xxgoldxx
Civil crews would be fine. One issue is that the demand is quite seasonal, which is why I think crewing with existing Air Force crews would be a solution. Under RAAF umbrella, you could get a lot of resources and training for not a lot more expense. What ever it takes. The whole bushfire defence requires a variety of weapons, depending on the situation, which means helicopters, fixed wing, and innovative ideas like the Boeing example. Why don't we at least trial the CL415s for just one season? Like yr right suggests, I fear there are vested interests playing against the national good.