FarmerPete,
I had heard whispers that there would be firebosses coming into the country, but I hadn't heard that they were here yet. One comment I would make after looking at the
www.firebossllc.com website the other day is that the fireboss requires about 300m more length to work than the Canadairs (both actual scoop and 50' to 50'). I'd love to have a play in a fireboss, but with no plans to fly ag its never going to happen.
I do agree that unless you are using the 415's for scooping they become a poor cousin compared to 802's and the like - escpecially when you consider they lift 1 1/2 ton less from land than they can scoop from water. Carrying around the weight of flying boat hull when operating as a land aircraft is inefficient. At least if the fireboss is like the caravan it can be switched between standard and amphibian gear overnight.
What would be very interesting is a comparison between the cost of operating a 415 to say three firebosses (I suspect that would provide similar throughput).
With all due respect, as a seaplane pilot I would not accept a risk assement performed on a body of water that I was planning to operate off by anyone other than an experienced seaplane pilot. I work in open water where we have to regularly work around boats, where it is very rare to find even very experienced skippers that understand our requirements.
What is really sad is seeing the political budgetry influences on the selection of the size and type of assets used for firefighting, especially when it distorts the selection away from a more effective system for the same actual investment. And then there is the question about how we value life.
I'm a firm beleiver in hit em early and hit em hard. I am also a firefighter in Queensland (auxiliary) and at times I wish I was back in Victoria (volunteer) where we would use dozers and 4WD tankers where up here we use knapsacks and rakehoes, and be home in a fraction of the time. However on the same token I much prefer the fire behaviour up here.