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An airtanker is an aircraft that is modified with on-board water/fire retardant tanks and is used in aerial firefighting to combat and control wildfires. A wide variety of terminology has been used in the popular media for the aircraft used in aerial firefighting, as well as the methods used. In the U.S., the terms airtanker or air tanker generally refer to fixed-wing aircraft, with "airtanker" being the form used in official documentation.[1][2] In Europe, water bomber is the predominant term, and this name also appears frequently in popular media. Helicopters, when their sole function is dropping water or retardant (as opposed to also moving personnel) are referred to as helitankers.

History

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Categorization

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Airtankers in the U.S. are considered a "national asset", but typically are owned and operated by civilian companies and contracted to government agencies who then direct their usage on a fire.

Airtankers are broadly divided into four classes based on retardant capacity:[2]

  • Type 1 - 3,000 gallons or greater
  • Type 2 - 1,800 to 2,999 gallons
  • Type 3 - 800 to 1,799 gallons
  • Type 4 - Less than 799 gallons (SEAT or Single Engine AirTankers)

SEAT operations

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Air Tractor AT-802 SEAT (Single Engine Air Tanker) landing at Fox Field, Lancaster, California, while fighting the North Fire.

Single Engine Air Tankers, or SEATs, operate on a somewhat different set of guidelines than the larger aircraft. SEATs have the advantage of quicker turnaround times, as they typically carry only 400 to 800 gallons, and can land on improvised dirt or gravel landing strips near a fire. SEATs can be used individually on a fire, or in conjunction with helicopters and larger tankers.

Helitankers

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U.S. operations and contracting

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In the U.S., civilian airtanker operations are contracted by the Federal government for firefighting operations on Federal land,, and to individual states for land not federally controlled.

There are five federal agencies which manage firefighting efforts on their respective lands (Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), but because airtankers are considered a "national asset", these agencies coordinate their efforts through the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC), which sets national priorities for the use of assest and resources.[3]

The use of civilian contracted airtankers on fires on federal lands is goverened by the National Airtanker Services Contracts, which are bid on and awarded each year prior to the fire season.[4]

List of airtankers and lead planes

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Purpose-built aircraft

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Converted aircraft

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Obsolete aircraft

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Currently operated

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Lead planes

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List of operators

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  • Conair Group
  • Aero Union
  • T&G Aviation, later International Air Response
  • 10 Tanker Air Carrier
  • Hawkins & Powers
  • TMB Inc.
  • Hemet Valley Flying Service
  • Neptune Aviation
  • Zenith Aviation
  • Minden Aviation
  • Butler Aircraft
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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Transcript of USA vs Fuchs, case 9810173, 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Apeals
  2. ^ a b "Interagency Standards for Fire and Aviation Operations 2007, Chapter 17" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
  3. ^ Federal Fire and Aviation Operations Action Plan, 2005
  4. ^ 2007 National Airtanker Service Contract
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