Bushfires.

[mickjoebill]

If we had our own fleet, would the availability of DC10 off season give greater confidence to conduct more hazard reduction burns?

mjb

[601]

If we had our own fleet, would the availability of DC10 off season give greater confidence to conduct more hazard reduction burns?

and keep current

[nonsense]

Originally Posted by andrewr

More likely, the amateur receivers that feed FlightAware are turned off or have no internet connection.

And yet each evening VH-LAB can be seen surveying the very same areas?

https://www.flightradar24.com/FSCN125/2368baec

[Okihara]

Originally Posted by havick

There’s a lot more requirements to getting a gig dropping wet stuff on fires than simply getting an ag rating. Have to need all the client/NAFC pilot requirements on top of what ever operators want.

That shouldn't be the prevailing attitude in that regard right now, methinks.

[Rwy in Sight]

Not a pilot but I live in a country with a number of CL-215/415. I need to point out currently there is no production line for CL-415. There are thoughts about a 515 and the Japanese have an aircraft suitable but I am not sure about production capacity. For Australian size the Be-200 is much better due to higher speed and water scooping capability.

[Sunfish]

unfortunately we have limited area of water from which to scoop and what we do have is occupied by fishermen and water skiers.

[Squawk7700]

Originally Posted by Okihara

That shouldn't be the prevailing attitude in that regard right now, methinks.

The last thing they need right now, is a bunch of low time PPL’s with a recently acquired AG rating, trying to drop retardant on bushfires!

[Sunfish]

Squawk 7700 is absolutely correct. All it would do is cause confusion, inefficiency or casualties. There is a great deal of training needed just in operational procedures to start with.

[currawong]

Last time I looked, one could still take on a fire until the relevant authority took control of the incident.

Which seems appropriate.

[Compass Call]

Sunfish
Surely a 'state of emergency' could ban recreational use of waterways to allow firefighters to do their job?
Or are the Aussies so stupid they would put recreation before their country??

[LiamNCL]

I am suprised to read that company who own the 747 Supertanker in Colorado have been in contact with Australian officials and say they are ready to go if they are needed ? I would have been down this avenue weeks ago.

[kev_laline]

There is a simple reason the fires are so big.
One word - FUEL.

[PoppaJo]

The issue is how they got so big in the first place...Because we don't, as a nation have sufficient assets to stop small fires becoming big fires.

Because Parks Victoria is one of the most useless incompetent disorganised bunch of useless government departments ever created. How many of these fires of directly related to the incompetence of this mob? Many. Gippsland has been burning for months because they screwed up in November.

I live in regional Vic and I’ve barred this lot from entering my property. They wanted to backburn near my property in November but as I’m now aware of at least 20 incidents last year alone where they poorly executed these projects resulting in large uncontrolled mess. 3 years ago they did this near my land, and it got out of control and came within 500m from my fenceline. I work in a job where SOP is king. We follow the checklist. We are trained regularly and checked. These guys do not. There is no order and no accountability or investigation when things go south.

There is many flaws that currently exist in Fire Service and Parks Management. I guess rolling political musical chairs hasn’t helped as no minister is held responsible let alone has any sort of knowledge for the industry.

The PM Media firestorm is great for ratings and all sells newspapers but did a little deeper to see where the real issues stem.

[porch monkey]

Amen to that.

[RickNRoll]

Originally Posted by kev_laline

There is a simple reason the fires are so big.
One word - FUEL.

You are simply wrong. This is a more complex take on the problem.

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-...fires/11817336

People hate to hear it but climate change is a significant factor. Fires are going through areas that were cleared not long ago and even re-crossing burnt areas multiple times. The heat, humidity and drought are burning with a ferocity that is igniting the whole forest from to to bottom in one hit. Hazard reduction achieves nothing in those circumstances.

Hazard
​​​reduction burns are being done but the window of opportunity to do these is continually shrinking. Look at the time of year these fires started.

[Squawk7700]

2pm at Merimbula complete with grounded Blackhawk.

[currawong]

Originally Posted by RickNRoll

You are simply wrong. This is a more complex take on the problem.

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-...fires/11817336

People hate to hear it but climate change is a significant factor. Fires are going through areas that were cleared not long ago and even re-crossing burnt areas multiple times. The heat, humidity and drought are burning with a ferocity that is igniting the whole forest from to to bottom in one hit. Hazard reduction achieves nothing in those circumstances.

Hazard
​​​reduction burns are being done but the window of opportunity to do these is continually shrinking. Look at the time of year these fires started.

Would you rather be in / adjacent to an area that had hazard reduction or an area that did not at present?

Put simply, do you want a big fire or a small one?

[RickNRoll]

Originally Posted by currawong

Would you rather be in / adjacent to an area that had hazard reduction or an area that did not at present?

Put simply, do you want a big fire or a small one?

That wasn't a simple question, it was a rhetorical question with a simple premise for a complex problem. Read the link I provided.

[currawong]

Originally Posted by RickNRoll

That wasn't a simple question, it was a rhetorical question with a simple premise for a complex problem. Read the link I provided.

Yes, read it a while back.

Your rhetorical question was addressed with a Royal Commission after Black Saturday.

Here is a warning on the subject from a year ago.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-...ZCRGnYvcbGEJ24

[Jerry Springer]

Originally Posted by Okihara

Did the bushfires make anyone think of getting an ag rating? Might be a bit late for this season, but for subsequent ones?

An Ag Rating on it’s own is currently useless for getting a job fighting fires if you’re an Aussie on fixed-wing. 1,000 hours of Ag flying is the requirement, which will take a good number or years to log. There isn’t so much Ag work around these days.
I suspect in years to come most of the fire-fighting pilots in Australia will be from overseas, as the 1,000 hours of Ag isn’t required of them - or maybe CASA will make a Fire-Fighting Rating that bypasses Ag ?