Aviation Update Aaron Schoolcraft PNW/AK Regional Aviation Officer Cell: 202.302.4518 Kurt Kleiner BLM OR/WA State Aviation Manager Office: 503.808.6593 Cell: 971.338.3091

Aviation Update (Priorities) 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

Aviation (PNW RAG) Kim Reed: Brock Hindman: Ron Barrett: Mary Verry: PNW Aviation Operations Manager Brock Hindman: Lead Plane Pilot Ron Barrett: SMJ Aircraft Program Manager Mary Verry: Light FW Program Manager Eric Scholl: Helicopter Operations Specialist (Acting) Mike Cook: Aviation Maintenance Program Manager (Acting)

Aviation Update Rotor-Wing Assets Fixed-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

Oregon BLM Aircraft Lakeview District Burns District Vale 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)

Aviation Update 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

Airtanker Program 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. C-130Q BAe-146 BAe-146 RJ-85 RJ-85 DC-10 MD-87

Airtanker Program Additional Airtankers Up to 8 Convair-580s (Canadian and AK contracts) Up to 8 MAFFS (if requested) Up to 6 (Oregon Department of Forestry) BAe-146 RJ-85 MD-87

Airtanker Program 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. BAe-146 RJ-85 MD-87

Aviation Update 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 C-27J

Aviation Update 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 Working Groups: 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 Better training/communication 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 Aviation Guide Updates Interagency Aerial Ignition Guide – May 2012 IHOG – February 2013 Interagency Aerial Supervision Guide – 2013 Interagency Airspace Coordination Guide – 2014

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

What Do We Need to Work On? PNW/AK Aviation What Do We Need to Work On? What Are Your Concerns?