Coulson Aviation - Fireliners

[Office Update]

The NSW State Government has bought a B737-300 Firetanker from Coulson Aviation. Included is a support package of two Cessna Citation V (C560) and operating crew for the next ten years.

[Allan L]

Various news services have details. NSW Govt media release https://www.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/news/air-tanker-to-fight-bushfires/

[Trevor the lover]

Fantastic new that an Australian government department decides that no Australian companys are able to do this contract.

[TBM-Legend]

Fantastic new that an Australian government department decides that no Australian companys are able to do this contract.


Name the Australian company that can do this?

[Sunfish]

Australia carefully sold off and contracted out its aviation maintenance capabilities. There is no one left with:

(a) licence coverage for a b737-300

(b) Spares, especially rotables, let alone a suitably configured CFM 56 or modules plus engine licences.

(c) An exposition/approval/AOC from CASA.

.......and no hope of establishing such a capability at a reasonable cost. So I am assuming the aircraft will remain N registered and the maintenance and operations will be conducted under US regulations. I couldn’t see CASA approving a sensible AOC anyway.

Smart blokes and even me looked at establishing something that might have been able to take on such work at least five years ago, but it was just too hard, so......

Welcome to the Third world.

[drpixie]

The opinion amongst US firies seems to be that the big tankers are best for media photo opportunities and not so good for fire-fighting.

I can't see how a turn-around of something around 1 hour, even with a 20-40 tonne load, would be more effective than a Skycrane dropping 5-6 tonne every few minutes, or those scooper amphibious fixed-wings.

[TBM-Legend]

The large airtankers are deployable over a wide area whereas the helos are localised. Not all fires have easy water access. The answer which NSW and Vic use is a layered approach of air assets.

[Office Update]

Sunfish, Read the press/media release and guff on the govt. web site. It is a 10 year turn-key support operation. So keep all three aircraft on US register, that would make sense. It is no different to Evergreen with the Skycranes other than the aircraft go home at the end of the season. If NSW Fire has actually BOUGHT the aircraft, then after 10 year support contract ends. Re-Tender....

[TBM-Legend]

There is no one left with:

(a) licence coverage for a b737-300


I'm sure that Nauru Airlines would disagree. Their -300's are VH and maintained in BNE...

[Sunfish]

Thank you TBM, are the LAMES on zimmer frames?

[Trevor the lover]

TBM Legie

If no Aussie companies could do it then why did so many tender??? An unknown fact is that the tender did NOT call for a firembomber. It called for lead aircraft only. So where and when did the firebomber idea come from post tender release? Local companies tendered for the requirements as advertised. Local companies were not given the opportunity to tender in the capacity that RFS actually wanted. Probity anyone???

[Global Aviator]

TBM Legie

If no Aussie companies could do it then why did so many tender??? An unknown fact is that the tender did NOT call for a firembomber. It called for lead aircraft only. So where and when did the firebomber idea come from post tender release? Local companies tendered for the requirements as advertised. Local companies were not given the opportunity to tender in the capacity that RFS actually wanted. Probity anyone???

If this is the case then it needs to be investigated. Moving goal posts... I’ve seen it in tenders before.

A 10 year contract, surely an Aussie company could have supplied the lead aircraft and subcontracted the larger until approval gained?

10 years is a bl**dy good contract length worthy of investing $$$!

[Allan L]

NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) in this Request for Tender (RFT) 2018-036 seeks tenders from qualified Suppliers to supply NSW RFS:

(A) a Large Air Tanker (LAT) aircraft; and
(B) the subsequent ongoing management, operation, maintenance and support of LAT within NSW.

Open Tenders - An invitation to tender by public advertisement with no restriction placed on who may tender. Tenderers will normally be required to demonstrate in their tender that they have the necessary skills, resources, experience, financial capacity, and in some cases licences, accreditations, etc., to fulfil the tender requirements.

Published 28-Dec-2018
Closes 7-Feb-2019 10:00am


The RFT for lead aircraft was a separate tender, (RFT) 2018-037, with closing date of 20th Feb..

[onehitwonder]

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x574/2abbed72_53c8_4dda_ade8_556a0cc26e45_d408af67ba72708eb737daa 78e84faabe9c27669.jpeg


Being a NSW RFS owned asset, but operated under Coulson Australian AOC, in years to come, should they lose management of that asset, the new provider would also need their own AOC for 737...

[Petropavlovsk]

.
Owned and Operated by Coulson Aviation.
Check the FAA website for ownership details.
All media and government propaganda to date states this is a 10 year lease...

[onehitwonder]

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1600x1067/117168072_3438170419535635_2795807762001158969_o_069c27cd517 a66989b767eaf653279ca29c85309.jpg

[Petropavlovsk]

Part of the 10 year lease plan, should be three Citation 560 Ultra's on task.
Pilot jobs advertised on AFAP website.

[On eyre]

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1600x1067/117168072_3438170419535635_2795807762001158969_o_069c27cd517 a66989b767eaf653279ca29c85309.jpg

Let’s hope he gets the third green 😳