1. Aviation Update Aaron Schoolcraft PNW/AK Regional Aviation Officer
Cell:
Kurt Kleiner
BLM OR/WA State Aviation Manager
Office:
Cell:

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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)

6. 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

7. 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)

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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:

16. 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

17. 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?

18. 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

19. 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

20. Aviation Update Aviation Guide Updates
Interagency Aerial Ignition Guide – May 2012
IHOG – February 2013
Interagency Aerial Supervision Guide – 2013
Interagency Airspace Coordination Guide – 2014

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

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