[californiadisasters] Re: CalFire: SuperTanker Contract Likely Dead

This article contains two inaccuracies.....

First, the Evergreen Boeing 747 is a significantly larger air tanker than the puny by comparison DC-10 (20,000 gallons capacity versus 12,000 gallon capacity).

Second, I am unaware of any great outcry by firefighters about this tool being removed from the toolbox... most firefighters I've talked to or otherwise heard from were rather dismissive of the Very Large Air Tankers (VLAT's) as being more political than practical.

I have cross-posted this to the discussion list.

Kimmer

On Thu, Jul 7, 2011 at 10:47 PM, Kim Noyes <kimnoyes@gmail.com> wrote:

CalFire: SuperTanker Contract Likely Dead

KNBC-TV Los Angeles

Thursday, Jul 7, 2011  |  Updated 6:59 AM PDT

Just as the Southern California fire season is about to begin, the state budget axe has apparently fallen on the DC 10 Super Tanker, that serves at the biggest, if not always the best, firefighting tool available in the region.

Calfire says the contract to keep the DC 10 and a backup on call appears to be dead.

When the converted American Airlines jet is called into use, it carries nearly 12,000 gallons of fire retardant. That's more than any other tanker available in the U.S.

But "Big Red" as some firefighters call it also costs $7 million every fire season. That hefty cost caused the program to fall out of favor two years ago, but it was reinstated because of public and firefighter complaints from firefighters and the public.

Calfire says the converted jetliner may still be available on a day to day basis, at least for now.

Source: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Calfire-Says-Super-Tanker-Contract-Likely-Dead-125127639.html?__source=Newsletter-Daily

--
Check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/californiadisasters/
Read our blog at http://eclecticarcania.blogspot.com/
Visit me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/derkimster

__._,_.___

Be sure to check out our Links Section at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/californiadisasters/links
Please join our Discussion Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/californiadisasters_discussion/ for topical but extended discussions started here or for less topical but nonetheless relevant messages.

Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___