircraft.
Aerial Ignition:
The ignition of fuels by dropping incendiary devices or materials from aircraft.
Air Attack Officer:
The person responsible for directing, co-ordinating and supervising a fire suppression operation involving the use of aircraft
to deliver retardants, suppressants or firefighting forces to or on a fire.
Airtanker: A fixed
wing aircraft fitted with tanks and equipment for dropping suppressants or retardants on fire. Airtanker groups are a provincial
resource.
Armed: A confirmation
by the tanker pilot that the drop system is set to allow immediate release of the load or any part thereof as previously requested
by the birddog.
Birddog Aircraft:
An aircraft carrying the person (Air Attack Officer) directing fire bombing action on a fire. Also referred to as the birddog.
Bombs Away "Now":
A voice signal from the birddog on a dummy run to indicate trigger location.
Break Left or Break Right:
A command for an immediate turn left or right.
Bulls-eye: An assessment
that the drop was placed exactly where requested.
Calculated Manning Level:
Manning level for the current day as determined by a calculation of the fire danger indexes and application of the appropriate
Manning Level table.
Called Shot: A drop
technique whereby the birddog triggers the drop by voice signal to the tanker (e.g., "Ready, 3, 2, 1, ... now").
Canadian Forest Fire Behaviour
Prediction (FBP) System: A subsystem of the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System. The FBP System provides
quantitative outputs of selected fire behaviour characteristics for certain major Canadian fuel types and topographic situations.
Canadian Forest Fire Danger
Rating System (CFFDRS): The national system of rating fire danger in Canada. The CFFDRS includes all guides to
the evaluation of fire danger and the prediction of fire behaviour such as the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System and
Canadian Forest Fire Behaviour Prediction System.
Canadian Forest Fire Weather
Index (FWI) System: A subsystem of the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System. The components of the FWI System
provide numerical ratings of relative fire potential in a standard fuel type (i.e., a mature pine stand) on level terrain,
based solely on consecutive observations of four fire weather elements measured daily at noon (1200 hours local standard time
or 1300 hours daylight savings time) at a suitable fire weather station; the elements are dry-bulb temperature, relative humidity,
wind speed and precipitation.
The FWI System consists of six components. The first three
are fuel moisture codes that follow daily changes in the moisture contents of three classes of forest fuel; higher values
represent lower moisture contents and hence greater flammability. The final three components are fire behaviour indices representing
rate of spread, amount of available fuel, and fire intensity; their values increase as fire weather severity worsens. The
six standard codes and indexes of the FWI System are:
Cardinal Points:
The four chief points of the compass: North, South, East, West.
Chief: The ICS title
for individuals responsible for command of functional sections: Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration.
Chock to Chock:
Wheels roll to wheels stop
Clock Method: A
means of establishing a target or point by reference to clock directions where the nose of the aircraft is 12 o'clock, moving
clockwise to the tail at 6 o'clock, e.g., "The target is now at your 9 o'clock position".
Command: The act
of directing, ordering, and/or controlling resources by virtue of explicit legal agency or delegated authority. May also refer
to the Incident commander.
Command Staff: Consists
of the information officer, safety officer, and liaison officer, who report directly to the Incident Commander.
Communications Unit:
An organizational unit in the Logistics Section responsible for providing communications services at an incident.
Control a Fire:
To complete a control line around a fire, any spot fires therefrom, and any interior island(s) to be saved; burning out any
unburned areas adjacent to the fire side of the control lines; burn off any unwanted island(s) inside the control lines; and
cooling down all hot spots that are immediate threats to the control line until the lines can be expected to hold under unforeseeable
conditions. Stages of control are:
Coverage Level:
A number representing the number of gallons of retardant mixture dropped, or prescribed, to cover fuels in a 100 square foot
area.
Crew: A temporary
crew consisting of three squads placed in high fire danger areas where new ignitions may pose control difficulties at initial
attack.
