The AAP Safety Committee attempts to identify hazards and deficiencies (equipment, practices) in aerial fire suppression operations, and to bring them to the attention of agencies, contractors, and aircrews. Although we lack the resources, manpower, support, and authority to implement solutions to most of these problems on our own, we do what we can to mitigate dangers and to promote improvements. Members are encouraged to become involved in any of these projects, and/or to identify additional SEE (Safety-Effectiveness-Efficiency) related items.

*** Priority Items!

Eliminate "silent intimidation"; institute a response and appeal process for complaints about aircrews by agency personnel, and vice versa.

Establish AAP/CFPA Professional Standards Committees to deal with questionable crew performance internally, pro-actively, expeditiously.

Evaluate short- and long-term effects on proficiency from not flying for 6-8 months each year, year after year, especially for pilots on low-time contracts. Identify and support opportunities for off-season proficiency flying and continuing education related to aerial fire suppression (on-line courses?).

Establish objective, appropriate medical requirements for aircrews of all ages to ensure safe operations and to preclude arbitrary age discrimination.

Establish, in conjunction with FAA and NASA, airtanker certification standards based on typical operational usage and stresses, including a comprehensive study of cumulative effects of airtankers landing loaded and sitting loaded, and aerodynamic/structural analysis of retardant-drops and other typical operational stresses on airtankers.

Install cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders with data download capability, or cockpit video recorders, to assist in accident investigations, trend analysis, ASIP (Aircraft Stress Inspection Program), training/checkride debriefs, and FOQA (Flight Operation Quality Assurance) programs.

Establish FOQA programs to deal with training, inspection/maintenance, work rules, and operational procedures.

Identify and promulgate procedures for high-density airports and congested areas that mitigate environmental effects and potential hazards on the ground in the event of a jettison, and that do not expose aircrews to potential legal actions (there is currently an FAA review of FAR 137).

Petition agencies to define the legal rights, obligations, and liabilities of tactical pilots acting for government agencies, and provide liability insurance, and/or a waiver, for aircrews. Currently, the potential effects on a flight crewmember and their family from a lawsuit or certificate action resulting from fire suppression activities could be devastating.

Establish formal communication between fixed-wing, rotor-wing, SEAT, MAFFS, ATGS, and lead-plane aircrew representatives. We work in very close proximity on fires but have separate training, and it is extremely rare that we ever brief or debrief together. We are not always on the same frequency or the same page. NAFA is a start. A secure and protected (sterile) internet site might help.

Continually assess and publicize operational fatigue factors (mental, emotional and physical), including dehydration (cold bottled drinking water readily available at all bases at all times, not just on “busts”), aircraft environmental systems, base rest facilities, and requirements for pilots to wash airtankers (assign loaders/firefighters to help?).

Monitor meal provisions for guest crews at AABs; nutritious, timely, and appropriate (cold, greasy, breaded chicken or Mexican specials, or make-it-yourself plastic sandwiches do not fill the bill).

Establish dispatching procedures and work rules that recognize and address the safety and morale consequences of extended duty hours over extended periods (days/weeks), especially away from home, and that compensate with extra time off, at home, during slack periods. Award bid points to contractors that provide aircrews and mechanics relief and time at home equivalent to that of agency personnel.

Provide paid sick leave for aircrews, and sufficient relief pilots to realistically cover assigned aircraft. Otherwise, there are incentives to “press”.

"Liquidated damages" is also an incentive to fake it when aircraft (or aircrew) maintenance is needed. Also, consider the pressures inherent in an over-emphasis on flight pay for contractors and/or pilots. Both conditions are unquestionably an encouragement to "press".

Monitor the FAA Capstone project, multistatic dependent surveillance for in-flight tracking and diverts, TARMS, HUD, EVS (IR), SVS, and similar technologies that offer enhanced safety, effectiveness, and/or efficiency in airtanker operations. Promote their acquisition and utilization where appropriate.

Evaluate risks and loss of effectiveness inherent in using tankers close to sunset. What is the risk/reward tradeoff? If low-light/restricted visibility operations are to be conducted, conduct an in-depth study, with line airtanker pilot participation, of military low-level night ops procedures and state-of-the-art NVG and associated equipment. The new Synthetic Vision Systems may be only a fantasy for us, but what an application!

If airtanker crews are allowed to operate IFR/IMC, require aircraft to be adequately equipped and fully functional for IFR flight, with appropriate current charts and publications. Insure crews have received adequate realistic IFR recurrent training in type, and are legally current and proficient for IFR/IMC flight in type.

Evaluate cockpit workload (task saturation), especially in single-pilot aircraft without autopilots. ACARS would be a tremendous asset in our operation.

Publish a "user-friendly" (intelligible) Interagency Airtanker Operations Manual, consolidating applicable FARs, agency requirements, standardized operational procedures, and an “open” section for individual contractor notes. This, along with AFMs, should be a “living” document, subject to regular (at least annual) review, with easy updating. Availability on the internet would be a huge plus.

Push for concise and up-to-date AFMs (Aircraft Flight Manuals), with simplified and logical procedures conforming to basic human factor principles (flow, minimal memory items, etc). There are many items of technique, procedure, and system operation that have been learned in fire operations over the years that would dictate appropriate changes to a 30-50 year-old military or airline AFM, although few of them have been published.

Evaluate safety advantages of “boat shoes” with non-skid soles compared to boots with street or hiking soles. There have been several airtanker crew injuries caused by slipping on wet surfaces (including wings and ramps, while washing). Realistically, what is the purpose for boots and gloves, or even NOMEX, in our operation, other than “tradition”? Evaluate heat stress/dehydration effects of full-length heavy-weight Nomex flight suits.

Evaluate a basic smoke hood for aircrews.

Evaluate appropriate supplemental oxygen breathing systems for aircrews.

Evaluate fuel tank inerting systems appropriate for airtanker operations.

Equip all bases with MicroMotion monitors, and load tankers by weight, not gallons (with volumetric overflow/safety valve backup).

Provide Density Altitude information for each takeoff to alert crews to performance degradation. Could be included with an acknowledgement of the “rolling” call.

Walt Darran, AAP Safety Committee