Farmer Pete,
Love your work here attempting to bring an relatively informed voice to this perrennial issue that we have on this site, every fire season. I agree just about totally with you in very respect, you have very obviously been in the fire attack scene for some time.
I look to the DC10 at Avalon with some circumspection, that this is a big ticket political item that demonstrates that the vic goverment is doing something, BIG about the forthcoming season. I hope it is effective, though i have many doubts. we will see. At least some big bucks are being allocated, this is a serious matter after all.
As far as the hoary old tracker chestnut that is dished up as the solution every year, a drommy with one engine and single pilot will do the job from a remote fire base that the tracker needs a proper airport for, and yes, I know they were carrier borne, but snowy plains does not have a catapult.
HD