Day Basing: A procedure
whereby initial attack resources are positioned away from their regular administrative or operational base for a burning period,
in anticipation and readiness for fires that may start in a given area.
Deputy: Qualified
individuals capable to act as a relief in the absence of a superior.
Director: The ICS
title for individuals responsible for supervision of a Branch.
Divert: Change in
aircraft assignment from one target to another or to a new incident.
Documentation Unit:
Functional unit within the Planning Section responsible for collecting, recording, and safeguarding all documents relevant
to the incident.
Door Interval: Time
delay between doors for any drop sequence.
Door Length: Distance
actually covered by a single door of retardant on the ground.
Double Door: A technique
whereby two doors are opened simultaneously.
Drift: Advice or
indication that a wind condition exists of sufficient velocity to significantly affect drop placement and that a correction
factor must be allowed for.
Drop Height: Height
of the tanker at load release, usually given in feet above tree top level.
Drop Sequence: The
order and method in which the doors are opened.
Drop Zone: The area
around and immediately above the target area for the release of the airtanker's load.
Dummy Run: A simulated
bombing run made on a target by the birddog to indicate target and run to the tanker.
Early: Advice that
the drop is to be or was triggered short of a designated point.
Elapsed Time: The
difference in time between the beginning of an action and its actual accomplishment; in firefighting operations it is customarily
divided into:
Excursion: An unplanned
but acceptable enlargement of the area intended to be treated with prescribed fire which does not greatly affect any off-sites
values-at-risk and involves a minimum of suppression effort.
Extend: An instruction
to tag on and extend the line and drop retardant in such a way that the load slightly overlaps and lengthens a previous
drop, e.g., "Extend the last drop."
310-FIRE: The public
can help detect and monitor forest fires by calling the 310-FIRE number to report forest fires to the Provincial Forest Fire
Centre. This number should only be used to report a forest fire.
Fire Centre: This
number should only be used to report a forest fire.
Final: A live bombing
run where the tanker intends to make the drop.
Fire Behaviour:
The manner in which fuel ignites, flame develops and fire spreads and exhibits other related phenomena as determined by the
interaction of fuels, weather and topography. Some common terms used to describe fire behaviour include the following:
Flame Height: The average maximum vertical extension of flames at the fire front; occasional flashes that rise above the general level of flames are not considered. Recommended SI unit is metres (m). Flanks: The parts of a fire's perimeter that are roughly parallel to the main direction of spread. The left flank is the left side as viewed from the base of the fire, looking toward the head. FLIR: Forward Looking Infrared. Forest Fire: Any wildfire or prescribed fire that is burning in forested areas, grass, or alpine/tundra vegetation. The main types of forest fire are:
The anatomical parts of a forest fire are:
Frontal Fire Intensity: The rate of heat energy release per unit time per unit length of fire front. Flame size is its main visual manifestation. Frontal fire intensity is a major determinant of certain fire effects and difficulty of control. The Fire Intensity Rank Chart is used to determine difficulty of control. Gap: A weak or missed area in a retardant line. General Staff: The group of incident management personnel reporting to the Incident Commander. They may have a deputy, as needed. Consists of the Logistics Section Chief, Operations Section Chief, Finance/Administration Chief, and the Planning Chief. Global Positioning System: Employs a constellation of 24 high-orbiting satellites that provides (depending on the receiver used) three dimensional positioning (latitude, longitude, altitude), velocity, track, and time transfer information worldwide. Group Support Unit: Functional unit within the Support Branch of the Logistics Section responsible for the fuelling, maintaining, and repairing of vehicles, and the transportation of personnel and supplies. Half On/Half Off: A drop made parallel to a given reference with half the retardant covering the reference and half outside. Head: The most rapidly spreading portion of a fire's perimeter, usually to the leeward or upslope. Head End of Drop: The most forward end of the drop on the ground. Helitack Crews (WFC Type I, formerly known as Initial Attack