Fair Play
Lets remember one thing ladies and gentlemen. This was an open tender for any AUSTRALIAN company to bid. All of the contracts were awarded to Australian companies. Now if that compny does not have the funds and/or the resoureces to support such aircraft then it is only logical that they go abroard. The Australian market cannot sustain these aircraft outside of the fire season. Be it Skycrane, S61 or Bell 212 there just isnt the work for them. This argument seems to surface every year and we always hear about the poor operators who cant get a start because of these foreign devils. Well you have to be in it to win it. So bid the contract and then buy the aircraft. Not going to happen. At least some of these companies are looking to use local pilots/engineers to help crew the machines. I am sure these guys would not have such exposure if the aircraft were not here. Just my 2 cents.