Posted by Frank Garcia (98.224.3.44) on December 20, 2009 at 13:03:13:
After many years as a dedicated ATGS with the CDF, I am retiring. My wife and I are both retiring at the same time with plenty of travel in our immediate future.
I am sending this email to the aerial firefighting community so I can climb up onto my soapbox one more time……
Use the Fire Traffic Area, it is there to help save lives. Standardization and predictability are essential elements to a safe incident airspace structure.
• Do not penetrate the inner FTA limit when inbound without establishing positive communication with the ATGS. If you are not able to raise the ATGS on the assigned Air-Air tactical, try 122.925. If still no contact and you think that aircraft are overhead the incident, go back to the assigned Air-Air tactical, stay out side the FTA limit and set up a supplemental orbit. Announce your intentions (in the blind) on the assigned air tactical frequency and monitor 122.925 and the assigned air tactical until positive communication is established. If the ATGS is overloaded, do you want to fly into the orbit?
• When cleared to maneuvering altitude to set up for the drop, announce your position in the pattern when getting ready to drop. Base and final legs are essential to announce. If by the final leg of the approach and you do not hear “Clear to drop” from the controlling aircraft, announce and GO AROUND. Never assume that the drop run is clear unless you are in full contact with the controlling aircraft.
• After dropping, if the ATGS does not give you a drop evaluation, ASK. This will not only help you with the wind and the release point, it will help to train the ATGS to evaluate the tanker drops once they are asked enough times! Hopefully the evaluation will be honest....all drop are not "on target".
• If flying multiple loads from the Airbase to the incident and the route in and out has not been established, help the ATGS. Suggest a route/altitude to and from the incident so the controlling aircraft can incorporate this into the airspace structure. When flying to and from the incident, I recommend flying one mile to the right of the GPS centerline; this should give 2 mile lateral separation.
• When flying into a large geographic area with multiple fires, stay high. Request a higher overhead entrance so you can positively identify your fire. If there is incident confusion you don’t want to let down into that mess and run the risk of flying through multiple incident airspace, (and unknown aircraft).
• If you can’t raise the ATGS, visibility is piss poor and you are not comfortable with the airspace coordination, it is a great time to get fuel……
When the fire is located within 6 miles of the reload base;
• Routes/altitudes to the fire and back are essential.
• Depart the base and fly to an established IP before entering the incident orbit. After dropping, fly to another IP before returning to the Airbase. Give yourself time to transition from incident operation procedures to landing procedures. Give yourself time to transition to the next phase of your flight, in the big picture; the few extra minutes are nothing.
• Avoid a sense of urgency. You did not start the fire, your job is to safely assist the team effort to control it.
• Be gentle with the Airbase staff. Lots of aircraft with a quick turn around is very taxing to the ground operation. If something needs attention, let the Airbase Manager know, don’t bark at the Loaders.
Continually monitor yourself. Take the time on a fueling cycle to go inside, use the restroom, drink some cold water and take a few minutes for you. This is especially important with single pilot operation. You should not have to eat your lunch “on the wing”. Take a break….go inside and eat, the fire will be there when you get back!!
It has been a pleasure over the years to have worked with so many talented aviators. I have laughed and shared many a beer with taker pilots as well as shed a tear or two for those we have lost. You are professionals, do the best job you can but only do it safely. If it does not “feel right” orbit outside. The job is inherently dangerous, build every element of safety you can into your operation.
Fairwinds to you............