Crews): This Type I crew consists of three to eight-person crews based in districts across the province. These individuals undergo two weeks of rigorous and physically demanding training on safety practices and firefighting procedures. By getting to the scene quickly, these crews can control and extinguish fires at a small size. Helitack Support Crews (WFC Type I-HS): These 8 man crews are designed to provide rapid support action for Rapattack and Helitack crews on new fire starts, and remain on the fire for up to 48 hours without resupply. These individuals undergo two weeks of rigorous and physically demanding training on safety practices and firefighting procedures. High Wind Forecast: A wind forecast for 25 km/h or higher. Hold: An instruction not to drop and to await further advice. Hot Spot: Particularly active part of a fire. Incident: An occurrence or event, either human caused or natural phenomena, that requires action by emergency service personnel to prevent or minimize loss of life or damage to property and /or natural resources. Initial Attack: "Initial attack" is the term used to describe the initial steps taken to suppress wildfire using mobile fire suppression crews. There are five types of Wildland Firefighting Crews (WFC): Rapattack, Helitack, Helitack Support, Sustained Action, and Emergency Firefighter. The main differences between these crews are: their base locations, training requirements and crew size. Another initial attack tool used is the eight airtanker groups consisting of: one Douglas DC-6,two Convair CV580, one Air Tracker AT802, two CL215, and two Douglas B26 groups. Inspection Run: A pass over the target by the tanker to assess the run as requested. Island: Green or unburned area within the fire perimeter. Knock Down: To reduce flame or heat in a specified target. Indicates the retardant load should fall directly on the burning perimeter or object. Used to assist ground forces. Late: Advice that the drop is to be or was triggered beyond a designated point. Lead-in: A technique whereby the tanker follows the birddog on a final run. Live Run: A flight over the drop area in which a discharge of cargo or retardant/water, etc., will be made. Load Width: Width actually covered by a drop on the ground. Long: Assessment that the drop landed beyond a designated point. Main Ridge: Prominent ridge line separating river or creek drainage. Usually has numerous smaller regions (spur ridges) extending outward from both sides. Can be confusing if not covered in orientation. Minimum Rest Period: means a period during which a flight crew member is free from all duties, is not interrupted by the air operator or private operator, and is provided with an opportunity to obtain not less than eight consecutive hours of sleep in suitable accommodation, time to travel to and from that accommodation and time for personal hygiene and meals. NOTAM: Notice to All Airmen - an official notice that describes airspace where no person shall operate aircraft, issued pursuant to the Canadian Air Regulation Standards. Parallel Identification: A technique used to identify the target whereby the birddog and tanker fly parallel to each other. Planning Section: Responsible for the collection, evaluation, and dissemination of tactical information information related to the incident and the preparation and documentation of the incident action plan. Includes the Situation, Resource, Documentation Units, as well as the Technical Specialists. Preparedness: Condition or degree of being able and ready to cope with an anticipated fire situation. Provincial Forest Fire Centre (PFFC): Alberta's PFFC headquarters is located in Edmonton. From the PFFC, the department monitors the forest fire situation, conduct audits on forest fire operations and provides technical assistance to the districts and regions across the province. Meteorologists in the department track weather patterns and calculate fire hazards with the latest computer technology. Other experts research the natural cycles of fire and predict where and when forest fires are likely to occur. Besides forest fires, the department also has specialists who help protect forests from disturbances caused by insects and disease. Rapattack Crews (WFC Type I-R, formerly known as Helitack): One of Alberta's firefighting Type I crews is known as Rapattack-or Hotshot-crews. Alberta's specialized Rapattack program, one of only two in Canada, has been in existence for 19 years. These seven-person crews undergo a month of intensive rappel training including a physically demanding training course, emergency retrieval procedures and ongoing evaluations. Competition for positions on one of the 10 Rapattack crews is very competitive. These crews are Edmonton based and are transported to the field wherever the hazard dictates. To allow for quick response to remote areas of the province, these crews are transported to fires by eight contracted medium rotary-wing aircraft. Reload: An instruction to the tanker to proceed to a designated location and reload. Rising Ground: Indicates that the ground ahead or beside the target is higher than the target itself. Roll Up: Connecting the head end of a drop to a given point. Run: The flight path of the tanker to the target. Saddle: Depression or pass in a ridgeline. Safety Zone: An area used for escape in the event the fireline is overrun or outflanked, or in case a spot fire causes fuels outside the control line to render the fireline unsafe. During an emergency, tankers may be asked to create a safety zone using retardant drops. Salvo: A technique whereby a specified number of doors are opened simultaneously. Short: Assessment that the drop landed before a designated point. Single Door Drop: A technique whereby only one door is opened. Slop Over: The extension of a fire across a control line. Snag: A standing dead tree or part of a dead tree from which at least the leaves and smaller branches have fallen. Often called a stub, if less than 20 feet tall. Span: Refers to a distance equal to the wing span of the tanker being used. Spot Fire: A fire caused by the transfer of burning material through the air into flammable material beyond the perimeter of the main fire. Stay: An instruction to the tanker to proceed to a designated location and await further instruction. String Drop: A technique whereby a specified number of doors are opened in succession to give an extended pattern on the ground. Surface Fire: Fire that burns surface litter, other loose debris of the forest floor, and small vegetation. Sustained Action Crews (WFC Type II): These crews are either contract or seasonal wage. They consist of eight personnel who also undergo two weeks of vigorous and physically demanding training on safety and firefighting procedures, including options in forest management practices. These crews may help other programs, i.e., industry, when fire hazard permits. Tag On (and Extend): To drop retardant in such a way that the load slightly overlaps and lengthens a previous drop; e.g., "Extend the last drop." Tail End of the Drop: The aft end of the drop on the ground. Target Elevation: The elevation in feet of the dummy run at the target. Allows the tanker to set up the final run. Technical Specialist: Personnel with special skills who are activated when needed i.e. fire behaviour annalists. Tie-in: To connect a retardant drop with a specified point: road, stream, previous drop, etc., e.g.,"Tie-in tanker 62's drop with the road." Today's Actual 500 mb Anomaly: The difference between today's 500 mb height and the average 500 mb height for today. Expressed as a number such as +8, 0, -5, etc. Today's Forecast 500 mb Anomaly: The prediction of tomorrow's 500 mb anomaly. Traffic Pattern: The path or route aircraft traffic takes when landing or taking off or when performing tactical missions in the airspace or operations area over a fire.
Trail Drop: A
technique whereby the flow of retardant from the aircraft is restricted so as to give a long unbroken line.
Trend Forecast: The weather forecaster's interpretation of how tomorrow's fire weather conditions will compare with today's. Upper Ridge: A meteorological term referring to an elongated area of relatively high atmospheric pressure in the upper atmosphere, usually associated with an increase in fire weather severity at the earth's surface. Upper Ridge Breakdown: A weakening or collapse of an upper ridge which is generally associated with an increase in fire weather severity at the earth's surface with multiple ignitions from lightning often occurring. Determination of an upper ridge breakdown will be the weather forecaster's responsibility. Wildland Firefighting Crew (WFC): is the Forest Protection Division basic firefighter crewit consisting of 6 firefighters, one leader and one subleader. Wingspan: The length of a wing span from tip to tip. Used to make low level flight route adjustments, e.g., "Move your drop one wingspan to the right."
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
As a tanker drops from orbit it usually travels "downwind"
and takes a close look at the drop "target". Then it circles on "base" and turns "final" in order to drop its load on the
head or the flanks of the fire. After it drops it might stay and do another drop, go back into orbit, or head directly to
the base for a refueling.
Air Attack ship orbits high above the fire and is usually
the first on scene unless a helicopter gets in there first. Air Attack will set up in a high orbit and radio in his/her observations
on the fire to the ground units. Then as the tankers start coming in they will be placed in an orbit OPPOSITE of the air attack
orbit away from the plume of smoke for safety reasons. They fly opposite orbits so Air Attack sees the planes twice as much.
There is a designated direction for both but I can't recall which is what. One by one as air attack directs them a tanker
will drop from that orbit into a lower orbit and drop it's load on the fire from that orbit. Then it will go back up to the
higher orbit and back to the tanker base for reloading. Meanwhile the helicopters are skipping low along the ground between
a water source (called the "pond" on a fire) and the fire's edges and hot spots. If the fire isn't big enough, then tankers
and copters can;t fight the fire at the same time. If there is one copter, it is easy while the tanker drops the copter loads
and while the copter drops the tankers orbit. They stay out of each other's way. On a bigger fire with plenty of tankers and helicopters
the two may be fighting totally seperate lines of the fire and not have to worry about each other. This diagram shows the
cross section of the orbits and how everybody stays out of the way. Next time you are on a fire look up and watch them all
circle around at different elevations. And over the radio, using this diagram will help you visualize what you are hearing
as everybody talks away.
The fire-retarding chemicals typically used in wildland
firefighting are short-term and long-term retardants, foam, and water. The retardants may include a gum thickener.
The 10 principles for proper retardant application are:
An average of 15.8 million gallons of fire retardant has
been used in firefighting each year. Most of this retardant is released from the air. Aircraft are used to transport firefighting
chemicals at the appropriate height and speed. The types of aircraft include:
The fire-retarding chemicals typically used in wildland
firefighting are short-term and long-term retardants, foam, and water. The retardants may include a gum thickener.
The 10 principles for proper retardant application are:
Since the 1950’s the Forest Service has used a procedure
known as drop testing to quantify ground patterns. The procedure involves dropping fire chemicals from an airtanker flying
over open cups arranged in a regularly spaced grid (figure 2). The cups are weighed before and after the drop to calculate
the amount of retardant deposited in gallons per hundred square feet (gpc). These values are plotted onto a map of the grid.
Points between cups are estimated, usually by an interpolation method that assumes uniform change between cups. Contour lines
are made by connecting all points of equal coverage level. The length of each contour, referred to as line length, is calculated
from observed and estimated data.
During a drop test, drops are made at varying drop heights,
drop speeds, flow rates, volumes, and with different retardant materials to obtain a graphical and numerical picture of the
ground patterns produced by the airtanker. Examining ground patterns provides information about the factors that influence
the distribution of the drop. Some factors in a drop can be controlled, such as height,
speed, flow rate, tank and gating system, and rheological (flow) properties of the retardant. Wind speed, wind direction,
temperature, humidity, fuel type, and topography are among the factors affecting the ground patterns that cannot be controlled
(Newstead and Lieskovsky 1985). Drop tests allow different tank and gating systems to be compared under similar conditions.
Ground patterns can help managers learn the capabilities of an airtanker by determining the intervals between trail drops
(figure 4). A trail drop is when door opening times are staggered to produce a long stream of retardant. An accurate set of
ground patterns from an airtanker provides data to predict the time between releases needed for a successful trail drop. Mechanics of the Release As
an airtanker releases a load of retardant, the fluid is distributed along the flight path. The characteristics of the drop
(length, width, and coverage level) are a function of the height and speed of the aircraft, the flow rate and volume of the
fluid exiting the tank, the rheological properties of the fluid, and the meteorological conditions. The design of the tank and gating system directly affects
the retardant flow rate. Relevant design elements include the size and shape of the door, the speed with which the door opens,
and the geometry of the tank vents, baffling, cylinders, torque tubes, and other items inside the tank. We have relied on
the cup-and-grid method to understand how these factors influence the ground pattern
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
